Hamster Power
The story Did you know: The hamster species P.roborovskii have been said to run the equivalent of four human marathons per night? This interesting but apparently useless fact came to my attention via Guardian blogger Grrl Scientist. The blog post went on to explain the ways that all this kinetic energy could be harnessed to […]
Xin Nian Kuai Le!
(or Happy New Year!) The story Thursday (3rd February) will be the start of the Chinese New Year. On this night will be a full moon (good night for moon-watching) and the celebrations will end 15 days later when the lunar cycle is halfway through and there will be a new moon (not such a […]
Snow business
Down in the South of the UK where Snapshot Science hails from, the snow has long since melted and is it now practically tropical compared to the chilly North. Assuming you are not sick to death of the very mention of the s-word, here are some snowy ideas for fun science lessons for the end […]
Big beaks help cool birds down
The story: Two scientists have collaborated in a study that suggests that the size of a bird’s beak is linked to the temperature of its natural environment. We already know that a bird’s beak is adapted for the food it eats and sometimes to attract a mate, but now it looks like it is also […]
Festival science
With Glastonbury commencing on Wednesday, the festival season is well and truly underway. In this post I will attempt to use the famous music festival as a way of connecting exothermic reactions to Ozzy Osbourne (not literally). Music festivals generally involve camping and camping involves heating food over naked flames next to a highly flammable […]
The crazy world of future electricity generation
With all of the publicity surrounding the BP leak, crude oil is earning a very bad reputation indeed. Hopefully some good will come out of the tragedy by persuading governments to look more seriously at using renewable sources of energy.
Spinning around
I’m always on the lookout for new toys and gadgets that can demonstrate science in a fun way. The latest one to catch my eye is the Firewinder. The helical structure catches the wind, and the turning affect creates electricity which is used to light the LED bulbs embedded in its surface. It’s a bit […]