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What do Scientists do on holidays?

What do Scientists do on holidays?

nao

I am off on holidays tomorrow, so you are not likely to hear much from me for a couple of weeks!

@MyKidsTime shared this funny little cartoon with me the other day, thought it was very well timed and worth sharing with you all while I’m gone.

So, in case you think I will just be relaxing on a sunny beach somewhere… this is actually what I will be doing…

Image Credit: Sarah Zimermann at unearthedcomics.com
With a holiday like this I am sure to come back with my head full of lots of new ideas for this blog ;0) Back again in August, in the meantime hope you all enjoy this lovely weather!

 

The Big Rescue

nao

There was a MAJOR drama here on Saturday morning!  I was just having my morning cuppa when my son starting banging at the window and pointing up to the House Martins’ nests just above it.  We knew straight away there was a problem.

All that remained of two House Martin nests

These House Martins are part of the family at this stage, our very “welcome house guests“.  The children get up every morning and check on the nest (by check the nest I mean look up and see if any chicks have their head peeping out or parents flying back and forth).  Anyway, on Saturday something was obviously wrong.  When myself and the hubby got to the door we saw a pile of brown dusty clay on the ground and when we looked up there was nothing left of the two nests we had been monitoring so carefully.  PANIC and DEVASTATION! Was it a natural collapse?  Was it the dreaded Magpies?  There was very little left except this small pile of dust.  While trying to calm the children and work out what had happened we started to look around.  That’s when my hubby spotted him, crouched behind a large plant pot but seemingly healthy and unharmed… one lovely little fledgling!

Our little rescued fledgling!


We were of course delighted to have found him, but now that we had we hadn’t a clue what to do with him and we knew whatever we did, we would have to do it quickly!  So we decided to ring BirdWatch Ireland and seek advice.  The person who answered the call was excellent and obviously used to this kind of thing.  As we had been tracking these birds so much we were able to tell her that this little one was likely close to three weeks old, the age they usually fledge.  She assured us that the nest collapse was very possibly just a natural event (possibly no magpies involved) and that the others might have already fledged.  A little bit of hope, but what were we to do now?

The advice was to put the little one into a small box or container with something to keep it warm and place it as close to the original site of the nest as possible.  Then we had to just walk away and hope that mum and dad would return.  We could see them circling around so we knew there was a chance.  The biggest  problem was that the nests had been built at the apex of a roof of a bungalow with no windowsill nearby to elevate the bird.  
Firstly we placed the bird in a planter with a blanket and the remains of the inner nest material but it was still a very long way away from the original nests.

Temporary dwelling

We remembered that we had an artificial House Martins nest somewhere, bought when we first moved into the house in an attempt to encourage nesting.  With a bit of searching we eventually found it in the shed.  Great… but how were we going to fit it to the wall… and in a hurry?  That’s when hubby realised there was a leftover nail sticking out of the wall near the original nest.  A frantic bit of drilling made a hole in the mounting of the artificial nest then with the help of a short ladder, a lot of stretching and a fair bit of cursing the job was done.  Makeshift but secure!

You can see the marks of the two original nest at the top!
The only thing left after that was to wait, we decided to go out for an hour or two as the sitting around was too difficult!  Two hours later we returned, not feeling too optimistic but to our delight we could see the parents visiting the new nest and apparently feeding the little one who we could hear chirping away.  Three days later and things are still going strong.  We can hear the cheeping and see the parents travelling back and forth to the nest.  This evening hubby and the kids thought they saw a flapping of little wings just over the top of the nest, perhaps little Lucky (well what else could we call him?) is ready to fledge! We shall see tomorrow!

We would like to say a big THANK YOU to BirdWatch Ireland for their quick help and advice!  If you want to follow them just click on the links (Facebook and twitter).

Update 12th July 2013:

I am really glad to report that Lucky is doing very well.  He took his first flight last week and has being going strong ever since.  So well in fact that we see very little of him these days – which is just how it should be.

When we put the “fake” nest up it was a quick and temporary solution… however it seems the House Martins are quite taken with it.  As you can see from the photo, the nest is supposed to sit just under a horizontal eave, but we did not have that option when we put up the nest.  The house martins are filling in the gaps and adding their own extension and roof.  All this sounds really positive for the preparation of a second brood, we only hope that they are not planning to roof it all the way to the point of our roof, that kind of extension would never get planning permission or approval!

“Lucky” planning another flight now that he has “found his wings”… can you see the mud extension being added by the parents?

Fun Friday – Exploring Light!

nao

What is light?

