Uppingham Science Magazine 2

THE UPPINGHAM

SCIENCEMAGAZINE

An Interview with Graham Lee on his book, The Subconscious Code

The Infinite Hotel Paradox

Brain Food; Schrodinger’s Cat; Find the Element 01-02 03-06 07-08 11-14 09-10

The Global Work Space Theory; Anki; Science Practical Top Tips

The Infinite Hotel Paradox (Continued); Biology Crossword

TableofContents

Who was Marie Curie? ; Did you know you could die from a broken heart? 15-16

Why do duckbill platypuses fluoresce under UV light?

Can you match the planets to their pictures?

17-18 19-20 21-22 25-26 23-24

An Insight into Mr Kirk’s Art in the Science Department

Chemistry in the Film Industry; Nanotechnology in Catalysis

TableofContents

Movie, TV show and documentary reccomendations

Fun Facts; Closing 27-28

Welcome to Volume 2!

With our second edition of the magazine, we were determined to be as creative as possible in the topics we explored and also thinking of pages that will be useful to the student body. In these pages, you’ll find subjects ranging from the fluorescence of platypuses to the infinite hotel paradox.

It was important for us to try and link other subjects to science in this volume. Hence, we have pages linking subjects like art with Mr Kirk’s writing and psychology with an interview with Graham Alexander Lee.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed and we hope that you enjoy!

GRAHAM ALEXANDER LEE

ON HIS BOOK THE SUBCONSCIOUS CODE

About the author

Graham Alexander Lee was born in Romford, Essex and graduated in 1973 from the University of Warwick with a degree in Philosophy. His professional career began in the music industry as a tour, promotions and marketing manager with several major record companies working for legendary acts and artists such as The Four Tops, Steely Dan, Wishbone Ash, Bob Marley and The Wailers, Elton John and Roxy Music.

He subsequently spent several years in London as a professional counsellor and hypnotherapy practitioner before moving to the Midlands as a logistics manager with a company specializing in supporting transport for the elderly and disabled. During this time, he also served as a parish councillor and a school governor.

In 2000 he began, his own online company Marketing 1-01, which he continues to manage and has served as a charity trustee as well as being an author and presenter.

The Subconscious Code is his first published book which is soon to be followed by a number of specialist titles in the same series as well as a new book called The Security of Wealth.

AsGrahamAlexanderLeeputsit,‘TheSubconsciousCodeisabouttheunspokenwaysinwhichwecommunicatewitheachother.Itis abouttheattitudesweadopttowardseachother,howtheyaffectourrelationshipsandwhatwecandotoimprovethem.”

Althoughthisisasciencemagazine,Ithoughtthisbook(ashelatersuggestsinourinterview)isrelevanttoanydiscipline.Withinany career,communicationiskey.Inhisbook,heintroducesanumberofstrategiesthatwecanuseandrecognisewhencommunicating witheachother.Heintroducesconceptslikemindmoodssuchasgoodfriend,babyandboss,whichare‘indicativeofhowweviewthe world’tomorefamiliarconceptslikemindstyles,includingvisual,auditoryandkinetic,whichdescribethewaywe‘experiencethe externalworld’and‘exchangeinformation.’

Ipersonallythinkthebookisquiteaccessibletoreadandsoanyonefromfourthformtouppersixthwouldeasilybeabletounderstand (anduse)the‘tools’thatMrLeeexplains-Iwoulddefinitelyreccomendhavingareadofit!

Could you tell me about the book and what were your intentions when writing the Subconscious Code?

GL: I haven't consciously thought of the contents of the book quite some time. But the whole point of it being subconscious is that it's just a part of the way of thinking. I was just talking about Descartes and how the only thing you can know is that you exist, and one of the main points from The Subconscious Code is that you need to put yourself at the centre. Plus, the fact that you are the perpetrator of the events around you, rather than the participant or just being reactive. Everyone has that choice, who's aware that they have all these strategies within them and in their head if they want them. Within in my book, all I'm trying to do is highlight these techniques that we all have subconsciously. People can choose to use them or not to use them (if they are aware) and from that position all I can know is that I am aware. Now we have this toolbox of different strategies and different positions that you can recognise other people in.

What would you saw our relationship is right now, as interviewer and interviewee?

GL:ParticipantIwouldsay,andIhopeit'sgoodfriend.However,youlookatmanyinterviewersandyouseethemtakeonamore authoritativerole.Politiciansrightnowforexample,withthegeneralelectiongoingon,decidehowtoreacttothatposition.Theythinkhow doIchoosetoreact?Whatdotheywanttogetoutofthis?AndasIsayearlyononeofthethingsIpointoutis:what'syourgoal? So, in this situation, the politician may realise that the interviewer has taken on a boss role and so themselves adopted a baby role. Therefore, (with that awareness) they are then able to in a sense get across the political points that they want to and adapt to the relationship that the interviewer has created.

