Something special in the air
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3Stephen Parker from the European Commission describes a contest that demonstrates the truly astonishing achievements of some aspiring young scientists.
Ages: 16-19;
INSPIRE
Science podcasts
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3The worldwide web is a wonderful source of information, but the sheer amount of content can be overwhelming. Where do you start looking for science news? In each issue of Science in School, we will suggest useful websites for particular purposes.
Ages: 11-14, 14-16, 16-19; Keywords: Teaching resources
Handstands and ties: a career in teaching
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3John Watson, “the teacher who does handstands in class”, reminisces about what drew him to teach biology, shares memorable moments from his 38-year teaching career, and explains how scientists can help to inspire science teaching.
Ages: not applicable; Keywords: Careers in science
Does Anything Eat Wasps? And 101 Other Questions, By New Scientist
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3Does Anything Eat Wasps? is a user-friendly, easy-to-read collection of questions and short answers that covers a wide range of science topics, from galaxies colliding in outer space to the amount of fat necessary to render a human bulletproof. These questions and their corresponding answers were…
Ages: 11-14, 14-16, 16-19; Keywords: Teaching resources
The neutron teaspoon
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3Jonathan Swinton pushes back the frontiers of knowledge – in his kitchen.
Ages: 16-19; Keywords: Astrophysics, Stars, Star classifications
A Stem Cell Story, By the European Consortium for Stem Cell Research
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3A Stem Cell Story portrays scientists from the field of stem-cell research, their individual research interests and the potential applications of their work. The DVD is aimed at the public, to shed light on stem-cell research and on the science behind the headlines and public debate of the last few…
Ages: 14-16, 16-19; Keywords: Stem cells
The Poison Paradox: Chemicals as Friends and Foes, By John Timbrell
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3“All substances are poisons; there is none that is not a poison. The right dose differentiates a poison from a remedy.”
Ages: 14-16, 16-19; Keywords: Chemistry
Memories of a very special teacher
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3Fay Christodoulou, a Greek PhD student at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), is an example that shows not every researcher is born with a passion for science. She describes to Anna-Lynn Wegener from EMBL how her biology teacher inspired a long-lasting interest in science.
Ages: 14-16, 16-19; Keywords: Careers in science
What Europeans really think (and know) about science and technology
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3How much do Europeans really know about science and technology? What do they think about it? Do they even care? Russ Hodge from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory reports on one of the Eurobarometer surveys.
Ages: not applicable; Keywords: Science and society, Science communication, Science Technology
ESOF 2006: science close up and personal
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3How do I become a star-chaser? How do we recognise particles that we don’t know? When will fusion power become available to mankind? Sabina Griffith from the European Fusion Development Agreement in Garching, Germany, describes the guided round-the-world trip through the science of the EIROforum…
Ages: 14-16, 16-19;
Catch a Star! and win an astronomical competition!
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3Catch a Star!, an international competition for school students, is starting its fifth year. Douglas Pierce-Price from ESO invites students from all over the world to take part.
Ages: <11, 11-14, 14-16, 16-19; Keywords: Astronomy, Star classifications, Space
Kleine botanische Experimente, By Hilke Steinecke and Imme Meyer
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3The book, written in German, describes a great variety of experiments using plants. The experiments are at different levels of difficulty and often explain everyday observations. The chapter titles focus on certain parts of plants and provide detailed information on plant physiology. The required…
Ages: 11-14, 14-16, 16-19;
UNDERSTAND
The yeast proteome: retooling the factory floor
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3Russ Hodge from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Heidelberg, Germany, reports on the first complete survey of 'molecular machines' in yeast.
Ages: 16-19; Keywords: Cell biology, Cells, Cell shape and function
Sleep and learning
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3When we sleep, are we just passively recovering from a hard day, or is there something more going on? Angelika Börsch-Haubold considers the implications of some intriguing research – was her grandmother right all along? Test the scientists’ conclusions for yourself!
Ages: 16-19; Keywords: Sleep
1000 years of missing science
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3Yasmin Khan from the Science Museum in London, UK, reveals how deeply our modern civilisation has been enriched by previous Muslim civilisations – and argues for a more balanced approach to the history of science.
