Science News
13/3/14
Never Mind Eyesight, Your Nose Knows Much More. The human eye can distinguish more than 2 million distinct colors. But scientists studying smell now say they have their vision colleagues beat: The human nose, they say, can distinguish more than a trillion different smells. 12/9/2013
Irish Times : Oh sugar: fructose, the sweet white poison "Doctors are leading the charge against the deadly toxin present in processed foods, and warn we’re eating our way to bad health". This is a good time of the year for students to look at their eating habbits and think about what nutrition they need for their busy physical and mental schedule. 13/9/2012
It's time to think about the BT Young Scientist Exhibition this year. This is a great opportunity to get involved in some extra investigation and explore some science beyond the classroom. If you're interested in participating (or being one of our guinea pigs) call in the the biology lab at 4pm on wednesday evenings.
14/8/2012
Osedax Mucofloris, Otherwise known as the bone-eating snot-flower worm.
An example of some amazing evolution in the deep ocean. 20/3/2012
The term heart attack refers to damage to the muscle of the heart, usually from a lack of blood flow. Most of the time a blood clot forms in one of the arteries that supply heart muscle with blood, blocking the flow of blood. As the heart muscle starves it begins to die, causing chest pain and other heart attack symptoms.
Cardiac arrest happens when the heart stops pumping blood. With no pumping action, the blood pressure falls and blood is no longer forced into the muscles and organs of the body. There are all sorts of reasons the heart will stop pumping blood. It might get extremely weak or begin quivering uselessly. It might also start racing so fast it can no longer fill with blood, which causes the blood pressure to fall dangerously. Recognize a heart attack and get help immediately to avoid cardiac arrest. Don't hesitate to call an ambulance for things like chest pain. If a victim collapses in front of you and stops breathing, he or she is likely in cardiac arrest and needs CPR. _http://www.btyoungscientist.ie/
Currently running in the RDS is the BT young scientist competition, where students from all over the country are competing with projects in the areas of biology, chemistry, physics, maths and technology. This is a great demonstration of the interest and imagination of young people in Ireland today and is worth a visit. 12/1/12
_What would happen if I drilled a tunnel through the center of the Earth and jumped into it? Although it would be impossible to do this on earth, you actually could do this on the moon. The moon has a cold core and it also doesn't have any oceans or groundwater to mess things up. In addition, the moon has no atmosphere, so the tunnel would have a nice vacuum in it that eliminates aerodynamic drag.
So, imagine that the tunnel through the moon is 20 feet (7 meters) in diameter. Down one side is a ladder. If you were to climb down the ladder, what you would find is that your weight decreases. Gravity is caused by objects attracting one another with their mass (see Question 232). As you descend into the tunnel, more and more of the moon's mass is above you, so it attracts you upward. Once you climbed down to the center of the moon you would be weightless. The mass of the moon is all around you and attracting you equally, so it all cancels out and you would feel weightless. If you were to actually leap into the tunnel and allow yourself to fall, you would accelerate toward the center to a very high speed. Then you would zoom through the center and start decelerating. You would eventually stop when you reached the tunnel's lip on the other side of the moon, and then you would start falling back down the tunnel in the other direction. You would oscillate back and forth like this forever. 20/11/11
A real-life Mighty Mouse: Rodent with double the normal muscle strength created in lab By Tamara Cohen
Swiss scientists created the 'super strong mice' by tweaking a gene and found without it the rodents' muscles bulked up and they had more energy A ‘mighty mouse’ with double the normal muscle strength has been created by scientists looking for ways to treat age-related diseases.It not only has bigger muscles but, in tests, could run for twice as long on the treadmill. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2060131/A-real-life-Mighty-Mouse-Rodent-double-normal-muscle-created-lab.html#ixzz1eI2DzvME |
Check out the latest science news
www.livescience.com www.sciencedaily.com www.instructables.com www.wildflowersofireland.net www.solarsystemscope.com www.3rd1000.com/chronology/chrono.htm/ www.nhm.ac.uk |
11/11/11
Everyone should enter this!!
SciFest Crossword Competition As part of Science Week, SciFest is holding a Crossword Competition for second-level students. There are two iPods to give away to the first two correct entries drawn from a hat. The closing date for receipt of entries is 28 November. Go to www.scifest.ie to download the crossword.
SciFest Crossword Competition As part of Science Week, SciFest is holding a Crossword Competition for second-level students. There are two iPods to give away to the first two correct entries drawn from a hat. The closing date for receipt of entries is 28 November. Go to www.scifest.ie to download the crossword.