So, I’ve been told you have a background in philosophy- how have you gone from that to writingthisbook?

GL: I went to Warwick University in 1970 and yes did do philosophy, it was one of those subconscious things that kind of called to me. And to be honest, I haven't really done philosophy in an academic sense since but, I have continued to read about it. I wouldn't call this book philosophical, but with me it comes fromaphilosophicalplace.IwouldsayIhavean inquiring mind and this book was a bit of a journey for me-it took me a long time to finalise it. It was my interest in various aspects of philosophy relevant to this, and Descartes came into it- I think therefore I am. So, that was the starting point for me. I realised that putting yourself in the centre in a way and working out with the people around us and our interactions was a key concept for me and allows you to create a set of tools as I say. You can choose to use them, and you can choose not to use them. Again, as I say in the book it's not a philosophy, it’snotareligionandIdonotclaimit'srightor correct. I tried to bring a lot of ideas together about communication in the way that I understood it. Ideas like Boss and baby came from transactional analysis, same with neurolinguisticprogrammingifyouknowthat.

How did you come up with those names, like BossandBaby?

GL: Well, I guess it goes back to my childhood I suppose. I recognised my father as an authority figure- he was never my friend. My mother was an authority figure but she was also my friend. They were names I experienced within my relationships. Boss, my dad was always the boss andIwasthebaby.Mydadhadagreatinterest in the German language and he's always called me Kleiner mann -little man- it was affectionate but it reinforced the fact that he was senior to me. In later life there were times that this became a problem because he would not move from the boss mindset, he and I were never good friend. There was one occasion, where he and I had a fight, and I stormed out he said,” Don't go son. Come back-I love you.” And I remember thinking my dad? My dad doesn't say things like that. It was an example of how he had moved his position subconsciously into baby looking for me to be boss because he knew perhaps but that was what I was asking for. By asserting myself, I had moved into boss, and he had moved into baby.

I think one of the key ideas about good communication is listening. It is definitely one of the more important aspects of the structures and how they work. I hope that I'm listening to you by observing your eye contact and your bodyposture. Thereistowardstheendmybook a concept I introduce called medal, from a transactionalanalysisperspective,thiswouldbe calledstroking,or(inoldterms)‘givingsomeone a pat on the back.’ It's about not being afraid to tell someone good job, well done- it's that openness, that clarity and honesty that are important in communication. To me, respect is very important and central to using the tools in mybook.

I've just written an article on the importance of communication in medicine, and I was wonderinghowyourbookandthesubconscious code could apply to a medical setting or any sciencerelatedcareergenerally?

GL: Well, I know nothing about medicine but personallyIthinkthetoolsapplyinanysetting. Say, for example, you're a surgeon and you've gotsomeone'slifeinyourhandsandawhole

team around you, if you show them respect and, for example know their name, you’ll be abletoworktogethereffectively.Whetherthey callyouSirorsuch,iftheyhavenorespectfor you (in turn) then there is no genuine authority. Again, remember the code is both subjective and flexible you can accept it or rejectit.

Do you think there are parts of the Subconscious code that are more important thanothers?

GL:Not really, because as I say it's a toolbox. Although, I would say understanding yourself and respect are vital for having good communication skills. If everyone worked to improve the things that they can improve and focus on the things that we are individually able to do, we can perhaps get a lot further forwardandaccomplishmore.

Have your ideas about the subconscious code changedsinceyouhavewrittenthebook?

GL: I don't think so -not in essence. I don't thinkthosethingschange,thesocietychanges. My own perspective of the book may be different from yours; the world around you is different from the world around me. I don't thinkthattheprincipleshavechanged.

Did you have a target audience in mind when writingthebook?

GL: Only in as much as I was working in an environmentwhichhadteamsofpeopleandas an observer and participant within those structures. For example, being in management meeting things got talked about, decided, agreed but when we left the meeting people would just go back to what they did before they hadn't learned anything. So, that's partly where it came from for me- as a means of getting around some of those communication issues within management teams. Although, I wouldn'tsayIexactlyhadatargetaudiencein mind, I thought what I had to say was worth putting down. If anyone wanted to have to look at it I was pleased, but if it’s not that's fine because it works for me I've been able to applyitacrossmylife.

I think not having a target audience in mind, and instead trying to create something that’s accessible is a really important part of the book, as my reason for making it is to try and reach a lot of people. I wasn't writing to please a niche, it'slikeanartforminaway.

