2011 Features

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  Extraordinary Elements Winners Announced!

  All across Ireland primary school children were invited to participate in an exciting science-art competition to celebrate Science Week 2011 and its theme ‘The Chemistry of Life’. The competition was designed to introduce primary aged children to the general concepts of the elements, and a first introduction to the periodic table through the superhero ‘League of Extraordinary Elements’ with characters such as Hydrogen Girl and Carbon Boy!

  
  
  
  
  
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  Science Raps Winners!

  A group of students from Colaiste an Spiorad Naoimh, Bishopstown, Cork are the winners in the senior category of this year’s Science Raps competition. James Carr composed and performed the vocals for ‘The Chemistry of Life’ rap and the video was produced and edited by Eoghan Calnan.

  Joint first prize winners in the junior category are ‘LettusWrap’ by Megan McDonald, Megan Conroy and Sinead McDonald from Bush Post Primary School, Riverstown Dundalk and ‘ScienceRaps2011’ by Mistura and Bolaji Arowolo from Colaiste Bride, Clondalkin and Moyle Park College Clondalkin, Dublin.

  
  
  
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  Science Snaps Winners!

  The winners of the Science Week national science photography competition, Science Snaps, have been announced. Science Snaps is an annual science photography competition and exhibition run by Tyndall National Institute and Discover Science and Engineering which challenges people to think about the prevelance of science in their everyday lives.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  The Elements

  Follow us on Twitter over the next two weeks as we list some of our favourite elements!

  Which element was used to float vast airships? Which element is an unlikely metal? Which element gives that bright glow to the urban landscape? Keep an eye on twitter each day to find out soon!

  First up is Hydrogen. It’s colourless, odourless and tasteless…but highly combustible!

  
  
  
  
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  Science Week 2011 Lecture Series

  We’ve got a variety of lectures happening during Science Week 2011, from food science, to forensics, to immunology and even careers in space!

  Dolores O’Riordan is an expert on food, and will reveal the role that chemistry plays in food production in her lecture Smart Chemistry–Tasty Food!

  Dr John O’Shaughnessy is a forensic scientist, and his lecture, The Chemistry of Life–A Criminal’s Life! focuses on how chemistry can be used to catch criminals.

  Professor Luke O’Neill reveals how a human protein triggers the alarm system for your immune system in Chemistry, Disease and Cure.

  Dr Christer Fuglesang will be giving two lectures, based on his work as an astronaut with the European Space Agency; EXPOSURE Experiments and Space Careers–Life and Science in Space.

  
  
  
  
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  Science Week goes Virtual with MissionV

  During Science Week 2011 MissionV Education Limited, a not for profit organisation specialising in game based learning, will host an innovative and interactive Virtual Online Science Week Expo where primary school students will display their exhibits based around the “Chemistry of Life“ theme.

  September 12th saw the launch of the MissionV Virtual Worlds Network of Primary Schools, a first in Ireland and Europe. Supported by the National Centre for Technology in Education 20 primary schools nationwide took ownership of their 16 acre digital desert islands, where students connect, create and collaborate on a variety of building projects. These can be both individual and team based challenges.

  
  
  
  
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  Periodic Pressure

  Chemistry students use the Periodic Table a lot! Answer six randomly selected questions about the elements to see how much you know. Race against the clock and see what position you can reach on the leader board!

  Play Periodic Pressure
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Mars Science Laboratory: In Search of Origins

  The Planetary Society, in association with School of Physics NUI Galway, Galway Astronomical Club and CIT/Blackrock Castle Observatory, Cork will present a media-rich talk in Dublin, Galway and Cork during Science Week Ireland 2011, titled ‘Mars Science Laboratory – In Search of Origins’.

  The event is targeted at the general public and will present ‘hot of the press’ iconic and 3-D images from the no less than 8 spacecraft operating on and around the planet Mars currently and in recent times; as well as present details of the imminent Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) ‘Curiosity’ mission, due to launch to Mars on November 25th next. MSL Curiosity is among the most advanced space probe ever launched into space and will look for evidence of past or present life on Mars.

  
  
  
  
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  CIT National Mole Day Competition 2011

  The Departments of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry in CIT launch this year’s National Mole Day Competition for Irish Second Level Schools. Help us celebrate National Mole Day in Ireland by entering our competition for schools. Show us how your school celebrated Mole Day and you could win a laptop for your school. We are also running an individual prize for students. Enter your poster, flag or animation on the Mole Day theme and be in with a chance to win an Apple iPad for yourself.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Magic show or science lab?

  Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference when chemistry is used in clever ways. Here are 10 videos showing some cool chemistry videos from around the web. Don't forget that some of the chemicals involved can be hazardous if misused. They need adult supervision, and many of the experiments also need protective safety equipment such as goggles, gloves and aprons.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  What’s the Chemistry of Cooking?

  A lot of cooking involves chemistry and is essentially a series of chemical reactions. Knowing about this kitchen chemistry can help you to understand much more about what’s happening - and why your recipes sometimes go wrong.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  A World Without Chemistry?

  What would life would be like if nobody had ever studied chemistry? It’s easy to grumble about the homework, but it’s impossible to overestimate chemistry’s importance in our daily lives.

  Look around your home and count the number of things around you that have come out of chemistry breakthroughs and inventions. Without chemistry we wouldn’t have light bulbs, mobile phones, Facebook or Twitter. Much of the food we eat and clothes we wear involve chemists and chemistry too.

  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Five Irish Scientists
  who put Chemistry on the Map

  Find out about Robert Boyle, Robert Kane, Mary Rosse, George Johnston Stoney and Kathleen Lonsdale; famous Irish chemists who have made contributions to chemistry across the centuries.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  The Rise and Rise of Green Chemistry

  Agriculture is worth more than €5 billion to the Irish economy each year, but the chemistry involved in modern agriculture can also have a high environmental cost. There are 1.5 billion cows in the world, producing 18% of the planet’s greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) – even more than cars. Another issue is ‘eutrophication’, where fertilisers derived from phosphorous and nitrogen wash into lakes, streams, rivers and oceans. It causes algal blooms which destroy sea life and can poison the local environment.

  
  
  
  
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  The Chemistry of Sports Drinks

  It seems like every second advert on the TV now is for a sports drink. Sports stars are featured using them, from Brian O’Driscoll to Sean Ó Hailpín and Damien Duff. These drinks make a lot of claims about improving performance and endurance, so how do they work?

  To understand this, we need to look at how exercise affects your body chemistry.