26/10/11
Beware! the bite of the sugar snake
this Halloween
Sugar (a carbohydrate) is dehydrated with concentrated sulfuric acid. Since a carbohydrate was once considered just hydrated carbon, if you remove the water, carbon would be left over. The acid rips the water out of the sugar and the heat generated by this reaction causes the water to turn to steam. A black mass of carbon is produced.
look out for this and other fun spooky recipies this halloween.
this Halloween
Sugar (a carbohydrate) is dehydrated with concentrated sulfuric acid. Since a carbohydrate was once considered just hydrated carbon, if you remove the water, carbon would be left over. The acid rips the water out of the sugar and the heat generated by this reaction causes the water to turn to steam. A black mass of carbon is produced.
look out for this and other fun spooky recipies this halloween.
14/10/11
Rare Footprints of Infant Dinosaurs Discovered
The fossil footprints represent the first hatchling Stegosaurus footprints ever found, according to leading paleontologist Dr. Robert T. Bakker, the museum's curator of paleontology. Stegosaurus was first discovered in Morrison in 1877 and is Colorado's state fossil.
"The tracks are so crisply preserved that I can imagine the sound of tiny feet splashing up water when the baby dinosaurs came to this ancient river to drink and cool down," remarks Museum Director Matthew Mossbrucker, who found the tracks. "I still can't get over just how small these footprints are."
The fossil footprints represent the first hatchling Stegosaurus footprints ever found, according to leading paleontologist Dr. Robert T. Bakker, the museum's curator of paleontology. Stegosaurus was first discovered in Morrison in 1877 and is Colorado's state fossil.
"The tracks are so crisply preserved that I can imagine the sound of tiny feet splashing up water when the baby dinosaurs came to this ancient river to drink and cool down," remarks Museum Director Matthew Mossbrucker, who found the tracks. "I still can't get over just how small these footprints are."
6/10/11
MEET the 12 giant panda cubs as they make their first public appearance since
their births.
The fluffy babies were asleep in a shared cot at the panda bear sanctuary
where they were born earlier this year.
Their arrivals have meant a boost to the threatened numbers of the black-and-white bears endangered by deforestation in their native China.
To find out more about Pandas click here
Their arrivals have meant a boost to the threatened numbers of the black-and-white bears endangered by deforestation in their native China.
To find out more about Pandas click here
"When they broke open molecules, they found they were only stuffed with atoms. But when they broke open atoms, they found them stuffed with explosions."
BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition
The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition takes place from 12th to 16th January 2010. Here is some information that will help you in preparing for the exhibition.
Science Snaps Photo Competition
Science Snaps is calling on you to capture ‘The Chemistry of Life’! Get out your camera and share your vision of the 2011 Science Week theme. Take inspiration from the innovative science, engineering and technology in your everyday life.
So get snapping and submit your photos for your chance to win lots of great prizes including a laptop, camera, flip camcorder or photography course! Shortlisted images will also form a public exhibition during Science Week 2011 and the winning snaps will be displayed by Bus Eireann on selected commuter routes throughout Ireland!
Science Snaps is calling on you to capture ‘The Chemistry of Life’! Get out your camera and share your vision of the 2011 Science Week theme. Take inspiration from the innovative science, engineering and technology in your everyday life.
So get snapping and submit your photos for your chance to win lots of great prizes including a laptop, camera, flip camcorder or photography course! Shortlisted images will also form a public exhibition during Science Week 2011 and the winning snaps will be displayed by Bus Eireann on selected commuter routes throughout Ireland!
Used in Hollywood and the advertising industry to create exotic special effects, ferrofluids are seemingly magical materials that are both liquid and magnetic at once. In a study published today in Physical Review B, Yale electrical engineering professor Hur Koser and colleagues from the University of Georgia and Massachusetts Institute of Technology demonstrate for the first time an approach that allows ferrofluids to be pumped by magnetic fields alone. The invention could lead to new applications for this mysterious material.
18/9/2011
Welcome to Astronomy Ireland's Junior Website!
his part of the website is for the younger members of Astronomy Ireland. It is filled with action packed news, plenty of facts about astronomy and really fun games
his part of the website is for the younger members of Astronomy Ireland. It is filled with action packed news, plenty of facts about astronomy and really fun games
20/8/11
Giant Space Blob Glows from Within: Primordial Cloud of Hydrogen Is Centrally Powered
Observations from the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope have shed light on the power source of a rare vast cloud of glowing gas in the early Universe. The observations show for the first time that this giant "Lyman-alpha blob" -- one of the largest single objects known -- must be powered by galaxies embedded within it.
Observations from the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope have shed light on the power source of a rare vast cloud of glowing gas in the early Universe. The observations show for the first time that this giant "Lyman-alpha blob" -- one of the largest single objects known -- must be powered by galaxies embedded within it.
5/5/11
Mooney Goes Wild live feed blue tit nests.
