A Catalyst article about Quantum Tunnelling Composite, a material discovered in 1997 and whose resistance decreases dramatically under pressure. How does it work and what uses will it have? The material has been carefully characterised (to understand its composition and how it works), and its first applications...

A Catalyst article which explores how the nervous system works. Sensitivity, the ability to respond to stimulation, is a product of nervous system activity. How nerve impulses pass around the body, and why these responses are so fast are investigated in the article. Neurones, reflexes, synapses and receptors are...

A Catalyst article explaining how weather forecasts can help keep the public safe in extreme situations by providing advance warnings: for example, airline pilots rely on accurate information about the development of thunderstorms to help them decide which routes might be at risk from lightning or violent...

A Catalyst article about the safe use of radiation. Radioactive materials are hazardous because they give out ionising radiation. Like many scientific discoveries, radioactivity provokes a mixed reaction. Some seek to commercialise it whilst films and comic books emphasise its harmful effects. The article takes the...

A Catalyst article about how decisions taken about controversial issues such as the sitting of a radioactive waste store. How does a government decide where to put such a dump? And how can citizens affect the decision making process? The article examines how governments try to involve their citizens in decision-...

A Catalyst article about radioactivity that was being spread among wildlife species in the Arctic in ways that no one had detected before. The source of this radioactive contamination and how radioactivity is detected are investigated.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2004, Volume 15, Issue...

A Catalyst article about radiation and the many uses it has in medicine, both in finding out what is wrong with a patient (diagnosis) and in the treatment of cancer (therapy). The radiation used in medicine can come from electromagnetic radiation or from radioactive materials such as isotopes; the scanners using...

A Catalyst article about careers using radiography in medical procedures. The article looks at a typical working day for a radiographer, the types of radiography used, how to become a radiographer and the qualifications available.

This article is from GCSE Science Review 2006, Volume 16, Issue 3.

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This article focuses on Laboratory Astrophysics - the recreation of the conditions of space in the laboratory.

This Catalyst article looks at cuttlefish which have a remarkable ability to change their appearance at high speed. But how do they do this?

This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2016, Volume 26, Issue 4.

This School Science Review article looks at a selection of resources currently available for use in the teaching of astronomy in UK schools. It is by no means an exhaustive list but it highlights a variety of free resources that can be used in the classroom to help engage students of all ages with astronomy and...

A Catalyst article comparing mobile phones and UV sunbeds. Mobile phones emit radiofrequency (RF) radiation. Tanning beds emit ultraviolet (UV) radiation. These are both types of non-ionising radiation. In recent years both have received considerable media coverage and they are emotive topics for the general public...

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 STEM Learning Magazine includes articles on:

Professional development for science technicians
An interview with a design and technology teacher
Study visits to CERN
High quality...

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