Have you ever longed for a hot drink or meal but had no fire or stove to hand? Marlene Rau presents two activities from the Lebensnaher Chemieunterricht portal that use chemical reactions to heat food – and to introduce the topic of exothermic reactions.
When something frightens us, should we freeze, or should we investigate? Sarah Stanley describes how scientists from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory are probing the mysteries of the brain, seeking to understand our response to fear.
Astrid Wonisch, Margit Delefant and Marlene Rau present two activities developed by the Austrian project ‘Naturwissenschaft und Technik zum Angreifen’ to investigate how technology is inspired by nature.
Would it not be fascinating to observe and manipulate individual molecules? Patrick Theer and Marlene Rau from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory explain how, with an atomic force microscope, you can do just this. You could even build your own.
Ages: 14-16, 16-19; Topics: Physics, General science, Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Health
When we cool something below its freezing point, it solidifies – at least, that’s what we expect. Tobias Schülli investigates why this is not always the case.
Students often find it difficult to calculate the trajectories of projectiles. With the help of Elias Kalogirou’s model, they can be easily visualised. In addition, Ian Francis suggests further uses for the model in the classroom.
Twenty-five years ago, the discovery of the hole in the ozone layer hit the news. How have things developed since? Tim Harrison and Dudley Shallcross investigate.
Ages: 16-19; Topics: Chemistry, General science, Earth science
Imagine sending music across the room by laser. Sounds impossible, doesn’t it? But Alessio Bernardelli’s students did just that – and then developed a play to explain the science behind it. Here’s how to do it.
Ages: 14-16, 16-19; Topics: Physics, Engineering, General science
What do astronomy and film have in common? Both can involve Jochen Liske, astronomer and actor. Karin Ranero Celius takes us on a trip to the Paranal Observatory in Chile and tells us about Jochen’s latest film: Das Auge 3D.