One of the most wonderful things about spring is the baby birds cheeping away in their nests. You can view live feeds to two blue tit nests with up to 8 little chicks at different stages of development thanks to the mooney goes wild show on RTE radio 1 . This is a must see for any nature enthusiasts, and a very addictive
The Blue tit is the most common resident tit over most of Europe, especially in the west. They are typically woodland birds but have adapted well to living in close association with man. They are common, colourful, noisy, tame birds.
One of the most wonderful things about spring is the baby birds cheeping away in their nests. You can view live feeds to two blue tit nests with up to 8 little chicks at different stages of development thanks to the mooney goes wild show on RTE radio 1 . This is a must see for any nature enthusiasts, and a very addictive
The Blue tit is the most common resident tit over most of Europe, especially in the west. They are typically woodland birds but have adapted well to living in close association with man. They are common, colourful, noisy, tame birds.
12/4/11
Space Telescopes Observe Unprecedented Explosion
NASA’s Swift, Hubble Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory have teamed up to study one of the most puzzling cosmic blasts yet observed. More than a week later, high-energy radiation continues to brighten and fade from its location.Astronomers say they have never seen anything this bright, long-lasting and variable before. Usually, gamma-ray bursts mark the destruction of a massive star, but flaring emission from these events never lasts more than a few hours.
NASA’s Swift, Hubble Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory have teamed up to study one of the most puzzling cosmic blasts yet observed. More than a week later, high-energy radiation continues to brighten and fade from its location.Astronomers say they have never seen anything this bright, long-lasting and variable before. Usually, gamma-ray bursts mark the destruction of a massive star, but flaring emission from these events never lasts more than a few hours.
6/4/11
Eureka Junior Science Quiz.
Congratulations to Kdan Hillier, Caroline Breen and Daniel McNamara who came fifth in the ISTA Eureka Junior Science Quiz on Wednesday 5th of April. The team were competing against 29 other schools and there was some stiff competition. They did very well and should be really proud of themselves. They’re the ones to beat in the upcoming science Quiz in Cross and Passion for all third years organised by the science department next Friday.
Congratulations to Kdan Hillier, Caroline Breen and Daniel McNamara who came fifth in the ISTA Eureka Junior Science Quiz on Wednesday 5th of April. The team were competing against 29 other schools and there was some stiff competition. They did very well and should be really proud of themselves. They’re the ones to beat in the upcoming science Quiz in Cross and Passion for all third years organised by the science department next Friday.
5/4/11
When African Animals Hit the Hay: Fossil Teeth Show Who Ate What and When as Grasses Emerged
Fossil teeth of African animals show that during the past 10 million years, different plant-eating critters began grazing on grass at different times as many switched from a salad-bar diet of tree leaves and shrubs, says a University of Utah study
Fossil teeth of African animals show that during the past 10 million years, different plant-eating critters began grazing on grass at different times as many switched from a salad-bar diet of tree leaves and shrubs, says a University of Utah study
27/2/11
Google is looking for the brightest, best young scientists from around
the world to submit interesting, creative projects that are
relevant to the world today. Students are asked to showcase their
project on Google Site and present their methods, results and
conclusions either in a two minute video or a twenty slide
presentation. This is a global competition open to students aged 13 to
18 from around the world working on their own or in a team of two
or three. Closing date for entries is 4 April 2011
For more information see here. Posters for this will be placed in the labs. Ask any of the science terachers for details
For more information see here. Posters for this will be placed in the labs. Ask any of the science terachers for details
24/2/11
From chewing tough insects to soft fruit, bat teeth are highly specialized
Posted on 22 February 2011
n a clever use of GPS technology, biologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have “mapped” the topography of bat teeth as if they were uncharted mountain ranges, in order to better understand how toothy ridges, peaks and valleys have evolved to allow different species to eat everything from hard-shelled insects to blood and nectar.
n a clever use of GPS technology, biologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have “mapped” the topography of bat teeth as if they were uncharted mountain ranges, in order to better understand how toothy ridges, peaks and valleys have evolved to allow different species to eat everything from hard-shelled insects to blood and nectar.
10/2/11
International Year of Chemistry
The International Year of Chemistry 2011 (IYC
2011) is a worldwide celebration of the achievements of chemistry and
its contributions to the well-being of humankind. Under the unifying
theme “Chemistry—our life, our future,” IYC
2011 will offer a range of interactive, entertaining, and educational
activities for all ages. The Year of Chemistry is intended to reach
across the globe, with opportunities for public participation at the
local, regional, and national level.
