In This Issue

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Summer 2007 Issue 5

In this Issue:

Down to Earth Astronaut Thomas Reiter talks to Science in School Also:

The international science teaching festival

Published by the EIROforum: Supported by the European Union: Part of the NUCLEUS project:

ISSN: 1818-0353 Highlighting the best in science teaching and research SIS_5_02-18_x 15.05.2007 17:04 Uhr Seite 2

Publisher EIROforum www.eiroforum.org

Editor Dr Eleanor Hayes, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Germany

Editorial Board Dr Giovanna Cicognani, Institut Laue-Langevin, France Dr Dominique Cornuéjols, European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, France Dr Richard Harwood, Aiglon College, Switzerland Russ Hodge, Max Delbrück Zentrum, Germany Dr Rolf Landua, European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Switzerland Dr Dean Madden, National Centre for Biotechnology Education, University of Reading, UK Dr Douglas Pierce-Price, European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO), Germany Dr Karl Sarnow, European Schoolnet, Belgium Dr Silke Schumacher, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Germany Barbara Warmbein, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Germany Chris Warrick, European Fusion Development Agreement, UK Helen Wilson, European Space Agency, the Netherlands

Assistant Editor Dr Sai Pathmanathan

Copy Editor Dr Caroline Hadley, European Molecular Biology Organization, Germany

Composition Nicola Graf, Germany Email: [email protected]

Printers ColorDruckLeimen, Germany www.colordruck.com

Layout Designer Vienna Leigh, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Germany

Web Architect Francesco Sottile, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Germany

Technical Partners European Schoolnet www.eun.org

ISSN Print version: 1818-0353 Online version: 1818-0361

Cover Images

The starry flowers Image courtesy of Aleksandra, Poland (aged 12) SIS_5_02-18_x 15.05.2007 17:04 Uhr Seite 1 Contents

Editorial Welcome to the fifth issue of Science in School ...... 2-3 Events Forthcoming events ...... 4-9 Science teaching flies high at Science on Stage 2 ...... 10-11 Awards, rewards – and onwards! ...... 12-14 School students Catch a Star! in an astronomical competition ...... 15-16 Second European Science Festival: WONDERS 2007 ...... 17-18

Feature article Down to Earth: interview with Thomas Reiter ...... 19-23

Cutting-edge science Synchrotron light illuminates the orang-utan’s obscure origins ...... 24-27

Teaching activities Fun with genomes: the Mycomuncher DNA Puzzle ...... 28-31 Using music in the science classroom ...... 32-35

Projects in science education Travel wisely: the globe is warming! ...... 36-40 CyberMentor: e-mentoring to strengthen interest and participation of girls in STEM ...... 41-44 Inspirational lessons in the science class ...... 45-47 Science Learning Centres: training for teachers ...... 48-51

Science topics Fusion in the Universe: where your jewellery comes from ...... 52-56 Damn lies ...... 57-60 Taking the stress out of engineering ...... 61-65 Plastics, naturally ...... 66-69

Science and society Developing a teaching resource on peer review ...... 70-73

Spotlight on education Twenty First Century Science: developing a new science curriculum . . . . 74-77

Scientist profile Making dark matter a little brighter ...... 78-80

Teacher profile Launching ideas ...... 81-83

Reviews The Selfish Gene and Richard Dawkins: How a Scientist Changed the Way We Think ...... 84-85 ChemMatters CD-ROM ...... 85 A Clone of Your Own? ...... 86

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Welcome to the fifth issue of Science in School

he most exciting what it was that mediaeval alchemists Trecent education overlooked. Probing further still into event for me was Science the mysteries of the Universe is dark- on Stage, EIROforum’s matter scientist Jenny List, inter- international teaching fes- viewed by Barbara Warmbein. tival. I enjoyed meeting many of the Young people sometimes wonder 500 teachers attending from 28 coun- why they need to learn science, or tries – listening to their suggestions, what its use is in ‘real life’; we asked hearing about their experience and some scientists to help you provide marvelling at their innovative teach- the answers. For a very practical ing ideas. We have two articles in this application, Darren Hughes demon- issue to tell you more about the festi- strates how understanding stress lets val and the European Science us build safer railways and more Teaching Awards that were presented efficient wind turbines. Ben Parker there. demonstrates the everyday applica- For our feature article, we were tions of statistics – and what to watch lucky enough to speak to Thomas out for in unscrupulous advertise- Reiter, an ESA astronaut, shortly after ments. Lastly, what could be closer to he returned from 177 days on the home than our family? Paul Tafforeau International Space Station. He told shows how X-ray studies of fossils us what it feels like to leave the can tell us where our hominoid Earth’s atmosphere, what experi- ancestors evolved. ments he carried out in space, and Does education always need to be how to become an astronaut. so serious? We think not, especially Also looking to the heavens – this with the help of Johan Leveau’s time, as far as the stars – is the third Mycomuncher DNA puzzle – a part of our ‘Fusion in the Universe’ stimulating and entertaining way series. Paola Rebusco, Henri Boffin to learn how scientists discover the and Douglas Pierce-Price examine DNA sequence of a gene, and find out how heavy elements were formed in what the gene is for. You can even the early days of our Universe, and build the puzzle yourself. In a similar

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Editorial

vein, Caroline Molyneux demon- where in Europe. Please write and tell Finally, we would be delighted to strates the benefit of playing music us about fundamentally new curricu- hear your feedback about Science in in science lessons. la, innovative teaching-training pro- School. It’s still not too late to fill in Two important topics in the news – grammes or other large-scale changes our questionnaire and tell us what and in the classroom – are climate to science education in your coun- you like about the journal, what could change and renewable energy. tries. Did they work well? Why? Why be improved, and which are your Elisabeth Schepers from the not? We would be interested to hear favourite articles. See http:// Deutsches Museum in Munich, both the teachers’ and policy makers’ www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u Germany, describes a school project perspectives. =686913395017 to allow students to discover the There are plenty of other opportuni- important facts and debate what they ties for teachers and pupils to get can do themselves to protect the envi- involved. The charity Sense about ronment. One way is of course to use Science is looking for teachers to test more sustainable materials; David their classroom resource on peer Bradley discusses advances in the review. Meanwhile, Diana Schimke is manufacture of bioplastics – and our busy linking schoolgirls with profes- teacher reviewer suggests many uses sional female scientists through the Eleanor Hayes for the article in the classroom. CyberMentor programme. Isabel Editor, Science in School Several of the articles in this issue Plantier describes some of her fun [email protected] relate to developments in the UK – classroom projects, and her ideal an experimental new curriculum space project – if you share her (Twenty First Century Science); an dream, you can help make it reality. ambitious network of Science In our recent events section are the Learning Centres for teachers; and results of the Catch a Star! competition INSPIRE, a programme to combine which some of you entered, and a post-doctoral research with school report on WONDERS, the spectacular teaching. We selected these as stimu- Carousel of Science. If you missed lating examples of developments in these events, you can join in next year European science education, but we – or take a look at our list of other are convinced that similarly impres- forthcoming European events in sci- sive ideas are being developed else- ence education.

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Forthcoming events

3-9 June 2007 More information: physics education. Three lectures are CERN, Switzerland www.planet-science.com/outthere/mint/ given by leading research physicists Training course: CERN high-school and by physics education experts, teacher programme 3-24 June 2007 together with a series of six hands-on CERN, the world’s largest particle CERN, Switzerland workshops, discussion sessions and a physics laboratory, organises courses Training course: CERN high-school teacher exchange of news and infor- for physics teachers who would like teacher programme mation. The meeting also provides an to increase their knowledge of particle CERN, the world’s largest particle opportunity for equipment suppliers, physics and cosmology, who want to physics laboratory, organises courses publishers and awarding bodies to find out more about the world of for physics teachers who would like communicate their new products. frontier research, and who wish to to increase their knowledge of particle Most participants come from England bring modern physics into their class- physics and cosmology, who want to and Wales, but teachers from further rooms. The course materials are find out more about the world of afield are very welcome. Conference aimed at students of ages 13-16. frontier research, and who wish to fee: £30 including lunch (concession The courses are free of charge, and bring modern physics into their class- for new and trainee UK teachers: £15). participants are expected to pay for rooms. The course materials are Contact: Chris A. Butlin, Chairman of their travel expenses and accommo- aimed at students of ages 13-16. the Institute of Physics School Physics dation. The courses are free of charge, and Group ([email protected] or This course is for participants from participants are expected to pay for +44(0)1904 607 169) Germany (Rheinland-Pfalz, Baden- their travel expenses and accommo- Württemberg) and takes place in dation. 14 June 2007 German. This course is for participants from Technopolis, Mechelen, Belgium Contact: Mike Storr ([email protected]) Finland and takes place in Finnish. Conference: PENCIL Final Science Contact: Mike Storr ([email protected]) Teachers’ Conference Until 4 June 2007 Science teachers are invited to partici- UK 7 June 2007 pate in workshops and debates on Competition: Making a Mint Rugby School, Rugby, UK how schools and science centres can Send off for a free pack of mint seeds, Conference: 19th Annual Meeting for come together at the forefront of sci- a balance sheet and a wall chart of Teachers of Physics in Schools and ence education. The conference will growing tips. Grow your own mint Colleges give concrete examples of best prac- and then, if you like, devise some Organised by the Institute of Physics, tice from the 14 European PENCIL good ideas of how to sell it and let this is a one-day meeting for teachers pilot projects, covering a wide range Planet Science know your total of physics in schools and colleges, of topics and student age groups. turnover. If you are in the top 50 and for teachers in training. The main These projects have been tested and money earners, your ideas will be purpose is to bring together physics evaluated in schools, as well as in sci- considered for a prize of £1000 of gar- teachers from both state and inde- ence centres and museums. Using dening vouchers (£250 for each of the pendent schools to learn about the lat- these results, the conference offers four runners up). est developments in physics and teachers pragmatic guidelines on the

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following key areas: organisations. The scientists are assist- cation facility to bring secondary- · The introduction of new topics in ed by experienced technical assistants. school teachers into the research lab science More information: for a unique hands-on encounter with · New approaches to teaching and www.xlab-goettingen.de state-of-the-art molecular biology learning traditional subjects techniques. ELLS also gives scientists · Building relationships between July 2007 a chance to work with teachers, schools and science centres and Moscow, Russia helping to bridge the widening gap museums. Workshop: Space Development, between research and schools. Teachers will have the chance to net- Theory and Practice The three-day course is designed to work and exchange their experiences It’s 50 years since Sputnik 1 was enable the participant teachers to with colleagues from all over Europe. launched by the Soviet Union, so explore a range of activities, which The working language is English and what better way to celebrate than a they can practise in the lab and then participation in the conference is free. trip to Russia? take back to the classroom. More information: www.xplora.org/ The Space Development, Theory and The course is open to 20 European xplora/pencilconference07/ Practice workshop is run by the Youth high-school science teachers and is Contact: Michael Creek: Space Centre, part of one of Moscow’s run in English. The course, including [email protected] best universities. You will visit the course materials, catering and accom- companies that made all the ground- modation, is free of charge; partici- Until 20 June 2007 breaking space hardware and learn pants are expected to meet their own Germany about the past, present and future of travel costs. Competition: Science on Stage space activities. Closing date: 8 April. More information: www.embl.de/ells/ Deutschland ‘Spannung in die More information: http://ysc.sm.bmstu.ru Contact: [email protected] Schule’ Contact: [email protected] Secondary-school teachers in 10 July 2007 Germany are invited to enter this 2-21 July 2007 Madrid, Spain year’s Science on Stage Deutschland CERN, Switzerland Workshop: Active Learning of competition, ‘Spannung in die Schule’ Training course: CERN high-school Physics and Chemistry (Excitement at School). Entries should teacher programme Physics and chemistry teachers of dif- consist of exciting and practical teach- CERN, the world’s largest particle ferent education levels are invited to a ing ideas, school projects or activities. physics laboratory, organises courses workshop organised by the Real They may include any subjects, but for physics teachers who would like Sociedad Española de Química should be relevant to science. to increase their knowledge of particle (Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry) Prizes worth up to €3000 will be physics and cosmology, who want and the chemistry didactics group at awarded in September 2007 by Nobel to find out more about the world of Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, prize-winner in physics, Professor J. frontier research, and who wish to about cooperative learning, conceptu- Georg Bednorz. bring modern physics into their al maps, problem-based learning, lab- More information: classrooms. The course materials are oratory activities, and other educa- www.science-on-stage.de aimed at students of ages 13-16. tional tools for active chemistry and Contact: [email protected] The courses are free of charge, and physics learning. It is also an oppor- participants are expected to pay for tunity to discuss the European credit- 23 June - 17 July 2007 their travel expenses and accommo- transfer system used at universities. Göttingen, Germany dation. All papers presented will be pub- Training course: International This course is for participants from lished in a book. The working lan- science camp Europe and the USA and takes place guage is Spanish but teachers from Organised by XLAB, the international in English. outside Spain are warmly welcome. science camps are open to interested Contact: Mike Storr ([email protected]) More information: www.etsii.upm. high-school students and undergrad- es/ieducativa/Jornada2007.htm uate college and university students, 4-6 July 2007 Contact: Prof. Gabriel Pinto about ages 17-22, from all over the European Molecular Biology ([email protected]) world. Courses are offered in biology, Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany chemistry and physics and held by Training course: ELLS LearningLAB scientists from the University of The European Learning Laboratory Göttingen and affiliated research for the Life Sciences (ELLS) is an edu-

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21-25 July 2007 Göttingen and affiliated research 22-24 August 2007 Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris, organisations. The scientists are assist- Gembloux Agricultural University, France ed by experienced technical assistants. Gembloux, Belgium Science festival: Festival Paris More information: www.xlab-goettingen.de Conference: Congrès des Sciences Montagne ‘Sur les traces des (Belgian Science Teachers’ Congress) chercheurs’ (Following the footprints 18-30 August 2007 This congress for secondary-school of research) Petnica Science Center, Serbia science teachers includes lectures in This annual summer science festival Training course: Petnica science and didactics, workshops, is dedicated to children and teenagers International Science School 2007 demonstration experiments, a text- from underprivileged backgrounds. It The summer programme of the book and science-hardware fair, plus takes place at the prestigious Ecole Petnica Science Center gathers gifted visits to various labs, industries and Normale Superieure, a university at and motivated school students from places of scientific interest. The work- the heart of the scientific area of Paris. south-east Europe and beyond. This ing language is French and the con- The science festival opens the world intensive and stimulating course on gress fee is €10 (or free for many of science and research to its 3000 scientific research methods includes teachers). visitors, aged 9-17. lots of practical exercises and real More information: More information: research projects under the supervi- www.congres-des-sciences.be www.paris-montagne.org sion of experienced science educators Contact: [email protected] and professional scientists. or [email protected] 22-28 July 2007 All students aged 17-20 are eligible. CERN, Switzerland The main selection criteria are moti- 26-31 August 2007 Training course: CERN high-school vation for out-of-school learning and Opatija, Croatia teacher programme a demonstrated interest in science. Conference: GIREP-EPEC: Frontiers CERN, the world’s largest particle Although school grades are impor- of Physics Education physics laboratory, organises courses tant, they are not the deciding factor. For the first time, the GIREP for physics teachers who would like Open-mindedness and willingness to (International Research Group on to increase their knowledge of particle work are much more important. Physics Teaching) Seminar is organ- physics and cosmology, who want to More information: www.psc.ac.yu/pi ised as a joint event with the find out more about the world of Contact: [email protected] European Physics Education frontier research, and who wish to Conference (EPEC). Whereas GIREP bring modern physics into their class- 19-25 August 2007 traditionally gathers experts and prac- rooms. The course materials are CERN, Switzerland titioners in educational physics, EPEC aimed at students of ages 13-16. Training course: CERN high-school is a young conference organised by The courses are free of charge, and teacher programme the European Physical Society, which participants are expected to pay for CERN, the world’s largest particle attracts the top physicists in Europe. their travel expenses and accommo- physics laboratory, organises courses The joint conference will bring togeth- dation. for physics teachers who would like er physics teachers from schools and This course is for participants from to increase their knowledge of particle universities across Europe, encourag- Spain and takes place in Spanish. physics and cosmology, who want ing dialogue and the exchange of best Contact: Mike Storr ([email protected]) to find out more about the world of practice in physics education. frontier research, and who wish to Teachers are invited to join this con- 4-28 August 2007 bring modern physics into their ference. (Theme to be arranged, the Göttingen, Germany classrooms. The course materials are working language will be English.) Training course: International sci- aimed at students of ages 13-16. More information: www.ffri.hr/GE2/ ence camp The courses are free of charge, and Contact: [email protected] Organised by XLAB, the international participants are expected to pay for science camps are open to interested their travel expenses and accommo- high-school students and undergrad- dation. uate college and university students, This course is for participants about ages 17-22, from all over the from Hungary and takes place in world. Courses are offered in biology, Hungarian. chemistry and physics, and held by Contact: Mike Storr ([email protected]) scientists from the University of

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1-8 September 2007 the contact details below, mentioning 14-20 September 2007 CERN, Switzerland the schools programme. CERN, Switzerland Training course: CERN high-school More information: Training course: CERN high-school teacher programme www.the-ba.net/festivalofscience teacher programme CERN, the world’s largest particle Contact: [email protected] CERN, the world’s largest particle physics laboratory, organises courses or telephone +44 (0)20 7019 4963 physics laboratory, organises courses for physics teachers who would like for physics teachers who would like to increase their knowledge of particle 9-15 September 2007 to increase their knowledge of particle physics and cosmology, who want to CERN, Switzerland physics and cosmology, who want to find out more about the world of Training course: CERN high-school find out more about the world of frontier research, and who wish to teacher programme frontier research, and who wish to bring modern physics into their CERN, the world’s largest particle bring modern physics into their classrooms. The course materials physics laboratory, organises courses classrooms. The course materials are are aimed at students of ages 13-16. for physics teachers who would like aimed at students of ages 13-16. The courses are free of charge, and to increase their knowledge of particle The courses are free of charge, and participants are expected to pay for physics and cosmology, who want participants are expected to pay for their travel expenses and accommo- to find out more about the world of their travel expenses and accommodation. frontier research, and who wish to dation. This course is for participants from bring modern physics into their This course is for participants from Germany (Bavaria, Nordrhein- classrooms. The course materials Germany (Baden-Württemberg, Westfalen) and takes place in German. are aimed at students of ages 13-16. Sachsen and Sachsen-Anhalt) and Contact: Mike Storr ([email protected]) The courses are free of charge, and takes place in German. participants are expected to pay for Contact: Mike Storr ([email protected]) 9-15 September 2007 their travel expenses and accommo- York, UK dation. 10-12 October 2007 Science festival: The BA Festival of This course is for participants European Molecular Biology Science from Portugal and takes place in Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany In September, the University of York, Portuguese. Training course: ELLS LearningLAB the city of York and the surrounding Contact: Mike Storr ([email protected]) The European Learning Laboratory area will experience an explosion of for the Life Sciences (ELLS) is an science. From excursions and hands- 14 September 2007 education facility to bring secondary- on family days to debates on current Universität Kassel, Germany school teachers into the research lab hot topics and unique opportunities Workshop: English-language biology for a unique hands-on encounter with to question the UK’s top scientists, and chemistry lessons in German state-of-the-art molecular biology the BA Festival of Science offers schools techniques. ELLS also gives scientists something for everyone. Biology and chemistry teachers a chance to work with teachers, Schools can be involved through a who teach in English are invited to helping to bridge the widening gap programme of specifically designed a workshop organised by the Verband between research and schools. activities for students of all ages, their deutscher Biologen and the Verei- The three-day course is designed to teachers and their supporters. As nigung der Schulen mit deutsch- enable teachers to explore a range of Europe’s largest celebration of sci- englisch bilingualem Zug in gym- activities, which they can practise in ence, it offers the opportunity to find nasialen Bildungsgängen in Hessen. the lab and then take back to the out about latest developments in an Participants who already have classroom. exciting and informative way by experience in bilingual teaching are The course is open to 20 European connecting with a range of scientists, requested to submit worksheets or high-school science teachers and is engineers, technologists, museums teaching ideas for a joint collection run in English. The course, including and businesses. There is also a strand of teaching materials. Teachers from course materials, catering and accom- of education events specifically aimed outside Germany are warmly wel- modation, is free of charge; partici- at science teachers. come. Workshop fee: €10 pants are expected to meet their own Local UK schools will receive full Contact: Matthias Bohn travel costs. details and booking information in ([email protected]) More information: www.embl.de/ells the summer term. To make sure you Contact: [email protected] are on the mailing list, email or call

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31 October - 2 November 2007 Until 12 December 2007 More information: www.schullabor.ch CERN, Switzerland many UK venues Contact: [email protected] Training course: CERN high-school Lectures: Institute of Physics Schools teacher programme Lecture Series 2007 Throughout 2007 CERN, the world’s largest particle The science of light and colour is fan- Schools and other venues in England physics laboratory, organises courses tastically important in an enormous Roadshow: Cool Seas for physics teachers who would like number of areas: from observing and Run by the Marine Conservation to increase their knowledge of particle understanding the universe in astron- Society, the Cool Seas Roadshow will physics and cosmology, who want to omy; to diagnosis and treatment visit 150 primary schools throughout find out more about the world of processes in medicine; to efficient England between September 2006 and frontier research, and who wish to communications and signal process- March 2008. It entertains and edu- bring modern physics into their class- ing in industries. cates primary/junior school children rooms. The course materials are The Institute of Physics 2007 schools’ about England’s spectacular marine aimed at students of ages 13-16. lecture will be presented by Dr Pete wildlife, using life-size inflatable The courses are free of charge, and Vukusic, a researcher and lecturer at models of whales, dolphins, sharks, the participants are expected to pay the University of Exeter’s School of turtles, seals and porpoises in dynam- for their travel expenses and accom- Physics. He is one of the leading sci- ic presentations given by a marine modation. entists in the world involved in wildlife education specialist. The This course is for participants from broadening our understanding of roadshow takes a full day at each France and takes place in French. how nature uses and controls the flow school, and is free. Contact: Mike Storr ([email protected]) of light and colour. Each school that is visited receives Light Fantastic: the Science of Colour printed materials and web-based Until 30 November 2007 will open pupils’ eyes to the basic resources, including an activity book- Italy, Austria and Switzerland concepts of the science of light and let and bookmark for every pupil, and Competition: Junge Forscher colour and show how technology is a poster for every classroom. The gesucht! – Giovani ricercatori cercan- making the most of light’s astonishing web-based resources can be viewed si! (Wanted: young researchers!) properties. This presentation will here: www.mcsuk.org/coolseas In this search for talented young include demonstrations, hands-on The project also has funding for 37 researchers, young people are activities and movie clips to help shed visits to English venues other than required to develop scientific projects light on the science of colour. The lec- schools, mostly in summer 2007. If on many topics, including art and ture lasts an hour and is suitable for you have a large and suitable audi- music. Regional finalists, selected on students aged 14-16. ence who would like a visit from the the basis of a report they submit, More information: www.iop.org Cool Seas Roadshow, please get in present their project to an internation- touch. al jury and the public. Prizes of Throughout 2007 More information: www.mcsuk.org/ €1500-3000 are awarded. Schullabor Novartis, Basel, mcsaction/education/cool+seas+roadshow The competition is open to people Switzerland Contact: Angus Bloomfield aged 16-20, living in South Tyrol Workshop: ‘Gentechnik Erleben’ ([email protected]) (Italy), Trentino (Italy), Tyrol (Austria) (Experience Genetic Engineering) or Grisons (Switzerland) and is held These workshops focus on practical Throughout 2007 in the regional languages German laboratory work, but background 10 locations around the UK and Italian. information is given for all experi- Training courses: Science continuing To enter the next competition, register ments. Students isolate plasmid DNA professional development before 30 November 2007. The final from bacterial cultures and digest it The national network of Science event will take place in March 2008 at with restriction enzymes. The result- Learning Centres, set up by the UK the University of Innsbruck, Austria. ing DNA fragments are separated and Department for Skills and Education More information: visualised by gel electrophoresis. and the Wellcome Trust, provides www.explora-science.net/wettbewerb Students should already have the nec- continuing professional education for essary theoretical background and be everyone involved in UK science edu- over 17 years of age. The workshops cation, at all levels. With nine regional are free, are in German or English (on centres and a national centre in York, request) and have a maximum of 20 access to innovative and inspiring participants. courses is within reach across the UK.

