SMI-01: Forensic Science – of blood, bullets and bits of cloth

SMI-02: Forensic Science – of DNA, fingerprints and bits of paper

SMI-03: Forensic Science – of poisons, bombs, fires and bugs

Crimes leave gory stuff as well. Poisons are not a nice way to do things. Bombs aren’t very pretty at all. And bugs – especially the maggots of flies – are thoroughly revolting but can be used to date all sorts of decaying things – like corpses. This is not for the squeamish. The evidence in the bodies left behind tells the forensic investigator a lot. They can’t afford to be squeamish. (level: Introductory)

SMI-04: Exploring Space - a Human Enterprise

Space is astronomically big. Just how big? But what do those figures actually mean in terms of us and what is familiar? Are there other planets like our earth in among all those galaxies? How do people find out this stuff in the first place? What is the chance of us getting way out there, or ever making contact with intelligent life with which we can communicate? What could be more exciting? This is a challenging unit fitting all of cosmology into a human perspective, with a bit of playful science fiction thrown in. (level: Introductory)

SMM-01: Science Of The Very Big

The universe is huge. So are lots of things in it. Really really huge. So are the numbers we need to describe it. This unit takes the numbers and ideas and asks students to really imagine them. It asks them to express those impressions in images or words. How much energy does E=mc² represent? What would it really be like to travel across the universe? How many people are there on earth? What do these numbers and facts actually mean? (level: Medium)

SMM-02: Science of the very small

There are atoms and cells and things called bacteria. They are very very small and very very numerous. So we end up using really small and really big numbers to describe them. This unit asks students to imagine how many bacteria are on that bit of skin we mark out. And how very grateful we are that they are all there. The numbers and sizes are very small, but few take the time to consider what they really mean. It takes a lot of imagination, so students are asked to express these ideas creatively in words and images. (level: Medium)

SMM-03: Use and abuse of science in the media

Using a set of articles typical of the major daily papers, students are asked to critically analyse the scientific content. From reports which demonstrate appallingly bad science, to those which wonderfully explain complex issues to a lay audience, the role of a science writer will be examined. Students then produce both parody and good practice! (level: Medium)

SMA-01: Chaos: the new science

Chaos Theory is a new way of looking at the world. Order within disorder. Randomness may not be quite so random. There are all sorts of patterns in the world around us. From the Butterfly Effect and the weather, to the Stock Market collapse – it’s all evidence of chaos in action. This unit takes very advanced, autonomous learners into a science which is less than fifty years old. Science wasn’t all discovered centuries ago! It is a dynamic subject constantly under review. (level: Advanced)

SPM-01: Going Around In Circles

Everyone has heard of it and most people misuse it: centrifugal force. Physicists cringe every time they hear it. From fairground rides to spinning toys around our heads on the end of ropes, this unit will enable students to play with the concept and conclude that the force is definitely inward. If they are going in circles, then the force is centripetal! So what is the centrifugal force? And how do they create gravity in a space station? Now we are getting into real extension! (level: Medium)

SPM-02: How They Get Astronomy Wrong

There are so many stories about what is out there: what is right, what is wrong and what do we just not know? Astrology and astronomy have an ancient link, but they diverge fairly quickly. What are the myths about the universe and our attempts to explore it? Students look at the science behind the space missions and the universe they seek to explore, including the famous moon landing hoax claim – yes they really did land on the moon! Examining bad science enables students to discover lots of really good science. (level: Medium)

SPM-03: Science Of The Theatre

From the sound and lighting for live theatre productions to the sensational special effects in the movie industry, science enhances our theatrical experiences. Behind the scenes, there is some really fascinating science to be found. How do they design a theatre to get the best acoustics and vision for the audience? How do they get tornadoes to fling houses to the Land of Oz? How do those flying trapeze artists get the timing just right? It’s all great science! (level: Medium)

SPM-04: Music – when physics sounds good

Music sounds good as long as we get the physics right. Get it just a little bit out, and it sounds awful. So what is the physics? Harmonics and wavelengths, pitch and frequencies, all become clear with some water, some tubes and some rubber bands. Students will explore the physics behind wind and string instruments, and the human voice, with simple experiments. And to really annoy those around, we’ll have a look at percussion as well! (level: Medium)

SPM-05: Spectrum – the electromagnetic one

Radiation is a scary word, until you realise the light you are reading by is a form of it. There are so many misconceptions out there – we’ll try and work out why! From infrared to ultraviolet and beyond, with heat, x-rays and radio waves in there as well, this unit will seek to look at all the forms of radiation we encounter in everyday life. We’ll put them in order – in the electromagnetic order. We’ll see what is dangerous, what is not and what we need to see in both lights. (level: Medium)

SBI-01: Animals in life and legend

A unit on animal behaviour. The creation myth of East Timor tells of a crocodile. The behaviour of this crocodile is entirely consistent with the saltwater crocodile of the area and no other. The myths of many cultures include animals. How closely do they relate to the actual animal the story tellers of the past would have been observing? How accurate are the portrayal of animals in literature? This unit combines the study of myths and legends with animal behaviour. (level: Introductory)

SBM-01: Classification And Its Complexities

Classification of living things means giving things names so we can talk about them. We are Homo sapiens. Our dog is Canis familiaris. But all is not well in the taxonomic world. This unit studies the methods by which we group living things. Traditionally, we have grouped things by the way they look and behave. Logical? Yes. But that puts crocodiles with lizards when they are more closely related to birds. By introducing students to the classification debates, we also introduce them to the joy of identifying everything from their pets to the trees, from the birds to the bees. Some will go on classifying for life. (level: Medium)

SBM-03: DNA Wars

Scientists are people. Some are nice. Some are nasty. Some are a bit of both. The discovery of the double helix structure of DNA is a fascinating study for both the biology and the people behind it. This is a lesson about the very stuff we are made of. But it is also a lesson about people and the way they behave when they solve one of the greatest mysteries of science. (level: Medium)

SBM-04: Evolution of Man and Beast - the people wars

Darwin didn’t want to tell anyone about evolution because it would upset his wife. The nineteenth century pubic halls vibrated with the loud battles of scientists and the Church as they each defended the truth as they saw it. Sir Richard Owen coined the term dinosaurs and provided much of the evidence for evolution while being a firm creationist himself. Now the Intelligent Design supporters have added another strand. This theory has caused more debate than any other. Through the people, students discover the theory and all its complexities. Science is a passionate endeavour, not a docile set of facts. (level: Medium)