9/2/11
New Explanation for Heart-Healthy Benefits of Chocolate
In time for the chocolate-giving and chocolate-noshing fest on Valentine's Day, scientists are reporting discovery of how this treat boosts the body's production of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) -- the "good" form of cholesterol that protects against heart disease. Just as those boxes of chocolates get hearts throbbing and mouths watering, polyphenols in chocolate rev up the activity of certain proteins, including proteins that attach to the genetic material DNA in ways that boost HDL levels.
In time for the chocolate-giving and chocolate-noshing fest on Valentine's Day, scientists are reporting discovery of how this treat boosts the body's production of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) -- the "good" form of cholesterol that protects against heart disease. Just as those boxes of chocolates get hearts throbbing and mouths watering, polyphenols in chocolate rev up the activity of certain proteins, including proteins that attach to the genetic material DNA in ways that boost HDL levels.
7/2/2011
First IVF Babies Born Using New Chromosome Counting Technique
The technique allows the embryos to be checked for the right number of chromosomes before implantation in an IVF treatment, lessening the chance of miscarriage or Down's syndrome.
The Ashtons had twins last November following treatment at the Oxford Fertility Unit, an independent IVF clinic which maintains strong research partnerships with the University. The boys, Alex and Louis, are now 11 weeks old.
The technique allows the embryos to be checked for the right number of chromosomes before implantation in an IVF treatment, lessening the chance of miscarriage or Down's syndrome.
The Ashtons had twins last November following treatment at the Oxford Fertility Unit, an independent IVF clinic which maintains strong research partnerships with the University. The boys, Alex and Louis, are now 11 weeks old.
24/1/11
Zooplankton
Aquatic Food Web Tied to Land: Some Fish Are Made out of Maple Leaves
A distant relative of shrimp, zooplankton are an important food source for fish and other aquatic animals. Long characterized as algae feeders, a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports that nearly a third of zooplankton diets are supported by material that originates on land in lake watersheds.
A distant relative of shrimp, zooplankton are an important food source for fish and other aquatic animals. Long characterized as algae feeders, a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports that nearly a third of zooplankton diets are supported by material that originates on land in lake watersheds.
20/1/11
Robin
Garden Bird watch
There is nothing like watching the antics of colourful garden birds from the comfort of your home on a cold dull winter’s day. Not only are they a source of enjoyment, you will also be helping our now common birds to survive the increasing pressures of habitat loss. It is very easy to get started. All you need is a windowsill, yard or garden. Whether you live in the country, in a village or town or even in the city centre, there are usually birds not far away – and they are always hungry!
Click here and see how many Irish birds you can recognise.
There is nothing like watching the antics of colourful garden birds from the comfort of your home on a cold dull winter’s day. Not only are they a source of enjoyment, you will also be helping our now common birds to survive the increasing pressures of habitat loss. It is very easy to get started. All you need is a windowsill, yard or garden. Whether you live in the country, in a village or town or even in the city centre, there are usually birds not far away – and they are always hungry!
Click here and see how many Irish birds you can recognise.
17/1/11
Jupiter
Astronomy Ireland
Jupiter Watch
This month Jupiter is visible in the sky over Ireland
Astronomy Ireland is running Public Watches where you will get to see through some of Ireland's most powerful telescopes.
On January 26th from 7:00pm Astronomy Ireland will be hosting Jupiter Telescope Watches in various locations all around the country.
There will also be a map and directions available to help you reach your local event.
For more information visit the Astronomy Ireland website
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System.It is a gas giant with a mass slightly less than one-thousandth of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The planet was known by astronomers of ancient times and was associated with the mythology and religious beliefs of many cultures. The Romans named the planet after the Roman god Jupiter. When viewed from Earth, Jupiter can reach an apparent magnitude of −2.94, making it on average the third-brightest object in the night sky after the Moon and Venus. Jupiter is primarily composed of hydrogen with a quarter of its mass being helium; it may also have a rocky core of heavier elements (Wikipedia)
Jupiter Watch
This month Jupiter is visible in the sky over Ireland
Astronomy Ireland is running Public Watches where you will get to see through some of Ireland's most powerful telescopes.
On January 26th from 7:00pm Astronomy Ireland will be hosting Jupiter Telescope Watches in various locations all around the country.
There will also be a map and directions available to help you reach your local event.
For more information visit the Astronomy Ireland website
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System.It is a gas giant with a mass slightly less than one-thousandth of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The planet was known by astronomers of ancient times and was associated with the mythology and religious beliefs of many cultures. The Romans named the planet after the Roman god Jupiter. When viewed from Earth, Jupiter can reach an apparent magnitude of −2.94, making it on average the third-brightest object in the night sky after the Moon and Venus. Jupiter is primarily composed of hydrogen with a quarter of its mass being helium; it may also have a rocky core of heavier elements (Wikipedia)