A Catalyst article about the life and work of the physicist Robert Hooke. Hooke was a man of many interests. He invented many mechanical devices, including the universal joint used in all cars and designed a balance wheel for a watch. As part of his wide ranging observations, using a microscope, he first coined the...

This edition of the magazine focuses on the new approach to GCSE food preparation and n...

This issue of the magazine includes the following articles:

• Have your Pi and eat it too by Michael Anderson
• Bananas are big business by Ed Walsh
• The E in STEM by Gill Collinson and Gemma Taylor
• Celebrating International Darwin Day by Simon Quinnell
• Applying learning...

This issue of magazine includes the following articles:

• Preparing BTEC students for university by Adrian Greenall
• Future careers in magic by Dave Gibbs
• What does a good science scheme of learning look like? by Mark Langley
• Exploring our universe by Tom Lyons
• Moving...

A Catalyst article about practical chemistry experiments and the risks involved. The article helps in identifying, assessing and controlling the risks involved, it also includes a guide to the warning signs, labels and symbols used in laboratories.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2004,...

A Catalyst article about why human beings need salt (sodium chloride) in their diets to survive, but too much can be toxic. Where does salt come from, and what is it used for? This article looks at salt extraction and mining in England, the domestic and industrial uses of salt as well as its molecular structure....

Traditional cooking stoves burn fuel and produce a lot of smoke which is a major cause of pollution, leading to problems locally for the people using the stoves and also globally as a probable cause of retreating glaciers. According to the World Health Organisation, four million people worldwide die each year from...

A Catalyst article about careers in science communication. The article looks at the work of a science teacher, science presenter and a multimedia producer. In addition there is information about science career options.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2006, Volume 17, Issue 2.

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A Catalyst article about training as a technician after GCSEs. With an apprenticeship scheme it is possible to start a career at 16, keep learning to acquire qualifications – and get paid. It is quite possible to obtain a permanent job at the end of the apprenticeship. Many different companies up and down the...

In this Catalyst article the work of archaeologists working on the graves of World War One (WWI) victims is described. The total number of military dead in WWI is estimated at 8.5–10 million. In the mud and confusion, many of the dead did not have proper burials. Many temporary graves were destroyed by later...

This Catalyst article outlines volunteering opportunities for young scientists, engineers and medical students who put their studies to good use, working with local people around the world to bring the benefits of technology to communities who otherwise would go without some of the basic needs of life.

This...

Each individual blade of grass consists of various tissues, each made of cells in their thousands. In these cells an as yet unknown number of reactions and interactions are constantly taking place. The cells contain different parts known as organelles, which can be thought of as the cellular equivalent of the...

This Catalyst article describes how biophysics is helping in the search for novel antibiotics. Bacteria produce an array of proteins to kill off their competitors. These proteins, called bacteriocins, are very efficient at penetrating the defensive outer layers of bacteria cells by moving through specific membrane...

A Catalyst article about light pollution which is a growing problem, especially for astronomers, obscuring the view of the Moon, stars and planets. Astronomers are campaigning to reduce the pollution and bring the night sky back into view. With the aid of statistics the article makes the case for better street...

As transistors become smaller, the doping of semi-conductors becomes a significant challenge. This Catalyst article looks at how Scanning Tunnelling Microscopes can be used to manipulate individual atoms, to create electronic devices of unprecedented accuracy. The technique could also be used to fabricate quantum...