Were there any books you took inspirationfrom?

GL:AsIsay,therootslayintransactional analysis, but I wouldn't say anything specific- I tried to be as broad as possible and learn as much as possible to take on whatIthoughtwasvaluable.Partlywhat fedthewritingwasmyexperiences.

When you mention mind styles (visual, auditoryandkinetic)isitpossibletohave morethanone?

GL: Yes, definitely, and that's why I say it's flexible- it's like a spectrum almost. Personally, I would say I'm more of a visual learner but there are definitely shades at which different people different fallon.

At the moment, a lot of us have interviews for prefect positions and I was wonderingdoyouhaveanytips?

GL: It would depend somewhat on who was interviewing you, what you know of them and what their styles are. If its teachers interviewing you, you tend to know what kind of subconscious style they've got and you’ll know to some extent what their profile is, whether they tend to be boss or good friend. So, you talk to them in that language. In that situation,you'renottryingtodoanything therapeutic and you're not trying to educate them. You are trying to get a result and so don't try to be clever- treat them how you think they want to be treated. Tone and voice are important but nuances that you have to develop yourself. I would say respond to them in the way they've indicated that they want youtorespond.Beinthemoment.

The Global Workspace Theory

Global Workspace Theory (GWT), what a cool name! This is what I thought when I first saw this. But what is Global Workspace Theory?

Global Workspace Theory is a theoretical framework proposed by cognitive scientist Bernard Baars to explain the nature of consciousness. It is quite hard to explain academically; so, imagine your brain is a bustling office full of busy people and cubicles, and GWT suggests that your conscious mind is the manager of this workplace. Every employee, running around with some information (thoughts), may be serious; may be funny; is trying to be noticed by the manager (your conscious mind). To get to this point, they start competing with each other and those who have information that is not important or compelling will go back to their own cubicles in frustration and throw the boring information into the bin. The more attention an “thought” gets, the more it gets shared with other employees.

The Global Workspace Theory says that only the most attention-grabbing thoughts make it to the boss's office, and your conscious mind decides which thoughts get the spotlight. These thoughts will be broadcasted to the rest of the brain, creating a shared workspace where different brain regions can access and interact with them. Your brain becomes the center stage of the captivating thoughts you choose, and they will influence your actions and perceptions.

Overall, it is like a comedy show, where the funniest and most attention-grabbing thoughts steal the spotlight and shape your perception of the world. GWT helps explain why certain thoughts dominate our attention while others lurk in the background, waiting for their chance to shine.

Through this, we can see that conscious brain information is assessed by way of reportability. This means that there are certain activities happening in the brain that we can be aware of and describe, while there are other activities that occur in the brain but cannot consciously be perceived or described.

byLisaLi

GW theory suggests that consciousness facilitates the collaboration and competition of various networks in order to solve problems, like retrieving specific items from our immediate memory. The contents of our consciousness might correspond to brain processes that resemble fleeting memories, triggering widespread activation in different regions of the brain.

Explanation:

o Visual occipitotemporal lobe neurons - also known as ventral stream neurons or inferotemporal neurons, are a type of specialized nerve cells located in the occipitotemporal lobe of the brain. The occipitotemporal lobe is part of the ventral visual stream, which is responsible for the "what" pathway of visual processing. This pathway is involved in the identification and categorization of visual stimuli. Within this pathway, visual occipitotemporal lobe neurons are highly selective and responsive to specific features of visual stimuli.

o Visually evoked activity in parietal regions - refers to the neural responses and activation observed in the parietal lobes of the brain in response to visual stimuli. Parietal regions are involved in various visual processing tasks, including spatial perception, attention, and integration of sensory information. When visual stimuli are presented, these regions exhibit specific patterns of neural activity that contribute to our ability to perceive and interpret visual information, particularly in terms of spatial relationships, object location, and attentional processes.

o The thalamocortical system - a network of connections between the thalamus and the cerebral cortex. It plays a key role in sensory processing, transmitting sensory information from the thalamus to the corresponding cortical areas. This system is involved in filtering and prioritizing sensory inputs, modulating perception, attention, and facilitating the integration of sensory and motor functions.

o The cerebellum - a region located at the back of the brain. It is primarily responsible for coordinating and regulating movement, maintaining balance and posture, and assisting in motor learning and coordination.

o The basal ganglia - a group of interconnected structures deep within the brain. The basal ganglia help initiate and regulate voluntary movements, modulate muscle tone, and contribute to various aspects of decision-making and behavior.

ThepartPARTIALLobe

What is Anki and how can it be used?

