Walking on Ooblecks – add it to your bucket list

Walking on Ooblecks – add it to your bucket list

What do you get when you mix cornflour and water together? Those of you that are regulars to this blog will know by  now that you get a Non-Newtonian fluid… commonly called Ooblecks.

Cad a fhaigheann tú nuair a mheascann tú gránphlúr agus uisce le chéile? Má leanann tú an blog seo go rialta, tuigfidh tú go bhfaigheann tú sreabhán neamh-Niútanach nó ‘Ooblecks’.

What is a Non-Newtonian fluid? Well we know that most matter is either a solid, a liquid or a gas, but a Non-Newtonian fluid breaks the rules a little. Sometimes it acts like a liquid and sometimes it acts like a solid, and that can make for a LOT of fun!

Cad atá i gceist le sreabhán neamh-Niútanach? Bhuel,  tá a fhios againn go bhfuil an chuid is mó d’ábhar ina soladach, leacht nó gás ach briseann sreabhán neamh-Niútanach na rialacha beagán. Uaireannta gníomhaíonn sé mar leacht agus uaireannta eile, mar sholadach. Is féidir an-spraoi a bheith agat leis, dá bharr sin! 

If it is that much fun, why not make a huge vat of it, right? An interesting theory and one that we just had to try! Thankfully everyone over at Meangadh Fibín felt the same way. They are currently filming a fantastic new science series, for children, to be aired in 2016 on Cúla 4, TG4. The series, called Is Eolaí mé (I am a scientist) is all about exploring the curiosity of science; the what ifs? the whys? and the hows? Best of all it is full of great experiments and a real hands-on approach to science.That brings us back to the subject of ooblecks… what can you do with a huge vat of the stuff? A LOT!

Má tá an méid sin spraoi le baint as, nach mbeadh dabhach mór dhe do-chreidte spraoiúil?! Bhí orainn triail a bhaint as agus bhí gach éinne i Meangadh Fibín den tuairim céanna. Tá siad i lár scanánaíocht don sraith teilifíse eolaíochta nua do pháistí, a chraolfar i 2016 ar Cúla4 ar TG4. Is Eolaí Mé is ainm don chlár a fhiosraíonn ceisteanna móra na heolaíochta; cad má? cén fáth? conas? Tá sé lán le trialacha eolaíochta iontacha agus tá cur chuige teagmhálach aige freisin. Tógann sé sin ar ais ag Ooblecks muid… cad is féidir a dhéanamh le dabhach mór de stuif? NEART!

On Friday, in the small hours of the morning, one tonne of cornflour was mixed with a fair amount of water… using a cement mixer and a lot of time and patience.

I lár na hoíche ar an Aoine, meascadh tonna gránphlúr le méid suntasach uisce… ag úsáid meascthóir stroighne, an-chuid ama agus foighne.

Mixer

 

The result was a trough full of Ooblecks… one metre wide, three and a half metres long and 38 cm deep.

An toradh a bhí ann ná dabhach lán le Ooblecks… méadar leathan, trí go leith méadar ar fhaid agus 38cm domhain.

trough

 

Two diligent young scientists carried out some quality control testing before the crowd arrived. The crowd in question was a few hundred bemused students at Colaiste Lurgan, Inveran.

Bhí beirt eolaí óga díograiseach ann le rialú caighdeán a chur air roimh a thánaig an slua – cúpla céad macléin mearbhallach ó Choláiste Lurgan, Indreabhán.

testing

 

Once we got the nod from the young science team it was time to for the fun to begin. Peadar, the shows main presenter, had a test run…

Chomh luath is a raibh an nod ón fhoireann eolaíochta óg, bhí sé in am don spraoi tosnú! Bhí rith tástála ag Peadar, atá mar láithreoir ar an gclár…

Peadar

 

Then there was ballet, juggling, limbo, hurling and a lot more besides… all on top of the Ooblecks.

Ansin bhí ballet, lámhchleasaíocht, limbo, iománaíocht agus neart eile leis… uilig ar bharr an Ooblecks.

Ballet

 

It wasn’t long before everyone wanted a go!

Ní fada go raibh gach éinne ag lorg deis triail a bhaint as!

Everyone

 

As far as we are aware, this is the first time anything like this has been attempted in Ireland; it certainly caught the attention of local media and made the day’s news (Nuacht) on TG4, take a look! (It is at the 10 minute point.)

Chomh fada is atá a fhios againn, ‘sé an chéad uair gur baineadh triail as seo in Eirinn; agus tharraing sé aird na meáin áitiúla freisin – gliogáil ar (Nuacht) TG4 le tuilleadh a fheiceáil. (Ar an marc 10 nóiméad.)

It was a fantastic day with lots of surprises… if you don’t have “walking on ooblecks” on your bucket list then I strongly suggest you add it! I can now tick that box!