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The centres not only deliver hundreds Throughout 2007 Throughout 2007 of courses, but also act as a focus for Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK Paris Montagne, Paris, France all the science learning activities in Field trip: Rockpools Science Academy their region. The Pembrokeshire Darwin Science Paris Montagne runs a year-round More information: Festival invites all primary schools in outreach programme in all Parisian www.sciencelearningcentres.org.uk Pembrokeshire to book a rockpool suburbs. The programme is for high- Contact: [email protected] ramble and identification field trip. school students who are interested in The course is aimed at Key Stage 2 sciences but not confident enough to Throughout 2007 pupils (ages 8-11), takes half a day enrol in undergraduate studies, due Glasgow Science Centre, and is led by three qualified marine to social and cultural hindrances. The Glasgow, UK scientists. Cost: £250 with a bus or organisation offers students personal Free teacher visits £170 without a bus. Maximum 30 tutoring and the possibility to discov- Teachers, classroom assistants, children. er the world of research by meeting nursery teachers and technicians More information: researchers in various fields and by are invited to visit the Glasgow www.darwincentre.com carrying out their own research in real Science Centre free to explore and Contact: Marten Lewis laboratories during their holidays investigate what’s on offer. ([email protected]) (100 in April 2007, and many more More information: expected in August and October www.glasgowsciencecentre.org Throughout 2007 2007). The most dedicated partici- Contact: +44 (0)871 540 1003 Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK pants in the programme are offered Workshops: Primary school the chance to take part in a summer Throughout 2007 The Pembrokeshire Darwin Science camp during the Paris Montagne sci- Many Scottish venues, UK Festival offers a double workshop ence festival (21-25 July 2007). Roadshow: Science Circus visit for a maximum of 30 Key Stage 2 More information: Glasgow Science Centre’s outreach pupils (ages 8-11) at a cost of £200. www.scienceacademie.org team brings all the fun of the science The group is split into two work- centre directly to schools and commu- shops, which run simultaneously: Throughout 2007 nity groups throughout Scotland · Plankton/microscopy identification INTECH, Winchester UK thanks to their lively travelling workshop Free teacher previews ‘Science Circus’. Science Circus · Energy workshop using dynamos, Teachers are invited to visit INTECH, activities consist of amazing live solar panels and a steam engine as the hands-on interactive science and science shows and interactive hands-on props. discovery centre, free of charge or to exhibits delivered at your venue. Also available are three 90-minute attend a teacher preview session to More information: workshops, each for a maximum of 20 discover what is available for school www.glasgowsciencecentre.org pupils and costing £120: visits and workshops. Contact: +44 (0)871 540 1004 · Oil spill workshop for Key Stage 2 More information: www.intech-uk.com pupils (ages 8-11) Contact: Angela Ryde-Weller · Climate change workshop for Key ([email protected]) Stage 2 pupils (ages 8-11) · Marine litter workshop for Key Stage 1 pupils (ages 4-7). If you organise events or competi- More information: tions that would be of interest to www.darwincentre.com European science teachers and you Contact: Marten Lewis would like to see them mentioned ([email protected]) in Science in School, please email details, including date, location, title, abstract, price, website and contact email address, to [email protected]

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Science teaching flies high at Science on Stage 2 Science on Stage 2 took place during the first week of April and brought together some of the best science teachers in Europe. Montserrat Capellas describes some memorable moments.

Dynamic tango

he sounds of accordion music fill views with each other and with scien- Tthe air: the sensual tune of a slow tists. During a round-table discussion tango. Two people dance to the at Science on Stage 2, the 500 teachers music. They dance as if their spirits participating from 28 countries could were dragging them across the also pose their questions to leading room, enraptured by the music. decision-makers, including EU But the balance, the signals and Commissioner for Research, Janez the dynamics of tango go beyond Potoc˘nik. The million-dollar question passion: they are pure physics is: does Science on Stage accomplish embracing the art of dancing. The its purpose? connection is simple, yet unimagin- David Richardson, a physics teacher able for most young secondary- in Bristol, UK, says it does. “The best school students. This is one of the thing is to see how other countries workshops of Science on Stage 2 and present the same principles with a it reflects the spirit of the event: the different cultural approach.” For him, quest for new resources to make sci- it is not only about being a spectator, ence appealing to pupils. but also about learning from other After five festivals (the first three teachers. “I attended Physics on Stage dedicated to physics and the last two 3 and I got so many ideas from it that to every kind of science), about 2000 I based a show in the UK on what I teachers from all over Europe have had seen. It was called ‘Physics to participated in one of the events. make you go wow’.” Image courtesy of ILL For a whole week, the fair, the Not far from the UK stand is the shows on stage, the workshops Spanish stand. Juan Miguel Suay, a and the visits to the organisa- physics teacher in a city near Alicante tions hosting the festival in Spain, is building kites using paper (this time, the European and kebab sticks with a peculiar Synchrotron Radiation shape. The aim is to explain geometry Facility, the Institut and aerodynamics. He shares David’s Laue-Langevin and vision about the value of the event: the European “I am getting lots of ideas for my Molecular Biology lessons,” he explains. The most Laboratory), provide attractive experiment he has noticed an ideal scenario for demonstrates pressure with very teachers to exchange simple and available tools.

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Events Image courtesy of ILL

EU Commissioner for Research Janez Poto˘cnik (left) and Michel Destot, the Mayor of Grenoble (right), join in the fun in the Dutch Science Truck

Science in School, with the support of ners for his project. Despite being a the European Commission. The university professor, Didier is still international science teaching festi- actively linked to secondary schools val in Grenoble was the culmination and defines the festival as “a fabulous of national events in 28 countries. Image courtesy of ILL eclecticism”. With a wide variety of imaginative For more information and to find and sometimes wild experiments, your national contact, see: Science on Stage could make people www.scienceonstage.net change their minds about science To find out more about EIROforum being boring. According to Juan and its seven member organisa- Miguel, “pupils – and even parents – tions, see www.eiroforum.org think science is for freaks. However, Tetrahedral kites science is about finding out how the world works, and why things are one Didier Robbes, a university teacher way and not another.” He has almost Montserrat Capellas is the editor of from the University of Caen, France, finished the kite now. He will let it the ESRF Newsletter. This biannual is focused more on business. His loose in the Grenoble wind to fly high magazine publishes the latest news in experiment on electromagnetism, – in the same way that his (and the research carried out at the European based on the Maxwell and Faraday rest of the teachers’) ideas have flown light source. Read or subscribe to the equations, will soon be commer- high for the last week. ESRF Newsletter here: cialised by a company he is setting up www.esrf.fr/UsersAndScience/ “with the aim to teach”, he explains. Resources Publications/Newsletter Science on Stage has allowed him to Science on Stage is organised by find a group of Italian potential part- EIROforum, the publishers of

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The science teaching fair

he unbelievable noise of 500 sci- Awards, rewards – Tence teachers demonstrating their experiments, their materials and their ideas in the science teaching fair: the most intriguing, explosive and and onwards! multilingual marketplace you’ve ever seen! The nose-tingling smell of innu- merable chemical reactions. And the At Science on Stage 2, the European unforgettable sound of one Romanian delegate singing a song composed Science Teaching Awards 2007 were specially for the occasion.... It could only be Science on Stage! presented for the 12 best projects. At the Science on Stage 2 festival in Eleanor Hayes, editor of Science in Grenoble, France, the eight-person jury spent a week prowling around School, describes how the jury made the fair: the heart of the event. We had €18 000 worth of European Science their difficult decisions. Teaching Awards to allocate: four cash prizes and eight organisational prizes (including sponsored visits to research institutes, laboratory equipment and books). Twelve prizes, 30 countries and 500 delegates – selected by their countries to represent the very best in European science education. How could we possibly choose? Our key criteria were innovation, relevance in school and reproducibili-

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Events

garia I Bul mage co m ur ro te f sy v o o f ty: was it new, could t IL and perform their Continuing the theme of a healthy i L M other teachers copy it, o own experiments to diet, we came across Gianluca Farusi i r and did it matter? a answer them. And from Italy. His ‘Looking for Sounds easy, but the M what questions! Antioxidant Food’ project (ILL Prize) competition was The ambitious encouraged students to eat more impressive. So much ‘Sunny Side Up’ healthily by introducing them to the inspiration, such pro- project covered not many diseases associated with free fessional student-made only light refraction, radicals and getting them to compare equipment – and above colours, heat and gravi- the antioxidant activity of different all, such enthusiasm for sci- ty, but also Sun flares, Sun foods. The conclusion? Drink more ence and education! granulation, sunspots and photo- espresso! Our search for innovative teaching voltaics. Ida received a well-earned One criterion for the jury was led us to Per Kornhall, from Sweden, third-place cash prize (€2000). whether the project could be easily with his ambitious project to ‘Teach The Sun played a vital role too in used in other European schools. Science in a Different Way’ (EPS Mario Mitov’s Bulgarian demonstra- And what could be more useful than Prize). As tired of basic physics as his tion of an ecological energy system. the books, DVDs and CD-ROMs students were, he had jumped Energy from a solar panel or wind developed by Patric Pacella from straight in with molecular turbine was used to electrolyse water, Luxembourg (CERN Prize)? m Hung fro ar orbitals, relativity, stere- and the resultant hydrogen and oxy- Dissatisfied with the available text- ö y ll Im ö a ochemistry, the Big gen produced electricity in a books, he has created a resource for g K e

c Bang and quantum reversible fuel cell. Designed by stu- all chemistry teachers – and has

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L and their respect for teachers with inexpensive and flexible science rose noticeably. equipment – and won Mario the sec- The very small and the ond-place cash prize (€3000). very large can be particularly chal- In our hunt for interdisciplinary lenging to teach, especially without work, we were bowled over by expensive equipment. We were there- Angela Köhler and her ‘Chemistry fore happy to be pounced on by Under the Pyramids’ project (ESRF Zoltán Köllö, from Hungary, who had Prize), in which she and her students created a number of clear and simple rediscovered chemistry used by the Per Kornhall from Sweden models, including a demonstration of ancient Egyptians. On the German nuclear fusion and the Coulomb bar- stand, Angela showed us how to rier using a couple of drops of water! mummify an apple, synthesise Impressed by his ideas and enthusi- Egyptian Blue pigment, and recreate asm, we awarded him the fourth- ancient Egyptian cosmetic recipes – place cash prize (€1000). Also a fan of one of the jurors claimed the marigold the simple simulation, Panayiota (Calendula) salve was very effective. Neophytou from Cyprus (EMBL Herbs were particularly important Prize) and her students created an in Nils Bernt Andersen’s ‘Juicy innovative 3D model of the tria Greens’ student enterprise Aus Ima ge Angela Köhler from Germany m co animal cell, using cheap and o u (EFDA Prize). Algal waste fr r te l s g y readily available materials. e o from a local factory- f R I L What an effortless and L together with suitable a

d fun way to learn difficult I school refuse – was words like ‘mitochon- used to investigate the dria’. most effective way to Moving from the minute make compost. That done, to the immense, Ida Regl, the students grew organic from Austria, encouraged her pri- herbs and vegetables – and sold mary-school students to pose ques- them to local restaurants from their tions about the Sun and then design green-painted bicycle. Gianluca Farusi from Italy

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from Denmark sen n Im Je a ge p c u o r u a r filmed just about every chemical which used te Portuguese national a s k y S o reaction you would want to do at Archimedes’ prin- f policy on water I n L L n school, plus plenty that you could ciple and cleverly i quality! We look F never do yourself because they are shaped compo- forward to hear- too expensive or dangerous. nents to roll, bob or ing from our lat- Not only fascinating and instructive rotate through a est batch of but also beautiful: Vincent Devaux, tank of water. These prize-winners: Michel Merlange, Jean-Paul were accompanied how have you Chamozzi and their French students by bilingual films developed your (ESA Prize) designed underwater telling the story of the ideas and did the bubble machines. The students devel- submarine captain’s daring award help? oped several different submarines manoeuvres. Although the noise, smell powered by effervescent tablets, Storytelling was also central to and music may fade, the longer-last- Claudia Bezzina’s Maltese project ing benefits of Science on Stage will (ESO Prize), which linked historical remain: the international collabora- stories with simple scientific experi- tions and friendships that were ments, capturing the imagination of forged, the ideas that were shared students and jury alike. Her student and developed, and the motivation

Image courtesy of ILL booklet will be published soon. of all participants. Congratulations Finally, our top prize of €4000 to our 12 prize-winners, but also to went to Finn Skaarup Jensen from everyone who brought and shared Denmark for ‘Robots in Real Life’. such impressive projects and made His build-it-yourself robot kits not science so much fun! Claudia Bezzina and her colleague only look appealing, but demonstrate from Malta mechanics, hydraulics and electronics Resources to students aged 13 and upwards. More information about the festival During the week, we heard with and the awards is available on the delight about the continuing work of Science on Stage website: the CERN prize-winners from Science www.scienceonstage.net

Image courtesy of ILL on Stage 1. After winning their prize Many of the projects demonstrated at for using lichens to measure water Science on Stage 2 will be published quality, Maria das Mercês Silva e in forthcoming issues of Science in Sousa and Maria Joao Carvalho not School – watch this space! only convinced two universities and Vincent Devaux, Michel Merlange and a factory to join their school project Jean-Paul Chamozzi from France but also succeeded in changing

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Starry Night by Veronika, Czech Republic (aged 12)

School students Catch a Star! in an astronomical competition

In Issue 3 of Science in School we invited you to join an international competition for school students and Catch a Star! Later, some of you helped to select winners by voting online for your favourite pictures. Douglas Pierce-Price from ESO reports on the results.

atch a Star! is an international described how they had studied solar Castronomy competition for eclipses, and involved their fellow school students, organised by ESO, students in observations of an eclipse the European Organisation for in 2006. The team will travel to Chile Astronomical Research in the and visit the ESO Very Large Southern Hemisphere, together Telescope (VLT) – one of the world’s with the European Association for most powerful optical/infrared tele- Astronomy Education (EAAE). In this scopes – where they will meet year’s competition, students from 22 astronomers and be present during a countries submitted hundreds of writ- night of observations on the 2600 m ten projects and pieces of artwork on high Paranal mountaintop. Mysterious comet by Lazar, Russia (aged 12) astronomical themes. The winning “It’s fantastic that we will see the pictures can be seen on the front VLT in action. I’m also looking for- “It was cloudy, overcast, and a cover of this issue of Science in School, ward to my first view of the southern strong west wind was blowing in as well as in this article. sky!” said Jan Mestan. His fellow stu- Pisek. The meteorological situation The standard of entries was most dent is also excited about the trip. “I was nearly hopeless, and we thought impressive, and made the jury’s task am very happy that we’ll visit the we might have to cancel the observa- of choosing winners both enjoyable Paranal observatory, because this is tion. But luckily, the sky cleared up and difficult! We hope that everyone, one of the best astronomical observa- and we could see the eclipse!” said whether or not they won a prize, tories in the world, in the amazing the students. had fun taking part, and learned scenery of the Atacama Desert,” said Other Catch a Star! participants won some exciting things about our Jan Kotek. exciting trips to observatories across Universe. This was a very well-written proj- Europe. Emilio Rojas, Angel Sanchez, The top prize, of a week-long trip ect, and we particularly liked the way Javier Ortiz and their teacher Roberto to Chile, was won by students Jan in which the students involved the Palmer from Spain won a trip to Mestan and Jan Kotek from rest of their school. The team’s hard Koenigsleiten Observatory in Austria Gymnazium Pisek in the Czech work was also helped by some good for their project ‘Jupiter on the Radio’. Republic, together with their teacher fortune, as it seemed at first that bad Bogumil Giertler, Ammar Ahmed, Marek Tyle. Their report on ‘Research weather might block their view of the and their teacher Richard Burt from and Observation of the Solar Eclipse’ eclipse. Italy won a trip to Wendelstein

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Touch 1 by Kristina, Lithuania (aged 15) Observatory in Germany for their project ‘Determining the Relative students to Catch a Star! next year? Radiant of the Geminid Meteor Information will be available later this Shower’. Victor Raimbault, Remi year on the competition websitew2. Takase, Thomas Salez and their teacher Michel Faye from France Web references won a trip to Calar Alto Observatory w1 - For further information about in Spain, a prize kindly donated by Catch a Star!, including a full list of the Spanish Council for Scientific winners and the art gallery, see: Research, for their project ‘Light www.eso.org/catchastar/CAS2007/ on Dark Matter’. w2 - Information about the next Catch Saturn by Edyta, Poland (aged 13) Forty other teams won prizes, a Star! competition, and also about which included astronomy software previous competitions, will be and sets of posters of stunning astro- available here: nomical images taken with ESO tele- www.eso.org/catchastar/ scopes. In the artwork competition, 60 winning pictures were chosen with Resources the help of a public vote. The beauti- Information about ESO’s other ful pictures created by students of all education initiatives is available ages can be seen in the gallery on the here: www.eso.org/outreach/ Catch a Star! websitew1. The full list of eduoff/ winners is also available online. The Shining Mars by Justyna, Poland The competition is over for this (aged 16) year, but why not encourage your

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Second European Science Festival: WONDERS 2007

Peter Rebernik from the WONDERS project describes a ride in the Carousel of Science from Moscow to Lisbon, Reykjavik to Jerusalem. Perhaps even in your town!

rench science shows in Estonia; Image courtesy of Peter Rebernik FSwedish science theatre in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria; mechanics designed by the Catalan architect Gaudí demonstrated in Budapest; mathematical balls travelling from er Berg ael ich Perugia, Italy, to Reykjavik, Iceland - M e/ .d le what kind of a carousel is that? It is el u lq e WONDERS! ix p f o WONDERS, the first European y s e t r u Science Festival, came to an end o c e at the Heureka science centre, g a

m I Finland, in December 2006. Over the course of the year, Molecula. “I was the worst science 21 science organisations from student myself, so I know that if I 18 countries exchanged an understand the things I am perform- impressive 63 science shows. ing, the audience will understand it Among many other exciting too!” activities, visitors could cycle at “Dr Molecula really showed how the speed of light, track a white the language barrier becomes irrele- stork using a satellite, or isolate vant when the performance is such DNA from tomatoes in the kitchen. fun and so vivid,” says a jury mem- From all those science shows, two of ber, Finnish high-school student the best science communication pre- Roosa Jokiaho. sentations were chosen in the Finnish The Finnish audience selected finals. Joachim Lerch’s ‘Blue Light’ project, The jury’s favourite was ‘Dr a simulated factory from Germany in Molecula’, a lively science show from which visitors could assemble their the Bloomfield Science Museum in own flashlights. Both adults and Jerusalem, Israel. “When you combine children were taught how to drill, theatre and science, the result is really countersink, tap, punch, solder, band, moving,” says Ori Weyl, alias Dr assemble, rivet and adhere.

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Science shows are lively presenta- also the hosting organisation can Getting involved tions by scientists, students, teachers experience how other countries con- Teachers who want to find out how and pupils, who communicate science duct their science shows. to take their pupils to the shows can through direct contact with the audi- In 2007, the second European email EUSCEA General Secretary and ence; volunteers are invited to join in, Science Festival, WONDERS 2007, WONDERS Co-ordinator, Peter visitors to science cafés can discuss will see 31 organisations from 24 Rebernik: [email protected] topics with scientists in the field, states participate in the Carousel of pupils can shout and scream at scary Science, exchanging science shows experiments. Most shows are just 15 between cities as distant as Moscow minutes; some last 45 minutes includ- and Lisbon, Reykjavik and Jerusalem. ing discussion. Visitors go from show The Estonian university town of to show, to experience the breadth of Tartu, for example, will send scientists science. And most shows take place in to the Greek city of Thessaloniki, public places: railway stations, shop- while the Greek researchers will in ping malls, tents on the main square, turn go to Madrid, Spain. Why not and so forth. join the dizzying ride? All the science shows in the Carousel of Science try to stimulate Resources the interest of European citizens in EUSCEA, the European Science science, encouraging them to become Events Association, is the co-ordina- more curious about European science tor of this project, the European and, in the case of young spectators, Commission is funding it, and the to think about a future science career. partners in 2007 are the European The science shows are organised by Schoolnet (www.eun.org) and the science communication institu- EUSJA, the European Union of tions of the participating countries Science Journalists’ Associations and are sent to each other during (www.eusja.org). their science festivals or science For more information about weeks. In that way, not only do the WONDERS and to find out visitors to this ‘foreign’ show learn about science shows in your something in an amusing way, but country, see: www.euscea.org

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Feature article Looking through the Earth’s atmosphere from the ISS Image courtesy of ESA/Thomas Reiter Down to Earth: interview with Thomas Reiter

Shortly before Christmas 2006, German ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter returned from the International Space Station. A month later, Barbara Warmbein asked him about his trip, the experiments he did – and how to become an astronaut. Image courtesy of NASA homas Reiter, German astronaut Tfor the European Space Agency (ESA)w1, is a true veteran of space flight. The 49-year-old father of two boys has spent more hours in space than any other ESA astronaut – almost a year in total, with 179 days on the Russian MIR space station in 1995 and 171 days on the Inter- national Space Station (ISS) in 2006. A few days before Christmas, he returned to Earth, having successfully completed a six-hour spacewalk (or extravehicular activity), collecting data for many European experiments on board the ISS, and helping to prepare the station for the arrival of the European module Columbus, due for launch later this year. I spoke to him Thomas Reiter during the spacewalk on 3 August 2006 by telephone at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany. What kind of effects did you feel? helps a lot in accelerating the recov- There are basically three systems in ery process. You need to keep your How long did it take you to the body which are affected: the muscles trained while weightless, recover from your long trip vestibular (balance) system, which otherwise they would disappear. But into space? shows the most pronounced effect; in the first hours after landing, the The first severe effects were still the orthostatic system, which controls effects are pretty pronounced. perceivable the morning after land- blood pressure and becomes apparent ing, but then recovery progressed after landing, when you stand upright What do astronauts do when they are very nicely. Right now, four weeks for a long time and get dizzy easily; on Earth? What are you doing at the after landing, I don’t feel anything. and the muscles, which need to re- moment, apart from giving interviews? So within three to four weeks the adapt to gravity. Of course I did a lot At the moment, the most important effects are almost over. of physical exercise in orbit. This task is to prepare all the technical

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Thomas Reiter works on a cooling line on the International Space Station

debriefings for the scientists, opera- debriefings with our Russian used to improve these for future tions people and management. partnersw3. space exploration, in which ESA certainly will take part... going back to Does that mean giving them results Did you find anything specific that the Moon, or then further in the of the experiments? could be improved? future, going to Mars. Not only results. I don’t work Of course, there is always some- on results of scientific experiments thing to be done. Our intention was to What did you find most impressive because that is done by the scientists prepare the operations team for the during your latest mission? themselves. But they like to know arrival of the European experiment The most exciting moments are under what conditions the experi- module Columbus and especially the certainly the launch and doing an ments were executed. And of course immediate start of an operation to extravehicular activity. there are a lot of technical questions make full use of Columbus. Based on from our systems and operations the last six months that I have been Isn’t that scary? people, for example about how they on the ISS, I think we can improve a It’s not scary, no. But it’s really very, can improve the scheduling to make few things, squeezing a few hours in very exciting and everyone who has work on the ISS as efficient as possi- here and there by streamlining the the chance to be up there looks for- ble – to get as much time as possible scheduling process. It is interesting to ward to leaving the station for a few for scientific work. These kinds of look at these multitudes of systems hours at least. There are interesting debriefings are done with every that are necessary to make a space moments inside as well, catching agency. I started that in Houston station. These include life-support beautiful views of the Earth or of the with NASAw2, now this whole systems, altitude controls, thermal- starry sky. And there’s the re-entry. process is taking place here at ESA, control systems and so forth. And the Those are the main highlights from a and in two weeks I will have the experience we have gathered can be personal, emotional point of view.

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Feature article

But the work is of course the most We had a biological experiment Another area of study was the cardio- important thing. Doing all these great on the growth of plants, to help us vascular or vestibular system. So I experiments, and working at the fron- understand the processes that happen worked on a really wide variety of tier of all these research projects, is at the molecular level. The objective is activities. really very exciting. Being on board a not only to grow plants in weightless- space station itself is already some- ness, but to enhance agricultural out- You said you also had educational thing very special. It takes a lot of sys- put by analysing how plants grow experiments. Can you describe these? tems to keep the ISS running, and, and by improving these processes and We had an experiment called the even with three people, we have to making them resistant to particular ‘Oil Emulsion Experiment’. It was a work hard to maintain these systems conditions. plastic tube containing water and oil; so that the station is a place where We also had a physics experiment the oil was coloured red, and of people can live. But with each addi- called ‘Plasma Crystal’, which has a course the water was colourless. You tional crew member, the relationship huge range of possible applications. can observe how these two liquids – between maintaining the station and At the moment it is still at an experi- which do not mix with each other – producing scientific results will shift mental stage, with scientists trying to behave in weightlessness. Here on much more towards the scientific work. understand how dynamics are affect- Earth, the water is at the bottom of ed by weightlessness. There could be the tube and the oil, which has a Which specific experiments spring applications in a lot of areas, like the lower density, is on top. In weight- to mind? production of semi-conductors or lessness, the oil forms bubbles in the In general, I was performing experi- building fusion power plants, so this water. The experiment consisted of ments in the areas of life science, is a very interesting field. shaking the tube to try to make an biology, physics and astrophysics. We For me as an engineer, it’s interest- emulsion and then observing how the also had some educational projects, ing to see that even today there are a oil behaves over time. All this was which was interesting because I lot of processes in our body that are filmed. A lot of school students all remember very well when I was a not very well understood. We had over Germany performed the experi- school-child and followed all these experiments on our immune system: ment more or less at the same time. space-flight activities. how it or certain functions of it work. They made hypotheses about how the water and the oil would behave and then they watched the video from the ISS. They could then test their Image courtesy of NASA hypotheses. Together with my university, University Neubiberg, we carried out some small experiments showing the stability of rotational motions. For this purpose I had a little aluminium cube with me. It had different moments of inertia, and I rotated this cube around the three different axes. All of this was filmed. You can clearly see that if you rotate this cube around two of its axes, the rotation is stable, but around the third axis the rotation is instable. That experiment was intended for school students in grade 10 (ages 15- 16) and above, and for first-year university students. I think it’s interesting for pupils and students to see these practical applications of weightlessness, which would be very hard to demonstrate here on Earth. Thomas Reiter during the spacewalk on 3 August 2006

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Exercising on board the ISS

How did you prepare for your stay in however, there is quite a lot of was in the pool today to prepare for the ISS? What did you do to prepare preparation. We use big pools for my extravehicular activity.” My for weightlessness and for the this purpose. NASA has a huge pool younger son, who is nine years old cramped conditions there? in Houston, where you prepare for now, occasionally has some additional The training takes a lot of time. For extravehicular activities. Usually questions, like why a rocket only has me, the immediate preparation for the for each hour you spend in space three stages. mission took almost two years. On you have to spend six hours in the top of that there’s the initial prepara- pool. What made you want to become an tion or basic training that lasts at least astronaut? another year or a year and a half. You You have two sons. How do they cope That was a dream I had as a child. I have to learn all the different systems with their father being an astronaut? followed all the space activities when that keep you alive and that you What kinds of questions do they ask I was six, seven, eight years old. depend on once you are in orbit. You you? When I was 11, I watched the first also have to prepare for all the scien- You know, just by being with them, Moon landing. Even then, I dreamed tific work you are going to do up in they already have a lot of informa- of becoming an astronaut. At the time, space. tion. It is very rare that they have an getting into this profession was not You don’t do a lot of preparation for additional question. Whenever I’m very likely in Europe, but I was lucky. weightlessness. There are few occa- home, which unfortunately doesn’t When there was a selection process – sions, like parabolic flights, just to happen very often, I talk about the in 1986, I think – I was just the right experience this feeling for a few sec- training and about what I did. And age and had the right prerequisites. onds, but it’s not really preparation in when I am in training and away from I didn’t think twice about whether the real sense, it’s more a familiarisa- the family, I usually try to call at least I should take part. And it worked tion. For extravehicular activities, once a day and then I tell them, “I out!