Anki is a really useful app (although not particularly nice-looking) that a lot of students have found helpful, especially at A level. It is used to create flashcards- these can vary in style (e.g. fill in, flip over). However, where it differs from other apps, like Quizlet, is the fact that the difficulty of a flashcard determines how frequently you see it. For instance, if you find a topic easy you may only review it again a week later, whereas if you decide it was a difficult card you may see it again in the next minute. This builds up over time and the system is based on the forgetting curve. It is really helpful for any subject, but regarding the sciences, I have found it primarily being handy for the content-heavy biology a level. Making flashcards can be a little daunting, so you could start by simply searching up something like ‘Anki Biology Cards A Level Year 1’ and you can find plenty of results which you can then download and use yourself. I would also definitely recommend it for gcse level.

Anki

Science Practical Top Tips

ACROSS ALL YEAR GROUPS, it seems that practical exam questions are notoriously disliked. Often because they are (arguably) some of the hardest questions at both gcse and a level. Here, we’ve listed some of our top tips to hopefully help you when you do inevitably find them....

we’ve also included some more general tips...

Learn some common controls- they tend to be similar for a lot of practicals (e.g. usually involve volume, concentration, age, other medical conditions, temperature...)

Sample size tends to come up a lot...

What makes a practical reproducible or repeatable?

Learn your independent, dependent and control variables off by heart

Keep going over the core practicals and familiarise yourself with alternative ways the same practicals can be done- usually what throws a lot of people off is they come across a practical which they believe they haven’t seen before, but in reality, it is a different version of one of their core practicals. So, prepare yourself with what the actual objectives are of the practical.

Highlighting and rereading instructions: seems straightforward, but it makes a difference

Equipment: learn what each piece of equipment are used for, are there some that are more accurate than others?

A water bath can be used to control temperature in an experiment

Make knowing how to convert units a priority (especially for physics gcse)

Acronyms can be very useful for content heavy subjects like biology

Watch a range of videos covering each core practical- this way you can see how different people carry out the experiment and different inaccuracies that they each mention

Actually doing the practical can be useful for memory (so potentially ask teachers if you can carry out the practical again)

GCSE AND A LEVEL

The Infinite Hotel

paradox

PROBLEM: Imagine an infinitely large hotel, which is filled with infinitely many guests. If someone new comes to stay, can we always give them a room somewhere in the hotel?

SOME DEFINITIONS:

Most of the things we deal with in life are countable and/or finite. For example, the number of people on earth, the number of ways to play chess or the time taken to run the Routh.

In this article we will look at a different kind of number, Countable infinities. Countable infinities include sets like counting the whole (natural) numbers, whereas uncountable infinities may include something like counting all the decimal numbers or irrational numbers between 1 and 2.

So, what’s our answer? Surprisingly, it is always yes! Our solution is quite simple. We need to move the guest in room 1 to room 2, the guest in room 2 into room 3, the guest in room 3 into room 4 and so on. FORMULA: n+1

As there are infinite rooms, the guests can move to the room across and there will always be an extra room at the end that is free (otherwise it wouldn’t be infinite) for the last person, making space in room 1 for the new one.

WHAT IF THERE IS MORE THAN ONE NEW GUEST?

There now need to be n unoccupied rooms for the new guests, even though the hotel is alreadyfull.

So, the guest in room 1 now needs to move to room n+1, with everyone else following the samepattern.

we have hence created enough space for our newguests.

WHAT IF A (COUNTABLY) INFINITE NUMBER OF GUESTS ARRIVE?

There now needs to be an infinite number of unoccupied rooms for the infinite number of new guests, even though the hotel is already full. Time to get clever.

If every guest in every room doubles their current room number and moves there we will have created at least as many free rooms as we had guests already.

Since the hotel already had an infinite number of guests booked in, this creates an infinite number of now empty rooms (all the odd numbers) to put our new guests in.

WHAT IF AN INFINITE LINE OF INFINITE BUSES ARRIVES WITH AN INFINITE NUMBER OF PASSSENGERS?

APPROACH: Many of these solutions use bijection in order to solves these infinity based problems. Let us look at the primes and see if we can find a link.

BIJECTION: “is a function between the elements of two sets, where each element of one set is paired with exactly one element of the other set, and each element of the other set is paired with exactly one element of the first set. There are no unpaired element”

First,weneedtoestablishthatthereare infinitivelymanyprimenumbers.

ThistheorywasprovedbyEuclid’stheoremin 300BC.

EUCLID’S THEOREM:

First, if you were asked to list the prime numbers you know, you would assume that there are still more prime numbers. Despite how large this list is, you would assume that it is incomplete.

