Innholdsfortegnelse for Special Edition 1 i MiniMag - Easy Science Special Edition

Putting the code of life to use The last two decades have seen an explosion in the use of biotechnology. Biotechnology uses living organisms to solve everyday problems in society. This can be something as simple and ancient as using yeast to bake bread or as complex as changing the genetic code (DNA) of organisms to improve them. Modern biotechnology is focussed on using DNA to make organisms like crops more productive and healthier. It also engineers organisms to produce useful substances for humans, like the modified bacteria that make human insulin for diabetic patients. The future of biotechnology is poised to make massive leaps by making personalised medicine and more genetically engineered animals a reality.…

DNA-English Code Try this to practise: CTC ACA AAG ATG AAT AGA ATC ACG TTG CTC GCT CGG TTG AGA CAG TTG ACC CCA ATC TTT Answer: Decoding DNA is fun. Can you decode the following to find some different types of wetlands? Answers: You’ll need: a pencil or pen the DNA code table below Now try writing your own message using the code! DNA uses only four chemicals – called A, G, C and T – to code for everything necessary in every organism. Every three letters send instructions for a specific type of amino acid to be built into a protein. Instead of building proteins, this exercise pretended that each three letters code for a letter in the English alphabet. Discover more! There is so much science to…

In the famous children’s story Alice discovered a strange and wonderful land when she fell down a rabbit hole: talking animals, the Queen of Hearts and the elusive White Rabbit worrying about being late … Similarly, scientists have found the unexpected in the nano world and discovered materials that behave differently when you look at very small pieces of them. For example, the gold that we know to shimmer yellowish in colour, turns completely different colours when you break it up into very, very small pieces called nanoparticles. A nanoparticle, or nanomaterial, is any object so small that at least one side of it is between 1 and 100 nanometres long, that means you can fit up to a million per millimetre! Nanomaterials are widely used in electronics, textiles, paint…

Small particles have a larger surface area to volume ratio, compared tolargerparticles. This simply means that relatively more of a small thing is on its outside compared to how much of it is inside it. This is why smaller particles, like nanoparticles, can be much more reactive than larger particles. Try this experiment at home to discover this for yourself Have you ever noticed the burst of sweetness and flavour the moment when a lollipop or sucking sweet breaks into smaller pieces in your mouth? This is because breaking the sweet into smaller pieces allows more of it to touch your tongue and taste-buds. The surface area of the sweet exposed to your mouth is bigger for smaller pieces compared to one whole sweet. Just think about it, you would…

Experiment checklist two pencilssharpenerwatersalt glass/transparent plastic juga piece of cardboard9V battery2 electrical wires with crocodile clips(insulated electrical wire - wind bare copper ends around connector points. Get adult supervision for this.) What’s happening? The electric current from the battery is flowing through the wires, through the graphite in the pencils and the water and back to the battery. The electrical current “splits” the water molecule into two parts. Oxygen gas forms as bubbles at the pencil tip attached to the positive end of the battery. Hydrogen gas forms at the pencil tip attached to the negative end of the battery. WARNING: Work in a well-ventilated room. Avoid breathing in the air directly over the beaker, since there may be a small amount of chlorine gas produced. Try this! Discover more!…

A tinier than tiny superpower Nanotechnology is the science of nanoparticles – tiny particles that are less than 100 nanometres in size. The nano-world is exciting because nanoparticles change their behaviour and become more reactive when they are this small. For example, nanogold particles are red and some carbon nanoparticles conduct electricity! These special properties on the nanoscale can make amazing things possible, like dirt-proof clothing and phone batteries that charge in a minute and last for days. It may even be able to get rid of terrible diseases in the future.…

Curly keratin Wool is a cosy, fire resistant, non-allergenic material that comes from animals like sheep, camels and alpacas. Though wool looks like a unique substance, it is actually just hair. Hair contains a lot of protein called keratin, which is shaped like a springy spiral. Keratin is one of nature’s favourite building materials. The hair of mammals, the outer layer of your skin, horse hooves, tortoise shells, rhino horns and fingernails are all made from keratin. Sticky Silk Silkworms are famous for the silk cocoons they spin, but many other arthropods also make silk – like the silk in spider webs. Scientists have been interested in this silk for a long time because of its useful properties. For example, spiders place drops of glue on parts of their webs…

Make your own plastic from milk! What’s happening? Milk contains a protein called casein, which unfolds and loses its shape under acidic conditions. When you add vinegar (which is an acid), the casein unfolds and dumps together. The clumps are called curds and the remaining liquid is called whey. Plastic fit for a queen Since the milk’s casein doesn't form atrue polymer, it isn't (strictly speaking) real plastic. But milk plastic has been used as a plastic, historically. In the early 1900’s it was used to make all kinds of fancy goods: buttons, knife handles, ornaments and knitting needles. It is even said that it was used tomake jewellery for Queen Mary. Activity Experiment checklist □ 250 ml milk □ 1 tablespoon vinegar □ a measuring jug□ a small pot□…