Lá iontach a bhí ann le an-chuid iontais… agus muna bhfuil ‘siúil ar ooblecks’ curtha le liosta do mhianta mholfainn duit é a chur leis! Is féidir liomsa tic a chur sa bhosca sin anois!

Me

 

So what happens if you do sink into that much Ooblecks? You’ll have to watch the programme to find out! Is Eolaí Mé will air in early 2016.

So, cad a tharlaíonn nuair a siúlann tú ar Ooblecks? Beidh ort breathnú ar an gclár le fáil amach. Craolfar Is Eolaí Mé go luath i 2016.

Want the science bit? Ooblecks is what we call a Non Newtonian Fluid… meaning that it does not follow the laws of Newtonian Physics.  When left to rest it looks just like a regular liquid.  However when disturbed by strong hitting, shaking or pulling it acts more like a solid.  It is a phenomenon worth studying and although still a bit of an enigma, scientists think that the material normally acts as a liquid but can produce a sudden, local reaction to rapid impact and stress, reinforcing the area and briefly solidifying the suspension.

Ar mhaith leat an eolaíocht taobh thiar de idir an dá linn? Is  sreabhán neamh-Niútanach é Ooblecks, rud a chialaíonn nach leanann sé rialacha Fisic Niútanach. Nuair a fágtar socar é tá cuma leachtach air. Ach, nuair a suaithtear é tríd é a chraitheadh, a bhuaileadh nó é a tharraingt, gníomhaíonn sé cosúil le soladach. Is feiniméin é gur fiú a staidéar agus cé nach bhfuil tuiscint iomlán air, ceapann eolaíthe go gníomhaíonn an ábhar cosúil le leacht de gnáth – ach gur féidir leis frithghníomhú tobann, logánta a chothú i gcoinne brú agus imbhualadh gasta. Treisíonn sé seo an ceantar agus cothaíonn sé fuaidreán soladach gairid san ábhar.

Ooblecks takes it’s name from the green slime that fell from the skies in the Dr Seuss book “Bartholomew and the Oobleck“.

Tagann an ainm Ooblecks ón sláthach glas a thit ón spéir sa leabhar “Bartholomew and the Oobleck” le Dr. Seuss.

 

A huge thanks to the lovely Sadhbh over at Where Wishes Come From for translating this blog post for me. There seems to be no end to that lady’s talents! 

Science Week 2014 kicks off!

Science Week 2014 kicks off!

And we’re off! Science week 2014  officially kicks off today. Dr. How’s household has been busy preping for two weeks of school science fun, bringing The Science of Sound into 15 schools. I had a house full of kids today, all happy to help me put the finishing touches to things 😉 The children made a bowl of oobleck and I showed them the effect of sound on this non Newtonian fluid. I love the reaction from children and teachers when we do this experiment in school and I will share it with you later in the week.

The fun of ooblecks
The fun of ooblecks

The workshops will include buzzing balloons, singing pipes and a whole lot of making noise! If I am not coming to your school you can still catch the workshop at the NUIG Science and Technology Festival Exhibition on Sunday 23rd November.

If you want to find out what is on in your area check out the Science Week Ireland website, or for details on the Galway Science and Technology Festival line up, just click here. You can keep up with it all by following the hastag #Sciweek2014.

Where ever you are and whatever you are doing I hope you get to join in and get hands on with some science.

Do jellyfish give you the wobbles?

Do jellyfish give you the wobbles?

photo credit: Travis S. via photopin cc
Lion’s Mane Jellyfish; photo credit: Travis S. via photopin cc

Jellyfish have been getting a lot of attention recently for all the wrong reasons.

The news was afloat (pardon the pun) last week of deadly jelly fish off the Dublin shores. Red flags were raised and warnings were put in place on certain beaches as lion mane jellyfish (cyanea capillata) were spotted in the water.

We had our own jelly fish encounter on holidays a few weeks ago. Both my husband and brother got stung on a tiny beach off the south east coast of Mallorca. The culprits were small and innocent looking but still came with a real sting in their tail (puns are really flying today). They were the Mauve Stinger (Pelagia noctiluca) jellyfish and both men got stung on their arms… they managed to bite back the tears but they were definitely in pain. It took most of the day for the swollen ridges to recede.

We were very lucky as these small jellyfish came right to the shore.  My brother was stung within seconds of entering the water, in a place that our children had been swimming in just a few minutes before.

Mauve Stinger: photo credit: bathyporeia via photopin cc
Mauve Stinger:
photo credit: bathyporeia via photopin cc

Although we encountered these in the Mediterranean, they are, in more recent years, not uncommon in Irish waters. In November 2007 a large swarm of mauve stingers, about 16 km in diameter, completely wiped out more than 100,000 fish from a Salmon farm off the coast of Belfast, Northern Ireland.

 

HOW DOES A JELLYFISH STING WORK?