Let us order each prime: (p1= prime 1, p2= prime 2, p3= prime 3 and so on)

p1,p2, p3, p4, p5… pn

until we think we have all of them

P= the product of that list

P= p1 x p2 x p3 x p4 x p5… x pn

Imagine a new number, Q, where Q=P+1

THEFUNDAMENTALTHEORMIN ARITHMATIC:

Therefore,twoalternativeconclusionscanbemade.This considerswhetherQisorisn’taprimenumber.Ifwe assumethatQisaprimenumber,itcannotbeonourlist asQisonegreaterthantheproductofalltheprimes. However,ifQisnotprime,thentheremustbesome primefactorthatdividesintoQbythefundamental theoremofarithmetic.Let’scallthisprimeF,nowsince PistheproductofprimesFisafactor,butitisalsoa factorofQbyconstruction.

Each number greater than 1 is either a prime or can be written as a product of its primes. From the diagram to the left, you can then use those prime factors in a variety of combinations to create all the factors of the given number (in this case, 1092).

E.g. (2 x 3) x (2 x 7 x 13)

This is a contradiction, hence we can conclude that the set of all prime numbers is countably infinite.he set of all prime numbers is countably infinite.

With this information, we can begin a system to move the guests into the hotel. Firstly, you take the current hotel room guests and, by using the first prime number (2) raise it to the power of their original room number. Leaving all the odd numbers free.

Then, we have to address bus 1. We take the second prime number, 3, and, using the same method, raise it to the power of their seat number. (e.g. if the guests seat number was 4, the person would move to room 3^4).

Next, we repeat this process for bus 2. We take the third prime number, 5, and raise it to the power of their seat number. (e.g. if the guest was in room 2, the person would move to room 5^2.

WHY DOES INCOUNTABLE INFINITY NOT WORK?

For instance, an infinite bus arrived but the (infinite) people did not have a selected seat and instead had a variation of names deriving from two letters.

So, all the infinite amount of people in the bus (for example) had names that were a variation of the letters A and B, and nobody had the same name.

This process can be repeated for all buses, and will move every guest into an unoccupied odd number (leaving lots of gaps). Some of

And so on.

This is an example of incountable infinity.

If I then were to assign a room number for each of the names, I would find that I would be able to create a new name, even if it were (hypothetically) a complete infinite list.

If I now take the first letter of the first name and change it to the opposite letter (in this case, A --> B), then take the second letter of the second name and change it to the opposite letter and so on, I can create a new name.

Therefore, there is no way of accounting for all people, and so it is impossible to assign a room number to each of them. You can not match each person with an integer- there will always be people left over. (This is a famous proof by Cantor- have a look to get a better understanding of incountable infinities ).

the biology

When preparing for exams, revision and study timetables are usually at the forefront of our minds however we often overlook the importance of nurturing our most vital organ - the brain. Although flashcards and mind maps can do the trick, the brain also requires proper nutrition to function. Incorporating certain foods into your diet can help support brain health and cognitive function.

Since exam season is upon us, it might be wise to add a few of these to your shopping list….

1.

Although these are strictly forbidden at school, nuts and seeds are an optimal source of protein and omega fatty acids. Proteins help with neuron communication in the brain and fatty acids provide the building blocks of cells in the brain. These along with other nutrients like magnesium and iron found in nuts and seeds help with storage of new memories and overall brain function.

2. Avocados

The avocado's rich and creamy texture is due to it being packed with healthy monounsaturated fats like oleic acid. These fats help maintain cell membranes throughout the body, and in the brain. They are also filled with vitamin E, which helps protect the cell membranes from free radicals that speed up progression of degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.

Nuts and Seeds

Blueberries and other dark berries derive their pigment from the antioxidantsflavonoids. Not only do flavonoids provide brilliant hues but, they have also been found to accumulate in the brain, improving communication between cells. A study done at Harvard University found a connection between consumption of blueberries in women and delay in memory decline.

Not only does a square of dark chocolate indulge one's sweet tooth, but also provides plenty of flavonoids, caffeine and antioxidants. Flavonoids are antioxidants that protect against oxidative stress and preserve neuronal function. Altogether, dark chocolate (with a cocoa content of 70% or higher) can improve blood flow to the brain and cognitive function.

3. Blueberries

4. Dark Chocolate

Schrödinger’s Cat

Some might have heard of Schrödinger and his famous thought experiment or perhaps the absurdity of a cat in a box that is both dead and alive until the box is opened. He designed it to illustrate the strangeness of the quantum world–specificallyquantumsuperposition.

