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...

This Catalyst article investigates the development of better, more energy-efficient solar cells. Every minute enough sunlight strikes the Earth to power our civilisation for a year, yet less than 1% of global energy generation is provided by solar energy. Solar cells convert sunshine directly to electricity, but to...

A Catalyst article looking at strategies for ensuring that there is a plentiful food supply in the future and how this can be sustained.

The article looks at three main areas for scientific investigation:

*Fertilisation

*Pest control

*Genetic modification

It also looks at...

This Catalyst article details how the genome of a plant called Arabidopsis has been unravelled so that this species can act as a model in genetic studies. Arabidopsis thaliana is a model species like the fruit fly Drosophila, yeast, and the bacterium Escherichia coli.  Scientists...

This Catalyst article looks at thorium - a heavy element, similar to uranium. Some people think that it could be the nuclear fuel of the future, as it can be used as the fuel in a fission reactor - and it appears to be much safer than uranium.

This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2014,...

This Catalyst article investigates how honeycomb (cinder toffee) is made using a thermal decomposition reaction to produce the gas bubbles. Sodium hydrogen carbonate (also known as sodium bicarbonate or bicarbonate of soda) has the chemical formula NaHCO3. When it is heated above about 80°C it begins to break down...

A Catalyst article about the European Space Agency (ESA) which has sent the Venus Express spacecraft to explore Earth's cloudy neighbour. The purpose of the project, which is primarily to gather information about the atmosphere around Venus, is explained and is put into context with concerns about climate change on...

Work done in this Nuffield 13 - 16 module followed from the S unit called ‘Cars on the move’. This X unit provided enough material for eight double periods. It could be selected to complete either a Science or a Further Science course. The teachers’ guide included seven...

This Catalyst article explains why there are many anti-bacterial drugs but few antivirals. There are millions of bacteria everywhere – on skin, in the gut, and on food. Bacteria have been troubling human beings for as long as they have been around, so a lot of effort has been directed into finding ways to fight...

A Catalyst article about X-rays. The medical profession does its best to avoid X-raying young people, but sometimes the benefits outweigh the hazards. The benefits go beyond discovering broken bones; X-rays have played a major part in discovering the structure of DNA. The article looks at the history of X-rays, how...

In the STEAM activity pupils will use their understanding of air resistance to design and make a parachute for a pilot. Pupils will use a range of materials and test their parachutes before recording and analysing the data. This resource is part of a series of resources produced by Rolls Royce and covers key areas...

Designed for teachers and STEM Ambassadors, this guide to the James Webb Space Telescope contains sections on the design of the spacecraft and instruments, and the science objects of the mission.  Advice on which information is appropriate for primary and secondary level is included.

This activity, produced by Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, aims to help students develop the skill of acquiring information from presentations and demonstrates how good presentations are structured and delivered. Students are challenged to: • identify good and bad practice in the delivery of presentations •...

From the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), this leaflet describes our Sun and its impact on Earth. It looks at the properties of the Sun and how current space missions and ground-based experiments are providing new understanding of our nearest star. STFC is a part of the Research Councils UK (RCUK)...

Part of the Educational research in STEM subjects collection, this collection holds a variety of reports that cover a wide range of issues in science, mathematics and...