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Feature article

You are an engineer and you are also National Aeronautics and Space entitled Body Space, explores the a pilot. Would you say that these are Administration: www.nasa.gov effects of weightlessness on the classical qualifications? w3 – The website of the Russian human body, for example on the To a certain extent, yes. Quite a lot Federal Space Agency: vestibular (balance) system. The of the Russian cosmonauts and the www.federalspace.ru DVDs can be ordered free by astronauts on the NASA flights have a teachers: www.esa.int/spaceflight/ similar background. But it’s not the Resources education only combination. In all agencies, in More information about Thomas · Robotics, the fourth ISS DVD, will ESA, in NASA and also in the Russian Reiter’s Astrolab mission, including be released at the end of 2007. It space agency, you also find engineers fact-sheets on all the experiments he includes an interview with Thomas or scientists who do not have a flying performed, is available here: Reiter and features many of the background. I think, talking now for www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Astrolab/ experiments he performed during the European Astronaut Corps (ESA ESA have also produced many his recent mission. astronauts who are currently consid- educational materials relating to the · By the end of 2007, a web lesson ered active), that the mix of different International Space Station (ISS): about the experiment on stability of professions is crucial. We have a very · A printed ISS education kit for both rotational motions will be available nice mix: some scientists, doctors, primary- and secondary-school on the ESA website: www.esa.int engineers, and even teachers. Some teachers is available in all 12 ESA are pilots like myself. languages. The kits are based on all Further details and education the fascinating activities involved in materials can be found on the: Can you give a general recommenda- building, working and living on European Space Agency Education tion to children who want to become board the ISS, and provide back- website: www.esa.int/education astronauts? ground information and exercises and the If they are thinking of becoming for classroom teaching. They are an astronaut, they should consider available to all school-teachers in European Space Agency Human studying physics, engineering, biolo- ESA member states and can be Spaceflight Education website: gy or something like that. And they ordered free online: www.esa.int/spaceflight/education should get some experience in a pro- www.esa.int/spaceflight/ fession: no astronaut is selected education directly from university. · An interactive version of the ISS education kit is available here: Web references www.esa.int/spaceflight/education w1 – European Space Agency website: · A series of ISS DVD lessons cover www.esa.int topics relating to European school This article provides an w2 – The website of NASA, the US curricula. The second in the series, interesting glimpse into the life of an astronaut. It gives information about some of the experiments and work carried out during a tour of the International Space Station, as well as describ- ing how the astronaut felt during a mission. Image courtesy of NASA The article has a number of uses: as an information source for school projects, Sunset seen from the an interesting article for a International Space Station comprehension exercise, or even as a source for careers advice.

REVIEW Mark Robertson, UK

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Synchrotron light illuminates the orang-utan’s obscure origins

Paul Tafforeau from the University of Poitiers and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France, explains what synchrotron X-ray studies of fossil teeth can tell us about the evolution of orang-utans – and our own origins.

oday, the hominoids (apes) are during the whole Miocene period, In 2003, research in Thailand led Trepresented by only five genera: with successive migrations to Europe to the discovery of a previously gibbons, orang-utans, gorillas, chim- and Asia followed by local evolution unknown species of fossil hominoid panzees and our own species, Homo on all three continents (map A). from approximately 12 MY ago sapiens. In the Miocene period, Over the last few years, however, a (Chaimanee et al., 2003). About 20 between 20 and 6 million years (MY) new hypothesis has emerged. It also isolated teeth (figure 1A), attributed ago, however, this was a much more proposes that the hominoids originat- to several male and female individu- diverse group, as demonstrated by ed in Africa, but that primitive forms als, showed that this species was a the numerous (approximately 20) fos- then migrated towards Asia, and after large hominoid with a strong sexual sil genera that have been discovered a progressive extinction in Africa, dimorphism – the male was much in Africa, Asia and Europe. Africa and Europe were repopulated larger than the female, with more The most ancient hominoids lived by successive migrations from Asia developed canines. It was named cf. around 20 million MY ago in Africa. (map B). According to this hypothesis, Lufengpithecus chiangmuanensis. Outside Africa, the first hominoids the principal area of homi- date from around 16.5 MY ago, but noid diversification many different forms are known to was Asia instead have lived in Europe and Asia 12-6 of Africa. The MY ago. Subsequently, the group key fossils to declined in diversity, probably due to test these two climate changes. Several hypotheses scenarios have been suggested to explain the should phylogenetic (evolutionary) relation- therefore ships of the fossil and extant (mod- be found ern) species and to describe their in Asia. paleobiogeography – that is, their

geographic migration and diversi- Image courtesy of iStockphoto.com fication. The traditional hypothesis is that Africa was the principal area of diversification

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Cutting-edge science

Dental enamel is the most highly mineralised tissue found in verte- A ates brates; consequently, teeth are very strong and resistant to mechanical or chemical erosion. This, together with rigins the fact that they contain very little organic matter to be decomposed by micro-organisms, means that teeth are often better preserved during the fos- EMBL Riedinger, Image courtesy of Petra silisation process than the rest of the organism, including bones. Indeed, A: The classical hypothesis of hominoid diversification and dispersion is that the the vast majority of the vertebrate fos- group originated in Africa about 20 MY ago and then evolved mainly on that conti- sil record consists of teeth and most nent. Europe and Asia were populated by successive migration events from Africa. palaeontological (fossil) studies on In this hypothesis, the main centre of hominoid diversification is Africa vertebrate remains (including hominoids) are based on teeth. Fortunately for the palaeontologist, teeth have B 2 many anatomical characteristics linked to both phylogeny and function, whether for feeding or as sexual 3 attributes (the males of many primates have particularly well-devel- 1 oped canines, for example).

In addition to a traditional palaeon- EMBL Riedinger, Image courtesy of Petra tological study of external dental morphology, the internal structure of the teeth of cf. L. chiangmuanensis B: In the alternative hypothesis, hominoids originated in Africa and evolved locally for was studied in a non-destructive way, a few million years. They then populated Asia (arrow 1) and became extinct in Africa. providing results of previously unat- The main evolution took place in Asia, after which Europe was populated by Asian tainable quality (Chaimanee et al., groups through several migration events (arrow 2). Africa was repopulated from Asia 2003; Tafforeau, 2004; Tafforeau et al., (arrow 3). In this hypothesis, the main centre of hominoid diversification is Asia 2006). At the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF)w1 in assigned to yet another new species: exceptional data set, it was possible to Grenoble, France, the teeth were Khoratpithecus piriyai (Chaimanee et analyse the dental structure and the imaged in three dimensions using al., 2004). On the basis of its overall bone architecture (figure 2B), and to X-ray synchrotron microtomography. size, the size of the canines and bone virtually extract the teeth from the This made it possible to quantify pre- morphology, the mandible was right side of the mandible to study cisely the thickness and the distribu- thought to have come from a male. A the size and the shape of tooth roots tion of enamel (figure 1B) without subsequent comparison of this fossil (figure 2C; Tafforeau, 2004; Tafforeau having to cut the teeth open. The with the cf. L. chiangmuanensis teeth et al., 2006; Chaimanee et al., 2006). combination of traditional palaeontol- showed that these two forms were The 3D data of K. chiangmuanensis’s ogy and microtomographic analyses more similar and therefore more teeth were used in a virtual recon- revealed that this fossil species is closely related to one another than to struction of the jaws (figure 3), which more similar to modern orang-utans any other fossil or extant species. The allowed further comparisons of the than to any other known fossil homi- older species, cf. L. chiangmuanensis, general morphology of the jaws and noids in Asia. It was therefore pro- was then reattributed the new genus the relative sizes of teeth in the two posed that cf. L. chiangmuanensis and renamed Khoratpithecus chiang- species of Khoratpithecus. This showed could be an ancestor of the orang- muanensis. that their similarities were even utans. K. piriyai’s mandible was also stronger than initially thought and In 2004, a further fossil, approxi- imaged at the ESRF using X-ray syn- fully justified their classification in a mately 7 MY old, was discovered in chrotron microtomography, resulting single genus, which had been made Thailand. This beautiful mandible in the first high-quality scan of such a on the basis of traditional palaeonto- (lower jawbone; figure 2A) was large fossil of a hominoid. Using this logical studies.

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Image courtesy of Paul Tafforeau the numerous other fossil hominoid taxa from Asia, show a higher diversity than African hominoid fossils during the same period. Moreover, both very specialised and primitive species have been found in Asia. Together, the high levels of diversity and the wide geographic distribution in geological strata of Asian hominoids (from 16.5 MY ago to the present) strongly suggest that Asia was an important, perhaps even the principal, centre of diversification for Miocene hominoids. Increasingly, therefore, modern palaeological research is lending weight to the newer hypothesis of hominoid evolution: our hominoid ancestors originated in Africa, after which they diversified in Asia and repopulated Africa and Europe.

References Chaimanee Y et al. (2003) A Middle Miocene hominoid from Thailand Figure 1: Khoratpithecus chiangmuanensis. A: Isolated teeth discovered on the site and orangutan origins. Nature 422: of Chiang Muan, Thailand. The top two rows are male teeth, the lower two rows are 61-65. doi:10.1038/nature01449 female teeth. B: 3D analysis by X-ray synchrotron microtomography of a second Chaimanee Y et al. (2004) A new lower molar from a male. From left to right: 3D reconstruction, virtual vertical cut, orang-utan relative from the Late and quantitative distribution map of enamel. The scale bars represent 1 cm. Miocene of Thailand. Nature 427: 439-441. doi:10.1038/nature02245 Using synchrotron X-ray imaging of would have evolved and subsequent- Chaimanee Y et al. (2006) these fossils, it was possible to reveal ly disappeared. Khoratpithecus piriyai, a late Miocene anatomical characteristics that would Therefore, although related, K. hominoid of Thailand. American otherwise have been impossible to piriyai is almost certainly not a direct Journal of Physical Anthropology 131: study without destroying the fossils. ancestor of the modern orang-utans. 311-323. doi:10.1002/ajpa.20437 These cutting-edge analyses, com- K. chiangmuanensis, the older species Tafforeau P (2004) Aspects phylogéné- bined with a more traditional with fewer specialised dental tiques et fonctionnels de la palaeontological study, revealed that characteristics, is more likely to be microstructure de l’émail dentaire et Khorapithecus is the known genus a possible ancestor of the orang-utans. de la structure tridimensionnelle most closely related to the orang- Although new fossils are necessary des molaires chez les primates fos- utans. Nevertheless, the studies also to test the hypothesis, it is possible siles et actuels : apports de la micro- showed that although K. piriyai (the that the orang-utan’s lineage was tomographie à rayonnement X syn- more recent species) had many derived from primitive forms of the chrotron. Ph.D. Thesis, Université anatomical features that are typical Khoratpithecus genus and that the de Montpellier II, France of the orang-utans, it also displayed two branches evolved in different specialised features. Among them, K. ways, giving rise both to the orang- Tafforeau P et al. (2006) Applications piriyai had a canine morphology very utans and to later species of of X-ray synchrotron microtomogra- unlike the modern orang-utans, with Khoratpithecus, such as K. piriyai. phy for non-destructive 3D studies a dagger-like canine and an extremely We can now return to our two of paleontological specimens. enlarged third molar. From what is hypotheses of hominoid evolution: Applied Physics A, Materials Science known from other lineages, it is un- African and Asian diversification. The & Processing 83: 195-202. doi: likely that so many specialisations two Khoratpithecus species, as well as 10.1007/s00339-006-3507-2

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Cutting-edge science Image courtesy of Paul Tafforeau Image courtesy of Paul Tafforeau Image courtesy of Paul

Figure 2: Khoratpithecus piriyai. A: Photographs of the Figure 3: Jaw reconstitution of male Khoratpithecus chiang- mandible showing a very good state of preservation. B: 3D muanensis. Grey: original male teeth. Pink: symmetrical view microtomographic analysis. In the centre, 3D reconstruction. of these teeth. Blue: female teeth after adjustment of their On the left, a virtual vertical cut through the right side of the size to take into account the sexual dimorphism. Green: mandible showing the bone structures and the dental roots. On missing teeth with equivalents extrapolated from existing the right, virtual extraction of the teeth of the right side show- teeth after calculation of their probable sizes. Yellow: coming the shape and the size of the dental roots in 3D. The scale pletely unknown teeth replaced by teeth of orang-utans bar represents 4 cm

Web references www.scienceinschool.org/2006/ www.esrf.eu/files/Newsletter/ w1 - The European Synchrotron issue1/maryrose#esrf NL42.pdf Radiation Facility (ESRF) is an Tafforeau P et al. (2005) Synchrotron For information about the University international facility that operates, Radiation Microtomography: A Tool of Poitiers, see: maintains and develops the most for Paleontology. ESRF Newsletter www.univ-poitiers.fr powerful synchrotron light source 42: 22-23. in Europe, with 18 participating countries. More than 5000 researchers come to the ESRF every year to use the light source and its associated instruments: I have always been fascinated by knowledge about the evolution of www.esrf.eu man. Questions like ‘Where do we come from?’ and ‘Who was our ESRF is a member of EIROforum, a common ancestor?’ are often posed by both pupils and scientists. This collaboration of seven European article describes a method that helps to strengthen the hypothesis of inter-governmental research the hominoid evolution: that our forebears originated in Africa, after organisations, and the publishers which they diversified in Asia, and repopulated Africa and Europe. of Science in School. See This article could be used in biology lessons at the highest level, for pupils aged 16-18. It would be very useful when teaching general evo- www.eiroforum.org lution and human evolution in particular. The article could also be used in physics class to show how advanced use of X-rays can be a Resources valuable tool for biologists. Sølve Tegnér Stenmark, Norway

An explanation of the use of synchro- REVIEW tron light at ESRF is available here:

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Fun with genomes: the Mycomuncher DNA Puzzle

Fed up with explaining genomes, genes and proteins? Why not get your students to figure it out for themselves using Johan Leveau’s DNA puzzle?

Ready, set, puzzle! The first task is to find the overlap in these five stretches of DNA and assemble them into a consensus DNA sequence

Image courtesy of Johan Leveau

ooking for a fun, hands-on Meet the mycomuncher the Collimonas project as an example, Lteaching tool to explain genomes, Based on ongoing research at the the Mycomuncher DNA Puzzle genes and proteins? The Myco- Netherlands Institute of Ecology explains what a genome is, what it muncher DNA Puzzle may be just (NIOO-KNAW)w1, the Mycomuncher is good for, and how genomic DNA what you’re looking for. Like a real DNA Puzzle features Collimonas fun- can be read and understood in rela- scientist, experience the thrill of givorans, a newly discovered soil bac- tion to the biology of the organism it genome research. Get an appreciation terium that has the unique ability to belongs to. In other words, how do for the work that goes into breaking eat fungi (moulds). Hence its nick- we go from long sequences of only the DNA code. And learn how DNA name: the mycomuncher, from the four different DNA letters (A, C, G, carries the information for all kinds of Greek word mycos meaning fungus. and T) to a property such as ‘eating biological functions. Suitable for edu- Researchers at the NIOO-KNAW and fungus’? cating students at the primary- and elsewhere are very excited about this secondary-school level, the Myco- bacterium, because it may hold new Here’s the challenge muncher DNA Puzzle can also be clues to treating or preventing fungal The objective of the Mycomuncher used as supporting material for gen- diseases in humans, plants, or other DNA Puzzle is to complete several eral-audience science fairs and for organisms. To discover what makes tasks representing the sequential steps university courses in biology and Collimonas a mycomuncher, we are in a typical genome project, from ecology. Ten minutes is all a basic currently analysing the total DNA, DNA assembly to the formulation of game of DNA puzzling takes. or genome, of this bacterium. Using hypotheses.

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Teaching activities

Mission accomplished! The consensus DNA sequence (bottom) perfectly matches the overlapping shorter ones Coming zle soon... In response to suggestions from Mai-Britt Meijer and her students, an extended Image courtesy of Johan Leveau version of the basic puzzle will be available in autumn 2007. Targeted at high- school audiences, the The first challenge is to assemble to eat fungus. The lesson of this task Mycomuncher DNA five overlapping DNA sequences is that not much can be learned from Puzzle PLUS! includes an (represented by five wooden pieces a protein sequence per se. Instead, additional wooden piece with DNA letters A, C, G and T) into players are invited to compare their representing messenger one consensus DNA sequence (see newly identified protein with a list of RNA (mRNA), the above). This exercise shows that a proteins from other organisms, the sequence of which is com- genome cannot be read in one go, but functions of which have already been plementary to the DNA needs to be determined from smaller studied by other researchers. and in the true RNA alpha- fragments, which then have to be One of the listed proteins will bet (A, C, G, U instead of assembled, much like a puzzle, to match the one that the players identi- A, C, G, T). In the PLUS! obtain a full-length sequence. fied for Collimonas. Players are chal- version of the game, anti- The next task is to translate the con- lenged to think about how its func- codons (also in RNA sensus DNA sequence, representing a tion might be involved in myco- spelling) need to be typical Collimonas gene, into protein. munching. An example is the protein matched to the mRNA to This is achieved by lining up three- chitinase which breaks down chitin, create the corresponding letter DNA sequences (codons) that are a structural component of the fungal amino-acid sequence. The linked to a particular amino acid (see cell wall. One could hypothesise addition of a transcription below). Amino acids are the building that Collimonas uses this protein to step makes this puzzle blocks of proteins. This part of the degrade the cell wall to access more challenging and real- Mycomuncher DNA Puzzle illustrates nutrients which are contained within istic for high-school stu- the role of DNA as a carrier of infor- the fungus. To assist in the formula- dents. Visit the Collimonas mation and how this information is tion of hypotheses, the puzzle websitew2 for more infor- translated into proteins. includes a scale model of the interac-

BACKGROUND mation. The third challenge is to find out tion between Collimonas and a fungus. how Collimonas might use this protein Hypotheses from different groups of

students can be written on the blackboard, compared and discussed.

Teaching team work and other scientific principles Besides educating its players on genes and proteins, the Mycomuncher Decoding the DNA. Wooden blocks representing DNA codons and their associated DNA Puzzle stimulates team effort amino acids are used as a translation key to convert a DNA sequence (top) into its when played in groups. The four matching amino-acid sequence or protein (bottom). The latter will need to be sides of the wooden DNA blocks compared with other proteins to figure out its function allow four different DNA assemblies: thus, one game actually represents four puzzles in one, with four different proteins and four opportunities Image courtesy of Johan Leveau

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A teacher’s experience of the Mycomuncher DNA Puzzle

Mai-Britt Meijer, a biology teacher from the translation to amino acids. This extension, which will Netherlands, tested the Mycomuncher DNA Puzzle be available in future, will allow the puzzle to be used with her students. as an introduction to DNA transcription and protein As a teacher, I always welcome new methods and new translation. It will give the students a physical reminder ways of teaching. The Mycomuncher DNA Puzzle is an of all the steps involved in this kind of research and the original and stimulating teaching tool because it steps of the puzzle can be referred to when discussing enables students to ‘let go’ of the textbook and investi- the theory in subsequent lessons. gate the steps of protein synthesis. Not only are the stu- It was nice to see the students playing around with the dents physically occupied, but also they are forced to wooden blocks. Their initial reaction when seeing the think about the formulation of hypotheses and the sci- wooden pieces was that they were back in nursery entific method of determining gene functions. school. When starting with the puzzle, however, they Before playing the puzzle, I discussed the theory of soon realised that it is not as easy as it appears, but that protein synthesis with the class. The knowledge of the it takes a lot of work to decipher the DNA code and the students (pre-university education, ages 15-16) was function of genes. quite high, which is a necessity. After a short introduction to Collimonas fungivorans, the class was divided into groups of three to four students. Those who were not busy with the puzzle worked independently on an assignment related to DNA and proteins. The class worked together to find the first DNA sequence consensus and to understand how the puzzle worked. Next, one group at a time searched for their own consensus sequence (one of four). As each group found its consensus sequence, it moved onto the next step (identifying the corresponding codons). The groups could work without any guidance since the posters clearly explained each step. When all groups reached the last step (suggesting the The Mycomuncher DNA Puzzle in action. This photo- function of the protein encoded by their consensus graph was taken at the 2004 science fair at the Nether- sequence), we discussed their hypotheses as a group: lands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), showing what did they think were the functions of their encod- junior wannabe genome researchers solving the myco- ed proteins? The exercise can raise significant ques- muncher challenge tions such as: How do the students form their hypotheses? Are the hypotheses formulated correctly? What Even though there are a lot of tools available on the kind of experiments can they think of to test their Internet, the Mycomuncher DNA Puzzle has the hypotheses? Especially for the more advanced stu- advantage of enabling students to work with their dents, this exercise can prove to be very helpful in hands. It is especially useful because they are able to training them to give elaborate though precise really visualise what they are doing. As a final remark, answers. it’s worth noticing that the students have to work The students suggested, and I agree, that the puzzle together, and discuss issues to be able to complete all would be more complete if it included additional steps the steps of the puzzle. This is, once again, a great of transcription from DNA to messenger RNA and

BACKGROUND advantage.

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Teaching activities

to think about how they fit into the for building the puzzle yourself. mycomunching lifestyle of Collimonas. For details, please visit the Typically, it takes no more than 10 Collimonas websitew2, or email This article describes minutes to complete one game, [email protected] didactical material aimed although more time can be spent on One standard set of the basic game at school level and devel- each of the steps, for example to dis- consists of five wooden pieces of oped within a research cuss or provide background informa- DNA sequences for assembly, one institute. This is quite a tion. The puzzle also exposes students wooden piece with four consensus novelty for teachers, who to some basic principles of scientific DNA sequences and one with four often see a gap between research. These include the formula- corresponding protein sequences, 30 academic research and sci- tion of hypotheses and sharing results wooden pieces representing codons ence teaching at school. with fellow scientists (for example, with their matching amino acid, six had others not made public their A3-sized posters with wooden stands, The idea is simple but research findings, how would it have one scale model of the Collimonas- ingenious: to transform sci- been possible for us to assign a possi- fungus interaction, and a teacher’s entific data about a bacter- ble function to our Collimonas pro- manual. ial genome and its ecology tein?). into a game to be played in For advanced students, the basic Web references the classroom and com- concepts of the puzzle can be com- w1 - For more information on the pleted on the Internet, thus bined with the use of Internet-based Netherlands Institute of Ecology combining hands-on and programmes on classroom computers (NIOO-KNAW), visit e-learning methodologies to show what it means to assemble www.nioo.knaw.nl to address the basic biological topics of DNA, gene and decode not just five short pieces w2 - Collimonas website: expression and metabo- of DNA, but hundreds of thousands, www.nioo.knaw.nl/games/ lism. as is the case in a real genome project. collimonas The teacher’s manual that comes with I recommend this article to the puzzle provides several examples. secondary-school teachers The puzzle can also be used to Johan Leveau is a researcher at interested in innovative explain other DNA-related issues, the Netherlands Institute of Ecology didactical tools: they will such as the effect of changes (muta- (NIOO-KNAW) in Heteren, the find structured material tions) in the DNA on the amino-acid Netherlands. ready-to-use and suitable sequence and function of proteins. to make pupils think like scientists. The most skilful Real genes! teachers will even find The Mycomuncher DNA Puzzle instructions for building uses real DNA sequence data, derived the game by themselves or from the genome of Collimonas fun- together with their stu- givorans. Each puzzle includes a cer- dents. tificate with a unique link to one of Giulia Realdon, Italy the genes in the Collimonas genome. REVIEW Students can track this gene on the Collimonas websitew2 to find its location on the Collimonas genome, and learn what protein it codes for, or which laboratories are studying it.

