Catalyst Volume 14 Issue 2

This issue of Catalyst includes the following articles:

First Flight: the Wright Brothers

The first powered flight was made by the Wright brothers over a hundred years ago. Unlike the try-it-and-see methods used in many of the previous attempts, the Wrights approached the problem of flight in a scientific way and beat the competition.

Snooker Balls, Plum Puddings and Solar Systems

People have long wondered about what matter is made of. Snooker balls, plum puddings and solar systems have all featured in descriptive models of atoms. This article explores how people’s ideas about atomic structure have changed over the years.

Photosynthesis

Most living organisms depend on plants, either directly or indirectly and therefore they depend on photosynthesis. The article takes a detailed look at the intimate workings of the structures upon which life on Earth depends - green leaves.

Decommissioning a Nuclear Reactor

As the first generation of nuclear power stations reach the end of their useful life this article looks at what is involved in decommissioning them and how the process is affected by the properties of radioactive elements.

Mars Express

The idea of life on Mars has intrigued scientists for centuries. The Mars Express mission aims to find out more and to establish if the planet does support life now or did in the past.

Catalyst is a science magazine for students aged 14-19 years. Annual subscriptions to print copies of the magazine can be purchased from Mindsets.