In quantum mechanics a particle can have measurable properties called quantum states, this could be its spin, position and energy. In certain scenarios, these quantum particles can occupy multiple quantum states at the same time. This was not discovered until the mid1930s by Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger. In mathematical terms, this is much like how x² = 4, where x is both 2 and -2. Or perhaps imagine flipping a coin, when it is spinning in the air, the coin is both heads and tails, with a 50-50 probability of each. In quantum mechanics, observing the particle (or using the coin, you stop it with your hands), destroys its state of superposition (the coin hadtochoosetobeeitherheadsortails).

So back to the cat. Putting a healthy cat in a box with a radioactive atom that has a 50-50 chance of decaying within an hour. If it decays, it is detected by a Geiger counter that triggers the release of a poisonous gas. Before we open the box, we do not know if the atom could have decayed or not decayed – it is in a superposition of states. This means the Geiger counter is both triggered and not triggered so the poisonous gas is released and not. So in fact the cat is both dead and alive. According to this, opening the box andobservingthecatdefinesitsstate.

Schrödinger found this so philosophically disturbing that he abandoned it and moved to biology. Both he and Einstein were uneased by this newfound sense of reality, for this brings to mind the question…how far does consciousness affect our reality, and can the universe exist without consciousness?

AIMED

The first letter of the answers to these questions gives you an element

CAN YOU FIGURE OUT WHICH ELEMENT IT IS?

1. The name the Group 0 elements are more commonly known as...

2. What is reached when the forward and backward reactions occur at the same rate in a reversible reaction?

3. Small particles that cause global dimming and health problems for human are called...

4. Polymers which do not melt when heated

5. The estimated degree of error in a measurement

6. The name of the atomic model that stated that the mass was concentrated at the centre of the atom and the nucleus was charged

7. Atoms of the same element with the same number of protons but a different number of neutrons.

8. A mixture of dyes that changes colour gradually over a range of pH and is used in testing for acids and alkalis

9. Where the molecules can move during chromatography (it is always a liquid or a gas)

Who was Marie Curie?

By Lily Muller

Born on the 7th of November 1867 in Warsaw Poland, Marie Curie is one of the most prominent names in the science, and for good reason. Marie went to university in Paris in 1891 to study physics, chemistry and mathematics. This is also where she met her future husband and colleague Pierre Curie. In 1896, a man named Henri Becquerel discovered radioactivity. This inspired Pierre and Marie to continue investigating. They studied countless minerals and substances to search for signs of radioactivity. They found that the mineral pitchblende was much more radioactive than uranium and from that realised that it must contain other radioactive substances (to count for this increase in radioactivity). From it, they managed to extract and remove two previously unknown elements- polonium and radiumwhich are both more radioactive than uranium. Marie was widowed in 1906 but decided to continue the work herself and her husband had begun. In 1910, she was able to successfully produce radium as a pure metal, which, without a doubt, proved the elements’ existence. She also recorded the properties of the radioactive elements and their compounds. Radioactive compounds became important as sources of radiation not only experiments but also particularly in medicine, where they are used to treat tumours. Marie was the first person to win two Nobel prizes and also the first woman to ever win one. One shared with her husband (in 1903) for physics, and then another by herself (in 1911) for chemistry. She was also the first woman in France to achieve a PhD in Physics. She truly is an inspiration to the everyone in the field of science.

Did you know… You could literally die from a broken heart

This is called broken heart syndrome. It is also called stress-induced cardiomyopathy or takotsubo cardiomyopathy and can sometimes be misdiagnosed as a heart attack. This is because the symptoms and test results are similar. However, with a heart attack there is usually evidence of blocked heart arteries while, with a broken heart syndrome, there is not any. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy causes your heart’s main pumping chamber (the left ventricle) to enlarge and change shape, weakening the heart muscle.

It is usually caused by either emotional stress or physical stress. This could be due to the death of a loved one or a divorce, breakup or physical separation, betrayal or romantic rejection to name a few. It could also be after a happy shock such as winning the lottery. Some examples of physical stress are after a serious physical illness or surgery. In spite of this, the cause of a broken heart syndrome is fully understood yet.

However, broken heart syndrome is suspected to be caused when the heart muscle is overwhelmed by a large amount of adrenaline that is suddenly produced to help cope with the stress. Excess adrenaline can lead to the narrowing of the small arteries that supply the heart with blood which reduces the blood flow to the heart temporarily. On the other hand, the adrenaline could bind to the heart cells directly leading to a large intake of calcium into the cells. This can prevent the heart from beating properly. The good thing is in most cases the effect of adrenaline on the heart is usually temporary and completely reversible. However, it could still lead to severe, short term heart muscle failure as some people’s heart permanently changes shape and in extreme cases, it could be fatal. Sadly, about 1 in 10 people who have had a broken heart syndrome develop it again after they’ve recovered.