Product information The Mycomuncher DNA Puzzle is available from the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW): you can either purchase a complete set or request (free) instructions

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Using music in the science classroom

Caroline Molyneux, from Balshaw’s Church of England High School, UK, explains how she kick-starts her classes and helps her students remember certain lessons, facts or concepts.

usic is known to affect our Mfeelings and energy levels (Brewer, 1995). It can prompt memories, enhance brain activity and stimulate the mind. In today’s consumer- driven society, a piece of classical music can make us think of a certain make of car. A popular song can con-

jure up thoughts of a famous perfume Kemnitz Image courtesy of Pixelquelle/T. brand. Why not harness this sublimi- nal messaging method for learning? In a multimedia society, any tool that can be used to engage pupils is invaluable (Beady, 2001). As a pilot project, I experimented with the use of music to inspire my tutorial group at the start of the day. I used any feel-good tune, which I called ‘music of the day’. I would write the name and composer of the music on the chalkboard, along with a ‘thought for the day’. These were motivating phrases or quotes that were provided by the school, to be out loud did not have a great effect read out to all tutorial groups each on pupils. But when the thought for Portrait of Giocchino morning. the day was displayed alongside the Rossini by an unknown Examples of ‘thought for the day’ music of the day, with the music artist include: playing, pupils began to take a lot Why is abbreviation such a long more notice of both. They wanted Public domain image; Image source · Wikimedia Commons word? to know exactly what the music · Only the guy who isn’t rowing has was and who wrote or sang it, and the door before I arrived, eager to time to rock the boat then what the thought for the day hear what the day’s selection would · Anyone who has never made a mis- was. be. I found that the most successful take has never tried anything new The response was amazing. Each songs were those that pupils had · Imagination is more important than day the pupils would be excited to heard before but did not know by knowledge (Albert Einstein) enter the room to hear what was name (or composer), such as Ravel’s I found that simply reading these playing. Pupils would be waiting at ‘Bolero’ and Rossini’s ‘William Tell

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Teaching activities

Image courtesy of Pixelquelle/Martina Taylor The Old Opera House in Frankfurt, Germany Image courtesy of Pixelquelle/Freezman1602 film fame (previously one of the Monty Python team) collaborated to produce the well-known novelty song ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’. Some pupils even recognised the song from football chants but had no idea where it came from. Early-morning morale amongst my tutorial group soared and pupils would go off to lessons happy to begin the day. I received visits from other pupils and members of staff who had heard about the music and had come to investigate. The project lasted for a full term (approximately four months), and was so popular that I have continued to use this idea. If I ever forget to put a piece of music on in the morning then I get com- plaints! Next, I began to develop a portfolio of music to link to the science curriculum. At the time, I was writing the Overture’. I developed the idea of Knights’ from Prokofiev’s Romeo schemes of work (detailed lesson having theme weeks, in which the and Juliet (pupils were studying plans for a whole year group) for the music would follow a theme such Shakespeare’s play in their drama new new GCSE in core science, so I as ‘French music’ or ‘the musicals’. class) and ‘Matchstalk Men’ by Brian linked music to the topics and includ- Pupils began to make requests, and & Michael – a song about the famous ed them in the scheme of work. it wasn’t popular chart music that early 20th-century Manchester artist I would play the music as pupils they were asking for. All the pupils L. S. Lowry. entered the classroom. Immediately got involved – both confident and The music boosted pupils’ general they would begin to search for the quiet, boys and girls. We took it in knowledge as well as entertaining link between the music and the lesson turns to pick the music so that every- them. They discovered that the com- title and objectives which I had dis- one got a chance. Pupils would composer John Williams wrote the theme played on the board. Before pupils pete to find the most obscure but music for the Harry Potter films, and had even sat down, opened their bags interesting music. Requests included that several famous comedians, or taken out their pens and pencils, the classical piece ‘Dance of the including John Cleese of James Bond- they had begun to think about the les-

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Below are some examples of the music I have used.

Song Science Curriculum Link

‘Danger, Danger High Voltage’ – Electric Six Electricity – KS3 and Year 10 Physics (new GCSE)

‘The Drugs Don’t Work’ – The Verve Drugs – Biology Year 10 (new GCSE)

‘Rock DJ’ – Robbie Williams Rocks – Chemistry Year 8

‘Me and My Shadow’ – Various Light – Physics Year 8

‘Oliver Twist’ – Food Glorious Food Food and Digestion – Years 8 & 10

‘Fast Food Rockers’ – Fast Food Song Malnutrition and Obesity – Year 10

outcomes of the lesson before I had To evaluate the effectiveness of the introduced anything other than the idea, I would play a piece of music lesson title! used in a past lesson and give the The idea began to develop. My pupils the duration of the song to websitew1 displays the lesson titles for summarise the key points of that les- the following week; pupils would son. I found that the music provoked visit the website, look at the titles and memories of facts and skills that the suggest music that could be used to pupils had learned. I would simply begin the lesson. Pupils were inadver- play the music and pupils would tently preparing themselves for future immediately remember facts. During lessons! Diana Ross’s ‘Chain Reaction’, which In search of appropriate music, I had been linked to a lesson on nerves linked not only the titles but also the and reflex reactions, some pupils

Image courtesy of Paranoid; Image source Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia Image source Image courtesy of Paranoid; lyrics of some songs to the curricu- managed to write down the sequence lum: ‘Big Yellow Taxi’ by Joni Mitchell of events in a reflex arc! This high- includes the line “They paved para- lighted the success of the project, dise and put up a parking lot.” This along with the positive comments was perfect for use with lessons on made by the pupils: “Miss Molyneux how humans affect their environment. has a song for every occasion” and Pupils listened attentively, waiting for “Can we have more music through- a link to the lesson. out the lesson?” Pupils were over- I developed the idea even further heard telling prospective students and by using other types of music for their parents about the music and Statue of Freddie Mercury effect during presentations. ‘Carmina how it made the start of lessons excit- Burana’ by Carl Orff is an extremely ing. son. I began to challenge the higher- dramatic piece that I linked to a pres- In the future I hope to expand the ability pupils by making the links entation on the huge negative impact idea across the school, perhaps more tenuous. One example of this of microwave meals on the UK popu- involving the music teachers, who was ‘Under Pressure’ by Queen, lation’s diet. Jane Birkin & Serge could suggest pieces to play and link which I used to introduce a lesson Gainsbourg’s ‘Je T’Aime Moi Non science topics with their curriculum. entitled ‘Salt in the Diet’. Several Plus’ was used during a lesson on I already produce a revision CD for pupils guessed that too much salt in hormones to indicate the effect that pupils, on which I read out useful tips the diet must cause high blood pres- they have on adolescent boys and and facts for the new GCSE examina- sure. Pupils had begun to guess the girls. tions. Incorporating some of the

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Teaching activities

music that has been used during lessons might give pupils a further boost in their preparation for exams. The article deals with music, which is an important feature of today’s Is this a gimmick? Well, yes, it prob- world but is rarely incorporated into the classroom. The article makes ably is. But we live in a society full of interesting reading for teachers who are seeking new approaches to gimmicks that work. I believe that any teaching and learning, which have already been tested by others and way to get pupils to pay attention, found to be successful. The article engages all kinds of teachers, who learn and retain information is worth teach motivated and non-motivated students, in all educational set- trying. tings. References The article is clearly written and gives practical examples of songs that the author has used, together with the related syllabus topics as Beady Jr CH (2001) Whatever It Takes applied in the classroom. The article also cites other literature (in (2 Motivate 2-Daze Youth). Piney journals and online resources) to support its assertions. Another inter- Woods, MS, USA: Dr Beady esting link that I found discussed Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Brewer C (1995) Music and Learning: theory, which includes ‘musical intelligence’ in the eight intelli- Seven Ways to Use Music in the gences that encompass human potential. Classroom. Tequesta, FL, USA: The content of the article is easily transferable from the science arena LifeSounds to other areas of the school curriculum. Some of the links provided Web references also give similar resources to non-science teachers. The article could w1 - Caroline Molyneux’s website: well be the starting point of a staff development meeting in which www.missmolyneux.co.uk teachers explore the possibilities of using music in their classrooms. Music may be used at different stages of the lesson – as an introduc- Resources tion, conclusion or reinforcement, for example. Music may be linked For more information or if you would to other multimedia activities in the classroom to make learning like further examples of music that spontaneous and within reach for all students. can be used in the science class- It would be great if, as a consequence of this article, an educational room, visit our website, www. organisation took the initiative to create a website with music clips, balshawshigh.co.uk, and click together with suggested areas of the curriculum with which the music on‘Science’ then ‘Science Teacher can be used. This website could provide all the available freeware Area’. music clips in one location, where teachers around the world could Mike Fleetham’s Thinking Classroom access related educational materials. A forum or blog on the website

website has information on music would enable other teachers to relate their experiences when partic- Image courtesy of Pixelquelle/Christina Erbel and learning: ular music clips were used in their classrooms and even suggest other www.thinkingclassroom.co.uk/ music clips. General/music.aspx REVIEW Gaetano Bugeja, Malta Music in the Classroom: http://teacher.scholastic.com/ products/instructor/Jan05_music. htm Songs for Teaching: www.songsforteaching.com For an excellent article on the science in music, see: Woodhouse J, Galluzzo PM (2004) Why is the violin so hard to play? Plus Magazine 31. http://plus.maths.org/issue31/ features/woodhouse/index.html

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Travel wisely: the globe is warming!

Elisabeth Schepers from the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany, introduces a school programme linking climate change and the future of traffic technology.

he Earth’s climate is warming, in which we live. How can we we do to address these responsibil- Tmostly as a result of increasing solve this dilemma? The Deutsches ities? w1 carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the Museum addressed this question Climate and education experts from atmosphere. Today, traffic is held with students aged 10-16, in a the Deutsches Museum worked with responsible for one fifth of this increase. PENCIL project (see box) involving teachers from 15 secondary schools to Rising levels of the greenhouse gas three messages: develop activities based on current

CO2 will lead to further global warm- 1. Climate is a system and we are climate research and the future of ing and will restrict life on Earth. part of it. Individually, we make a traffic technology. The project, run in Furthermore, fossil fuels – the most minute contribution to this system, the environment gallery and the traf- important energy source for our civili- but the effects of our collective con- fic museum of the Deutsches sation – are limited. Humans will tributions can be devastating – Museum, aims to develop students’ soon have to switch to alternative such as tropical storms in Europe. basic research skills and individual energy sources – if not today, then in 2. The key is creative solutions, such opinion-building capacities, to take an the near future. But mobility is one of as alternative fuels, regenerative interdisciplinary, cross-curricular our basic needs: to live comfortably energies and different approaches approach, and to be socially inclusive. involves transporting goods, energy to mobility. What options do we The first message is addressed in a or ourselves. have? Which one is right for me? visit to the environment gallery,

To live, we need to move, but by 3. As we all produce CO2, we all which investigates the climate system moving, we destroy the environment share the responsibility. What can and the effects that a change in one

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Projects in science education

Image courtesy of pixelquelle.de/S. Hofschlaeger

sub-system has on all other sub-systems. The second message is discussed in a further visit, to the traffic museum, where students come up with questions and recommendations for stakeholders such as the munici- pality, local car manufacturers, auto- mobile clubs or transport companies. The third message forms the centre of a role-play that invites students to use the information they have collected in the first two activities and from the dedicated website to develop their own opinions about the topic and to exchange the arguments for and against specific traffic developments. Typically, special programmes at the Deutsches Museum have been visited mostly by primary schools or elite secondary schools (Gymnasien). To reach a wider range of students, we invited less-elite secondary schools to take part in the development of the climate change project. The response from these schools was very positive, and the involvement of teachers from different subjects and types of schools helped us to develop a project with a basic structure but versatile contents.

Visiting the museum In the course of a 90-minute visit to the museum, the topic of climate PENCIL change and traffic is used to introduce The Deutsches Museum project is one of the activities in the PEN- students to current scientific research and model building as well as to the CIL projectw3 (Permanent EuropeaN resource Centre for Informal political and individual options fol- w4 Learning). PENCIL, co-ordinated by Ecsite and funded by the lowing this research. w5 European Commission as part of the NUCLEUS cluster , aims to For example, in the hurricane strengthen the operational relations between schools and informal activity in the environment gallery, science education in science centres and museums. students are introduced to the effects of weather disasters such as hurri- Fourteen science centres and museums have developed pilot activ- canes in Europe. Students particularly ities in partnership with teachers and schools; material is already wanted to deal with real threats when available online. Academic and school partners are now working to learning about climate change, not identify key ways to transform informal science activities into inno- just with models or theoretical infor- vative, high-quality tools for science teaching. mation. The abstract ‘global warming’ BACKGROUND

caused by increasing CO2 levels results not only in sunnier summer

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Evaluation

How did the project develop? It involved an intense outside the classroom, working on activities and co-operation between teachers, their students and the experiments with friends and experts, and actively museum. drawing information from experts rather than passively Initially, the opinions of 133 students from different listening. Some wanted the activities to be less struc- schools and school types were surveyed. Most had no tured, allowing them to do experiments and interact basic knowledge of the context of climate change and with elements of the exhibition, or even solve a mys- traffic. They were interested in climate disasters, but tery. They did not want to fill in questionnaires. not so much in climate politics or the climate system. Teachers also appreciated the experiments and mystery They were looking for sensations rather than the polit- tasks but were not so keen on ‘free work’. They want- ical or scientific background. ed guided tours by experts and questionnaires for stu- The 16 teachers involved in the project wanted to dents to fill in, if possible in multiple-choice format. address renewable energies and changes in personal Using this feedback from students and teachers, we behaviours in an attempt to combat climate change. combined the approaches in the current programme, Once again, climate politics was not seen as impor- mixing a worksheet that involves active participation tant. by the students with a more dialogue-based format of On the basis of this evaluation, the topics were chosen. presentations and role-plays. We used a sensation (the hurricane in Europe) as an Since the revised programme was opened to all introduction and concluded with the personal chal- schools in Febuary 2007, the evaluation findings have lenge to deal with climate change. In between, we been proven many times. Teachers appreciate the mix considered the teachers’ wishes for an all-embracing of structure and free work of the students, students approach and included the climate system. To avoid enjoy working in a different setting, using oral rather leaving students with a feeling of helplessness and than writing skills and discussing with an expert. The despair, information on the Intergovernmental Panel on programme runs about once a week – and the demand Climate Change (IPCC) was included. is such that it could run more frequently but for the Regardless of age and school, students who took part limited staff resources of the Deutsches Museum edu-

BACKGROUND in the next stage of the evaluation enjoyed learning cation department.

days, but also extreme weather such Image courtesy of the Deutsches Museum research task – one of seven questions as the aforementioned hurricane. As leading to a final answer on how to an example of climate change, we avoid hurricanes in Europe. Topics therefore chose Hurricane Vince, include the model of the climate sys- which struck the Iberian peninsula in tem, constituents of the atmosphere October 2005. Currently, there are no and the contribution of traffic to the reliable precautions against tropical pollutants, a physical experiment, his- storms in Europe. The question to the torical and geographical information, students is: how can we avoid tropi- climate politics, personal options and cal storms in non-tropical regions of an overview of renewable energies. the world? To answer this question, Students are encouraged not only to students choose from a range of dif- answer the questions, but also to dis- ferent research tasks. Deutsches Museum in Munich cuss the issues and come up with fur- Working in small groups, students ther questions for the museum educa- are introduced to their research task the museum galleries. A great deal of tor. For that reason, the museum edu- by a museum educator and then use a care was put into developing the cator is a highly trained expert who worksheet to collect information from worksheet, which presents a main holds a PhD in biology.

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Projects in science education

Image courtesy of pixelquelle.de/Kurt Michel age more discussion and opinions, students are given statements from people involved in traffic and climate issues, such as the manager of a car company or the bicycle club, a Green Cityw6 representative, or a professor for traffic development. These materials will shortly be available on the website of the Deutsches Museumw2. For each of three scenarios, the role- play pack includes statements that present a number of arguments and opinions, enabling the students to exchange views that they share or to provoke debate. The pack also includes advice for the moderator of the role-play, who can be a student or a teacher. The role-play can take place after one of the museum programmes or back at school. Either way, students recall the information from the museum visit (or the website) and argue from different points of view. As a result, they develop their own opin- Next, students take their peers on a A corresponding programme is ion on climate change, personal tour of the gallery, presenting their being designed in the traffic museum, options, renewable energies and so research findings, answering further covering topics such as pollutants, forth, rather than adopting an institu- questions, referring to previous pre- renewable fuels, alternative engines tional point of view.

sentations, and using the museum’s and mobility as a basic human need. Image courtesy of the Deutsches Museum Image courtesy of the Deutsches Museum experiments and interactive exhibits Together, the programmes develop an to visualise their findings. Museum understanding of the role that traffic educators help out with missing plays in climate change and the per- information, linking the single presen- sonal options that people have to tations to the central topic and, most influence this. They also reveal the importantly, encouraging the students impact not only of climate but also of to contribute and research further. society and make students aware of Students who visit are amazed that their responsibility. teenagers can have political influence, for example as consumers, partici- Role play A Year-9 student explaining the pants of traffic or members of envi- In the next stage, role-plays are greenhouse effect to his classmates ronmental groups. They start dis- used to introduce students to scenar- cussing the pros and cons of some ios that require them to make a deci- of the topics during the group sion, for example: presentation: will there be floods in · How should I do the weekly shop- Europe? Does my contribution make ping for my family?

a difference? If we decrease CO2 · Where should I shop, and how emissions, will the temperature fall should I get there? immediately? Teachers appreciate · Should I stop driving and shop via the all-embracing approach of the the Internet instead? programme, as school curricula are The students already have some Climate change – what about renewable usually more detailed but lack an general information on these topics energies? This student introduces his overall view of a topic. from their museum visit. To encour- peers to different options

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Worksheet with detailed questions guiding through the work assignment. Hints on where to find the information save the students from too much reading. The lines for taking notes help structure the presentation

Image courtesy of the Deutsches Museum Image courtesy of the Deutsches Museum Image courtesy of the Deutsches

Worksheet for advanced students with general instructions and room for personal notes

Website w4 - The website of Ecsite, the methods best promote active learn- To help teachers follow up the European organisation representing ing? In Calcagnini S, Felfoldi Z, Van museum visits in the classroom, the science centres and museums: Den Bosch J, Xanthoudaki M (eds) website of the Deutsches Museum www.ecsite.net A Manual of Good Practice Based on provides information on climate w5 - Information about NUCLEUS is the Collaboration Between Science changew2, with a new section on cli- available on the Xplora website: Museums and Schools. Milan, Italy: mate change and traffic. The informa- www.xplora.org Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia tion is provided in both English and w6 - Green City is a non-governmen- German, and addresses seven general tal organisation working to improve Bevan B, Semper RJ (2006) Mapping climate topics. Another new section is Munich’s quality of life through Informal Science Institutions onto particularly appropriate for the proj- ecological urban planning: the Science Education Landscape. ect, covering the greenhouse effect, www.greencity.de www.exploratorium.edu/cils/ climate change, climate system, research/mapping.html Antarctica, climate history, climate Science on Stage Deutschland (2006) politics, a game, and climate and traf- Resources The importance of interdisciplinary fic, including alternative fuels and For more information on formal, education. In Teaching Science in new motor technologies and ideas non-formal and informal learning, Europe. Berlin, Germany. about future mobility. see: www.science-on-stage.de Davies P (2004) Anerkennung und Lewalter D, Geyer C (2005) Die Wertschätzung informellen und Web references Evaluation der Homepage des ZNT. formellen Lernens. In John H, w1 - The Deutsches Museum is one of In Noschka-Roos A, Hauser W, Thinesse-Demel J (eds) Lernort the biggest European science muse- Schepers E (eds) Mit neuen Medien Museum – neu verortet. Bielefeld, ums: www.deutsches-museum.de im Dialog mit den Besucher pp 32-42. Germany: Transcript Verlag für w2 - Materials on climate change are Berlin, Germany: G+H Verlag Kommunikation, Kultur und soziale available on the Deutsches Museum Praxis website: www.deutsches- Black G (2005) The Engaging Museum: museum.de/dmznt/climate/index. Developing Museums for Visitor html Involvement. New York, NY, USA: w3 - Information about PENCIL is Routledge available on the Xplora website: Weber T (2002) Learning in schools www.xplora.org and learning in museums: which

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Projects in science education

CyberMentor: e-mentoring to strengthen interest and participation of girls in STEM

Germany, like many other European countries, has difficulties attracting women into science. Diana Schimke from the University of Ulm, is working improve matters by putting schoolgirls directly in contact with women scientists.

Mentees in a lab at the Fraunhofer Institut IZM, Munich, Germany

yberMentor is a programme for CGerman high-school girls to foster interest and participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by pairing them with professional women in STEM who can inform and advise them.

Why is a programme like CyberMentor important? In Germany, few women study STEM subjects, in particular applied subjects such as electrical engineering, informatics and industrial engineer- ingw1. This is a loss not only for society, because there are fewer engineers and well-educated people in STEM, but also for the women themselves, who tend to take less secure and less well-paid positions in other fields. Two possible reasons why girls choose not to study STEM are a lack of information about STEM career opportunities and the absence of suit- Image courtesy of Diana Schimke able role models. To address both of these problems, we created the

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Image courtesy of Diana Schimke CyberMentor online community to and still be able to have a family some bring together German high-school day. Instead of studying her favourite girls and professional women in subject, she thought about choosing a STEM. typical female study course. Several mentors answered and told the girl Description of the programme that it is possible to be an engineer CyberMentor is an e-mentoring and have children at the same time. programme to foster interest and par- They told her their own stories or sto- ticipation of high-school girls in ries from women they knew. A few STEM via the Internet. It provides months later the girl posted to the suitable role models via mentoring, topic again and wrote that she has which involves a one-to-one relation- signed in for technical cybernetics ship between women who work in Each user can fill out a personal page. and wanted to thank all the mentors Mentors describe their jobs and what the field of STEM (such as for their advice. they are doing. That way, the girls get researchers, professors or engineers) impressions of STEM jobs and see the Furthermore, CyberMentor offers and high-school girls. The girls com- variety that exists personal pages for each member to municate with their mentors via introduce themselves, and a monthly email. journal, called CyberNews. CyberNews Each high-school student (mentee) es and what it is like to be a student reports on interesting STEM articles, is paired with one female mentor who in a male-dominated subject. Others quizzes and interviews with female is working in STEM. They interact via are interested in the different study students talking about their study email once a week over a period of 10 possibilities (university, college of courses in STEM. Mentees and men- months. Topics range from private higher education, corporate educators can also submit their own arti- themes like “Do you have children?” tion) and which option their mentors cles. In addition to the virtual to special scientific questions about chose. Each mentoring pair chooses exchange, the CyberMentor pro- the mentor’s work (“Can you explain their own topics and both mentoring gramme arranges two to three face-to- what a Petri net is?”w2). Some mentees partners can introduce themes they face meetings, training sessions for also ask for advice on homework or are interested in; in some cases, the mentors and workshops for mentees. presentations that they have to pre- mentee asks question after question, The meetings allow mentees and pare for school, or about study cours- in other cases the mentor offers inter- mentors to get to know each other esting themes for discussion. personally. Training sessions teach the Handbooks with advice and guide- mentors what is expected of them and lines on how to communicate are offer advice on how to interact with made available to both mentors and the mentees. Workshops for mentees mentees. Besides emailing, some men- give them an insight into STEM topics tors arrange chat sessions with their and enable the girls to work together How mentees inside the CyberMentor com- in teams to address interesting STEM munity platform or offer to show topics. The workshops range from lab can I join? them (and often other mentees as work at research institutes (e.g. well) their workplace. Fraunhofer, Max Planck Institutes) to The programme first start- Besides the one-to-one communica- computer workshops at the ed in September 2005 with tion between the members of each University of Ulm. The workshops about 100 mentoring pairs. mentoring pair, participants can post are often combined with online dis- The second, current, round questions to a discussion forum. From cussions in the CyberMentor forum started in September 2006 other mentees and mentors they get and chat room. with 240 pairs. The next advice on schoolwork, possible jobs, Participation in the CyberMentor CyberMentor season starts staying abroad, internships and other programme is free for both mentees in September 2007 and we topics the students are interested in. and mentors. This includes all the plan to invite 300 new Having so many other students and meetings and workshops. Only trans- mentoring pairs into the mentors as contact persons offers a port and accommodation has to be programme. Mentors and great possibility for information covered by the participants. For some

BACKGROUND mentees can apply now. exchange. In the first year, for exam- mentee workshops, sponsors from ple, one girl didn’t know if she was industry can be found and mentees able to study technical cybernetics do not have to pay for their transport.

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What do CyberMentor participants think about the programme?

