So why is the Playstation 3 so expensive?  What’s so good about it anyhow? Well it’s all down to the new technology called Blu-ray, also known as Blu-ray Disc (BD).  It can store more than five times the amount on traditional DVDs and can hold up to 25GB on a single-layer disc and 50GB on a dual-layer disc.

At the moment a red laser is used to read and write data, the new format uses a blue-violet laser instead, hence the name Blu-ray. The blue-violet laser has a shorter wavelength than a red laser which makes it possible to focus the laser spot very accurately. This allows data to be packed more tightly and stored in less space, so it's possible to fit more data on the disc even though it's the same size as a CD/DVD.

Seven of the eight major movie studios (Disney, Fox, Warner, Paramount, Sony, Lionsgate and MGM) are supporting the Blu-ray format and five of them (Disney, Fox, Sony, Lionsgate and MGM) are releasing their movies exclusively in the Blu-ray format. So if you want new – get Blu!

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Swing low sweet Cheerio

You will need:

• a hard rubber or plastic comb, or an inflated balloon
• thread
• small pieces of dry cereal (Cheerios, or Sugar Puffs)

What to do:

1. Tie a piece of the cereal to one end of a 30 cm piece of thread. Find a place to attach the other end so that the cereal does not hang close to anything else. (You can tape the thread to the edge of a table but check with your parents first.)
2. Wash the comb to remove any oils and dry it well.
3. Charge the comb by running it through long, dry hair several times, or vigorously rub the comb on a wool sweater.
4. Slowly bring the comb near the cereal. It will swing to touch the comb. Hold it still until the cereal jumps away by itself.
5. Now try to touch the comb to the cereal again. It will move away as the comb approaches.
6. This can also be done by substituting a balloon for the comb.

What’s going on?

Combing your hair moved electrons from your hair to the comb. The comb had a negative charge. The neutral cereal was attracted to it. When they touched, electrons slowly moved from the comb to the cereal. Now both objects had the same negative charge, and the cereal was repelled.

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Sodium bicarbonate rockets have been voted “The Nation’s Favourite Experiment” The winner, entitled “Fizz Fizz Bang Bang” showed how to make a rocket using an effervescent stomach pill. You can see it and the other clips on www.the-ba.net/the-ba/Events/NSEW/NFE/index.html

Many of the children who voted wished they could see or do something similar in school because they were fun and exciting.   Well guess what?  You can!!  Have a look at Planet Science’s Little Book of Experiments www.planet-science.com/experiment

If you want some egg idea and jokes for Easter then check out www.britegg.co.uk/kids05/kids2.html

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Remember Issue 64 when we were giving a spy ear listening device? Well the lucky winner is Ellis Spencer (9) of Northamptonshire.  Psst! Can you hear anything yet?

So remember – keep entering ‘cos next time it could be you!

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