By Ameena KereAhmed

Why do duckbill platypuses fluoresce under UV light?

Without taking their biofluorescence into consideration, the duckbilled platypus is already a distinct creature. When first discovered during the late 1700s, scientists believed the animal shipped from Australia not to be real, but a hoax – a taxidermy fusion of a duck and a mole. Almost a century later, scientists then determined that the platypus lays eggs, placing it in the order Monotrema - a group of mammals that lay eggs rather than bear live young. In addition to this, the males are one of the only venomous mammals, with sharp spurs on the heels of its hind feet that deliver painful stings. So, when they were discovered to be biofluorescent, it could only be expected that this unique animal would exhibit this unique trait.

Biofluorescence is not caused by a chemical reaction but instead is when organisms are able to absorb short wavelength light which they reemit at a longer wave length producing a glow against dark backgrounds. Unlike bioluminescent animals, biofluorescent organisms do not give off any light of their own.

After the discovery of biofluorescence in flying squirrels in 2020, researchers began testing various other museum collection specimens with UV lights leading to the discovery of the trait in the platypus. There are currently many theories for the reason for the glow.

One suggestion is that biofluorescence aids communication like with many species in the sea. However, this is not practical for the platypus as the animal navigates its underwater environment through mechanoreception - the physical detection of objects and stimuli. They also use electroreception, through which receptors on their bill can identify electric potentials. Furthermore, the platypus swims with its eyes closed making the underwater biofluorescence futile in intraspecific interactions. Page 17

All the biofluorescent mammals found so far are either nocturnal or crepuscular - meaning they are active at night or twilight - suggesting the reason for the glow is linked to activity at night. Some scientists believe that the biofluorescence plays are role in inter-specific interactions such as camouflage to avoid certain predators. Moreover, many crepuscular mammals have UV-sensitive vision. Other theories suggest that the glow helps with visual signalling, allowing members of the same species to recognise each other, however, biofluorescence requires for external UV light which is not abundant at nighttime.

The trait of biofluorescence in mammals is found in ecosystems spanning three continents and across major mammalian lineages showing researchers that biofluorescence is more widespread than previously believed. According to a 2023 article by The Guardian, searchers found all 125 analysed mammalian species to show some form of this glow. Although, mostly present in nocturnal species, it was also found in diurnal mammals - organisms active during the day. Moreover, all mammals, including humans, display fluorescence in their teeth and nails under UV light.

Due to no concrete reasons for the purpose of biofluorescence in the platypus, many believe it plays no functional role. The most plausible explanation is that biofluorescence is an ancestral mammalian trait that surfaced early in the platypus family tree and the species, retained it, along with its other unique traits.

By Azariah almeida

MRKIRK‘SART in the science block

Page 19

Born in 1960, David Kirk was brought up in rural Somerset and went on to study at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art in Oxford, 1980-1983, where he graduated with a degree in Fine Art. The following year he won first prize in the National Religious Painting Competition.

A professional painter and Head of History of Art at Uppingham School, his work has been exhibited at RONA Gallery, St James's Gallery, Flying Colours Gallery and the Langham Gallery. He is now represented by the Goldmark Gallery. His immaculate, dynamic depictions of the strangely significant happenings set in the English Countryside are widely collected.

David is continually exploring English landscape and buildings through his art and though he has been influenced by Stanley Spencer and Paul Nash his work displays a highly individual approach.

About the Artist

“The painting on the left is of Charles Darwin (Biology). It’s based on his experiences during his four years sailing on the Beagle with Captain Fitzroy. It was on this trip that he observed nature closely, made a journal, collected specimens and came up with his theory of evolution. I have put him up a tree somewhere in South America collecting beetles with Captain Fitzroy waiting anxiously below. I knew the painting was going to hang in the stairwell, so I have painted it as though looking down, so that when coming down the stairs the viewpoint works best. In the background, moored in the bay, I have put the Beagle. The magical bit of the painting is the bird evolving into his book – ‘The Origin of Species’. “

“The painting of the Spaceman (Physics) shows a weightless ‘space walk’ I was going to have him upside down, but I thought that would be a bit confusing, I liked the idea of the link between the vast size of space with its stars and galaxies and the incredibly small size of our cells and out DNA, so I have the astronaut holding a symbolic section of DNA but it is slowly breaking up and joining the stars, so you can’t tell where each begins or ends. This idea also refers to the fact that we all return to just being part of the matter of the universe.”

