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Friday 16th November 2007 Issues 82

Ooooh it’s so chilly! Wrap up warm and go Haywire this weekend.  We’ve got lots for you to do and don’t forget to spread the word about the great Planet Science competitions!

  1. Planet Picks – Scicast competition and Making a Mint
  2. The Buzz – Pink balls
  3. Crash Bang! – Cornflour Slime
  4. Up for Grabs – Pocket Science tube
  5. Winners – Rocket Balloons

1. Planet Picks – News from the world of Planet Science…

Do you like a challenge? How would you like to win £250 in Amazon Vouchers?  If you’ve got a brilliant idea for a short film (plus a few pals and a willing adult to help you) then head for Planet SciCast. Plus if you send your film in to us before the end of November you'll get five free cinema tickets for you and your team to see a movie of your choice. Go on – get submitting.

Do you remember the Making a Mint Challenge from earlier in the year? You had the chance to grow a packet of mint and see how much money you could make from it.  Well here’s your chance to do it again! Click here to send for your free pack.

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2. The Buzz – Science news delivered to your inbox…

Don’t look now but they’re trying to Barbie-fy cricket balls! Fluorescent pink cricket balls will be tried out during one-day matches next season to see if they last longer than the white balls that are used now. Apparently white balls are normally used in one-day internationals but have to be changed after 34 overs because they get so battered and bashed. The white paint tends to flake off and they don't last for all 50 overs of a one-day match, so scientists want to come up with something better. They think that pink balls would be easier to see as they fly through the air. Hmmmmmm – what next? 

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3. Crash Bang! – Exciting experiments for you to try at home…

Slime

This is an old favourite but now we have a film on Planet SciCast too!

You will need:

  • Cornflour or custard powder (not instant custard).
  • Some water.
  • A bowl.
  • A spoon, or your hands.
  • A cup for measuring.

What to do:

  1. Mix 2 cups of cornflour with 1 cup of water, making sure to stir the water in slowly so you don't get any lumps.
  2. The result is a strange white (or yellow if you are using custard powder) substance that will either act like a solid (if you punch it quickly or roll it into a ball) or it will act like liquid (if you touch it gently or tip the bowl).
  3. If the mixture is not doing this you may need to add a little more cornflour or a little more water.
  4. If you increase the amounts of cornflour and water, you could in theory fill a bathtub with the mixture, and run across the top without falling in. (You'd have to be very quick though!)

What's happening?

The cornflour and water mixture is a mixture of solid particles suspended in a liquid, called a "colloid". When you stir the mixture slowly, the custard powder particles can move around in the water quite freely, and so the mixture acts as a liquid. When you stir the mixture faster or hold it in your hand tightly, the solid particles rub against each other causing friction. This makes them stick together and the mixture will act like a solid. If you squeeze it really hard you will squeeze some of the water out and what remains will be more or less solid.

Special Safety advice

Playing with this with your hands is perfectly safe (although if you are using custard it can leave your hands a little yellow).

This activity comes from Planet Scicast and if you want to see how it’s done then look at the clip first!

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4. Up for Grabs – You’ve got to be in it to win it...

This week we’ve got a great little science kit to give away.  ‘Pocket Science’ and all in a handy test-tube!

If you’d like to win it then send us your name, age and address to: Hay-wire.Clubhouse@nesta.org.uk with ‘SCIENCE IN MY POCKET’ as the subject. The winners will be picked at random at 5pm, on Wednesday 28th November 2007.

Good luck!

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5. Winners –Has your name been picked out of the bag?

Remember Issue 81 when we were giving away FIVE packets of rocket balloons? The lucky winners are Scott Onions (8) of Warrington (again Scott? You are super-lucky!), Barbara Davis, Chris Lloyd (13) of Shropshire, Connor Davis (10) of Cowbridge and Max Spencer (4) of Derbyshire. Well done everyone!

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

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INFORMATION OVERLOAD

Planet Science has gone Hay-Wire and now you have too!

That’s all for this issue. The next issue of Hay-Wire will be with you in two weeks time so until then, why not ask your friends to join the Hay-Wire Club?

They can visit the Clubhouse for more details (the password is Sciwoof )

Bye for now!