Articles

Showing 10 results from a total of 262

Understand

March 9, 2007 | Issue 4

Plant hallucinogens as magical medicines

Did witches once soar through the night sky on broomsticks? Or were they hallucinating after eating or touching certain plants? Angelika Börsch-Haubold explains how modern pharmacology helps us to understand the action of many toxic plants – some of which are still used in medicine.

Ages: 16-19;
Topics: Biology, Chemistry
     

Understand

March 9, 2007 | Issue 4

Silken, stretchy and stronger than steel!

Could spider silk be the answer to medical and military challenges? Giovanna Cicognani from the Institut Laue-Langevin and Montserrat Capellas from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, France, investigate Christian Riekel and Tilo Seydel’s research into this remarkable material.

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

Teach

March 9, 2007 | Issue 4

Two hydrolytic enzymes and an epistemological–historical approach

Why are enzymes so special? How do they differ from inorganic catalysts? Isabella Marini from the University of Pisa, Italy, describes a classroom protocol to enable students to answer these questions for themselves.

Ages: 14-16;
Topics: Biology, Chemistry
       

Teach

December 20, 2006 | Issue 3

Perfume chemistry, sexual attraction and exploding balloons: university activities for school

Tim 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;
Topics: Chemistry
 

Understand

December 20, 2006 | Issue 3

Alec Jeffreys interview: a pioneer on the frontier of human diversity

Professor 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;
Topics: Biology, General science, Chemistry, Science and society
     

Teach

December 20, 2006 | Issue 3

The detective mystery: an interdisciplinary foray into basic forensic science

Graham 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;
Topics: Chemistry
   

Understand

August 4, 2006 | Issue 1

Shipwreck: science to the rescue!

The Mary Rose is one of several famous and historical ships salvaged from the sea in recent decades. Thanks to the anaerobic conditions on the seabed, the remains are well preserved. Montserrat Capellas and Dominique Cornuéjols from the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), in Grenoble,…

Ages: 16-19;
Topics: Chemistry
       

Understand

August 4, 2006 | Issue 1

Fusion – ace in the energy pack?

The energy demands of our society continue to increase, while the stocks of fossil fuels - still our major energy source - are declining. Chris Warrick from the European Fusion Development Agreement explains why research into fusion offers the hope of a safe and environmentally responsible energy…

Ages: 16-19;
Topics: Physics, Chemistry, Earth science, Engineering
           

Teach

August 4, 2006 | Issue 1

Teaching science and humanities: an interdisciplinary approach

There is an increasing demand for an interdisciplinary approach to teaching, but providing inspiring and achievable lessons is no easy task. Chemistry teacher Gianluca Farusi explains how he used two Italian Renaissance paintings to delve into the chemistry of pigment extraction and the physics of…

Ages: 14-16, 16-19;
Topics: Physics, Biology, Chemistry
     

Understand

August 3, 2006 | Issue 1

Chemical recreations

In Chapter 7 of his book, Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood, Oliver Sacks recalls his discovery of the delights of chemistry.

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