Here’s a recipe you can use to grow bacteria at home and find out what’s lurking in your soil. Please do the experiment with adult supervision!  Adult supervision required! Experiment checklist 1 cube of beef stock2 teaspoons sugar1 packet of unflavoured gelatine1 cup of water6 Petri dishes or6 small disposable tin-foil bowls6 different soil samples, collected from different places spoon masking tape/cling wrap black marker refrigerator stove or microwave You should see dots (colonies) of different colours and shapes forming after a few days. Colonies that look fluffy or have threads growing into the gelatine are most likely fungi while the slimy, wet-looking ones are most likely bacteria. Don’t open the plates once there are bacteria growing on them! Simply throw them into the bin when you’re done with them.…

Many of the minerals mined today have formed from magma that cooled slowly and crystallised. You probably don’t want to play with 1000°C magma and wait thousands of years, so here’s an easy experiment you can use at home to grow your own crystals. What’s happening? The wool soaks up the saturated solution. The water in the wool evaporates and leaves the bicarbonate of soda behind as crystals. You may even get a column of crystals forming as the water drips from the wool, resembling the formation of stalactites and stalagmites in nature. Experiment checklist 2 glasses or jars bicarbonate of soda hot water1 spoon1 small plate or saucer a piece of wool as |ong as your arm2 paper clips food colouring (optional) If you want coloured crystals, add food…

Experiment checklist 1 alkaline AA batterythin copper wire a disc magnet (preferably a strong neodymium magnet)a pair of pliers Adult supervision There is so much science to explore … This practical experiment will help you learn more about energy transfer. See page 32 Make your own simple motor using a battery, a magnet and some wire. WARNING: Do not leave the motor spinning for too long, because it will become very hot.…

Method: Do the experiment with adult supervision! Experiment checklist Did you know? Distillation is used to purify all kinds of liquids. It is used to make perfume, alcoholic beverages, and to refine crude oil to make petroleum products. What’s happening in the pot? The water in the fruit juice has a lower boiling point than the sugars and other substances in it. So as the temperature reaches 100°C, the water evaporates, leaving the other substances in the fruit juice behind. The water is cooled by the ice on the lid and condenses back into its liquid phase on the lid and drips down into the bowl. Discover more! There is so much science to explore … This fun experiment will help you understand more about water.…

On farms, every resource is precious. A farmer cannot waste a minute, a drop of water, or a grain of soil. As the pressure mounts to make more food and climate change adds its own set of difficulties, agriculture desperately needs a revolution and nanotechnology may provide the tools. If Old McDonald had his farm in the 21st century, this is what it might have looked like. Tiny little machines Nanotechnology uses particles that are less than 100 nano-metres in size. For comparison, a piece of paper is 100 000 nm thick. Nanotechnology is about building really small nano-particles into specific shapes and structures that can do wonderful things. For example, scientists dream of making nanorobots that can weave together all the right molecules and chemicals to build meat. That…

The powder inside a disposable nappy can keep soil from drying out, especially during warm, dry weather when pot plants require frequent watering. Each little crystal swells up like a sponge, keeping in moisture. Let’s try this easy experiment and see what happens! Experiment checklist □ 1 clean baby nappy□ pair of scissors□ big measuring jug□ potting soil□ 2 flower pots /plastic containers with holes at the bottom□ 2 bean seeds□ safety glasses□ facemask Sodium polyacrylate is also known as waterlock because it can hold between 100 to 1000 times its weight in water. It is used in baby nappies and hair gel, but it was originally designed for use in agriculture. Some gardeners use it to help their plants grow better because there is a constant supply of water…

Here are some great experiments for the winter: Method Bend water! Rub a comb fast against your jersey. Hold the comb near a thin stream of water. The charged comb attracts the water. WHY? By rubbing the comb, you're covering it with negative charges called electrons. The electrons are attracted to the positive charges (protons) in the water. Unlike charges attract! Did you know? Static electricity experiments are easier to do in winter as there is less water vapour in the air. You will need: aluminium pie canwoollen jerseystyrofoam platepencil with new eraser at the backthumbtack Why does it form a spark? It’s all about static electricity! The electrons in your finger are attracted to the protons in the aluminium pie pan, resulting in a mini lightning bolt. Discover more!…

In this experiment, you will use the polymer polyvinyl acetate (PVA) found in white wood glue to make a bouncy ball. Method: Chewing gum is mostly made of sugar, flavourings and some type of gum base. The gum base is the part that remains insoluble in your mouth and was made from juices of the sapodilla tree in the past. Today the gum base is likely a synthetic polymer such as polyvinyl acetate, the same as you find in glue and many other plastic products. Activity You will need: warm water2 bowls or cups to work in borax powderFind it with the laundry soap in a grocery store, or ask your pharmacistfood colouring (optional)PVA white wood gluemeasuring spoonsspoon or woodenstick to stircorn starch What happened? The glue you used has…