The evaluation of the programme is students and by participating at work- Image courtesy of Diana Schimke not yet complete; first results suggest shops and in teams. This I believe is espe- however, that interest in STEM and cially important. Many approaches to get the willingness to participation in sci- girls interested in STEM careers are ence is strengthened by active partici- introduced too late. Informative meetings pation in CyberMentor. Mentors see about science for female students who are the programme as a great chance for about to graduate reach only very few girls to learn about possible jobs in students – most have already decided the fields of science, technology, engi- “STEM is not for me”, but often it would neering and mathematics. have been had they received more information at an earlier stage. CyberMentor Teamwork at a CyberMentor workshop offers the possibility to get to know sci- I like the CyberMentor project because ence early and through a positive it offers female students an uncomplicated approach. I am totally amazed by CyberMentor! possibility to get to know STEM jobs and Birgitta König-Ries, Professor of Computer You can exchange messages about all dif- study courses. It shows the mentees many Science, University of Jena ferent kinds of topics, you get to know interesting fields of work and can create new people and you can ask them any- new interests or deepen existing ones. As thing about STEM or personal themes. a mentor, I can give an insight into my I was convinced by this mentoring pro- Furthermore there are competitions and work, answer questions about studying gramme right away. It is important to projects to participate in and you get to and hopefully pass on a little enthusiasm. show girls that they do not have to choose go on trips and visit institutes you other- But mentors also benefit from the ‘typically female’ jobs, but that they can wise would not be able to visit (e.g. exchange: you get a different perspective choose different careers too. Especially in Fraunhofer IZM, Munich). You learn on things. STEM, girls often think they are not good about new and interesting topics, get to enough or if they are, they are still not Cornelia Beck, PhD student, know new people and have lots of fun! University of Ulm interested. I think CyberMentor is a great possibility to show girls that STEM sub- Tanja (Year 8) I think CyberMentor is a fantastic projects and STEM jobs can be awesome too gramme because it covers a wide variety and that there is room for them. Maybe of needs. A girl who is finishing school CyberMentor offers the possibility to this programme will help to ensure that and doesn’t know where to study can get learn new and interesting things about someday it will be normal that there are professional advice, as can a girl who STEM. I often feel that what is offered in as many women as men in leadership wants to know if a science career can be school is not enough for me. I like to get positions, in research and in industry. combined with a family. Also younger involved in different topics and to girls learn about STEM topics by Marlies Kepp, industrial engineer, exchange ideas with mentors and other exchanging with mentors or older Trumpf GmbH + Co. KG, Ditzingen students. Furthermore I think it is an interesting and exciting chance to communicate with like-minded people and to learn more through this. Angela (Year 11)

At the Fraunhofer IZM, where mentor Sabine works, the girls learned about radio-frequency identification and visited, for example, the clean room, where they could practice wafer handling

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Image courtesy of Diana Schimke Mentor and mentee get to know each other personally at a CyberMentor This project is a good meeting idea, and the article can provide a stimulus for a discussion about the problem of a declining interest in science in younger gen- erations of Europeans. Isabella Marini, Italy REVIEW

Mentees Mentors Schools Any girl in Years 6-13 (ages 12-19) at We are looking for women working The CyberMentor team are happy a German school who is interested in in STEM fields (such as teachers, to visit German schools to present the STEM can apply to be a mentee. On industrial scientists, engineers, project to students of all ages. To the online application form, specify researchers, professors and so forth), request a visit or receive an informa- which STEM topics you are most inter- within and outside Germany, to be tion pack for schools and students, ested in and we will try to find a suit- mentors. We expect mentors to offer email [email protected]. able mentor for you. Every girl who 10 minutes a week to stay in contact applies is assigned a mentor, although with their mentees. This can be more Web references late applicants may have to wait until if you are discussing interesting topics w1 - More details of the gender differ- the following academic year. or less in cases of vacation or business ence at university are available in To join the next CyberMentor sea- trips, of course. the report In the Spotlight: Women in son (starting in September 2007), You need to understand German to Germany 2006 which can be down- apply soon so that we can guarantee be able to read our newsletters for loaded here: www-ec.destatis.de you one of the 300 mentors. For more mentors but if you prefer, you can /csp/shop/sfg/bpm.html.cms. information, visit the CyberMentor communicate with your mentee in cBroker.cls?cmspath=struktur, websitew3. English. For more information, visit vollanzeige.csp&ID=1018406 the CyberMentor websitew3. For a European comparison of women in industrial research, see the EU report Women in Industrial Research – speeding up changes in Europe which can be downloaded here: http://ec.europa.eu/ Who runs CyberMentor? research/science-society/women/ CyberMentor is a non-profit programme organised by the University of wir/ index_en.html Ulm, Germany. The administrators are the psychologists Dr Heidrun w2 - What is a Petri net? See http:// Stoeger and Professor Albert Ziegler. Diana Schimke is a computer scien- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petri_net tist and works full-time for the programme. She is supported by Iris w3 - The CyberMentor website Woersdoerfer, a research assistant who is studying computer science. The www.cybermentor.de programme is financed by the German Ministerium für Ernährung und Ländlichen Raum (Ministry for Nutrition and Rural Areas) and the University of Ulm. If you would like to know more about the programme or get advice about setting up a similar project in your own country, please contact Diana w3

BACKGROUND Schimke ([email protected]) or visit the CyberMentor website .

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Projects in science education

Inspirational lessons in the science class

Naheed Alizadeh from Imperial College, London, UK, explains how and why the INSPIRE project is trying to make inspirational science lessons, clubs, and master classes regular features of the state school timetable in the UK.

NSPIRE (INnovative Scheme Image courtesy of Naheed Alizadeh Ifor Post-docs In Research and Education) arose in response to the well-known concern that fewer students are studying science in schools and universities. This decline has, in turn, led to fewer qualified science teachers, with pupils often being taught by staff who have limited formal qualifications in the subject or who graduated in their subjects many years ago. Thus, an increasing number of science teachers lack the necessary scientific experience and confidence to communicate science and current developments in science. Imperial Collegew1 and its partners, GlaxoSmithKlinew2 and the Specialist Schools and Academies Trustw3, are working together to reverse this trend. INSPIRE, launched by UK Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2002, employs post-doctoral research assistants (‘post-docs’, those who have already completed a PhD) from a sci- university and research to help the primary level and how it pro- ence, engineering or medical-related schools run science-based activities gresses into secondary schools. Some discipline on two-year contracts. They such as master classes, science clubs, children from local primary schools spend 50% of their time in partner university-level training for A-level take part in master classes or science schools teaching the science curricu- students (ages 16-18), careers advice, clubs run by INSPIRE post-docs at the lum and working towards a qualified science conferences, and student visits secondary school. teacher status. The remainder of each to university research laboratories. “We studied crime scene investigation, post-doc’s time is spent doing Although the post-docs are placed which included using ink samples with research at Imperial College in their long-term in secondary schools, they chromatography paper. The next week, we chosen field. are also sent for one-week placements researched magnets, magnetic breakfast In addition, post-docs use their sci- in primary schools. This helps them cereals, attracting and repelling and a entific expertise and experience of to find out how science is taught at magnetic challenge in which we had to

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Image courtesy of Naheed Alizadeh expertise express great appreciation of what INSPIRE has brought to the classroom. “[In] a biology master-class in molecular biology [we gained] an insight into a university-style event, [...] enjoyed the experience and had the chance to use [modern] lab technology and equipment in a classroom.” Year 12 biology student (age 17)

Schools who have experienced the scheme are keen to have more post- docs and to continue their commit- ment to INSPIRE. The post-doctoral move a chocolate bar from one end of a The INSPIRE scheme is distinctively researcher teachers not only chal- piece of wood to the other. .... I enjoyed different from many other schemes lenged the orthodoxy of how some the science club.” designed to increase participation aspects of science are taught and Student in Year 5 (age 10/11) in science in state schools. It places offered a fresh approach, but also emphasis on practising post-doctoral added a dimension of authority with The post-docs are able to take uni- scientists (rather than first-degree their extra scientific expertise. Post- versity-style teaching into the class- graduates) teaching science at schools docs bring a depth of current scientif- room not only by referring to their for significant periods of time. ic knowledge that less-experienced research experience but also by taking Furthermore, the scheme aims to scientists lack, and when this is com- equipment not normally seen in make inspirational science lessons, bined with a willingness to share this school. David, an INSPIRE post-doc clubs, and master classes regular knowledge with students and teach- and expert in laser technology, features of the schools’ timetable. ers, it can enrich the scientific culture impressed his school students with Prolonged contact enables the stu- of the whole school. a session on ‘How to Make a Call dents to see the post-docs as positive Teachers find that the INSPIRE Across the Atlantic’, exhibiting state- role models, embodying advanced post-docs bring a wealth of informa- of-the-art fibre optic equipment from academic scientific success. tion on cutting-edge research, allow- Imperial College. Jenny, another ing the teachers to update their INSPIRE post-doc and a specialist in Who benefits from the scheme? knowledge in that area of science and pig nutrition, wowed her students School students who have experi- giving them confidence to teach it with the dissection of a stillborn enced the post-docs’ enthusiasm and better. Many teachers ask the post- piglet. The INSPIRE scheme thus allows David and Jenny to bring aspects of their everyday research – an unknown world to most school students – into the classroom. These benefits do not end when the How to get involved post-doc leaves, however, as Imperial College continues to support the How to apply to be an INSPIRE post-doc INSPIRE schools after the end of their Vacancies for new INSPIRE post-docs are advertised, for example, on scheme. School students are invited to www.jobs.ac.uk experience undergraduate life at the How to get an INSPIRE post-doc in your school College, visiting the electron micro- scope facilities or the laser lab, and Schools that are interested in hosting an INSPIRE post-doc can contact finding out what it is like to study Naheed Alizadeh, the Director of the INSPIRE project molecular biology or astronomy. The ([email protected]). With the help of the Specialist Schools schools can also have demonstration and Academies Trust, Imperial College selects those schools most like- lectures from other post-doctoral sci- ly to benefit from the scheme. BACKGROUND entists.

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Projects in science education

docs to leave their presentations The future of INSPIRE behind for further use in the class- The INSPIRE scheme has completed room. its first four years, and already, the For the post-docs, the INSPIRE signs are very positive: Help is scheme is attractive because it allows · Ten post-docs from the first, second at hand them to attain a teaching qualification and third cohorts completed their without dropping their research – and PGCE over these four years. Five If you would like advice to do this while earning more than a of them have changed careers and about setting up a similar trainee teacher. One post-doc chosen school teaching. scheme in your own coun- explains: · Every time two post-doc positions try, Naheed Alizadeh, the “INSPIRE allows post-docs to span are advertised for the new cohort, Director of the INSPIRE two disciplines: science and education. 200 applications are submitted. project, would be happy to The scheme has been positively The unique fusion enables a post-doc to · help. E-mail: s.alizadeh@ judged by Roehampton University, experience teaching without having to imperial.ac.uk commit immediately to a career change. the independent evaluation body. BACKGROUND For a post-doc to move out of science is a · INSPIRE has been reported posi- massive decision, [so] this scheme is a tively in the press, including articles perfect vehicle to enable post-docs to in Nature (Peplow, 2004) and the Imperial College is actively seeking achieve this transition or to return to sci- Financial Times (Kelly, 2005). new sponsors to enable many more ence with a much broader understanding Finding funding to continue the schools, their pupils and post-docs of how to teach science within a universi- scheme, however, is not as straight- across the country to benefit from this ty setting.” forward as recruiting enthusiastic exciting scheme. scientists and schools. Although Whether the post-docs decide to GlaxoSmithKline provided a large References stay in research or to move into school initial sum of money and the Training Peplow M (2004) Doing it for the kids. teaching at the end of the two years, and Development Agency for Nature 430: 286-287 w4 most of them say they enjoy the Schools , responsible for funding Kelly J (2005) The Stewards School: opportunity to investigate an alterna- teacher training in the UK, has been Inspiration in the classroom. tive career, motivate and work with very supportive, the main govern- Financial Times, 26 Feb young people, bring science to life and ment departments responsible for have a huge – and ongoing – impact research and education have tended on science lessons at school. David to say that it was other department’s Web references describes some further benefits: responsibility. The pilot scheme w1 – Imperial College website: “I picked up management skills, how received welcome initial funding from www.imperial.ac.uk to organise people and motivate them. the Department for Education and w2 - GlaxoSmithKline website: w5 It also helped me to build up confidence Skills but this was not enough for www.gsk.com INSPIRE to be extended to other in public speaking and belief in my w3 - The Specialist Schools and universities. own abilities. Teaching helped me to Academies Trust website: Nonetheless, Imperial College is refresh my knowledge and broaden it, www.specialistschools.org.uk which can feed back into my work in keen to replicate this successful w4 - The Training and Development the lab.” scheme on a national scale: it is launching a new national initiative Agency for Schools website: The overall responses of the post- based on similar principles but in a www.tda.gov.uk docs’ research supervisors have also more time- and cost-effective mode. w5 - The Department for Education been very positive – they get a free The new scheme, to be launched in and Skills website: part-time post-doc as well as money September 2007, offers post-doctoral www.dfes.gov.uk for the research consumables – even researchers and PhD graduates at the though some initially had their end of their research a seven-month Resources doubts about adapting research proj- teacher training course (PGCE – nor- For more information on INSPIRE ects to fit the INSPIRE post-doc’s mally one year) attached to two visit: www.imperial.ac.uk/inspire timetable. It all comes down to careful months of INSPIRE activities in planning of work and choice of proj- schools, including master classes, ect to ensure success. science clubs, and university visits.

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Science Learning Centres: training for teachers

Image courtesy of the Science Learning Centres

Anna Gawthorp describes the creation of whole, the English students who were surveyed believe that science is the ambitious Science Learning Centres important in their lives and for their future careers, and that everyone network to help UK teachers, technicians should study it. They do not find science excessively difficult, and many and classroom assistants to make UK find it interesting, but students do not see themselves becoming scientists – science education world-class. and they do not enjoy science as much as other subjects. Why was the network created? the opportunity to study science after The cause of this is not simple, as England’s national data tells a con- leaving school. there seem to be several factors affect- trasting story about pupils’ achieve- A recent international comparative ing students’ perception of science. In ments in science. Attainment in pri- studyw1 based at the University of England, many teachers feel that the mary and secondary schools has risen Oslo asked school students about curriculum and assessment are now steadily over the past 10 years yet their views on science education (see so demanding that they have little paradoxically, fewer pupils are taking Sjøberg & Schreiner, 2006). On the time to develop interesting practical

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Projects in science education

Image courtesy of the Science Learning Centres Image courtesy of the Science Learning Centres

work or to keep up with develop- groups of professionals. Thus, courses ence subjects and related subjects ments in their subject. Furthermore, are available not only to secondary- such as psychology and citizenship there is a shortage of subject-specific school science teachers and further issues, to career development courses. science teachers, so that, up to the age education lecturers, but also to pri- A few examples to illustrate the diver- of 16, students often have teachers mary-school teachers and teaching sity include ‘Inspiring Learning qualified in a science subject that is assistants, as well as those who work Through ICT’, ‘Inspiring Post-16 not the one they are teaching. These outside schools, such as science co- Chemistry’, ‘Skills for New teachers may not have the skills or ordinators in local education authori- Technicians’ and ‘Support for knowledge to awaken and sustain ties. Laboratory Refurbishment’. In addi- interest in the subject. The topics of the courses are just as tion to courses, the Centres run lec- varied, ranging from traditional sci- tures, networking sessions, exhibi- How does the network of Science Learning Centres address these issues? The national network of Science Learning Centres has been created to address these issues, offering continuing professional development to The Science Learning Centres inspire science teachers and provide network them with the skills and resources to enthuse their pupils. By working with The Science Learning Centres network is a unique £51 million joint industry leaders, research scientists initiative by the UK’s Department for Education and Skillsw2 and the and scientific organisations, the Wellcome Trustw3, the UK’s largest medical research charity, and is Science Learning Centres offer practi- made up of nine regional Science Learning Centres and a national cal scientific knowledge and experi- Centre which is based at the University of York. Each of the Centres is ence. This is matched with education- run by a regional partnership, awarded the contract following a com- al expertise, ensuring that teachers petitive bid process, involving at least one university partner with addi- and technicians gain professional tional involvement from industrial and research establishments. development that is creative, intellec- The regional Science Learning Centres will be funded by the tually stimulating and relevant in Department for Education and Skills until 2008 and aim to become terms of both contemporary science self-sustaining in that time. The National Science Learning Centre will and the classroom environment. be funded by the Wellcome Trust until 2013, by which time it too There are courses tailored to all

BACKGROUND should be self-sustaining. groups involved in science education, recognising the contribution of many

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Image courtesy of the Science Learning Centres

The National Science Learning Centre was launched by Tony Blair, the UK Prime Minister

tions, conferences and many other last one or two days, whereas courses Image courtesy of the Science Learning Centres events. All events are listed on the at the national Centre may consist of Science Learning Centres websitew4. two residential periods of up to three To ensure the courses best meet the or four days each. The focus of the needs of their attendees, they are regional centres is local, with courses developed and delivered by a wide run throughout the region, including variety of experts. Thus on the some tailored to individual schools. ‘Controversial and Contemporary By contrast, the National Science Science’ course, sessions are given Learning Centre offers residential by classroom teachers, educational courses, providing access to state-of- researchers and academics, as well as the-art facilities for teachers from world leaders in controversial science across England, Scotland, Wales and topics such as climate change and Northern Ireland. To enable the teachers – and their genomics. On a course to help schools Although the courses are normally students – to continue to benefit from link effectively to industry, there are paid for from the school’s training the training after the course has fin- trainers with various industrial back- budget, there are often bursaries and ished, almost all courses have a range grounds, as well as a curriculum discount schemes available to help of associated resources. Many are pro- expert. pay for all or part of a course. Some vided free of charge to attendees and Courses run throughout the year, include a contribution towards the are usually available online to dele- but mostly during term time. In gen- cost of a replacement teacher at gates after the course. To further eral, courses at the regional Centres school for the duration of the course. widen their impact, the Science

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Learning Centres are currently devel- www.scienceinschool.org/2006/ oping an online resource bank that issue1/rose/ w4 will be launched soon . This library This interesting and will include everything from helpful Web references appealing article describes tips, games, worksheets, slides and w1 - For further information about a possible answer to a cri- classroom activities created by fellow ROSE, an international comparative sis that is common to all of teachers, to relevant government doc- study that investigates the diversity Europe. The continuation uments or research papers, or links to of interests, experiences, priorities, of teachers’ skills improve- the best science education websites. hopes and attitudes that children in ment and professional In their first year of operation, the different countries bring to school education is an issue rarely Science Learning Centres delivered or have developed at school, see considered by govern- over 10,000 days of training. www.ils.uio.no/english/rose ments and decision-mak- Although an independent evaluation w2 - The UK government’s ers, but extremely impor- to investigate the impact in schools is Department for Education and tant and decisive for pro- ongoing, initial feedback from teach- Skills (DfES): www.dfes.gov.uk viding teachers with the ers has been very positive: “This has w3 - The Wellcome Trust is the UK’s ability to communicate renewed my enthusiasm for the job largest medical research charity their knowledge and to that I do” (science technician); “This funding research into human and stimulate pupils. course has far exceeded any expecta- animal health: www.wellcome.ac.uk The UK experience can tions I had – it may have saved my provide a solution, allow- career” (head of science). w4 - More information about the Science Learning Centres is avail- ing teachers to continue References able here: their professional education and re-lighting their Sjøberg S, Schreiner C (2006) How do www.sciencelearningcentres.org.uk fire of motivation. Science students perceive science and tech- Learning Centres represent nology? Science in School 1: 66-69. a good example for decision-makers in other Euro- pean countries to follow.

REVIEW Marco Nicolini, Italy

Image courtesy of the Science Learning Centres Image courtesy of the Science Learning Centres

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Fusion in the Universe: where your jewellery comes from

Does alchemy sound too good to be true? Paola Rebusco, Henri Boffin and Douglas Pierce-Price, from ESO in Garching, Germany, describe how creating gold – and other heavy metals – is possible, though sadly not in the laboratory.

ow are heavy elements formed? and diagram on page 53). Nature HThe last episode of the ‘Fusion cherishes stable configurations and in the Universe’ saga (Boffin & Pierce- therefore the fusion process described Price, 2007) ended with the produc- in our last article, which brings us tion of iron, but the nucleosynthesis from hydrogen up to heavier, more adventure – in which atomic nuclei stable nuclei, will not continue are created – does not stop there. Let beyond iron-56. So, where do heavier us refresh our memory. In the first elements such as lead, silver, gold few minutes after the Big Bang, the and uranium come from? There is no temperature of the newborn Universe magic: the Universe provides other cooled down (to a few billion fascinating ways to produce all the degrees!) to form hydrogen and heavy elements. In the high tempera- helium. Stars spend most of their ture and pressure of a star, fusion is neutrons (the s- and r-processes) and life burning hydrogen into helium. as spontaneous as rolling down a one with the capture of protons (the Only when temperature and pressure hill (a process that releases energy). p-process). become high enough do they start to However, these new mechanisms fuse helium atoms, forming new ele- are more laborious, like climbing a Neutron capture ments. Lighter elements are the bricks hill (a process that needs energy). One route to create elements heav- that successively fuse together to pro- Furthermore the next stages of ier than iron-56 starts when extra neu- duce heavier elements, up to iron-56. nucleosynthesis are quite hectic, as trons collide and fuse with an existing Iron-56 has the most stable nucleus they involve captures and explosions. nucleus. In this way we get neutron- because it has the maximum nuclear Three types of capture are involved, richer, heavier nuclei, but with the binding energy (see box on page 54 two dealing with the capture of same number of protons, or the same

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Image courtesy of Mafalda Martins, ESO Binding energy plot: the graph shows the nuclear binding energy per nucleon (i.e. per proton or neutron), expressed in MeV (1MeV=1.6x10-13J). For increasing atomic number the binding energy increases (downwards in this plot), until it reaches its maximum for iron-56. The nucleosynthesis from hydrogen to iron-56 is ener- getically favourable and occurs through consecutive fusion reactions. If you want to climb the rest of the periodic table, then new mechanisms, such as the s- process, r-process and p-process, are needed. Note that one can go in the opposite direction (from heavy to light nuclei) through nuclear fission

Image courtesy of Mafalda Martins, ESO Examples of the s-process (top) and r- process (bottom). Each position on the grid represents a different possible nucleus, with the number of neutrons varying horizontally, and number of protons varying vertically. Thus, each horizontal row represents isotopes of a single element. In the paths shown, a step to the right corresponds to a neutron being acquired by the nucleus. A diagonal step up and to the left corresponds to a beta- decay in which a neutron turns into a proton, releasing an electron and an anti- neutrino.

Image courtesy of Mafalda Martins, ESO Notice that the horizontal track in the s- process is shorter than in the r-process (in the s-process fewer neutrons are captured); as a consequence the movement in the vertical direction is also shorter (there are fewer neutrons that can be converted into protons)

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atomic number. These nuclei are just whether the initial neutron capture is Where in the Universe can we find heavier isotopes of the original ele- slow or rapid relative to the beta the right conditions for the s-process ment, so we have not yet achieved decay. The two cases, referred to to occur? It turns out that it can occur our aim of creating a heavier, different respectively as the s-process and r- during the late stages of the life of element. process, produce different elements Sun-like stars. We already know (see, However, the process has not yet and occur in different circumstances for example, Boffin & Pierce-Price finished. These new isotopes may be in the Universe. 2007) that if the initial mass of a star stable or unstable, depending on their is comparable to that of the Sun, then number of protons and neutrons. If Slow neutron capture: at the end of the star’s life, it runs out the neutron capture produces an the s-process of fuel and cools to become a white unstable isotope, then it can undergo Each neutron capture in the s-process dwarf. Before it cools down, free neu- a spontaneous radioactive decay. One converts a nucleus to an isotope of the trons are produced (mainly from the such decay is ‘beta decay’, in which same element with one more neutron. decay of carbon and neon): they are an electron and an anti-neutrino are Eventually, these single increases in plentiful enough to produce heavy emitted, so that one of the nucleus’ neutron number lead to an unstable elements via slow neutron capture. neutrons is converted into a proton. isotope. Because the neutron capture is In this way, elements such as barium, The net result of this conversion is a relatively slow in the s-process, the copper, osmium, strontium and tech- nucleus with one more proton and unstable nucleus beta-decays before netium are produced. one fewer neutrons. Since the number any more neutrons can be captured. of protons has changed, this has In other words, as soon as the first Rapid neutron capture: indeed produced a new, different ele- unstable configuration is reached, a the r-process ment. beta decay turns the nucleus into one If, instead, the neutrons are pro- In this process of neutron capture with one more proton and one fewer duced at a very high rate, then the followed by beta decay, it is important neutrons, see diagram on page 53. unstable nuclei that are formed have

The mystery of the vanished mass

The nuclear binding energy is the amount of energy u and mn = 1.00866 u, respectively. The measured

needed to break a nucleus apart into protons and neu- mass of a nucleus of helium-4 is mHe = 4.00150 u,

trons. It is also the energy that two particles release while the sum of the mass of its components is 2mP +

when they merge. Let’s imagine you have a proton 2mn = 4.03188. The difference gives the mass 4.03188 and a neutron and that they have the same mass (a u – 4.00150 u = 0.03038 u, which corresponds to a very good approximation). Push them together until total binding energy of approximately 28.3 MeV (the they merge and they will form a deuterium nucleus. binding energy per nucleon is 28.3/(2 + 2) = 7.07 What is its mass? If the proton has mass 1 and the neu- MeV). tron has mass 1, you would expect 2, wouldn’t you? If you repeat the same steps for iron-56 (which con- Not so: the mass of a deuterium nucleus is lower than sists of 26 protons and 30 neutrons), the total binding the sum of the two – some mass has vanished! The energy is much greater: about 492.2 MeV, or 8.79 2 solution lies in the famous Einstein equation, E = mc . MeV per nucleon. This extreme stability places iron- When two particles merge, they release the nuclear 56 at the lowest point of the curve in the binding ener- binding energy EB, but since energy and mass are gy plot, and fusion to heavier elements would be an equivalent, this means that the correspondent mass, ‘uphill’ process, requiring the input of energy. This is 2 mB= EB/c , is lost. why, although helium-4 nuclei can be readily fused Let’s consider first helium-4 and then iron-56. In into heavier elements, more extreme processes atomic mass units (u = 1.66 x 10-27 kg = 931.5 MeV/c2) (described in this article) are required to obtain ele-

BACKGROUND the mass of a proton and a neutron are mP = 1.00728 ments heavier than iron-56.

