Science through the eyes of a 16 year old

I went to the Big Bang Fair Eastern, presenting my project - communicating the science of space and space travel. Although I didn't win anything, I came back to the amazing news that my eBook that I'd made free for the day had reached the top 100 in free science books. By the end of the night my eBook reached number 3 on free science books!

I absolutely love science communication - but many teenagers are put off by what they're taught in science lessons. I reckon this is partly due to the fact revision for the GCSE's always seems to become learning huge lists of bullet point information. To a lot of teenagers - they often don't know or understand the point of what they learn.

So what can be done?? In my opinion it's about getting teenagers and school aged children to see beyond the classroom which what I've tried to address with my eBook, Science Bites. I've covered many topics that you do in school up until GCSE level - I've then adapted them to make it fun for people of all ages to read, you can download my eBook here - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Science-Bites-Short-Tour-Universe-ebook/dp/B00LHOXRO4. 

Follow the rest of my #SummerofScience and me on Twitter @Sci_Sparks. Don’t forget to download my charity eBook, Science Bites: A Short Tour of the Universe HERE. 

Meet the Piglet Squid

The Piglet Squid (BBC Focus Magazine)

This is the Piglet Squid (Heliocranchia pfefferi) which always has a smile on his face! The tentacles seem to form a mass of curly 'hair'. The squid is roughly the size of a small avocado and is common in deep water in virtually all oceans. It lives at depths of around 100m or 320ft.

 

The piglet squid is a slow swimmer but ammonium ions in its body fluid help to keep it buoyant. A large light-producing organ (photophore) is located beneath each of its large eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do carrots help you to see in the dark?

Yes and no. Carrots contain vitamin A or retinol which is needed for your body to make rhodopsin which is a pigment in your eyes which operates in low light conditions. If you had a vitamin A deficiency you would develop nytalopia or what we might call "night blindness". Eating carrots would correct this, but only to the point of an ordinary person's vision at night - it won't ever let you see in complete darkness.

This idea first came about because of the Air Ministry in WWII. To prevent the Germans finding out that Britain was using radar to intercept bombers on night raids. They issued press releases stating that the British pilots had been eating a lot of carrots to give them exceptional night vision which fooled the entire British public as well as the German High Command, there an old wive's tale was born!