Apart from the pain element, the stinging process of the jelly fish is remarkable and quite unique. Many jellyfish have tentacles that contain thousands of tiny nematocysts – these are cell like capsules that contain venom and a hallow, coiled, barbed tube. When triggered the coiled, bard tube is shot into the body of the prey and the venom is released.

 

WHICH IS THE MOST DEADLY JELLYFISH SPECIES?

Certain species of the Box jellyfish are considered the most deadly in the world, producing a toxin that attacks the heart, nervous system and skin cells. A sting from a Box jellyfish can prove fatal for humans, often due to a heart attack from the shock and pain.

 

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU GET STUNG BY A JELLYFISH?

    • Leave the water as quickly as possible, preventing the risk of further stings

 

    • Pour sea water (preferably warm) on the affected area. DO NOT use fresh water as this may cause further stinging

 

    • Use a credit card or similar to remove the stingers. These may be so fine that they are hardly visible. Hold the credit card at an angle of about 30 degrees and run it over the affected area. Do not touch the removed stingers as they can still cause pain

 

    • Once the stingers are removed it is then okay to rinse with fresh water

 

  • If further symptoms such as heart palpitations, muscles cramping or spasm, panic or stress occur seek medical attention

 

ARE JELLYFISH THE CURSE OF THE SEA OR AMAZING CREATURES WITH A LOT TO OFFER? 

They certainly seem to cause a lot of bother and pain to humans but is there a “good side”? Some of the problems may be due to increased numbers of jellyfish. Is there really an increase in jellyfish swarms and what does this tell us about the seas in which they live?

A KEY TO THE HEALTH OF OUR OCEANS?

There have been a number of large swarms or blooms of Jellyfish reported over the last few years. Scientific studies and surveys are ongoing to determine if what we are seeing are just natural ebbs and flows in the jellyfish population, or an annual and steady increase in numbers. Some feel that factors such as overfishing (removal of natural jellyfish predators) or human pollution of our oceans (increasing algal growth and plankton… jellyfish food) are causing a steady increase in jellyfish numbers. Others feel climate change is a factor. Perhaps what we are seeing is just a natural peak in the jellyfish life cycle. Time, and further research will tell, but the monitoring of jellyfish numbers will give us more insights into the state of our oceans.

A LINK TO THE PAST?

It would appear that jellyfish play an important part in the story of evolution. Genetic sequencing and fossil dating have changed the evolutionary tree somewhat, with suggestions now that the comb jelly (a relative of the jellyfish) may be the earliest divergent animal lineage. These studies put the comb jelly in existence some 600 million years ago. Did we all evolve from a lump of jelly? The question has certainly made the evolutionary tree wobble, shaking a few of it’s branches.

A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION AND INVENTION?

Although jellyfish are carried by currents they can also move propel their bodies upwards in a pulse like motion. The shape and movement have been the inspiration in the design of a new lightweight robot. What is particularly remarkable is that the robot moves through air, not water. Most jellyfish live for about a year, some species have much shorter life spans but there is one, called Turritopsis nutricula, that is effectively immortal. It has am amazing ability to revert back to an earlier phase of it’s life cycle under certain conditions. Commonly called the “Benjamin Button” of the ocean, it  has naturally caught the attention of the worlds of science and medicine, inspiring advances in stem cell research and regenerative medicine. Some species of jellyfish, including the Mauve Stinger mentioned above, are luminescent. The gene responsible for this luminescence, and the luminescent protein it encode have been used by scientist and medics in a variety of research areas from crop advancement to cancer diagnosis. You have to admit, this certainly sheds new “light” of the humble jellyfish.

Despite their threat, jellyfish are certainly very interesting, unique and inspiring animals. Are you convinced or does the thought of them still make you quiver??

 

WHILE YOU MAKE UP YOUR MIND, HERE ARE FIVE FUN FACTS ABOUT JELLYFISH…

Jellyfish Facts
Jellyfish Facts
Thought of the day…"A bee in my bonnet!"

Thought of the day…"A bee in my bonnet!"

We found this little visitor in our house the other day… a nice big Bumble Bee… all Apiphobics look away now!

I think the poor guy woke a bit too early and was taking refuge in the warmth of our house!

There are about 20 different species of Bumble Bees in Ireland.  Although they do not build the large hives like their relatives, the honey bee, they do still live in colonies (usually with about 50 bees per colony) and are important pollinators of crops and cultivated and wild plants.  Due to the increased use of pesticides within gardens and agriculture, bee populations are declining at an alarming rate.  This is leading to a call in some countries for legislation to ban certain pesticides know to be detrimental to bee populations.

We can also make small changes within our own gardens: as well as the obvious switch to organic gardening we can choose to grow bee friendly plants and even prepare simple structures to encourage bees to come live in our gardens!

A great eco-friendly project to get your children involved with, don’t you think?

……just a thought!