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 […]

Nope, not a CD of the latest repetitive football anthem but the vuvezela – a plastic horn that gets blown by South African football fans at matches. This instrument/weapon of torture is fast becoming one of the most talked about subjects in this year’s World Cup. The reason for the scientific interest is that it […]

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.

Not the two things with the most obvious of connections I agree, but bear with me. Spare a thought if you will for all of those body parts that are going to get bashed, smashed and generally knocked around for the next few weeks.  I am of course, referring to the hands, shins and other, […]

Ten years into the new millennium shouldn’t we be closer to cracking the problem that is malaria?  It is one of the world’s biggest killers but it is proving incredibly difficult to eradicate.

The PB&C milkshake may look harmless enough but it has caused outrage amongst some people including UK TV chef, Jamie Oliver.  Not because of its taste, which by all accounts sounds delicious (the PB&C stands for its main constituents-peanut butter and chocolate) but because this drink packs a whopping 2010 calories per serving. 

The video above shows the amazing gravity-defying optical illusion that won the 2010 Best Illusion of the Year Contest earlier this week. Using optical illusions in science lessons never fails to amaze students.  This particular one could be used as an engaging starter to any lesson on forces.

No, this is not a post about the return of Roland rat to the music industry but a look at the impact of invasive species.

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 […]

Many of Europe’s travellers got very angry yesterday (and it looks like are going to be for a while yet) as their flights were grounded due to the enormous ash cloud caused by the eruption of Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajoekull (extra marks shall be awarded for correct pronunciation).