STARDATE 321 | Friday 10th July 2009 There’s Superman, Batman and Spiderman - but have you heard of Shrub Man? He wanders the streets of Colchester planting flowers and shrubs to help his friends, the bees. Aaah. Never mind the Caped Crusader - he’s the Flora Protector. Talking of superpowers, we’d really like some feedback on the Planet Super Powers! project, read further down for more details The line-up this week: Gimme Five – fascinating facts about wombats Planet SciCast Mouses at the Ready 1 & 2 – Tickets for The Deep How should we teach science? Planet Pick of the Week Body Bits Pinball game Stump the Scientist: Tea for two? Activity of the Week – Boomerang Mouses at the Ready – Books Noticeboard – FYI The Winners’ Enclosure Joke of the Week Back to Top   1. Gimme Five ...facts about (hairy-nosed) wombats 1. The northern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiarhinus krefftii) is one of the world's most endangered mammals 2. Unlike most mammals, it's the young female who leaves the area where they are born, while the males remain. 3. Wombats are marsupials. 4. Wombats are native only to Australia. 5. The northern hairy-nosed wombat is the largest herbivorous burrowing mammal in the world. For more details about the hairy nosed wombats visit Wombania and davidshepherd.org Have you got FIVE facts about anything/everything? Preferably science-based of course (we’re not called Planet Science for nothing y’know). If so, send it along to us at planet-science.news@nesta.org.uk with GIMME FIVE in the subject line. Back to Top   2. Planet SciCast Not much to report this week from the world of SciCast. The Web Team at our partners the Engineering and Technology Board are busy tweaking away to make your SciCast Web experience as smooth as it can be, and of course you still have loads of delightful daylight to make your film in. The big news this week is that our lovely SciCast Judge Jem is gearing up for the BBC's Bang Goes The Theory Big Contraption. It's on air, LIVE next Tuesday evening - look out for it and in the meantime here's Jem on the show's blog. Let's hope it all, you know, works. Back to Top   3. Mouses at the Ready The Deep The Deep in Hull is a conservation and educational charity which runs one of the deepest and most spectacular aquariums in the world. It is a unique blend of stunning marine life, the latest interactives and audio-visual presentations which together tell the dramatic story of the world’s oceans. Highlights include 40 sharks and 3500 fish, Europe’s deepest viewing tunnel, a glass lift ride through a 10m deep tank and a 3D film! Book your tickets and view the annual programme of events at www.thedeep.co.uk New for 2009 - Lost Oceans! The amazing story of our prehistoric oceans and the incredible animals that dwelt in their depths. How were they lost...or were they? Exhibition includes Monsters of The Deep in 3D and our new aquarium exhibit featuring the fish that walk on land! Lost Oceans opens at Easter, for full events programme and film show times see the events section www.thedeep.co.uk Day entry tickets to The Deep are eligible for a free annual upgrade (terms and conditions apply). We have a family pass (5 tickets) to give away - thanks to that nice shoal of folks at The Deep! If you’d like to win it then send your name and address and the words ‘DIG DEEP’ in the subject line, to planet-science.news@nesta.org.uk. The draw will take place at 4pm on Tuesday 14th July. Back to Top   4. How Should We Teach Science? Here’s a request from Alom Shaha: It’s not exactly the best time for the government to launch a consultation on the new GCSE science curriculum you’d think, but that’s exactly what they’ve done. As many readers of this newsletter will be aware, the government’s regulator of qualifications and exams Ofqual published a report earlier this year which stated that there are “significant causes for concern” with the way that science is taught and assessed at GCSE level. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has responded by setting up a consultation process that will lead to changes in the GCSE science curriculum by 2011. The consultation takes the form of a lengthy questionnaire which you can complete on the QCA website. Alternatively, you can leave your thoughts at www.howscience.co.uk, a website I have set up in order to encourage involvement in the consultation from those who don’t have the time (or the inclination) to complete the QCA questionnaire. I’m also hoping it will become a space for teachers to engage in discussion and debate with each other. I have spoken to the people running the QCA consultation and, whilst they would prefer you to fill in their questionnaire, they have assured me that they will read a summary of the comments left on my website. If you’re a teacher who really cares about how we teach and assess science at GCSE, then get involved - send me an email to alom.shaha@gmail.com with your thoughts on how we should teach science. The deadline for the QCA to receive contributions to their consultation is Friday 11th September, and I will be taking contributions at www.howscience.co.uk up until Monday 7th September. Back to Top   5. Planet Pick of the Week Body Bits Pinball Think you know about the human body and where everything is huh? Well take a look at our weird and widely dispersed body bits, spread out to make a fine yet frustrating pinball table. You gather points by keeping the ball on the table, you can also do some fact-finding about the organs you’ve been tickling after your game. Twang! Ping ping ping.......flip flip....ping....etc. Happy pinballing. Back to Top   6. Stump the Scientist Image credit: Shutterspeaks.com No answers as yet for Steven France who wanted to know about the dinosaur Elasmosaurus that “swallowed pebbles to help them sink deeper into the water (as an alternative to using pebbles as a digestion aid). How did he get them back out along his very long neck?” In the meantime Sarah Wust, Science co-ordinator at John Randall Primary School asks “I have noticed the following - and thought you were the best people to ask! Quite often I make my husband and I a cup of tea. One tea bag in each cup. The only difference between the two cups is that I take sugar where my husband doesn't. So that I can remember which one I have put sugar in, I usually leave the teaspoon in the cup. I have noticed that after leaving the tea to brew, the tea without the spoon in has brewed stronger than the one with the metal teaspoon and sugar in it... I can quite imagine there is a very simple explanation to this phenomenon, but I am not a science expert and am only a science co-ordinator through default with a joy of teaching it... Any thoughts???” Indeedy. Well once again, over to you scientists! If you can help or have a burning question of your own then send us an email with STUMP THE SCIENTIST in the subject line to planet-science.news@nesta.org.uk Back to Top   7. Activity of the Week Boomerang Experiment Three pieces of cardboard, three lolly sticks, three blobs of BluTack, and a deft flick of the wrist. That’s all you need to make your own boomerang. What else do you want? Hilariously bad accents, that’s what. What you need 1. A biggish blob of BluTack or similar. 