‘Planet SciCast’ is a UK wide competition challenging people to make mini movies of exciting science experiments. It launches today. Judges will be looking for self-made movies that depict interesting scientific facts or problems in a unique way.  Examples so far include ‘Wild West Fizz Out’, a demonstration in the style of western shoot out, and the ‘elephant’s toothpaste’ chemical reaction, filmed as a silent movie.

The competition is open to anyone with an interest in science.

All the competition entries, accompanied by a written description, will be available at www.planet-scicast.com, to make a sort of YouTube of the science world.  So you fancy yourself as a budding Spielberg, a fledgling Tarantino or even a prospective Hitchcock then give it a go!

Films should be no more than two minutes and thirty seconds in length and will be judged by a panel of experts including Dr Alice Roberts and one of Channel 4’s ‘Men in White,’ Basil Singer.  The winning team will receive a ‘Planet-SciCastie’ Award.  The closing date for entries will be 4 January 2008.

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Moebius Strips

This loopy structure was invented by a German mathematician named August Moebius. Its amazing properties arise from the fact that this strip of paper has only one edge and one side!

You will need:

• paper
• scissors
• a pencil
• adhesive tape

What to do:

1. Cut a strip of paper 30 cm long by 5 cm wide (or something like these proportions - it doesn’t need to be exact!).
2. Join the ends to make a hoop, but give the strip a half twist before you tape it together.
3. Draw a line along the centre of the strip.
4. Cut the strip in half along its length.

How much bigger is your loop than the one you started with? How much bigger is the loop if you cut the strip into thirds or quarters? Can you draw on only one side of a Moebius strip?

What’s going on?

Moebius strips are often used as belts in machinery because they last longer – they wear out both ‘sides’ at once.

This useful strip is part of a branch of mathematics called topology. Topology can be hard to explain, because in it straight lines or edges aren’t important, and a circle is considered to be the same as a square. In topology, one is just a distorted or deformed version of the other.

This activity came from the Double Helix Science Club

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