A Catalyst article about light emitting diodes and how they are more energy efficient than existing light bulbs which waste most of the energy they receive. The article explains how LEDs work and how they can be applied in traffic lights. Creating white light from LEDs is difficult and the article looks at possible...

A Catalyst article about devising better, more energy-efficient lighting. In particular the article focuses on LEDs. Like food, water, clothing and shelter, light is essential to daily life and is needed by most people for most of their waking hours. The article explains how LEDs work and how they are made.

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The STEM club from Holy Cross School in Chorley and the North West Local Centre of the Royal Meteorological Society collaborated on a project to launch a balloon into the atmosphere. The balloon was carrying a camera, a GPS transmitter and a radiosonde, an instrument which transmits measurements by radio waves back...

This Catalyst article looks at scuba diving, and how having a knowledge of physics is vital in helping divers to get out of dangerous situations. Divers must be trained to control their buoyancy, and to ascend and descend at a safe pace to avoid injury. Other factors explored in the article are the effects of...

A Catalyst article investigating if there is life elsewhere in the universe. Scientists have found many different ways of looking for life. This article looks at the exploration so far.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2004, Volume 14, Issue 3.

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A Catalyst article describing how a decaying log is used by many different invertebrates and vertebrates. The damp environment is suitable for many species. This well illustrated article looks at some of them.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2011, Volume 21, Issue 3.

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A Catalyst article about Earth’s biodiversity much of which appears to be teetering on the brink of a man-made extinction crisis. Scientists have suggested that, unless urgent action is taken now, many species will disappear in the next 50 years. This article looks at some of the issues involved.

This...

A Catalyst article about the Nobel Prize for physics 2009 winner Charles Kao, who developed optical fibre systems and CCDs which are the basis of most of today's long distance telephone systems. Kao also developed tiny solid state lasers which work for years without failing. The article also looks at the bringing...

Each issue of the Big Picture is on a different topic in biology and comes with its own sprinkling of ‘fast facts’, fascinating snippets of information on the topic. This booklet brings together the best of the fast facts from the last fourteen issues, sorted into eight themes, for use in project work, as part of...

A Catalyst article describing Lucie Green's work as an astronomer and broadcaster on the Sky at Night programme. The article looks at her education and research career together with information on her work outside of broadcasting.

This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2008, Volume 19, Issue...

This Catalyst article is about a group of school students in South Africa that are helping to develop a spacecraft that will monitor agricultural changes in their country.

This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2016, Volume 27, Issue 4.

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It takes a lot of rare natural resources and energy to make a mobile phone, laptop or computer, the modern technology we use every day. That is why many scientists would like to take inspiration from Mother Nature to help us to make more environmentally-friendly machines in the future.

This Catalyst article...

This Catalyst article explains how to make an elastic band using Copydex, a source of rubber latex. Rubber latex is a liquid polymer. It is made of long molecules which are all separate. Elastic bands are made by cross-linking the polymers in rubber latex. This changes the properties of the polymer and forms a...

This Catalyst article describes how an indicator changes colour when in solutions of different pH. Most indicators simply turn one colour in acid and another in alkali, although they are often an in-between colour when neutral. A universal indicator only turns as many colours as it does because it is a mixture of...

This Catalyst article describes how to make a lava lamp by using three simple ingredients: vegetable oil, food colouring and fizzing tablets. The article also explains the processes taking place inside a real lava lamp and why they happen.

This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2011, Volume...