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enough time to swallow many neu- The onion-like structure in the final stage of a massive star: the outermost envelope is trons that subsequently decay in cas- composed of hydrogen and helium, and progressively heavier nuclei (up to iron) are cade into protons (see diagram): this layered, due to successive fusion reactions is how the elements with the highest atomic number are synthesised in nature. Let us discover where the r-process Hydrogen Burning takes place in the Universe. As was Helium Burning also discussed in the previous article, Oxygen Burning when the mass of a star is greater Carbon Burning than about eight solar masses, the Silicon Burning temperature and pressure at its centre Iron Core become high enough to trigger the fusion of carbon and oxygen and, ultimately, to form a core of iron. In this final stage, a star’s interior is very like an onion (see right): the outermost envelope is composed of hydrogen and helium, with the inner layers consisting of progressively heavier nuclei, due to successive fusion reactions.

Iron is too stable to start to burn, Image courtesy of Mafalda Martins, ESO hence it accumulates and the iron core continues to increase. There is, sion (see below). This phenomenon is capture many neutrons before it beta- however, a mass limit (called the called a supernova explosion, specifi- decays. Gold, europium, lanthanum, Chandrasekhar limit) above which cally a Type II supernova polonium, thorium and uranium are the iron core can no longer grow, as (SN II). some of the elements produced its gravity becomes too high for it to It is in the collapsing iron core of through the r-process. support itself. At this point a cata- SN II that the r-process occurs. strophic collapse (with the outer lay- During collapse, electrons and pro- Proton capture ers of the core reaching velocities up tons merge to produce neutrons and Another process by which heavier to 250 million km/h) shrinks the core, neutrinos. The flux (the number per nuclei are produced is via proton cap- until the infalling matter bounces unit time and unit area) of neutrons is ture (p-process). However, a large back and all the energy is transferred so high (of the order of 1022 neutrons nucleus containing many protons has to the outer layers, in a titanic explo- per cm2/s) that a nucleus has time to a high positive charge, which repels Image courtesy of Mafalda Martins, ESO Implosion Supernova Explosion Remnant

The different phases for Type II supernovae: core contraction, explosion, and supernova remnant

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Margaret Burbidge and the B2HF team

The mechanisms behind the production of the heavier her popular books on astronomy: “I saw my fascination elements (the s- and r-processes) were first pointed out with the stars, born at age 4”, she writes in her witty in a long theoretical paper published in 1957: autobiography (Burbidge, 1994), “linked with my other ‘Synthesis of the elements in stars’ (Burbidge et al., delight, large numbers.” Her life has been full of scien- 1957). This revolutionary and still up-to-date paper is tific discoveries and political fights; it was not always 2 signed B HF – not a strange chemical compound but easy to be a female scientist but she never gave up. “If the initials of the surnames of the scientists who wrote you meet with a blockage, find a way around it,” she it: Margaret Burbidge, Geoffrey Burbidge, William suggests. The rest of the group is no less notable: Fred Fowler and Fred Hoyle. Hoyle and Margaret’s husband, Geoffrey Burbidge, are The British astronomer Margaret Burbidge was born in most famous for their iconoclastic theories opposing 1919 and is still active in research, as professor emeri- the Big Bang theory, while William Fowler shared the tus of physics at the University of California, San Diego, 1983 Nobel Prize in Physics for his theoretical and USA. When she was a teenager, her grandfather gave experimental studies on nucleosynthesis. BACKGROUND

additional approaching protons. This Conclusion References repulsion (the Coulomb barrier) is We have seen how, although Boffin H, Pierce-Price D (2007) Fusion very high, and ensures that proton nuclear fusion in stars produces ele- in the Universe: we are all stardust. capture is a much rarer event than ments only up to iron-56, heavier ele- Science in School 4: 61-63. neutron capture. To be absorbed by ments are produced by a variety of www.scienceinschool.org/2007/ the nucleus, a free proton must be processes. These nucleosynthesis issue4/fusion/ very energetic, so this process only processes, involving the capture of takes place at very high temperatures. neutrons or protons, and radioactive Burbidge EM, Burbidge GR, Fowler So where can we find high enough decays, happen in exotic situations in WA, Hoyle F (1957) Synthesis of the temperatures for proton capture? the Universe. Slow neutron capture elements in stars. Reviews of Modern Again, we look to the stars. Although can occur late in the lives of Sun-like Physics 29: 547-650 our own Solar System has only one stars, before they end their days as star – the Sun – a large number of white dwarfs. Proton capture is a Burbidge EM (1994) Watcher of the stars are actually in systems with at result of a white dwarf or neutron skies. Annual Review of Astronomy least two stars. When two stars are star cannibalising gas from an unfor- and Astrophysics 32: 1-36 orbiting each other, they form a tunate companion star. And rapid ‘binary system’. If the stars are close neutron capture takes place during Resources enough, it is possible for one star with the catastrophic stellar collapse which To discover when and where the a strong gravitational pull to ‘steal’ occurs just before the dramatic explo- latest supernovae have detonated, gas from its companion star. This can sion of a Type II supernova. By chang- see the Supernovae website, where happen, for example, when a massive, ing one element into another, these scientists and amateurs hunt and compact white dwarf or neutron star fascinating natural processes achieve register new supernova explosions: pulls hydrogen-rich gas down onto its what mediaeval alchemists could not www.supernovae.net surface from its partner. This material – the transformation of base metals provides a flow of free protons, hot into (among other elements) gold. and energetic enough to overcome the Nevertheless, we cannot blame the Coulomb barrier and fuse with other alchemists. Their laboratories may nuclei. Lanthanum, ruthenium and have been well equipped, but they samarium are typical elements pro- lacked a key piece of apparatus: a duced in the p-process. supernova explosion.

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Damn lies

Do you have more than the average number of ears? Is your salary lower than average? When will the next bus arrive? Ben Parker attempts to convince us of the value of statistics – when used correctly.

hether it was Mark Twain or the average number of ears. Why? WBenjamin Disraeli who first Let’s assume that there are six billion coined the idea that there are three people in this crowded world of ours, types of falsehood – “Lies, damned more than 99% of whom have two lies, and statistics” – the sentiment ears. There are a few exceptional peo- still persists. Statisticians are manipu- ple who, due to injury or birth, may lative, deceitful types, set to pollute have one or even no ears. There are, More than the average our minds with meaningless and to my knowledge, no three-eared peo- number of ears? mendacious information that will ple (Captain Kirk is unfortunately fic- make us vote for their favourite polit- tional, but he did have three ears: a ical party, use their demonstrably left ear, a right ear, and a final front effective skin cream, or buy the pet ear). When we take an average (add food that their cats prefer. For me, up the total number of ears that as a statistician, it’s now time to humanity possesses, and divide by debunk a few myths. the number of people), we get the Exactly 96.4% of our mod- sum ern world revolves around statistics, and Slightly less than 12 billion although Image courtesy of Lisa Kyle Young/iStockphoto Image courtesy of Lisa Kyle there are 6 billion some shock- ingly bad which is slightly less than two. This statistics out means that, as most people in the there, I hope world have two ears, they have very to convince slightly more than the average, so you that the most times I would win my bet. fault lies generally in their What does this mean? presentation. Now, of course, this is obviously just a statistician being pedantic. Ear we go However, slightly less silly examples I could make a confi- abound. Statistics on how one group dent bet that you, gentle of people earn less than a certain per- reader, have more than centage of the national average

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Distribution of household weekly income 2004/2005: Number of individuals (millions), Great Britain. Source: Households Below Average Income (HBAI) 1994/95-2004/05, Department for Work and Pensions

income are used as political footballs. one that is often used in practice. If crucial question is how did they do It is all too common to read commen- we were to put all the people in the the survey? taries in newspapers about how UK in a line according to their It seems to me that asking 134 cus- shocking it is that people earn only a income, the median salary would be tomers whether they like the product percentage of the national income, that which the person standing in the is dubious – if the people are already and it’s all the fault of the Labour middle of the line would have. The customers, and have bought the prod- government, previous Conservative median, about £349 per week in this uct voluntarily, perhaps it’s not the administration, European Union or example, in practice often gives a fairest sample in the world. Why sunspots. better idea about what is typical. would anyone buy the product who The distribution of incomes, accord- At least we have reached some doesn’t like it? In most sensible scien- ing to the UK Department for Work common sense – so can we expect tific trials, one would hope to com- and Pensions (see figure above), is everyone to understand this fairly pare the performance of the cream such that there are relatively few peo- basic problem in conveying ideas

ple who earn large sums of money with averages? After all, surely the Image courtesy of Al Wekelo/iStockphoto (unfortunately statisticians do not fall role of a good journalist is to take into this high-income group). This ideas and present the truth in a way means that the average income, which the public can understand? the Department has calculated to be Unfortunately, factual accuracy and £427 per week for a couple with no correctly interpreting data sometimes children (DWP, 2006), is much more don’t sell newspapers, or make the than what the majority of people correct political point. earn, in parallel with the above explanation of average ear count. A few Ironing out the wrinkles extraordinary people, whether they Worse than journalists, but not have fewer than two ears or earn quite as bad as politicians, are large amounts of money, skew the advertisers. A recent television average from the situation for the advert for a cosmetics company majority of people. claims that their latest wrinkle-remov- Now of course, people soon realised ing cream satisfies 8 out of 10 cus- that this commonly used average, cal- tomers, based on a survey of 134 peo- culated by adding everything up and ple. We can perhaps excuse the small dividing by the number of things you sample size – and even the rounding added up, more properly referred to (134 x 8/10 = 107.2), which means as the mean, was likely to be misinter- they must have found 0.2 of a cus- preted. So the concept of the median is tomer to try out the cream – but the Only 0.2 of this customer was satisfied

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Image courtesy of Ben Parker

Longer gap – more likely to arrive here but longer expected wait till next bus

Shorter gap – less You are more likely to arrive at the bus stop during a longer likely to arrive here gap, when the wait for the next bus is longer than expected

objectively against a brand X cream, that there are five buses an hour. How gap is more than 12 minutes (there or a placebo, to see whether people long would you expect to wait for a are still 5 buses an hour) – so the chosen at random have had a positive bus? average time to wait, given that our effect with the cream. Sensible logic tells us that if there exact arrival time is equally likely to There’s no problem with advertis- are 5 buses an hour, then the average be somewhere in the big gap, is more ing per se; philosophers argue that (sorry, mean) time between buses is than 6 minutes. advertising is the most vital thing for 12 minutes. So, assuming you arrive This is known as the inspection par- a strong democracy. It’s fine for at the bus stop at a random time adox, and it’s tricky to get your head advertisers to let people know about within this period, you’d expect to around it. However, it’s a real phe- their product and promote its bene- wait 6 minutes for a bus. Good logic, nomenon that is used by traffic plan- fits. However, what’s not acceptable is but unfortunately, in general, wrong. ners and operational researchers, who putting a thin veneer of science We know that buses don’t run to are responsible for working out the around the marketing; although cun- the minute. They may leave the depot most efficient method of arranging ningly worded, without explaining on time, but chance factors will alter queues in post offices, and then ignor- the method, the statistic ‘8 out of 10’ their progress in different ways, so we ing it totally. is meaningless. It’s just as bad as say- have to assume that the incoming pat- Are the bus companies wrong to ing “Our car has a top speed of 500 tern at our bus stop varies somewhat. advertise, then, that they have a bus miles an hour” without adding that What exact distribution we choose approximately every 12 minutes? I this speed is only obtainable when might vary – we may, for example, think so, although it’s difficult to measuring how fast the car drops out assume that times between arrivals of convey all the gory details of the of an aeroplane: it’s true, but it’s mis- buses follow an exponential distribu- inspection paradox; perhaps in this leading. Using this kind of fake sur- tion – but the important fact is that case we can excuse a little statistical vey in advertising is paramount to the buses do not come at regular laxity. lying. times. So let us now assume that we arrive at the bus stop at some random Conclusions Three come along at once point in time – how long is our In general, statistics is fairly intu- Maybe it’s unfair to blame the con- expected wait for a bus now? itive and cases that are difficult to veyors instead of the statistics them- When we turn up at the bus stop, conceptualise are rare. In general, a selves. There are some real, difficult, we are more likely to pick a period questioning reader must: non-intuitive facts that statistics when there is a big gap between · Find out who is presenting the data, throws up, the truth of which can be buses – a big gap occupies more time and what they are trying to achieve. very hard to work out. Let’s say than a small gap, so we’re more likely · If possible, find out the sample you’re waiting for a bus, and you to get a big one when picking at ran- methodology – whether the data look at the schedule, which, assuming dom. But given that we’ve picked a comes from a suitably representa- it hasn’t been vandalised, tells you big gap, we know that the length of tive sample of the population being

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Image courtesy of Monika Wisniewska/iStockphoto

measured, and whether any testing References is applied in a fair manner. Are fair DWP (2006) Households Below Average comparisons used, and is the right Income (HBAI) 1994/95-2004/05. The article presents a question being asked? London, UK: Department for Work humorous view of how · Question any averages or percent- and Pensions statistics are misused in ages and think about how extreme everyday life. It would be the statistics really are, and what comprehensible for teach- you would expect. In particular, Ben Parker is studying for a PhD at ers, students and general don’t assume that mean values are Queen Mary, University of London, readers all over the world. typical of the data. and investigating the statistics of data In school, it could be used Statistics is a powerful and useful networks. He has an undergraduate as an introduction to statis- tool in the right hands, and we need mathematics degree from the tics and probability, to to give people the ability to under- University of Cambridge, and a encourage pupils to think stand it. We also need to ensure that master’s degree in statistics from about how statistics and some basic education in statistics, par- Birkbeck, University of London. In his probabilities are used and ticularly in relation to interpreting spare time Ben likes to act in pan- misused. advertising, is something that every tomimes and drink tea. I particularly like the hilar- pupil receives at school. At the very ious headings and humour least, until journalists, the marketing in the article – sometimes industry, and the people who regulate obvious, sometimes less them learn some statistics and, more so. importantly, how to present them, the

REVIEW Marco Nicolini, Italy world won’t be buying the best skin cream and pet food for their cats, all of whom have an above average number of ears.

This article first appeared in Plus, a free online magazine opening a window on the world of mathematics: http://plus.maths.org. ‘Damn lies’ was a runner-up in the general public category of the Plus new writers award in 2006.

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Taking the stress out of engineering

Darren Hughes from the Institut Laue-Langevin in Grenoble, France takes a look at stress. How can it be manipulated to make safer rails for trains or more efficient wind turbines – and what can we learn from neutron- and X-ray analysis?

Image courtesy of Darren Hughes Stress cracks in nature: the natural growth pattern of a tree causes residual stresses in the wood of the trunk. When the trunk is felled and the wood begins to dry, these stresses can overcome the strength of the wood and lead to significant cracks

e all know the feeling: a hard Wday, overloaded with work, and you feel stressed. Well, did you know that metals used in the con- struction of aircraft, buildings, cars and trains get stressed as well? In fact almost everything around us is subject to constant stresses, starting from the day they are made. In many situations, it is not too important if the stress causes something to fail because the damaged part can easily be replaced. However these stresses Stress in metal components is pres- applied stress on the rail. The total become extremely important in ent right from the time of manufac- stress on the component is therefore safety-critical components, for exam- ture and arises during their forma- the sum of the applied and residual ple in an aircraft engine or on a rail- tion. Stress in engineered components stresses. way track. The engineers that design is often described in two ways, as Of course, stress can either be posi- and manufacture these components either residual or applied. The stress tive or negative depending upon the are now working with scientists in that remains locked in a component nature of the force. If a region of a Grenoble, France, to understand after manufacturing is called the component is stretched, then the how these stresses are caused and residual stress. When the component stress is generally positive, or tensile; to improve the component lifetime is used, it is subjected to applied on the other hand, if it is squeezed and reliability. stress, for example a train exerts an then the stress is negative, or com-

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What is stress? When a force is applied to an object, the object is said to be experiencing stress. Stress is effectively a meas- Public domain image; image source: Wikimedia Commons ure of an object’s response to a force. We define stress mathematically as the force applied, divided by the area over which it applies. The SI unit of stress is therefore Newtons per metre squared (Nm-2). It is sometimes easy to confuse stress and pressure as the units of pressure are also Nm-2. The important difference is that pressure is the external force on the object whereas stress is

Stress plays a major role in modern aircraft. Components are carefully designed to BACKGROUND an internal force. have beneficial stress which extends lifetime and reliability

pressive. After manufacturing, the improve the lifetime and wear resist- ponent so that they can locate both residual stresses in a component ance of critical components. the compressive and tensile stresses, change each time the component is Sound simple? One problem is that measure their magnitude and then used, because of the applied stresses. the whole component has to obey the further improve the manufacturing The degree of change depends on the laws of physics, so that total stress is techniques. It is generally quite easy type of wear, the length of use, and balanced when it is at rest – this is to calculate the applied stresses (e.g. the forces applied. Eventually, mechan- Newton’s first law of motion. Thus, if from the way the weight of a train is ical wear combines with the stresses you have a region of beneficial com- distributed in the rails) but much and causes the component to fail. pression, there will be a balancing more difficult to determine the resid- Are all stresses bad or can some be region of harmful tension elsewhere. ual stresses. beneficial? Yes, although a tensile Engineers therefore need to measure Understanding residual stress is stress is generally considered bad, a the residual stresses in a metal com- increasingly important as structures compressive stress is usually considered beneficial. Imagine a small crack that has formed in a surface (see below). If the stress around the crack COMPRESSION is tensile, the crack is pulled apart by helps crack closure the stress and becomes deeper. On the other hand, if the stress is compressive, then the crack is pushed back together and grows no further. TENSION Modern engineers have devised pro- causes crack opening duction methods which allow them to and growth put a compressive residual stress into Image courtesy of Darren Hughes regions of new components where small cracks might develop and thus The effect of stress on a crack

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are required to be stronger, more economical and less environmentally damaging. In the transport sector, the use of lighter materials can reduce Using neutrons and X-rays fuel costs dramatically, but it is essential that the component life is not to study stress shortened. In France, engineers are working Neutrons and X-rays are used to probe the crystal lattice of atoms in a with scientists, using the world- metal to gain information on the stress state of the component. A beam leading neutron and X-ray science of neutrons or X-rays with a fixed wavelength (λ) is fired at the metal facilities in Grenoble to measure and reflects off at a certain angle. There is a relationship between the residual stress in components. spacing of the crystal lattice (d) and the angle at which the beam is Neutron and X-ray beams are fired reflected (θ). This relationship is called the Bragg law. at a metal component and the resulting diffraction pattern (right) provides a map of the residual stress in Bragg law the component. One of the benefits of λ λ= 2 d sin θ this non-destructive method is that neutrons and X-rays can penetrate long distances into metals, so residual stress can be studied without cutting θθ d the component into smaller pieces. The choice between neutrons or X- rays depends on the type of metal, the component size and the spatial reso- lution required. One particularly important area of Image courtesy of Darren Hughes study is the significant residual stress- lattice of atoms es induced when materials are joined, of metal for example by welding. The welding process causes thermal mismatch, Imagine that you apply a stress – either tension or compression – to driving residual stress formation the lattice of the metal. When the lattice is stretched, the spacing of which in turn affects the strength and the lattice changes. For example, in the case below, dtens is now larg- fatigue life of the weld (see below). er and dcomp is smaller. If we look at the Bragg law again, assuming that the wavelength has not changed, then the angle θ must change. By using a detector to measure the angle at which the beam is reflected, we can work out if the metal is in tension or compression and to what magnitude.

dcomp dtens Image courtesy of Darren Hughes Image courtesy of Darren Hughes

Residual stresses in a steel fusion weld TENSION COMPRESSION measured using neutrons. The peak ten- BACKGROUND sile stress is located at the weld centre

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rail have a greater risk of surface cracks propagating. Understanding how the residual stresses in a rail change with wear allows engineers not only to develop better rail materials but also to improve maintenance procedures and minimise failures. Failures arising from stress are not always life-threatening but can nonetheless be a serious problem in many industries. For example, with the growing interest in alternative energy sources, the performance of wind-turbine electricity generators is becoming increasingly important. The sheer scale of wind turbines combined with the near-constant running in often remote locations – sometimes

Image courtesy of Rob Welham; image source: Wikimedia Commons Wikimedia image source: Welham; Image courtesy of Rob offshore – poses some difficult engineering questions. In particular, the The Hatfield rail crash central bearing of the drive axis (see

-5 right) is a key component; with the bearing in contact with the shaft on 0 one side and the rollers on the other, 5 it is exposed to both internal and sur- Image courtesy of Darren Hughes 10 face stresses. Conventional surface treatments to create compressive 15 residual stresses on the surface (to 20 minimise surface cracks) have led to unexpected failures, probably due to 25 balancing tensile stresses in other 30 locations. An ongoing project aims to 35 fully characterise the residual stresses in a complete bearing of 60 cm diame- 40 ter and 120 kg weight using neutron 45 diffraction. When complete, the proj- -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 ect should allow us to modify how the bearing is manufactured and lead to longer service life. -300 -200 -100 0 100 200 300 Together, engineers and scientists

Stress (MPa) are working to better understand stress and component failure and ulti- Residual stresses in a worn rail head measured using X-ray diffraction mately to manufacture long-lasting and safe components. Look on the Another important area of investi- linked to the interaction between bright side, not all stress is bad! gation is stress in railway rails. The small surface cracks and the residual Hatfield train crash in the UK in stress in the rail. The image above Resources October 2000 is an example of the shows the stress field in the head of a An introduction to the techniques extreme consequences that metal fail- worn rail, measured using X-rays: red described here can be found in: ure can have. Four people died and zones are tension and blue are com- more than 100 were injured when a pression. The stress pattern is compli- Withers PJ, Webster PJ (2001) broken rail derailed a high-speed cated, but regions where the tensile Neutron and synchrotron X-ray train. This type of failure in rails is stress approaches the surface of the strain scanning. Strain 37: 19-33

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Image courtesy of Neutronic; source of image: Wikipedia Image courtesy of Darren Hughes

Electricity generating wind turbine...... and the 120kg central roller bearing being measured using neutron diffraction

Information about neutron facilities at the Institut Laue-Langevin in Grenoble, France: www.ill.fr This article is suitable mainly for pre-university physics students, in Information about X-ray facilities at particular for the topics of diffraction and properties of matter and the European Synchrotron materials. It could also be useful for pre-university chemistry stu- Radiation Facility in Grenoble: dents in the context of crystallography. For a more interdisciplinary www.esrf.fr approach, it could be used to link physics and chemistry with tech- Both the Institut Laue-Langevin and nology and engineering. the European Synchrotron The box on neutrons and X-rays could form the basis of a compre- Radiation Facility are members of hension test. Teachers could ask their students to explain the Bragg EIROforum, a collaboration of law and how a change in tension or in compression affects the dif- seven European inter-governmental research organisations, and the pub- fracted output. lishers of Science in School. See: Potential discussion topics include the difference between science www.eiroforum.org and applied science, wave properties (including particle beams as waves), and who bears responsibility for transport accidents. The article also includes some pictures that could be used in lessons. Eric Deeson, UK REVIEW

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Plastics, naturally

We sit on them, wear them and cook with them: plastics are everywhere. Yet this very versatility and abundance makes it all the more difficult to produce and dispose of plastics in environmentally friendly ways. David Bradley explains how researchers at the University of Manchester, UK, are among those working on a solution.

biotechnology with cereal chemistry incineration, but that produces to develop a novel and highly effi- pollutants. cient way of converting cereal grains They can be recycled, but that into biodegradable bioplastics. They brings its own problems of cleaning, are also extending processing tech- sorting, and finding applications for niques for removing grain bran – so- lower-grade materials. Unfortunately, called ‘pearling’ – that will work as a landfill is currently the safest and general tool for extracting useful com- least expensive method of disposal. pounds from a wide range of cereals But, with 40% of plastics produced Professor

