Since the epidemic of ‘mad cow disease’ in the 1980s and 90s, and the emergence of its human equivalent, variant Creutzfeld-Jacob disease, there has been a great deal of research into prions, the causative agents. Mico Tatalovic reviews the current state of knowledge.
Gabriel Cuello from the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) in Grenoble, France, introduces a new type of digital memory that may revolutionise our USB sticks.
Helke Hillebrand has always been fascinated by science, but on the back of a career in plant biology, her urge to work more closely with people helped her decide to go into tending young minds instead of new shoots. Vienna Leigh reports.
Earthquakes, global climate or the placement of wind farms – with the help of geographic information systems, these can all be investigated dynamically in the classroom. Joseph Kerski describes how.
Earthquakes can be devastating. Is there anything we can do to resist them? Francesco Marazzi and Daniel Tirelli explain how earthquake-proof buildings are designed and tested.
Are you looking for ideas to spice up your earth science class? Why not try out one of the rich collection of activities developed by Chris King, Elizabeth Devon and Peter Kennett from Earth Learning Idea.
Claudia Mignone and Douglas Pierce-Price take us on a trip to the Chilean Andes, to the site of ALMA, the world’s largest radio astronomy facility, which is set to discover the secrets of our cosmic origins.
Nataša Gros, Tim Harrison, Irena Štrumbelj Drusany and Alma Kapun Dolinar introduce a selection of experiments with a simple spectrometer designed especially for schools – and give details of how to perform one of the activities.