2. Three lolly sticks, or craft lolly sticks. 3. Three pieces of thin card about 8cm x 4.5cm What you do You may need to look at the photo instructions for this on as it can be a wee bit tricky. 1. Place a small blob of BluTack at the end of each stick, Stick A, Stick B and Stick C. 2. With the blob of BluTack on Stick A facing down, attach the tip of stick B (also facing down) to the Stick A, just over a quarter of the way down the stick. These sticks start to form two sides of a triangle. 3. Add Stick C to Stick B in exactly the same way. Then finally take the tip of A and attach it a quarter of the way down on top of C so the three sticks are woven together and make a small triangle between them. 4. Attach the oblongs of card to the ends of the sticks, with the sticks in the middle of each card and the long sides along the sticks. 5. Hold the boomerang nearly vertically and throw with a flick of the wrist to get the boomerang spinning! What's going on Each card has a certain amount of lift as it slices through the air, rather like a paper aeroplane. The amount of lift each card receives depends on the speed of air flowing over it. Because the boomerang is spinning, the top card is going forward through the air while the lower cards are going backwards, giving the cards an uneven lift. This difference in lift, combined with the different angle of the cards changes the direction of the boomerang. With the right amount of twist and a semi-professional throw the boomerang will return. This activity came from the Boomerang Experiment activity on the Planet SciCast site. Back to Top   8. Mouses at the Ready A vast alien city! An ultra-top-secret project! Technology thousands of years ahead of our own! THE PROMETHEUS PROJECT - TRAPPED and THE PROMETHEUS PROJECT - CAPTURED are science fiction thrillers that follow the adventures of Ryan and Regan Resnick, a brother/sister pair who stumble upon the greatest discovery ever made - an abandoned alien city, as potentially deadly as it is astonishing. Will they save their mother from certain death? Can they outwit a brilliant alien who has taken the adult members of the team hostage, free the prisoners, and thwart an unstoppable invasion? Win autographed copies of both books and find out! Read reviews at www.douglaserichards.com If you’d like to win this pair of books then send your name and address and the words ‘TRAPPED’ in the subject line, to planet-science.news@nesta.org.uk. The draw will take place at 4pm on Wednesday 14th July. Back to Top Planet Science Alert!! Planet Science Website and Newsletter will be moving from NESTA to another organisation in the near future - more exciting news to come of that soon. In the meantime please be aware that we will be asking you to sign up for the newsletters again if you wish to continue receiving them. This is because we cannot legally hand over your data to another organisation, even if you might want us to! Don’t try to sign up again yet, we’ll give you further instructions when the new databases are in place. Battle for Planet Science Episode 10 - Battle for Planet Science Are the newly acquired superhero/ine skills and science knowledge up to the challenge? With their selected outfits and accessories, can the superhero clones save Planet Science? It's time to Battle for Planet Science!   Planet Super Powers! evaluation We'd like to know what you think about the Planet Super Powers! project. Have you played the game, viewed the comic strip or did you take part in the competition? Send your comments to Miz Ingenuity at mizingenuity@f2s.com with MY PSP in the subject line and your name will be entered into the prize draw to win a detective kit and spy's handbook.   British Science Festival Schools Programme - Surrey 5-10 September What is it that triggers a spark of genius? Albert Einstein became intrigued by science at the tender age of 5 after he was given a compass to play with. Einstein himself later claimed “I have no special gift, I am only passionately curious.” And what drove Charles Darwin to his extraordinary ideas on evolution and human origins? The first sparks of interest in natural history were developed very early in his childhood. Darwin relates how his mother, Susannah, taught him how to change the colour of flowers by giving them water mixed with food colouring. Even as children, these hugely influential scientists were attracted to the questions and more importantly the lack of answers that scientists had been able to produce. At the British Science Festival they are aiming to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers with some of the weird and wonderful ways that lead to the road of discovery.... For full details of the programme download the pdf here Closing date: 25 July 2009 Remember last time when we were giving a pair of tickets for Ricky Gervais at the NIA in Birmingham? The lucky winner is Jenny Price of Scunthorpe. Well done Jenny, enjoy the show!   Back to Top   11. Joke of the week A Texan farmer goes to Australia for a vacation. There he meets an Aussie farmer and gets talking. The Aussie shows off his big wheat field and the Texan says, “Oh! We have wheat fields that are at least twice as large”. Then they walk around the ranch a little, and the Aussie shows off his herd of cattle. The Texan immediately says, “We have longhorns that are at least twice as large as your cows”. The conversation has, meanwhile, almost died when the Texan sees a herd of kangaroos hopping through the field. He asked, “And what are those”? The Aussie replies with an incredulous look, “Don't you have any grasshoppers in Texas?” (PS. Bet you thought that was going to be about wombats, didn’t you?) Have a great week! Back to Top   Remember... If you would like to view the Planet Science Newsletter Archive click here. You can also read back issues of Randomised for younger teens here. Or you can read back issues of Hay-Wire for Under 10s. PS if you would like to unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time, just reply to this email with the word 'UNSUBSCRIBE' in the title. PPS Sorry if you've been having problems with the Planet Science site today - there is a server hardware problem which should be fixed shortly. Back to Top