Image courtesy of The University of Manchester University The Image courtesy of Colin Webb and allow them to be used as precur- being dumped in landfills, they are sors for new materials. quickly filling up. “Environmental These might include short-chain issues, the growing demand for he cheap plastic toy in your sugars for other fermentations, arabi- energy, political concerns and the Tmorning cereal box is a well- noxylans for medical applications, medium-term depletion of petroleum worn breakfast cliché. However, the the antioxidant ferulic acid (a precur- has created the need for development disposal of millions of tonnes of sor to aromatic compounds such as of sustainable technologies based on scrapped plastics each year is a grow- vanillin), as well as functional foods. renewable raw materials,” says Colin. ing problem requiring more serious Along with his colleagues, he hopes discussion than a chat over the corn- Avoiding landfill to address this concern through the flakes. Work by team leader Colin Plastics have revolutionised modern development of an alternative feed- Webb and his colleagues Ruohang life, giving us everything from nylon stock for the plastics industry based Wang and Apostolis Koutinas, in the stockings to PVC teething rings and on renewable cereal crops, rather Satake Centre for Grain Process hypoallergenic synthetic rubber con- than our limited supplies of crude Engineering at the University of doms. Plastics are petrochemical oil. “Selection of the appropriate Manchester, will yield a fantastic products, however, and with annual raw material to supply sustainable plastic solution that not only promises production at half a billion tonnes we processes is dependent on infrastruc- to solve the problem of disposal but rely on fossilised hydrocarbons for tural, economical and technological also opens up a new sustainable their manufacture. Moreover, the factors such as availability, skilled future across manufacturing. throwaway nature of many plastics workforce, pre-treatment technology With the support of the Engineering means that they are a serious environ- and costs, and transportation,” and Physical Sciences Research mental problem because petrochemi- explains Apostolis. “Cereals belong to Council (EPSRC)w1, the researchers are cal products do not degrade naturally. those few renewable raw materials combining process engineering and Waste plastics can be disposed of by that currently meet most of these

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At the moment biodegradable polymers such as PHB (polyhydroxy- butyrate – whose structure is shown here) are expensive to produce and not suitable for many applications. EPSRC researchers hope to find an inexpensive route to versatile ‘green’ plastics

prerequisites.” Cereal grains are nutri- mentation of a feedstock derived from tious enough to sustain a host of a cereal or other crop. This approach microorganisms, such as the fungus requires extraction and purification Aspergillus awamori, and this can be steps. The second method involves exploited by developing a generic engineering a crop to ‘grow’ the plas- method for refining grain into a feed- tic within the plant itself, which then stock using microbial fermentation requires harvesting and purification. Image courtesy of David Bradley that can then be converted chemically Finally, cereals could be made to pro- or through further fermentation into duce various precursors, again layers of the seeds and then biofuels, chemicals and bioplastics through fermentation, which could milling into flour produces a starting (plastics derived from plant sources, then be processed into bioplastics. If material packed with nutrients and rather than petroleum). natural microorganisms cannot pro- enzymes that the appropriate micro- The idea has many advantages, not duce the desired bioplastic, then they organisms can feed on to produce least of which are that crops are a too could be genetically engineered bioplastics. “This biorefining strategy renewable resource and using them is for the job. provides a complete feedstock for essentially carbon neutral. subsequent microbial fermentations Additionally, the products of cereal Clever microbes for the production of bioplastics and chemistry, including bioplastics, will Plastic-producing microbes use sim- other chemicals,” says Colin. be biodegradable, ultimately rotting ple sugars, such as glucose, as their It will not be possible to develop to nothing more than water and car- carbon source and organic nitrogen processing methods to produce bio- bon dioxide in the soil: a sharp con- compounds, such as amino acids and plastics for all applications, but trast to the 10 000-year lifespan of short peptides, for their nitrogen. All researchers are hoping to cover most polythene and PVC products. There these nutrients are present in cereal bases. “Microbial bioplastics will find are also many socioeconomic advan- grains. Moreover, the grain also con- many applications as disposable plas- tages to developing cereals as an tains the vitamins and minerals essen- tics, such as food packaging, that can- industry feedstock, including a tial to microbial growth. Some grains not be recycled. It is also possible to reduced reliance on dwindling crude- have great potential for producing blend bioplastics with other materials oil supplies and benefits to farmers functional chemical sources. Wheat, to make bioplastics resistant to from the increased cultivation of for example, shreds the opposition biodegradation. Additionally, recy- cereal grains. because it contains useful agglutinin cling could be developed as a generic Currently, there are three ways to and lipids, arabinoxylan, phytic acid methodology for the reproduction of make bioplastics. The first involves and vitamins, and short-chain sugars. longer-lasting items,” adds Colin. intracellular production by the fer- ‘Pearling’ grain to strip off the outer Conventional grain processing for the

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By using a technique known as ‘pearling’ grain the researchers aim to strip off the outer layers of the seeds that can then be ground into flour – producing a starting material packed with nutrients and enzymes that the appropriate microorganisms can feed on to produce bioplastics

arabinoxylans could be used in medical applications so that none of the cereal grain by-products are wasted.” Colin adds: “The current industry producing plastics will have to gradu- ally switch from using petrochemical processing into renewable biomass- based feedstocks. The imminent depletion of petroleum resources will force this change,” he says, “making cereals the most important candidates as the raw materials for bioplastic production.” According to Colin, the success of this endeavour will depend on collaborations with industrial or other academic partners who can pro- Researchers at the University of Manchester believe that, with the use of plastic-producing microbes, fields of wheat could replace fossilised hydrocarbons as the source vide expertise in market needs, indus- for many plastics trial scale processing, chemistry, cultivation of cereal grains and life-cycle analysis. Colin comments: “The way manufacture of corn syrup and other of whole cereal grains in order to that this project has been approached food and animal feed products pro- create viable biorefineries for the targets the improvement of economics duces a lot of waste and waste water, production of bioplastics as well as for the production of bioplastics via is expensive, and does not fully utilise other value-added products. Their microbial fermentation, which is one the rich chemistry of these natural approach investigates new market of the most important impediments in products – including invaluable applications. this process.” If they are successful, nutrients and enzymes. In their new “Gluten, for instance, could be used then the plastic toy in your cereal box process, the Manchester team has as a bioplastic with many potential may one day be as sustainable as the attempted to exploit the full potential applications,” says Apostolis, “while cereal itself.

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Plastic manufacturing is not generally included in sci- Where: NGa = Natural genesis amount (mass/time) ence lessons, but this article explores one of those RCr = Recycling rate (dimensionless, 0 to 1) fringe-science fields that is relevant to the central problems of human societies’ development. RUr = Re-use rate (dimensionless, 0 to 1) These days, sustainability of natural resources and HUa = Human use amount (mass/time) human-powered global warming are the main limit- Da = Degradation amount (mass/time) ing factors for any model of social development. While some groups argue for the convenience of 2. Students can work out simple carbon-cycle nuclear power or develop alternative sources of ener- models introducing the effects of bioplastics or gy, Bradley demonstrates that advances in efficient biofuels. management of renewable resources could have a 3. The article mentions the influence of bioplastics positive effect. on the relationship between agricultural and The article is about efficiency, sustainability, reduc- industrial structures. Teachers can connect the tion of our carbon footprint, natural resources and concepts of biodiversity and social diversity with social structure. In addition, it shows how scientific their influence on ecosystems’ and societies’ sta- specialisation (so often criticised) makes possible bility or survival. advances in very small areas of knowledge that can 4. Bioplastics (and biofuels) need agriculture and be useful in a very wide sense. soil. Teachers can explore the importance of soil Within the classroom, the article has an interdiscipli- conservation, erosion or contamination. nary application. Environmental science and environ- 5. Students can evaluate the rate or amount of plastic mental education teachers, at secondary school or disposal in their classroom and the group’s carbon early college levels, can use it to illustrate and work footprint. Then, students can estimate the effect on with several basic concepts such as sustainability, their carbon footprint of shifting from convention- carbon cycle processes and human influence, social al plastic to bioplastic. structure changes or the importance of agriculture 6. Teachers can help their students to draw parallel and soil conservation. flow diagrams for the processes involved in the production and disposal of several products: bio- Some possible activities related to the article are: plastic or petroplastic bottles, wood or metal tables, diesel or biofuels. 1. Students can work out a simple sustainability index for different resources (conventional plastics, 7. Teachers can also use several indirect questions to bioplastics, agricultural soil, nitrate-based fertilis- work out how bioplastics can influence our lives. ers, wood and forestry, oil, biofuels, and so forth) The following are just some examples: How can and use it to discuss its environmental conse- bioplastics help to save Antarctic glaciers? How quences. can bioplastics help to avoid sea-level changes? How can bioplastics save birds that live in your NGa x (1 + RCr + RUr) town rubbish dump? S = HUa + Da Juan de Dios Centeno Carrillo, Spain REVIEW

This article was first published in Issue versities and other organisations 37 of Newsline, a quarterly magazine throughout the UK: highlighting the best research supported www.epsrc.ac.uk by the EPSRC: www.epsrc.ac.uk

Web references w1 - The EPSRC funds research and David Bradley is a professional post-graduate training in engineer- science writer. www.sciencebase.com ing and the physical sciences at uni-

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Developing a teaching resource on peer review

Ellen Raphael from the charity Sense About Science explains why peer review is so important in science, and describes how an existing guide is being adapted to meet the needs of science teachers.

Image courtesy of Sense about Science hanges in the English national Cscience curriculum will allow more time than ever before for explor- ing the inner workings of the scientific method (see Burden, 2007). How scientific ideas are presented, evaluated and disseminated is now a core requirement for key stage 4 students (ages 14-16). At Sense About Science, a charity to promote good science and evidence in public debates, we welcome this emphasis. Students need to discover early in their education what science is, if they are to handle data and evidence maturely and with dis- crimination, and gain their first insights into mastering a subject rather than being mastered by it. This is important not just for understanding the scientific method but also for helping students to negotiate the world outside school. We need students to understand that the scien- because they appear to make sense. copies disseminated worldwide. The tific knowledge we now regard as At the moment, there are few guide aims to help people understand established fact – such as the Earth resources available for teachers to the journey that scientific ideas revolving around the Sun – is actually work out how scientific information is undertake before they tentatively join the result of many years of academic evaluated and added to the ongoing the body of scientific knowledge and argument and gathering of evidence. body of knowledge. other researchers can begin to repeat In this way, students can be encour- In 2005, Sense About Science pub- them. The guide also highlights the aged to consider new research critical- lished I don’t know what to believe..., a difference between published and ly, to consider its evidence base, and short guide to peer revieww1. It has unpublished research, helping people not simply to believe new theories been hugely popular with over 60,000 to determine whether the research

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Science and society

Image courtesy of Sense about Science perspectives on the guide from the beginning, to find out what information they found useful and what they regarded as superfluous. It also con- firmed our belief that very few stu- How to get dents know what peer review is, how involved it relates to science, and how it can help them to evaluate new scientific Sense About Science is ideas and research claims. The first recruiting science teachers time that most students learn about to trial the resource. We the system is when they study a sci- want to ensure that it hits the ence subject at university, which mark in the same way as I means that those who do not continue don’t know what to with science will probably never believe... has. If you would know the role that peer review plays like to be involved, we will in the advancement of science. email you the resource with questions to raise with your Following the guide’s release, we students. Although the received many requests for its use in resource is based on the the classroom. These requests came English national curriculum, from primary- and secondary-school teachers across Europe are teachers, and others involved in sci- invited to get involved in the ence education. We have always been trial – peer review is, after claims they read in newspapers or on keen to develop a resource specifical- all, an international process! the Internet come from scientific jour- ly for schools on peer review and the The resource will be freely nals or from scientists who have cho- acceptance of new scientific ideas. It available online when fin- sen not to subject their work to the was decided, therefore, that rather ished. If you are interested in critical scrutiny of their peers. than providing schools only with I being part of the review The guide was developed through don’t know what to believe..., we would team, or in finding out more, workshops with a range of groups, begin to build a full education contact Ellen Raphael: including secondary-school teachers resource, with a web resource centre, eraphael@senseaboutscience and their students. It was very helpful where teachers and students alike BACKGROUND .org to hear the teachers’ and students’ could access further information

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about peer review, scientific knowl- resource will include the nuts and genetically modified foods, to look edge and evidence. The resource is bolts of the peer-review process and at how scientific evidence is interpret- now under development with a ‘day in the life’ stories from journal ed by different stakeholders. Finally, planned completion date in summer editors and scientists. There will be there will be practical exercises where 2007. case studies students will be asked to critically In addition to the web resource, of media controversies over scientific evaluate one another’s work. The we will also produce free printed research, such as the measles-mum resource, like the short guide, will materials for teachers. The printed ps-rubella (MMR) vaccine and not shy away from difficult questions, such as how to deal with fraudulent results or maverick scientists who head straight to the media with their results. Confronting difficult questions will, we hope, lead to stimulat- What is peer review? ing classroom discussions. There have been many arguments · Science has a system for assessing the quality of research before it is lately that the new science curriculum published. This system is called peer review. dumbs down science and can be more · Peer review means that other scientific experts in the field (the appropriately termed the ‘sociology authors’ peers) check research papers for validity, significance and of science’. There are also concerns originality – and for clarity. that the curriculum does not require consideration of how science is regu- Editors of scientific journals draw on a large pool of suitable experts · lated both internally and externally. to scrutinise papers before deciding whether to publish them. We hope that our resource will go · Many of the research claims you read in newspapers and magazines, some way towards illuminating the find on the Internet, or hear on television and the radio are not pub- regulation of science by scientists lished in a peer-reviewed journal. through peer review. However, it is · Some of this research may turn out to be good but much of it is worth highlighting what the new cur- flawed or incomplete. Many reported findings, such as claims about riculum does well. For the first time ‘wonder cures’ and ‘new dangers’, never amount to anything. students are being encouraged to con- Peer review ensures that a research paper has been checked by other sider what scientific evidence is, qualified scientists for mistakes and omissions, as well as to clarify where scientific ideas come from, and what the findings show. It also means that the results are available to the impact that they might have on the wider scientific community, so that others in the field can try to society. The curriculum allows us to replicate the findings, or use them, in conjunction with other work or look deeper into what makes science results, to reach further conclusions. science. Although we must fight to retain Scientific research that has not been subjected to this form of review is the practical aspects of science educa- of no help to anyone. Scientists cannot repeat or use it and society can- tion and the teaching of a broad scien- not base decisions about public safety – or individual health, for tific knowledge base, discussion example – on work that has a high chance of being flawed. The need about the applications of science and to clarify the status of scientific evidence is growing. In the UK, the the ethical and societal implications government increasingly uses public consultations, inquiries and should not be seen as detrimental or commissions to gather evidence for regulatory purposes and everyone as the ‘easy’ option. Providing future involved needs to be clear about the measures of scientific scientists and consumers with a true plausibility. understanding of the scientific So, no matter how exciting or compelling new scientific or medical method, its theory and practice, and research is, you must always ask, “Is it peer-reviewed? If not, why not?” how ideas and evidence are generat- If it is peer-reviewed, you can look for more information on what other ed, should produce individuals who scientists say about it, the size and approach of the study, and whether are well able to hold their own and it is part of a body of evidence pointing towards the same conclusions. stand up for science, particularly in Edited extract from I don’t know what to believe...w1 controversial areas where it is not BACKGROUND easy to see the path ahead.

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Science and society

Case study: mobile phones

One of the first claims that mobile-phone emissions safety. Between 1998 and 2003, he was cited in 119 are unsafe was made by Roger Coghill, a self- printed news publications in the UK, most of which employed researcher who had previously argued that made no reference to the lack of peer review of his mobile phones cause headaches and memory loss. In research or to the fact that other, peer-reviewed 1998, Coghill said that the waves produced by mobile research did not corroborate his hypothesis. phones could damage the activity of lymphocytes in More recent large-scale peer-reviewed studies have the body’s immune system. Coghill published these also found no evidence that mobile phones cause claims himself and released them to the media, rather harm, and Coghill’s hypothesis still remains unsubstan- than submitting them for peer review. Many other stud- tiated. Claims like Coghill’s, which have not been scru- ies failed to show damage to the body’s immune sys- tinised by scientific experts through the system of peer tem as a result of mobile-phone usage. Despite the review, cannot be validated, and therefore, no matter lack of corroboration, Coghill’s claims were widely how widely they are reported, such claims remain, reported, and fuelled discussion about mobile-phone BACKGROUND essentially, just an opinion.

References Burden J (2007) Twenty First Century Science: developing a new science Even if the topic is not as exciting as the most recent discoveries in curriculum. Science in School 5: 74-77. cutting-edge research, this article is relevant for secondary-school www.scienceinschool.org/2007/ teachers and students in science education. In fact, the focus on issue5/c21science peer review, in addition to the usual sequence of ‘observation, hypothesis, experiment, theory’, is necessary for a correct epistemo- Web references logical approach to what makes science science. w1 - I don’t know what to believe... For these reasons, Ellen Raphael’s clear and concise article is suit- is freely available from the Sense able for teachers interested in updating their knowledge and for stu- About Science website: dents motivated to deepen their study of the scientific method. www.senseaboutscience.org.uk. Moreover, the invitation from Sense About Science to test the didac- Hard copies can also can also be tical materials (printed guide and related website) is also a good requested from this page. There is opportunity for teachers interested in the societal impact and per- a small charge for sending print ception of science. The full article could be used for classroom copies outside the UK, to cover activities or read by students interested in the topic. postal costs. Giulia Realdon, Italy REVIEW Resources For other useful education materials about peer review, see: Gift N, Krasny M (2003) The great

fossil fiasco: teaching about peer Image courtesy of Sense about Science review. The American Biology Teacher 65: 270-278. DOI: 10.1662/0002-7685(2003)065 [0270:TGFFTA]2.0.CO;2

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Twenty First Century Science: developing a new science curriculum In September 2006, after a pilot phase, a new national curriculum for science was introduced for students aged 14-16 in England and Wales. Jenifer Burden explains how the new curriculum seeks to address both the scientific needs of all citizens, and the additional needs of future scientists. NB: Ideas about science provides a comprehensive coverage of how science works

was determined by the per- Group and the Nuffield Curriculum ceived needs of students who Centre developed the pilot curricu- would progress to further aca- lum and supporting teaching demic study. In the new resources, which were trialled in more scheme, most students also than 75 schools from September 2003. follow an additional science Following a review of the pilot, QCA course, discussed further developed a new national curriculum below. for England and Wales based on the Both the well-documented Twenty First Century Science model. It decline in student uptake of science is important to note, however, that following compulsory education, and not all students follow Twenty First the negative trend in students’ atti- Century Science – this is one of several tude to the science curriculumw1, con- interpretations of the national curricu- Students in England and Wales fol- tributed to a drive to revise the lum which teachers may select. low a compulsory national curricu- national curriculum. The influential lum to the age of 16. This curriculum report, Beyond 2000 (Millar & How did Beyond 2000 influence includes the study of science, incorpo- Osborne, 1998), led to the develop- the new curriculum? rating key ideas from biology, chem- ment of a pilot model for a new A key recommendation from Beyond istry, and physics. From September approach to the curriculum. Known 2000 is that compulsory science edu- 2006, the science curriculum for stu- as Twenty First Century Science, this cation should focus on scientific liter- dents aged 14-16 has changed signifi- model was commissioned by the acy. This is science education which cantly. All students now follow a core Qualifications and Curriculum can be justified as relevant for any course, regardless of their future pro- Authority (QCA)w2, the government student, regardless of their future gression in science, with an emphasis body responsible for regulating the aspirations. This recommendation on developing scientific literacy. This school curriculum in England and prompted several questions during is in contrast to the previous national Wales. A small team based at the the early development of Twenty First curriculum for this age group, which University of York Science Education Century Science, such as:

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Spotlight on education

Science explanations

· Chemicals · Chemical change · Materials and their properties · The interdependence · Understands the essential points of reading a newspaper article about the of living things media reports on science-based findings of an epidemiological study · The chemical cycles of issues, and reflects critically on the as it is to the scientist who designed life information in, or crucially omitted the study. Both will also need an from, such reports; understanding of the limitations of Cells as the basic units · Takes part confidently in discus- data to judge its reliability. A new sci- of living things · sions with others about issues entific claim may involve controversy, · Maintenance of life involving science. so all of us need some understanding · The gene theory of At the heart of Twenty First Century of how scientists develop explana- inheritance Science is a core course followed by all tions, and the ability to identify evi- · The theory of evolution students, known as GCSE Science, dence and construct argument, by natural selection which develops knowledge and skills together with a working knowledge relevant to the above aims. of the scientific community and peer- The germ theory of · review system. Both a citizen making disease What makes up GCSE Science? a personal decision, and a scientist · Energy sources and use Clearly it is impossible to engage putting forward recommendations for · Radiation with science at all without under- social policy will draw on an understanding some science content. The standing of risk and the frameworks · Radioactivity GCSE Science course therefore within which decisions based on sci- · The Earth includes key ‘science explanations’ – ence and technology are made. · The Solar System the major stories of scientific knowl-

BACKGROUND · The Universe edge (see left box). A course to develop scientific literacy should emphasise these big explanations, rather than a lot of disconnected detail, · What does ‘scientific literacy’ mean? which is unnecessary at this level and · What might constitute a school sci- indeed may discourage many stu- Ideas about ence course for scientific literacy? dents from pursuing further scientific · How can we, at the same time, edu- study. science cate our future scientists? The second, equally important, ele- We might describe a scientifically ment of scientific literacy is an under- · Data and its limitations literate person as someone who: standing of the nature of science and · Correlation and cause Appreciates what science has to tell its social context, referred to in the · Developing us about ourselves, the Earth and GCSE Science course as ‘ideas about · explanations Universe; science’ (see right box). These are the · Recognises the impact of science ideas necessary to engage with sci- · The scientific and technology on everyday life; ence in everyday life, but they are community · Takes informed personal decisions also key ideas needed by any future · Risk about things that involve science, scientist. For example, an understand- · Making decisions about such as health, air quality and use ing of the distinction between correla- BACKGROUND science and technology of energy resources; tion and cause is as useful to a citizen

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aims of each course. In Twenty First Century Science the most innovative development of assessment is found Teacher feedback in the GCSE Science course. Designing tools to assess students’ “The philosophy is sound, and works in practice. The support materi- scientific literacy is a challenge, and als are excellent, and assessment varied and stimulating, definitely not work is ongoing. Nonetheless, signifi- a set of arbitrary hoops to be jumped through. [...] No student has cant progress was made during the asked me since we started why they need to do science, or to know pilot. Further information regarding something we’ve covered. Our GCSE grades have improved, and we assessment can be found on the proj- have detected no problems with transition to science A-levels (ages 16- ect websitew3. 18(. Twenty First Century Science has been the best thing to happen to my science teaching since I started in 1989. We’ve embraced the How effective is the new change, and haven’t regretted it for a moment.” curriculum? “The parents tell us that their kids are coming home and talking enthu- Such a major change in the siastically about what they’ve been doing in science.” curriculum requires significant in- vestment, not least by teachers who “The courses give young people the opportunity to think for themselves must implement new courses in

BACKGROUND and attain informed views and opinions.” their schools. Strong motivation is required to undertake such a change. As the new national curriculum Clearly, practising scientists will courses have been developed, was introduced into schools across engage with ideas about science more allowing students to select those England and Wales only in September deeply than the scientifically literate which best meet their particular 2006, it is much too early to assess the layperson, but at the level of GCSE needs. large-scale effects. Nonetheless, feed- Science, students gain an understand- GCSE Additional Science is back from the teachers involved in the ing of these ideas that will be relevant designed for students who wish to Twenty First Century Science pilot to them regardless of their future follow a more academic route in sci- study since 2003 has been very posi- ambitions. ence. Students explore a number of tive (see box). An independent evalu- GCSE Science is taught through a science explanations in more detail, ation of the pilot has been conducted, series of modules which provide encountering more abstract concepts and further information will be added engaging contexts for students. and scientific models than in GCSE to the project website as it becomes Although the contexts are useful, it Science. Some students may choose to available. is above all the ideas about science devote an even greater proportion of and science explanations – key con- their time to sciences, and study for References cepts of science and how it works – separate qualifications in GCSE Millar R, Osborne J (1998) Beyond that the GCSE Science course aims to Biology, GCSE Chemistry, and/or 2000: Science Education for the Future. instil in students. This understanding GCSE Physics. London, UK: King’s College is essential for all citizens, not only Alternatively, in GCSE Additional The report can be downloaded from those who go on to be scientists. Applied Science, students extend the King’s College London website: their understanding of particular sci- www.kcl.ac.uk What about future scientists? ence explanations, but in work-related The great majority of students contexts, which emphasise the role of Web references following the Twenty First Century technical practitioners in fields such w1 - For information about the ROSE Science curriculum also study one or as health care, agriculture, and com- study of students’ attitudes to sci- more additional courses, to satisfy munications. their innate curiosity about the mate- ence, see: rial world, and in some cases because Course assessment Sjøberg S, Schreiner C (2006) How they are interested in a science-based Clearly a revised curriculum cannot do students perceive science and career. Since the key skills of scientific make any real impact on practice technology? Science in School 1: 66- literacy are developed in GCSE unless an appropriate assessment 69. www.scienceinschool.org/2006/ Science, a variety of additional system is devised, consistent with the issue1/rose

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Spotlight on education Image courtesy of Twenty First Century Science and the ROSE study website: Students at Settle www.ils.uio.no/english/rose College, North w2 - Qualifications and Curriculum Yorkshire, studying the key science Authority (QCA): www.qca.org.uk explanation of w3 - Twenty First Century Science web- chemical change site: www.21stcenturyscience.org

Jenifer Burden is Co-director of Twenty First Century Science, based at the University of York Science Education Group. Email: [email protected]

Note from the editor We would be interested to hear about experimental new curricula elsewhere in Europe. Has a radically different curriculum been introduced in your country? How well did it work? What did the teachers and students think about it? What difficulties were faced in the introductory phase, and how were these overcome? We would be particularly interested in teachers’ views of the new curricula.

