Articles

Showing 10 results from a total of 994

Teach

April 28, 2009 | Issue 11

Growing crystals from protein

Beat Blattmann and Patrick Sticher from the University of Zürich, Switzerland, explain the science behind protein crystallography and provide a protocol for growing your own crystals from protein – an essential method used by scientists to determine protein structures.

Ages: 16-19;
Topics: Physics, Biology, Chemistry
     

Understand

April 27, 2009 | Issue 11

Outmanoeuvering influenza’s tricks

Catching the influenza virus can be more than just a nuisance: these pathogens have caused the most deadly pandemic in recent history. Claire Ainsworth investigates how scientists are working to prevent it happening again.

Ages: 16-19;
Topics: Biology
       

Understand

April 27, 2009 | Issue 11

Sugary insights into worm parasite infections

Schistosomiasis is the second most socioeconomically devastating parasitic disease after malaria. Alan Wilson and Stuart Haslam investigate new ways to combat the parasite – taking advantage of its sugar coating.

Ages: 16-19;
Topics: Biology, Health
 

Inspire

April 23, 2009 | Issue 11

A Dictionary of International Units: Metric-Matters: Names and Symbols, By Philip Bladon

Have you ever wondered what a decasievert or a petahenry is? Why some symbols are written in capitals and others in lower case? What the difference is between ps and pS? How many ampere there are in a zettaampere? Or what Nikola Tesla’s nationality was? These and many other questions can be…

Ages: not applicable;
Topics: Resources

Inspire

April 23, 2009 | Issue 11

Molecules with Silly or Unusual Names, By Paul May

Molecules with Silly or Unusual Names shows that chemists do have a sense of humour, even though it may be a little ‘schoolboyish’ at times. Based on a website of the same name (www.chm.bris.ac.uk/sillymolecules/sillymols.htm), the book – as its name suggests – is a collection of the…

Ages: 11-14, 14-16, 16-19;
Topics: Resources

Inspire

April 23, 2009 | Issue 11

A Dictionary of Science and Collins Internet-linked Dictionary of Science: Science Defined and Explained

As well as a good science encyclopaedia, all classrooms need a science dictionary, preferably with pictures and graphs as well as clear and correct explanations.

Ages: not applicable;
Topics: Resources

Inspire

April 23, 2009 | Issue 11

Potent Biology: Stem Cells, Cloning, and Regeneration, By Douglas A. Melton and Nadia Rosenthal

Say ‘stem cells’ and you can guarantee some strong opinions and heated debate.

Ages: 14-16, 16-19;
Topics: Resources

Inspire

April 23, 2009 | Issue 11

Serendipity in life (and) science: Christian Mellwig

Life has a funny habit of turning out quite differently from what you expect. Take Christian Mellwig, for example. He explains to Vienna Leigh that he was determined that, whatever path he took in life, it wouldn’t be teaching.

Ages: not applicable;
Topics: Profiles
   

Inspire

April 23, 2009 | Issue 11

“Admitting to being a physicist isn’t really the best chat-up line”

Alison McLure tells Marlene Rau about her adventurous life as a physicist – from being a TV presenter and forecasting the weather in the Antarctic to taking gap-year students on an expedition to an island in the South Atlantic.

Ages: 14-16, 16-19;
Topics: Profiles
 

Understand

April 22, 2009 | Issue 11

Time travel: science fact or science fiction?

Do you believe that time travel has no place in a serious science lesson? Jim Al-Khalili from the University of Surrey, UK, disagrees. He shows how the topic of time travel introduces some of the ideas behind Einstein’s theories of relativity.

Ages: 16-19;
Topics: Astronomy / space