Ages: 14-16, 16-19; Keywords: History, History of science
Alec Jeffreys interview: a pioneer on the frontier of human diversity
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys, the inventor of DNA fingerprinting, remembers his childhood passion for science, explains what we have learned from direct DNA analysis, and describes his work with Chernobyl survivors. Interviewed by Russ Hodge and Anna-Lynn Wegener from the European Molecular Biology…
Ages: 16-19; Keywords: Careers in science, DNA
Fusion in the Universe: the power of the Sun
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3Mark Tiele Westra from the European Fusion Development Agreement (EFDA) in Garching, Germany, elucidates the source of power on Earth: the Sun
Ages: 14-16, 16-19; Keywords: Stars, Nuclear physics, Fusion, Astrophysics
Answer to the challenge in The joy of discovery: a personal experience
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3The challenge can be read in ‘The joy of discovery: a personal experience‘ The trail from which Comet West was discovered is indicated by an arrow Image courtesy of ESO
Ages: not applicable; Keywords: Objects in space, Space, Astronomy
The joy of discovery: a personal experience
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3Richard West describes the excitement and joy of discovering a new comet.
Ages: 14-16, 16-19; Keywords: Objects in space, Comet, Space, Astronomy
The ecologist’s view of bird flu
December 14, 2006 | Issue 3Are migratory birds responsible for the spread of bird flu? Should we kill them all? Lucienne Niekoop and Froukje Rienks from the Netherlands Institute of Ecology argue for a more scientific approach.
Ages: 16-19; Keywords: Infectious diseases, Health and disease, Ecology, Virus
TEACH
Introducing radio transmission with a simple experiment
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3Do you ever get frustrated with that mess of cables connecting your DVD player to your satellite dish, TV and video recorder? Did you know that you can cut those cables – and still get a signal to pass between the machines? Alessandro Iscra, Maria Teresa Quaglini and Giuseppina Rossi from Italy…
Ages: 14-16, 16-19; Keywords: Radio communication
Perfume chemistry, sexual attraction and exploding balloons: university activities for school
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3Tim Harrison and Dudley Shallcross from the University of Bristol, UK, describe some of the University’s activities to share a delight in chemistry with school students.
Ages: 16-19; Keywords: Chemistry, Teaching resources
Forensic entomology: activities for schools
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3Many of you were fascinated (and disgusted!) by the article about forensic entomology in our last issue. Paula Starbäck, the reviewer, suggested that it would be a fascinating activity for students, if only someone could find a way to avoid the terrible smell. We challenged you to come up with a…
Ages: 11-14, 14-16, 16-19; Keywords: Forensic science
Bringing global climate change to the classroom
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3Ivo Grigorov from the EurOCEANS project describes how the deep seas can help us to understand and predict climate change.
Ages: 14-16, 16-19; Keywords: Climate change, Global warming, Climate
The detective mystery: an interdisciplinary foray into basic forensic science
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3Graham Gardner from the Inter-Community School in Zürich, Switzerland, describes how an attempt to interest his students in chemical separation techniques developed into a full-scale interdisciplinary detective mystery.
Ages: 14-16; Keywords: Forensic science, Chemical analysis
Putting the buzz back into school grounds
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3Dave Goulson and Ben Darvill from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust at the University of Stirling, UK, explain why these furry insects are under threat – and what schools can do to help.
Ages: <11, 11-14, 14-16, 16-19; Keywords: Plant growth, Pollination
The Bone Trail: generating enthusiasm for earth sciences in the classroom
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3Emm Barnes from the British Society for the History of Science describes an initiative to develop exciting interdisciplinary activities. And gives the recipe for a delicious edible geology project!
Ages: 14-16; Keywords: Earth science, Geography, Geology
EDITORIAL
Welcome to the third issue of Science in School
December 20, 2006 | Issue 3Feedback from our readers has continued to be very positive: you’ve told us that you like the variety of articles, the informative but readable style, and the unique combination of ideas drawn from teachers and scientists across Europe.
Ages: not applicable;