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“The third painting is of Marie Curie (Chemistry)whowasthefirstwoman to receive the Nobel Prize twice and the only woman to receive it for two different subjects. Her main achievement was to discover Radium and Polonium, the radioactive elements. However, this came at a highpriceasshediedofitseffects. I wanted to have the element glowing mysteriously in her lab, but with a view of Paris at night outside her window. She was in fact Polish, but loved Paris and said her greatest achievementwastopassherselfoffas French! I have painted in a banderol like an early Renaissance painting with one of her quotes, which I though appropriate to learning, especiallyinaschool.”

CHEMISTRY IN THE FILM INDUSTRY

All of us have seen a movie or been to the theater at some point. Well, have you ever asked yourself ‘What is that red blood made from?’ or ‘How are those fumes made from?’ or maybe even ‘How are all those special effects made? How do they look so realistic?’ If you did, that’s great; I’ll answer those questions right now.And if you didn’t, you’ll learn something new! To start, we are going to talk about fake blood. We all know that in movies when an actor get hurt, it is not their real blood that we see. That is why the blood is replaced by another substance. We have all been told (at least once) that the red liquid was ketchup, well that’s what I got told a few times… Let me tell you that it is not. The recipe for that crimson liquid is just corn syrup, dishwashing (so it doesn’t stain) and finally, the chemical Titanium Dioxide (TiO2). It is used as an opacifier so the blood is non-translucent (of course it wouldn’t be really realistic otherwise, would it!).

Other chemicals that are used in the movie industry are phenidone and hydroquinone-monosulfonate that were also used in the colourisation process. For special effects, like explosive or flames, most of it is CGI. As I mentioned before, some chemicals are really dangerous. For example, Nitrocellulose is a highly flammable chemical that was really used until 1952it has now been replaced by Polyester and mylar. It was used for explosions. Another one is Asbestos; it is really carcinogenic and can cause respiratory diseases. It was used to insulate buildings and protect actors from flames.

Petrochemicals are aliphatic hydrocarbons that contain methane, acetylene and propane. They were used to clean films. Finally, Pyrotechnic chemicals were and are still sometimes used for explosions; they are made of potassium perchlorate, potassium nitrate, aluminum powder, etc. They are highly explosive and flammable. Another time when movies use or refer to

their mouth and nose, the liquid on the tissue is in fact a chemical called ‘chloroform’ it helps to lose consciousness. It is a colourless liquid that evaporates quickly into a gas. It is used for lacquers, floor polishes, resins, adhesives and rubber. It is also used in school biology laboratories, so the next time when you’re in the science building, maybe ask the biology technicians if they have Chloroform!!

By Tamara Hanouz

Nanotechnology in catalysis

Catalysis is a process in which a catalyst accelerates a chemical reaction but is not consumed in the process. Nanotechnology can be used to increase the catalytic activity due to its high surface area to volume ratio. Because of this, the catalysts at the nanoscale interact with the reactants in a better way since there is a large

Here are some of our science-related

documentaries and movies

(ish) shows,

The three body problem (TV show)

Seaspiracy (DOCUMENTARY)

BlaCkFish (Documentary)

Life on our planet (Documentary)

Aliens (Movie (s))

oppenheimer (movie)

The martian (Movie)

Contact (movie)

Interstellar (movie)

2001: A space odyssey (movie) a trip to infinity (documentary) what happened to monday (Movie)

The International Space Station travels around the Earth at a speed of about 17,500 miles per hour, that’s one revolution every 90 minutes.

The speed of light was first successfully measured in the 17th century by Danish astronomer Ole Rømer.

The average human body contains more bacterial cells than human cells.

Starfish don’t have bodies. Their entire “bodies” are technically classed as heads.

Mars is red due to the presence of iron oxide.

Thehumanbodycontainsenoughcarbontoproducegraphitefor9,000pencils.

Giraffes use lowfrequency humming to communicate with each other.

fun facts

The sting of a bee is acidic whereas the sting of a wasp

is alkali.

Dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter that is thought to make up about 85% of the matter in the universe

Everytimeyoubreathyouinhale50potentiallyharmful bacteria.

Fish can form queues. In emergency situations, neon tetra fish will queue to evacuate in order to avoid colliding.

Air turns into liquid at a temperature of -190 degrees Celsius.

Editor in Chief: Summer Jones

Head of Biology: Azariah Almeida

Head of Chemistry: Hana Perjuci

Head of Physics: Daisy SpencerNarin

Writers:

Lisa Li

Ameena KereAhmed

Lily Muller

Tamara Hanouz

Special thanks to Mr King for helping us organise the magazine and also thank you to everyone involved!

○ Noble gases

○ Equilibrium

○ Particulates

○ Thermosetting polymers

○ Uncertainty

○ Nuclear model

○ Isotopes

○ Universal indicator ○ Mobile phase