A Catalyst article about whaling. During the last century whales were hunted and killed by many nations for the valuable materials they provided. Whale populations collapsed as a result. The article looks in detail at this example of human impact on the environment and details whale populations throughout the world...

This article from Catalyst looks at aurora borealis caused by the interaction of the solar wind with the Earth's magnetic field. It also explains how satellites are testing thoeires of how this happens. Auroral light emission occurs at roughly 100 km altitude. Energetic electrons in the solar wind cause the...

This Catalyst article explores the complex structure of cells, and numerous theories of how they were formed. It describes how the development of electron microscopes has allowed greater detail of cellular strutures and organelles to be understood. The article includes detailed electron micropgraphs, along with...

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 looking at how living organisms can act as biological indicators of problems in the way the environment is managed. Skylarks and other birds are disappearing from farmland. The article looks at how the statistics have been obtained, how and why bird numbers have declined and what can be done to...

This Catalyst article introduces Tom Denbigh who describes how he has worked as a volunteer on scientific projects to gain experience before his degree course.

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

The 2012 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine was won by Gurdon and Yamanaka, for their work on adult stem cells.

This Catalyst article explains how they discovered that a nucleus from an egg cell transplanted into a specialised cell can still develop into a fully functional organism. Yamanaka named these...

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...

A Catalyst article looking at the methods used to power rockets. Solid rocket boosters and liquid fuel rockets are the two main propulsion systems used to power rockets and solar power is used to drive electrical equipment. This article looks at these power systems and the future for rocket science.

This...

This Catalyst article looks at how Californians are being encouraged to prepare for the next big earthquake. It describes how earthquakes are produced by the relative movement of tectonic plates and how their intensity is measured using the Moment Magnitude scale. The article can be used to stimulate discussion on...

A Year 11 module from the Salters’ Key Stage Four double award gcse science course. This module draws together ideas about chemical bonding and the energy changes associated with bond making and bond breaking. The relationship between type of bonding and the properties...

A Year Ten module from the Salters’ double award science course. Exercises on codes and signalling methods introduce ideas about communication. A study of the ear leads to sound communication systems such as radio and telephones. Lenses are studied and the formation of...

This Salters’ Science extension module for biology deals with the breeding, cultivation and harvesting of plants as crops. Experiments on soil structure and nutrient content are matched with data about major crops to show why different crops require different conditions...

This resource, provided by the Association for Science Education (ASE) and part of the SYCD Science Year Who am I? collection, is a template for successful bridging projects.It is designed as transition activity for students moving from primary to secondary school.

By collecting visas for skills and...