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Friday 25th November 2005 Issue: 35

It’s Friday again! Time to grab your Wired-Up and snuggle down in a cosy armchair.  It seems that Physics is taking a dive because students think that it’s boring.  Whaaaat?  BORING?  How very dare you?  Not on our watch mateys! Look at what we’ve got for you this week and then try and tell us it’s boring.  The very idea…

  1. The Wire – Physics is Fun! Spread the word!
  2. Make a Date – BA Crest Science Fair
  3. Gear for Grabs – More Flipsides?  How lucky are we?
  4. Winners – Explosive science
  5. Rib Busters – Wired-Up readers’ favourite jokes. You have been warned…
1. The Wire  – Science news straight to your Inbox…

A report is warning that the teaching of physics may die out in schools unless something is done.

Fewer and fewer pupils are studying the science subject and there's a shortage of specialist teachers, according to the survey by the University of Buckingham.

Physics covers topics such as electricity, magnetism, temperature, light and sound waves.

  • One in 10 state schools with sixth forms do not offer A-level physics
  • Nearly 40% of schools had five students or fewer taking the subject at A-level
  • Half of all physics teachers had not studied the subject at all at university

Read more on the CBBC Newsround site

So how can this be?  Why are less people opting for Physics? What do you think?  Do you enjoy science topics such as forces, electricity and magnetism, light and sound?  What about space and the solar system?  Let us know by sending us an email with your name and age to wired-up.news@nesta.org.uk with ‘Physics Feedback’ in the subject line.

In the meantime…

Ever wondered what happens to your brain when you fall in love? Or questioned how a tumour is treated? Or imagined what it looks like inside a bottom? (You needn’t answer that one!)

Discover the answers to these bodily questions with the fantastic new multimedia website www.insidestory.iop.org from the Institute of Physics and Medical Research Council.  Complete a series of tasks, solve the puzzles and play the games to discover how physics is being used to find out about the human body.

This brilliant website allows you to explore the wonderful world of medical physics. Yes it’s true, physics is very important in medicine.  That’s surprised you hasn’t it?  Biology isn’t the only science that deals with matters of the human body.

Also on the subject of Physics, we know you Wired-Up readers are always game for a competition.

Counting Thoughts is a free competition for Higher Physics pupils where entrants are asked to write a multiple choice question on physics. It's run by a Scottish educational software company and the three best questions will win software for Higher Physics.  So if you win you get a copy of the software for yourself and every other student in your Physics class! Who’s going to be Mr/Ms Popular?

The competition closes on 30 November 2005 so if you want to enter you'll need to click on http://www.countingthoughts.com/competition.htm

And finally, you may have heard in the news that Mr Blair is debating the subject of increasing our use of nuclear power in the UK. He believes nuclear power can improve the security of the UK's energy supply and also help on climate change.  Unlike fossil fuels such as coal, the use of nuclear power does not contribute to the carbon dioxide problem.  However, many environmentalists have strong feelings about the use of nuclear power and its safety.  If you want to know more about the subject then GCSE Bitesize has an excellent feature on nuclear fuels 

So read up and you too can join in the debate!

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2. Gear fro Grabs – You’ve got to be in it to win it...

"If only there were some more Flipside magazines”, we hear you sigh, “they sound so interesting…”  Well guess what?  Your wish has been granted because we have not five but TEN copies of this month’s Flipside to give away! Yay! And who’s on the cover?  Wallace and Gromit, of course, with a cracking article behind the scenes on their latest film. Grand job lad! Plus mysterious mythical monsters and the world’s grossest fish facts. 

To win, all you have to do is send an email with your name, age and address to: wired-up.news@nesta.org.uk with ‘FLIPPIN’ GOOD!’ as the subject. The closing date is Thursday 8th December at 5pm.

Good luck!

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3. MAKE A DATE – Things to see and do…

The BA CREST Science Fair is a national showcase of 70-100 science and technology projects from students aged 11 – 19. CREST stands for Creativity in Science and Technology. The fair brings together winners of the BA CREST Award regional finals plus15-19 year-old self-nominated students, all of whom have carried out outstanding science, engineering and technology projects. Judges select the best projects and young scientists for a range of prestigious prizes, including cash and international trips. The 2006 fair will take place on 27 February at the Royal Society in London.

Self-nominations are now open. Individual students or teams of up to three aged 15-19 may now apply to come to the fair. So if you have been involved in a project and think you may be eligible then more details about the event and how to apply on-line can be found at www.the-ba.net/sciencefair. The deadline for submissions is 1st December 2005. Good luck!
4. Winners – Has your name been picked out of the bag?

Remember issue no. 34?  We offered you the chance to win – Horrible Science – Explosive Experiments – The Kit.  All you had to do was tell us your favourite joke and make us EXPLODE with laughter! Well there were some pretty good entries we can tell you, but after lots of deliberation (and giggles) the winner is:

Faith Millward (13) from Cowplain.  Well done Faith, hope you enjoy the kit!

And if you want to see Faith’s winning joke plus some of the other near-winners then read on – but be warned, you may need to hold on to your sides

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5. Rib Busters - Funny ha ha AND sometimes funny weird!

Q. What is long and green and holds up stagecoaches?
A.  Dick Gherkin

Faith Millward (13) Cowplain

Q. What goes "ha ha bonk"?
A. A man laughing his head off!

Chris Lloyd (11) Shrewsbury

Q. What kind of makeup do ghosts wear?
A. Mas-scare-a.

Charlie Tack Huddersfield

Q. What did the mummy ghost say to the baby ghost?
A. Spook when you are spooken to.

(and the spooky thing about this joke is that the sender left no name or address. Whooooooooo! How did it get here?)

Q. Where do ants live?
A. Antarctica ha ha ha

Steven France (6) Welshpool

Q. What do lemons need if they're hurt?
A. Lemon-aid 

David France (8) Welshpool

Thanks everyone! Please keep your jokes coming in – we need a good laugh to see us through these cold winter nights! So here’s one of our own:

Q. What do nuclear physicists like for tea?
A. Fission chips.

(Physics?  Boring?  I think NOT, my friend!  Mutter! Mutter!)

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THAT’S ALL FOR NOW

Got Wired-Up? Got clued up!

Don’t forget that Wired-Up will be hitting your inboxes every fortnight from now on, but in the meantime, send any questions, comments, jokes or experiment ideas to: wired-up.news@nesta.org.uk

Until then, why not pay the Planet Science website a visit, by clicking here:
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