Science, Nature and Tech

Science News – Solar Storms Due to Hit Earth

This weekend the Earth is due to be hit by a pair of solar storms that might affect radio and satellite communication. But how and why does this happen?

What Does Solar Mean?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anything that is related to a sun is commonly described as being solar. Our sun is a typical medium-sized yellow star which is about 5 billion years old. Its surface temperature is about 5,500°C, but even that isn’t as hot as its superheated centre. Some parts of the sun’s surface are cooler, with a temperature of between 2,700–4,200°C, and these appear darker when viewed through specialised telescopes. These cooler patches are caused by fluctuations in the sun’s magnetism and are called sun spots.

Read More...

Science, Nature and Tech

Cellular Communications

When we talk about ‘cellular communcations’, we are not referring to use of a cell phone, because before mobiles or cell phones there was a time when this only meant cell to cell interaction within an organ or tissue. This important cellular behaviour drives diverse functions from contracting cells in your heart muscle to the cells in your nerves.

Read More...

News & Politics, Popular

The UK General Election – An Explanation for Kids

Every five years, United Kingdom elects a new parliament. This is called a General Election and it’s pretty complicated. If you’ve ever wondered how a country decides who is going to run things, this is how! We asked our contributor Tina Price-Johnson to write an explanation of the General Election for kids.

When I was in Year 9, my school ran a mock general election, so we could learn how an election works.  I was chosen to be the Liberal Democrat candidate, and two other students were chosen to represent the Conservative Party and the Labour Party.  We didn’t have any other parties at that time!

We had to pretend we were running to be elected as a Member of Parliament (MP), and the other students in the school were the voters.  We created posters and learned what each party stood for, so we could debate in front of the whole school and give our speeches.  We spoke to students in the hallway, and each of us had a team of other students to help us out.  This is exactly what all the candidates for MP in your local area will be doing. More or less! 

Read More...

Science, Nature and Tech

Store Cupboard Science – Experiments at Home

While there are plenty of science kits in the shops, did you know that you can do loads of science with things that you already have in your store cupboard?  Science enthusiast Lisa White has put together a list of things that you need for a variety of basic science experiments.

 

 

store cupboard

 

 

 

You might need extra equipment but these are the basics. Having white vinegar, salt, bicarbonate of soda and washing up liquid in stock will be useful too!

Read More...