SEEN - January 2008

Happy New Year to all readers of SEEN.

Unfortunately due to a combination of unexpected staff changes within think differently and my increasing PhD research commitments I have been forced to suspend futher issues of SEEN until my research is complete. I apologise to all subscribers, and I would like to thank your for your support of SEEN so far and the kind feedback that you have given us.

Are your pupils ready to learn?

How does diet and exercise influence the memory and concentration levels of your pupils? A massive national online experiment is being run for National Science and Engineering Week with teachers tv - "Ready to learn? - the experiment". Pupils ages 5-16 can take part online.

You can register your interest in taking part here: www.teachers.tv/node/23990

NSEW prize draw for schools

A prize draw is being offered to schools who register an event for National Science and Engineering Week by 1/2/08. Fifty lucky schools will each receive a motorised orrery, which have been donated by Philip Harris.
Ideas for your events and registration at www.the-ba.net/nsew

Science Enhancement Programme Taster workshop

10am -12 noon; Saturday 26th January 2008 Royal Belfast Academical Institution, Belfast

This workshop will provide participants with strategies to promote higher order enquiry, problem solving, thinking and learning skills for science. This is particularly useful for teachers developing materials for the Revised Curriculum. It is also an opportunity for colleagues to share ideas and experiences over coffee.

Contact Colin Press Colin Press, the Regional Officer for NI, press.colin@btinternet.com, or call 07788146969 for more information.

Science gallery opens in Dublin

The Science Gallery is an innovative new centre at Trinity College, Dublin designed to engage the public in science and technology.

Opening in February the €12m centre will offer a range of interactive exhibitions, workshops and othere events to help to connect scientists with the public. The first exhibition will be "lightwave" - a nine-day festival across Dublin exploring light and how we use it.

Find out more at www.sciencegallery.org

Free funding workshop for arts and science projects

Engaging Science funding workshop: Thursday 24 January 2008, Ormeau Baths Gallery, Belfast.

The workshop will provide information on our Engaging Science grant schemes (People, Arts, Society and Broadcast Development Awards), including an overview of the grants programme, the aims and objectives of the awards, and details of the application and review process.

As well as finding out how to produce an appropriate grant application, there will be opportunities to exchange ideas and develop partnerships and collaborations.

The Wellcome Trust — the UK's largest biomedical research charity — provides funding through its £3 million Engaging Science grants programme for artists/arts agencies, broadcast media, museums/cultural attractions and scientists — amongst others — to support projects that engage the public with biomedical science and its social contexts.

For more information or to book a place, visit the Wellcome Trust website or email engagingscienceworkshops@wellcome.ac.uk by Friday 18 January.

Maths writing competition

Plus magazine is trying to find the science writers of the future, who can make mathematics lively and interesting for a general audience. Published online and free of charge.
Secondary school students are invited to write a piece of up to 900 words about the life and/or work of any mathematician, living or dead.
University students and the general public can write a longer piece on any mathematical topic or application they think the world should know about.
The winning entries will be read by an international audience in the June 2008 issue of Plus. The closing date is March 31st 2008. Besides the fame and glory of seeing your article published in Plus, there are also prizes for the best submissions, including signed copies of popular science books and an Apple iPod.

For more details visit http://plus.maths.org/competition/

International Science Poetry Competition

Looking for a learning experience to further enhance your students' multiple intelligences? That will promote their creativity by asking them to use both their left and right brains? That will extend their learning?
Then the 2008 International Science Poetry Competition can help. There are three age groups: 9-11, 12-14, and 15+ years of age. Students need to submit a poem or rhyme by June 30, 2008. Rewards include certificates and trophies.

Full details, including sample poems and adjudicator's comments, may found at www.ScienceTime.com.au/ser/poetcomp.html

Ireland and Global Warming

This conference, organised by Christians in Science Ireland, will be held on Saturday 16 February 2008 in the Spires Conference Centre in Belfast.
Global warming has become one of the central scientific, political and ethical issues of our time. Nearly everybody in the world is contributing to it and everybody will be affected by it.
The basic facts of global warming are now well established through the reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Global warming is of great interest to scientists because of the complexity of the physical processes that govern global climate and the far-reaching potential ecological impacts.
It is of great importance to public policy because the measures proposed to reduce its effects reach into nearly all aspects of the human economy and the costs of both action and inaction are high.
It raises very serious ethical questions, because global warming will soon affect the lives of many people especially in poorer economies, but also because our sons and daughters will inherit the consequences of our actions or inactions.
This conference, which should be of interest to Christians and non-Christians alike, aims to take a holistic approach to the problem of global warming. We want to look at the global issues raised by global warming, at the impact on the island of Ireland, and at what we can do as individuals to make a difference.

Find out more at http://www.cis.org.uk/ireland/

and finally....

Now I'm not saying that all scientists are nerds, but ....
www.xkcd.com/356/

You might enjoy the cartoons on this site.

about SEEN

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