This article makes interesting reading for science pol- the decline in the student uptake of science and the icy-makers and teachers furthering their studies at negative trend in students’ attitude to the science cur- university. The article is relevant outside the UK, for riculum compel those responsible to do something. those who seek to enrich their knowledge of the cur- The dilemma of how to offer a science curriculum rent debate in foreign countries. Although its main which caters adequately for both future scientists and interest is for policy-makers, it is useful for school sci- other citizens has been debated for the last few years ence teachers who want to keep abreast of innovation in my country. In a recent meeting of the association and the justifications for change. of science teachers in Malta, it was stated that such a The article summarises the main features of the new reform in secondary-school curricula needs to be curriculum and gives justification for its introduction complemented with a similar reform in primary- in England and Wales. Some of the salient points school and post-secondary-school science. This point mentioned, such as the definition of a scientific liter- was not mentioned in Burden’s article, but she gives ate person and what might constitute an appropriate details of a rethinking of the assessment policy to syllabus for such a person, may create a discussion accompany the reform, which seems to be supported amongst science teachers about what should and by teachers in the UK. The reform seems to have the should not be taught in the science class. right ingredients to be conducted successfully. The introduction of a new science curriculum is never Gaetano Bugeja, Malta

REVIEW an easy task. However, as Jenifer Burden mentions,

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Making dark matter a little brighter

Jenny List, a young particle physicist working at DESY in Germany, leads her own research group to find out how the Universe works. She talks to Barbara Warmbein.

Image courtesy of DESY “ ’ve always wanted to understand understanding of the Universe,” she Ihow everything works – from the says. The ILC will work hand in hand extremely small to the amazingly with the Large Hadron Collider big.” As a physicist with a PhD and (LHC) that is scheduled to start run- the leader of a small group of under- ning at CERNw2 in Geneva this year. graduate and graduate students, Thousands of accelerator and particle Jenny List is well on the way to doing physicists around the world – includ- just that. Her special topic is dark ing a very active group at the German matter, “a bit of a fashionable subject laboratory – are busy designing the these days”, she smiles, but no won- new linear machine and its detectors der: scientists believe that finding and to make sure that it will reach all the Jenny List studying dark matter will confirm superlatives required in energy, data answers to many questions in physics production and precision measure- that were previously only suggested ment. by theory. After all, dark matter The German school system lets stu- makes up 22% of the Universe. Dark dents choose two main subjects for energy, a concept even less well their final two years of school. Jenny, understood than dark matter, is who was born in Hamburg, originally believed to amount to as much as wanted to study mathematics as one 74%, and all the stars and matter in of these, but wasn’t happy about the the Universe make up a mere 4%. designated teacher. So she chose Jenny is 32 years old and works at physics instead. “I have never regret- the German particle physics research ted this decision. My teacher was laboratory DESY (for Deutsches great, and physics is such a varied Elektronen-Synchrotron)w1. DESY has subject!” She went on to study it at its own 6 km particle-smasher, but Hamburg University and had a hard Jenny is a researcher for a machine of time deciding which of the many dif- the future, the planned 30 km elec- ferent fields she wanted to concen- tron-positron accelerator International trate on: cosmology? Theory? Linear Collider (ILC). “We hope that Astrophysics? In the end, she opted the ILC will not only find the particles for particle physics, where scientists that we think make up dark matter, use enormous and incredibly precise but also let us examine them closely. machines to study the elementary This is crucially important for our particles and the forces that work

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Scientist profile

The planned ILC will use these accelerating cavities to bring particles to extremely high energies and let them collide in massive underground detectors

Image courtesy of DESY

between them. Jenny worked on the Image courtesy of DESY OPALw3 experiment at CERN and finished her PhD there in 2000. As this was the same year that CERN’s big accelerator shut down and no experiments were producing data, she returned to Hamburg for a post-doc position at DESY. “This was the first time I had to work with polarisation, one of the main subjects of my study group today,” she recalls. When scientists bring two particle beams to collision, they need to know exactly what these beams look like so they can determine exactly what they recorded in the detector. One aspect of those beams is polarisation, a characteristic that shows how many of the particles spin in the same direction. The ILC will use beams of electrons and their anti- Jenny and two members of her study group check the set-up of their tools particles, positrons. These normally shoot through 15 km of accelerating mirrors on the inside. Flying through today. We’re basing our design on the cavities and radio-frequency fields the tubes, they emit a blue light – best one that exists (at the Stanford until they reach the collision point, Cherenkov radiation – which is Linear Accelerator Centerw4 in but at certain points along their track, directed to the end of the tube by the California) and trying to find ways to observation teams like Jenny’s shoot internal mirrored surface. A photo- improve it and make it more precise.” at the beams with a laser. detector measures the amount of light After two positions at different uni- This isn’t ‘Gotcha!’ for particle that comes through and the time it versities in Germany, Jenny returned physicists but an important exercise takes to get there. “This way we once again to DESY. She had success- to study the properties and behaviour know our electrons very precisely,” fully applied for a scholarship from of the particle beams. After the shoot- summarises Jenny. “The problem is: the Emmy Noether Programme co- out, the resulting particles are sent our polarimeter needs to have double ordinated by the German Research through little gas-filled tubes with the precision of anything that exists Foundation (DFG)w5. It fosters young

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A schematic layout of the International Linear Collider: a planned 31 km particle accelerator that could answer some of the world’s most fundamental questions

years, which was quite exhausting. http://opal.web.cern.ch/Opal/ But being married to a fellow scientist w4 - Stanford Linear Accelerator has a lot of advantages: we know Center: www.slac.stanford.edu each other’s workload, we can go to w5 - The German Research conferences together and we have a Foundation, DFG: www.dfg.de lot of freedom and flexibility in planning our time.” They will surely be Resources taking advantage of this flexibility More about dark matter is available Image courtesy of DESY this year: they have just had their first from Wikipedia: child. The research centre DESY in Hamburg, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Germany Web references Dark_matter To find out more about the researchers, giving them independ- w1 - DESY is the German particle International Linear Collider and its ence and managerial experience at an physics research laboratory: research goals, see: early stage of their scientific career by www.desy.de www.linearcollider.org setting up independent junior w2 - CERN is the world’s largest research groups. The scholarships run particle physics laboratory: for five years, and by recruiting them www.cern.ch back from abroad, the DFG hopes to w3 - The OPAL experiment, which Barbara Warmbein works as a com- encourage outstanding young scien- involved studying particles and municator at DESY, the German parti- tists to stay in the country to continue their interactions by collecting and cle physics research laboratory. She is their university careers. Jenny’s group analysing electron-positron collision also a member of the editorial board consists of one post-doc, one PhD and events, was one of the major parti- of Science in School. two graduate students. Together they cle physics experiments at CERN: are setting up a device to test their polarimetry tool and writing computer programmes to simulate dark- matter events in ILC detectors. Apart from running her group, What can you do if you study physics at school? Jenny’s story shows doing research and teaching at uni- that it is possible to reach exciting levels – such as working at CERN versity, Jenny also has a busy social or running your own research group while relatively young – and life. She loves to ski, sings in a choir, still have time for family and other interests. plays the piano and the guitar, and This story of career progression can only inspire potential physicists, collects anything to do with ele- perhaps girls in particular. It would make a good hand-out for stu- phants. “I just like them,” she says. dents who are considering physics as a final subject at school or as Her husband is also a physicist work- a print-out displayed on a careers notice board or science lab – per- ing at DESY. Jenny explains: “We haps along with information on other role models in the sciences.

used to commute between Geneva, REVIEW Sue Howarth, UK Hamburg, Wuppertal and Zurich for

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Teacher profile

Launching ideas Isabel Plantier teaches biology and geology to 15-year-old students in Portugal. She has been teaching for 25 years and tells Sai Pathmanathan that time really does fly when you’re having fun.

Image courtesy of Isabel Plantier ack in 1982, Isabel graduated in Bbiology and biology education. She has been teaching biology, ecology, geology and health ever since, and has never looked back. However, she didn’t plan things this way. “I always wanted to be a doctor or a researcher,” says Isabel. “But at 17, after a disappointing exam result, I found myself studying biology at university and at the end of my third year, I really needed to start earning money. In Portugal, teaching was a secure career with a fixed salary; research, by contrast, was not very well paid so I decided to train as a teacher. I know now that this was the right decision: I like teaching, and I learn something new from my students every day.” Isabel believes that a day is successful when her lessons work well and she sees a glint of pleasure in her students’ eyes. So how does Isabel achieve that enthusiastic glint? “One day in first experiments, and we have plant- that, together with teachers, scientific October 2004, after the class had ed 15 fruit trees, with a group of stu- research institutions can create model analysed some seeds we’d left to ger- dents responsible for each tree. Even experiments that can be used in the minate, I asked the students: ‘Are we previously unmotivated students are classroom. By testing the models and just going to throw these out? With all now doing well in biology.” giving feedback, teachers can then the space we have outside the school, Isabel also believes that visits to sci- help to improve them further.” we could sow them and watch the entific research institutes can encour- Isabel has also been lucky enough development of the leaves and flow- age students – and, of course, contact to travel much further afield in search ers – who knows, maybe even some between teachers and scientists is of teaching ideas. In 2002, she was fruit!’ As a result, we now have an important too. At a course at the selected for the International Space outdoor space where we carry out European Learning Laboratory for the Camp (ISC)w2, an annual event held at excellent fieldwork, revise for tests, Life Sciencesw1, Isabel found the close the US Space & Rocket Center in and investigate how the plants devel- contact with the research institute Huntsville, Alabama, USA. Its motto op under different conditions. We very beneficial. “It allowed me to is ‘Dreaming to teach – teaching to have attempted to simulate Mendel’s update my knowledge. It also showed dream’, and its main goal is to unite

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Images courtesy of Isabel Plantier

and cosmonauts. Every year, it is sponsorship funds to pay for the attended free of charge by the US enrolment of a second student. In Teachers of the Year (the best teacher 2005, five of my students paid their in each US state), plus one teacher own enrolment in the ISC.” and two students from each of the When Isabel and her two students, invited countries (23 countries in Bruno Pereira and Teresa Ribeiro, 2002); some students also pay to returned from the ISC in 2002, they attend. Throughout the whole week, took every opportunity to share their teamwork is a key factor in every experiences with the rest of the activity. Students’ and teachers’ teams school. As part of the ISC, all teachers have slightly different programmes, had to design a project to apply space

Image courtesy of Isabel Plantier as teachers’ activities also involve science in school. Isabel responded modules on how to use space explo- enthusiastically and designed her teachers and students from around ration in the class- ideal project – but she the globe, to share experiences and room. still dreams of turning create bonds, enabling them to work One fun and use- the plan into ambi- together to strengthen and nurture ful student activity tious reality. She educational systems long after the was ‘fizzy tablet would like to involve camp’s week of activities is over. rockets’, in which all 14- to 19-year-old “In April 2002, I was contacted by students built rock- science, arts and Living Science (an agency linked to ets out of film can- humanities students the Portuguese Ministry of Science, isters filled with at the school (about which develops and supports science water and efferves- 400 in total) in activi- projects for and by schools) and asked cent antacid ties to stimulate cre- if I’d be interested in taking part in tablets. They var- ativity and an interest Image courtesy of Isabel Plantier the ISC, with two of my students. ied the amount of in space exploration. Living Science needed an answer ‘fuel’ in the rockets, and predicted Isabel, Bruno and Teresa would more or less immediately, so – it was and investigated the effect on launch make information panels of the activi- a bank holiday – I picked up the time. In the process, they discussed ties at the ISC and suggest activities phone, rang all the students, and statistics and probability, different that could be developed at school. decided to go for it, not really types of measurement, and used both Students would select which activities knowing what I fractions and deci- to be involved in and the activities was letting us in mals. would be shared among teachers of for!” At the closing cere- different disciplines, for example: All activities mony, Isabel was · The chemistry, physics and mathe- revolve around awarded the ‘Right matics teachers could organise space exploration, Stuff’ medal, which activities for students interested in ranging from simu- meant she could send fizzy tablet rockets, rocket-show lated space-shuttle another student to the quadratics or vector navigation. missions using ISC in 2003, free of · Together with the art and language astronaut-training charge. “So that the teachers, students could design mis- devices to lectures student would not sion patches. and talks by inter- have to go alone, we · The biology and geology teachers

national astronauts Image courtesy of Isabel Plantier managed to raise would lead investigations of the

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Teacher profile

physiological changes experienced “Thinking up the Life Sciences by astronauts in space, and ‘hydro- activities would (ELLS) is an education ponics in the classroom’ (growing probably not be facility to bring sec- plants without soil). too hard... The ondary-school teachers Each group of teachers would main problem is into a research labora- organise the activities to fit into their that I can’t carry tory. Based at the syllabus and to meet the interests of out a project like European Molecular the students. The emphasis would be this on my own. It Biology Laboratory in on allowing and encouraging stu- would have to be Heidelberg, Germany, dents to do their own research and a joint effort by ELLS welcomes work co-operatively – and each work several teachers, European teachers to group would seek sponsorship to and so far not Image courtesy of Isabel Plantier its free three-day prac- cover the costs of their activities. At enough of my colleagues have been tical workshops. the end of the year, all the research, willing to embark on such a project.” Education materials designed artwork, experiments and results But Isabel is not deterred: “Although together with teachers are available would be presented – and the rockets I’ve not yet tried out the full-scale in the ELLS TeachingBASE. See and balloons project, I take every www.embl.org/ells/ for further would be opportunity to use all details. launched! I learnt at the ISC w2 - For more information about the The project is every chance I get, International Space Camp, run by based very much both in my own class- the US Space & Rocket Center, see: on the activities es and in special www.spacecamp.com that Isabel and the events such as open others did at the days at the school.” ISC. She was par- Isabel’s dream proj- ticularly impressed ect not only brings an Isabel Plantier teaches at the Escola in Huntsville by element of fun into Secundária do Professor Reynaldo the mission patch science, but also dos Santos in Vila Franca de Xira, Image courtesy of Isabel Plantier activity, in which demonstrates that Portugal. Her email address is teams not only designed their picture, space exploration unites many disci- [email protected] but also described the team and its plines. “I would love to extend this mission. “This team-building idea project to schools throughout had a strong impact on me, and I Portugal – or even beyond Image courtesy of Isabel Plantier think it would be a very good way to – as the basis of an interna- start off each group’s work. In fact, I tional student-exchange would make this the one activity that programme!” Does this all groups do – the others would vary sound interesting? Would according to students’ interest, moti- you like to know more? vation, or subjects studied.” Isabel would be happy to In terms of practicalities, Isabel is hear from you. fairly flexible. Involvement in the project could be obligatory or not, car- Web references ried out within lessons or as an extra w1 - The European activity – either would work. Learning Laboratory for

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The Selfish Gene+ and Richard Dawkins: How a Scientist Changed the Way We Think*

+By Richard Dawkins *Edited by Alan Grafen and Mark Ridley

Reviewed by Bernhard Haubold, Fachhochschule Weihenstephan, Germany

If you are not interested in how and it is natural selection we must species, evolution works by maximis- evolution came about, and cannot understand if we are to comprehend ing what he referred to as an individ- conceive how anyone could be seri- our own identities.” ual’s “inclusive fitness”. Starting from ously concerned about anything other This quote gives us a taste of the the simple idea that, genetically than human affairs, then do not read kind of hyperbole that has accompa- speaking, my own survival is equiva- it: it will only make you needlessly nied public debates of evolution since lent to that of two of my siblings, this angry,” wrote John Maynard Smith the mid-19th century. To imply that suggests that fitness calculations about The Selfish Gene. Richard people who do not understand natu- should include not only direct off- Dawkin’s classic exposition of mod- ral selection have no comprehension spring but also relatives, because they ern evolutionary biology was pub- of their own identities is so pompous too carry copies of an individual’s lished in 1976 and has recently been that anger might well be the reaction genes. This gene-centred – rather than reissued as a 30th anniversary edition of a reader unaware of the rules of group-centred – perspective leads to with a new introduction by the popular science writing. neat explanations for a wide range of author. Why should anyone get angry But I do not want to suggest for an animal behaviour, including the al- about a book on evolutionary biolo- instant that Dawkins’ book is in any truism of worker bees, which under gy? Maynard Smith’s cautionary com- way cheap. In fact, it is a lucid state- the new theory turns out to be a strat- ment is interesting, if only because he ment of what turned out to be a para- egy for maximising their genetic is one of the four biologists cited in digm shift in evolutionary biology. progeny. the introduction to the first edition of Before the publication of The Selfish Inclusive fitness also implies that The Selfish Gene as providing its intel- Gene, many biologists were happy to animals should be capable of quanti- lectual basis (along with R.A. Fisher, accept the idea that natural selection fying the degree of relatedness G. C. Williams, and W. D. Hamilton). acted to maximise the success of a between themselves and others. In a But Maynard Smith’s warning to the species or a group. For example, paper published in Nature on 15 non-biologist is strangely at odds Nobel laureate Konrad Lorenz advo- February 2007, Debra Lieberman and with Dawkins’ express intention “to cated this view in his once immensely colleagues show for the first time that examine the biology of selfishness popular book On Aggression, pub- humans do indeed possess a kin and altruism” – what could be closer lished in 1963. According to Dawkins, detection system that influences their to human affairs? In his preface to Lorenz “got it totally and utterly disposition towards others. The rele- this edition, Harvard biologist Robert wrong” because he “misunderstood vance of inclusive fitness to human Trivers supports Dawkins’ claim of how evolution works”. affairs has become a lot clearer since universal relevance when he writes Hamilton was the first to argue that Hamilton postulated it in 1964 in the that “natural selection has built us, instead of maximising the good of the context of social insect societies and

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Reviews

The Selfish Gene was the place where a new generation of biologists first learned about it. ChemMatters CD-ROM Thirty years ago, Dawkins advocat- ed a set of ideas that were mature enough to coalesce into a coherent view of evolution but still new enough to be confined to a select Reviewed by Tim Harrison, University of Bristol, UK group of mainly English and American biologists. The whiff of rev- olution, combined with deep insights ChemMatters is an award-winning ers’ guides. These magazine supple- into the mechanics of altruism, is magazine published quarterly by the ments contain additional information, what makes the book exciting to read American Chemical Society for sec- comprehension questions, laboratory even today. ondary-school students. Each issue is activities related to articles, and other The context is very different for the full of readable articles about the activities such as instructions for authors contributing to the volume of chemistry used in everyday life, and building a methane ice model out of essays published simultaneously with is of interest to budding chemists and card (October 1995 issue). the anniversary edition of The Selfish their teachers alike. The ChemMatters Gene. Richard Dawkins: How a Scientist CD-ROM (version 3.0) contains two Web references Changed the Way We Think – Reflections decades of the magazine from w1 - For the free archive of articles, by Scientists, Writers, and Philosophers, February 1983 (volume 1, number 1) see: edited by Alan Grafen and Mark to December 2003 (volume 21, num- www.chemistry.org/portal/a/c/s/ Ridley, is a rather mixed collection of ber 4). 1/acsdisplay.html?DOC short pieces. Too many are of the This archive of more than 300 arti- =education\curriculum\ ‘Dawkins is brilliant’ school of writing, which is true in some respects cles is a useful resource for students, chemmatters\issue_arch.html but ultimately boring. There are whether they are working on specific exceptions, though, and I particularly projects or undertaking general Ordering recommend David Haig’s musings on research. All the material is suitable The ChemMatters CD-ROM costs ‘The Gene Meme’. This takes up the for school students studying pre-uni- US$25 for a single user or US$99 for a idea of a meme as a unit of cultural versity chemistry and much of it single school site licence, which evolution, proposed by Dawkins in would be accessible to bright 15-year- allows all the information to be the last chapter of The Selfish Gene. olds. shared across a school or library net- The concept of the gene might be For teachers, it is a great source of work. It can be purchased online from such a meme and Haig traces its evo- background information for enliven- http://chemistry.org/chemmatters/ lution to conclude that a gene-centred ing lessons with snippets of informa- cd3.html view of biology is more fruitful than a tion that hook students. Whether your meme-centred perspective on culture. students want to know the chemistry If this leaves you intrigued, go and involved in measuring ground-level (re)read Dawkins’ original – but don’t ozone (September 2001 issue) or what get angry. the atmospheres on other planets in our Solar System are like (October Details 2003 issue), then this is the right The Selfish Gene resource for you. Users can search the whole CD- Publisher: Oxford University Press ROM for keywords in articles, or Publication year: 2006 browse the magazine issues one page ISBN: 0199291152 at a time. The articles are in Adobe Richard Dawkins: How a Scientist PDF format and can be printed easily. Changed the Way We Think The American Chemical Society Publisher: Oxford University Press websitew1 includes a free archive of Publication year: 2006 samples from more recent magazine ISBN: 0199291160 issues (February 2003 to December 2006), plus a full archive of the teach-

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A Clone of Your Own?

By Arlene Judith Klotzko

Reviewed by Michalis Hadjimarcou, Cyprus

To clone or not to clone? That is the pros and cons of this possibility is the whether human cloning should be question that the book A Clone of Your main subject of A Clone of Your Own?. allowed. Own? sets out to investigate. In the The initial chapters of the book Considering the massive attention process, the reader is taken along a introduce the reader to an interesting given to cloning since the birth of majestic journey through the science account of how people’s attitudes, Dolly the sheep, this book is likely to and ethics of cloning. The result is a beliefs and fears about the power of appeal to anyone with enough curios- thorough and accurate account of science change with time and in ity to find out what the excitement what cloning is all about, and why a response to landmark developments, was all about. Despite its complex natural method of asexual reproduc- such as the birth of test-tube babies. vocabulary, the book is easy to follow tion – practiced by millions of species Additionally, the book includes a fas- and both the content and style main- since the beginning of life on Earth – cinating description of the negative tain a high level of interest. has recently caught the attention of effect that certain science-fiction A Clone of Your Own? could be valu- scientists, law-makers and lay public books and movies have on the way able to advanced high-school biology teachers. Firstly, the information on worldwide. people view science. This effect is the science of cloning and other relat- Removing a twig from a rose bush derived mostly from science’s ability ed biotechnology applications is sim- and planting it to produce a new bush to give humans the most distinctive ple enough to be used directly as is cloning. So is the cell-division power of God: the ability to create teaching material. Secondly, the book process by which bacteria and other life. Two of the most prominent exam- includes a number of the important microbes replicate. Embryo splitting, ples of such books and movies are questions that scientists had to the rare but naturally occurring event Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and answer as they attempted to unravel that produces identical twins, is Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. the mysteries of how complete organ- another form of cloning. None of In the remaining chapters of the isms develop from single cells. The these phenomena has ever caused book, Arlene Judith Klotzko sheds experiments designed and executed much concern. However, when Dolly light on the history of the efforts to to answer these questions could be the sheep was cloned in 1997, the clone mammals, as well as on future the subject of productive and insight- announcement made headlines prospects. Special attention is paid to ful discussions in the classroom. around the world. The reason is sim- the various applications of cloning, Apart from the scientific informa- ple: a mammal was cloned by trans- such as its use for therapeutic purpos- tion provided, the book’s most impor- ferring the nucleus from a fully differ- es. Scientific information is given on tant contribution is perhaps the fact entiated mammary cell from an adult how cloning can be combined with that it helps to dispel many irrational sheep to an enucleated egg cell from other biotechnology techniques, such fears about cloning and its resulting another adult sheep. The resulting cell as xenotransplantation and the pro- products, which have terrorised peo- was able to develop into a fertile new duction of transgenic animals, to help ple’s imaginations for decades. organism, Dolly, who in turn was able cure many of humanity’s worst dis- to reproduce naturally. In the years eases. Also, the book provides impor- Details Publisher: Oxford University Press that followed, scientists have success- tant details of the cloning process and fully cloned cows, pigs, goats, mice, its possible adverse implications for Publication year: 2005 rabbits, horses, rats, cats and mules. the cloned organisms. Finally, a ISBN: 0192802844 (paperback) or These developments have led to a detailed presentation of the legal and 0192803093 (hardback) lively debate about whether humans moral issues that would arise from should be included on the list of the various cloning applications in mammalian species to be cloned. The humans completes the discussion of

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Summer 2007 Issue 5

In this Issue:

Down to Earth Astronaut Thomas Reiter talks to Science in School Also:

The international science teaching festival

Published by the EIROforum: Supported by the European Union: Part of the NUCLEUS project:

ISSN: 1818-0353 Highlighting the best in science teaching and research