Theophilos via photopin cc

 Light is a type of energy called “Electromagnetic” (EM) radiation. When we see light we see it in straight lines called rays.

The scientific study of light is called Optics.

All Electromagnetic energy (including light) actually travels in waves.  Light is the only type of EM energy that we can see (this is called the visible spectrum).  Other types of EM radiation include radio waves, microwaves and (Ultra Violet) UV waves.





San Diego Shooter via photopin cc
Did you know… some animals can see light that is not visible to humans?  Bees, for example, can see UV light.  This allows them to follow UV patterns on many flowers which lead them to the source of nectar.

 

The colour of light

buttersweet via photopin cc
Light travels in waves; the wavelength of light determines its colour.  Light with the longest wavelength is red; light with the shortest wavelength is violet.

Sunlight appears as white light but it is actually made up of all the colours of the rainbow. Sunlight can be split into all of its different colours and that is how a rainbow is made.


Did you know… the brightness of light is measured in lumens? Our eyes are usually comfortable with a brightness up to 3,500 lumens.


How is a shadow made?

halfrain via photopin cc
When light rays hit an object they bounce (reflect) off it.  This is how shadows are made, they are the dark patches behind an object that light cannot get through.


Did you know… the biggest shadow we will ever see is a solar eclipse?

How fast does light travel?

The speed of light is 300,000 kilometres (or 186,000 miles) per second.

Distance in space is measured in light years; it is the distance that a ray of light travels in one year – 9.46 trillion kilometres (5.8 trillion miles).

Did you know… it takes light less than one and a half seconds to get from the Moon to the Earth? It takes nearly eight minutes for light to get from the Sun to the Earth.

only_point_five via photopin cc


Did you know… sunlight can reach a depth of about 80 metres (262 feet) in the sea?

 

Experiments to try:

1.     Make a rainbow

wangsa via photopin cc
You will need… a plastic container, a piece of white card, a mirror and a sunny day!

What to do… fill the plastic container about two- thirds full with water and place it on the ground outside, in direct sunlight. Place a mirror into the water and prop it up at an angle so the sun shines on it. Hold the white card away from the mirror and move it from side to side or back and forth until you capture the rainbow on the card!

So what is happening?… water bends (refracts) light that passes through it.  Each colour bends a slightly different amount so the colours separate. The separated colours are bounced off the mirror and the image is caught on the piece of white card.

2.     Turn a rainbow into white light!

You will need… a circle of white card, a pencil and some markers or colouring pencils.

What to do… divide the circle of card into seven equal sections and colour each section in a different colour of the rainbow – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.  Make a hole in the middle of the circle and push a pencil through it.  Then spin the pencil on its point and watch the colour wheel turn white!

So what is happening?… as the colour card spins fast enough our eyes cannot see each colour separately and so we see all seven colours at the same time – when you mix all seven colours of the rainbow together you get white!

Thought of the day – what is your earliest memory?

Thought of the day – what is your earliest memory?

nao

What is your earliest memory?  Mine is my third birthday party!  I remember getting a xylophone –  it was bright, colourful and made a lot of noise!  I sat beside the Christmas tree playing with this great new toy, my back to all my little party guests!

photo credit: fred_v via photopin cc
photo credit: fred_v via photopin cc

 

If you think back to your earliest memory you might come up with something similar to mine… well maybe minus the xylophone, the noise and the antisocial behaviour…. but you might find your earliest memories start about the same age.  Is this when we first start to form memories?  Do we need to reach a sufficient level of cognitive and language skills to do so?  Apparently not!

Studies have shown that we do form memories from a much younger age, however, these memories can be lost as we age, so, effectively our earliest memory milestone keeps moving.  Children as young as two or three may give valid events as their earliest memories but they may not be able to recall these memories if asked again a few years later.  So when do our set of early memories settle down to what we carry into adulthood?  Usually by the age of ten!

Why do most of us have our earliest memory from an event around the age of three….

  • by this age children tend to have a sufficient vocabulary to allow them express and detail their memory
  • this is usually the age where the sense of “self” develops
  • the hypocampus (the area of the brain associated with memory) has matured enough to adequately retain memories for long periods of time

 

Studies are ongoing with regard to what factors may influence our earliest memories but some interesting facts have emerged such as suggestions that females tend to have earlier memories than males and that there does not seem to be any bias towards positive or negative memories.  Also, we are as likely to report our earliest memory being of a mundane nature (like me and my xylophone) as of a significant event.  Some research that I found particularly interesting was the influence of culture on the age of earliest memory.  In cultures that promote discussion with children from a young age about themselves and their feelings and thought, earlier memories are more likely to be reported.  This is particularly true for cultures that put a strong emphasis on the past (such as New Zealand Maori).  Asian cultures tend to put less influence on a child as an individual and more on a group or national mentality, and these cultures tended to report an older age for first memories.

…just a thought!

 

What is your earliest memory?  I would love to hear your earliest memory and what age you were when the event took place!

Need a little cheering up?

Need a little cheering up?

nao

There must be something in the air today… I was met by two very sad looking kids at school pick up, my little three year old spent half his day crying and a poor friend sounded really low on the phone.  To be honest I am not exactly full of the joys myself .  So how can we cheer ourselves up when we are low… and is there a science to it?

Most people have their own ways of shaking off the blues.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t;  Here is a list of some possible ways to cheer yourself up, with a bit of science behind each!


1. Become an avid sports fan:
Apparently sports fans are less prone to depression and have a higher level of happiness due to the sense of connection and belonging associated with following a team!

2. Have a beer:
The mere taste of beer has been shown to increase levels of dopamine when compared with soft drinks.  Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that can increase our sense of pleasure and well being.

3. Head to the gym:
No big surprises with this one… the endorphin release we get from exercise makes us calmer, more productive and happier people!  If you combine exercise with being in the great outdoors you can increase your happiness quotient even further.

This leads me nicely into my last point… and the one that works best for me… being in the outdoors, or more precisely…

4. Get digging:
This always works for me.  No matter what mood I might be in getting my hand stuck into the soil seems to really give me a boost.  I thought it was due to a combination of factors… free air, a bit of exercise, a distracting project and the therapeutic effect of being among nature.  It appears there is even more to it…  the presence of a non-patoghenic bacterium called Mycobacterium vaccae within the soil itself.  M. vaccae has been shown to increase serotonin levels in mice and create responses similar to treatment with antidepressants.  Treatment with this friendly bacteria has been shown to increase mood in cancer patients and has been linked with improvement in cognitive function.

So, I’m off to dig a hole in the garden, while jogging on the spot, drinking a beer and cheering at the chickens to see which “team” makes it to the coop first.  I figure even if it doesn’t cheer me up it will certainly get the rest of the family laughing…. and laughter has to be the best cure of all for beating the blues!

Laughter... the best medicine!
Laughter… the best medicine!

 

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

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

nao

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!

Science through the eyes of a child!

Science through the eyes of a child!

nao

As a mother I have watched with fascination at how my children grow and learn, constantly testing, evaluating and questioning life around them.  For Newton (at the age of 23) it was apparently an apple from a tree that led to his evaluation of gravity but have you ever observed a toddler in a high chair dropping their spoon?  Every parent I know has gone through this phase with eventual exasperation, but look at it through the child’s eyes…. why does it always fall down?  Why does it not fall upwards and stick to the ceiling? Over and over again they test their results, natural scientists!

It has become an interest of mine to observe how our environment, lifestyles and educational facilities feed this wealth of natural scientific curiosity.  As my children passed through playschool and Montessori I observed the wonderful manner of learning and development through play and interaction that is encouraged through the guidelines of Aistear (the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework).

“Tell me and I forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I learn.” Benjamin Franklin

Now that my older children have moved into primary school I notice things are very different from my day.  Technology has made it to the classroom!  Chalk and blackboard have largely been replaced with interactive white boards and computers.

Children with Static BallThe internet has opened up a wealth of learning for our children where they can link to others on an international level to promote their learning in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects.  Our local school uses Manga High for interactive maths games, quizzes and learning.  Children are being educated in computers and programming technology through the global collaboration that is CoderDojo!

What about how science is taught in our primary schools?  The curriculum encourages children to learn through investigation and exploration of their physical and natural surroundings.  Teachers are encouraged to promote hands-on learning and it is certainly a requirement in the training of new teaching staff.  Online resources are available to encourage and assist in the teaching of science in the classroom.  The reality depends on how comfortable the teacher feels with the subject, the class sizes and time!  In my experience of bringing interactive science to the classroom, I have found the two types of teachers that show the most enthusiasm for what I do are those that are madly into science themselves and those that are totally intimidated by it!

Outside of the school environment there is more to stimulate the young scientist than ever before.  The Aquarium is a favourite in our family, as is the Zoology department at our local University.  We took in an interactive display on oscillation at the Science Gallery, on our last trip to Dublin.  The National History Museum is next on our list along with a science walking tour.  School holidays can now be filled with science camps, construction camps and outdoor nature workshops, to name but a few.

My observations have shown me how much has changed since my school days.  I learnt science from a book with little emphasis on questioning.  I am pleased to see that my children learn in an environment that encourages questioning and active exploration.  Just as they began their scientific enquiry with the early dropping of the spoon, they are moving through a life that is rich in scientific options, wonder and promotion.  It is even written into their school curriculum!  I have also learnt through my children, I am learning now more than ever, by simply….. looking at life through the eyes of a child!

This article originally appeared as a “guest post” on sciencecalling.com

Sticky toes

Sticky toes

nao

We are amassing quite a collection of geckos around our house these days.  Not the organic variety of course, although that would really please the kids!  No, our collection consists of ornaments, wall hangings, trinkets and even jewellery.  It all started ten years ago when on honeymoon in Barcelona … the little guys were everywhere and we were drawn to them with fascination – especially their ability to scale any surfaces they encountered (even glass).  So the collection started from there, anytime we come across a quirky gecko decoration or ornament we like, we purchase and add it to the collection!

Gecko

Ten years on and our fascination has grown along with our collection.  I was delighted to show my children a recent photo from National Geographic of a gecko.  Of course that lead to the children asking questions, that lead to questions, that led to the ultimate… “How do they walk up walls?” After answering their questions I decided this might be a good topic to start my 2013 blog with.  So…how do these amazing little creatures manage their “spiderman-like” feats? It truly is a marvel of nature but before I delve into that, I want to tell you a few other quirky facts about these lovely little creatures.

Geckos are a type of lizard.  They are found on all continents except Antartica.  They come in many shapes and sizes and are in fact the most species rich order among lizards.  They are also among the most colourful lizards in the world.

Most species of geckos can actually sever part of their tail, usually to escape the hold of a predatory or threat.  The released tail segment can keep wriggling as a distraction while the gecko escapes.  PRETTY COOL DON’T YOU THINK?  This process of severing the tail is called caudal autotomy!

photo credit: Tambako the Jaguar via photopin cc
photo credit: Tambako the Jaguar via photopin cc

Another very interesting fact about geckos is that nearly all species of geckos have no eye lids and can therefore not blink. Instead, they use their long tongues to clean any dust from their eyes.

Already you can begin to see how fascinating these creatures are, and that is before we have even looked at their ability to apparently defy gravity! DID YOU KNOW THAT A GECKO CAN SUPPORT ITS ENTIRE BODY WEIGHT ON ONE TOE?

So here is the science bit behind HOW THEY DO IT…the toes of a gecko are covered in hundreds of small ridges called lamellae.  Each ridge is covered in millions of hairs called setae.  Setae are much thinner that human hair (up to 30 times thinner).  Each seta then splits at the top into tiny strands called spatulae – there can be up to 1000 spatulae on one seta (if you think you have problems with split ends, pity the poor gecko!).  So you can begin to imagine how tiny these spatulae are, in fact, they are so tiny that they can bond with the molecules of the surface they are touching.  This bonding is referred to as van der Waals interaction!   The great thing about it is that it is what is called dry adhesion – it doesn’t require any sticky compounds or leave any messy residue.

photo credit: bernat... via photopin cc
photo credit: bernat… via photopin cc

 

This gives us an idea of how the gecko sticks to the surface, but HOW DOES IT UNSTICK?  The adhesion (sticking) process is said to be one-directional…imagine sticking a piece of sticky tape to a surface and then taking hold of one edge and peeling it back to remove it… the gecko does something similar.  Geckos toes bend in the opposite direction to humans so they can “peel” their toes off the surface from the tip backwards.  Add to this the fact that geckos have rotating ankles and you start to understand how they can move in any direction.

As you can imagine this ability has captured the interest of Scientist for a long time.  Imagine if we could copy this adhesion from the gecko… what could we do with the technology??? Robots that can scale any surface would be great in extreme or rescue situations, right?  Or how about a suit we could wear to allow us to climb like a gecko? Did you know that geckos can climb in a vacuum? So now we can start thinking about using this technology in space!  Or how about using the technology in bandages – inspired by the observation that geckos can climb in wet conditions… a bandage that stays on when wet.

Maybe YOU can think of another novel way to use gecko technology?  If you have any ideas I’d love to hear them!

More on geckos…
Nat Geo Kids Creature Facts – Geckos
The dance of the disembodied gecko tail
Geckos evolved sticky feet many times