Try This - Make Your Own Cloud
In this Catalyst article an experiment is described in which the formation of clouds can be replicated. The experiment requires nothing more than a plastic bottle, warm water, matches and a small thermometer. This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2011, Volume 21, Issue 4. Catalyst is a science magazine for students…
Is Mars Dead?
A Catalyst article explaining how new data suggests that it is very unlikely that life ever existed on Mars. When the presence of water was confirmed a few years ago, there was a lot of speculation that at least simple life forms had once lived there as water is essential for every known living organism. The latest data gathered…
Yes, It Is Rocket Science
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 article is from Catalyst:…
Carbon Dioxide
A Catalyst article about carbon dioxide which can be used as a solvent in industry, or as a regulator of blood pH. This article looks at some other uses of carbon dioxide and considers its importance in global warming. It also explains how the greenhouse effect is a natural part of the operation of the Earth's atmosphere and…
Mars Express
A Catalyst article about the idea of life on Mars. Scientists involved with the Mars Express mission aim to find out more and will try to establish if there ever has been life on Mars. The article looks at the miniature devices that they will employ on the mission. This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2003, Volume…
Climate Modelling
A Catalyst article about the sudden onset of an ice age and whether it is a scientific likelihood. Looking at evaporation, greenhouse gases and thermohaline circulation in the world's ocean currents the article explores likely scenarios for a major drop in temperature. This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2005,…
Has the Sea Always Been So Salty?
A Catalyst article about the composition of sea water. The article looks at how the sea became salty, how the factors such as hydrothermal systems can affect it and it investigates whether its composition has always been the same. This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2005, Volume 15, Issue 3. Catalyst is a science…
Exploring Saturn
A Catalyst article following the journey of the space probes Huygens and Cassini, sent to explore Titan, a moon of Saturn. After a seven year journey Huygens was set to fall through the atmosphere transmitting data back to Earth via Cassini so more can be learnt about this distant moon. The article describes the environment the probes…
Oceanographers
This Catalyst article describes the work of scientists detecting changes in the oceans. The working lives of three oceanographic scientists who are investigating the Gulf Stream are examined, as is the requirement for them to work closely with experts in other fields, such as: engineers, software developers and mathematicians. This…
Minerals and Rock Structure
A Catalyst article about the rock cycle which is responsible for the formation of many different types of rocks and minerals. The article explores the formation of minerals, their chemical composition and internal structure together with the reason for mineral hardness. As silicates form a third of all known minerals the types of…
Venus Express
A Catalyst article about the European Space Agency (ESA) which has sent the Venus Express spacecraft to explore Earth's cloudy neighbour. The purpose of the project, which is primarily to gather information about the atmosphere around Venus, is explained and is put into context with concerns about climate change on Earth. Also…
Cooler Times Ahead?
A Catalyst article explaining how scientists have found that the overturning circulation in the Atlantic Ocean, which maintains Europe’s moderate climate, was weaker in 2004 by 30% relative to earlier estimates. What does this mean and what impact could it have on our climate? Scientists' research and their climate predictions…
Life in the Balance?
A Catalyst article about Earth’s biodiversity much of which appears to be teetering on the brink of a man-made extinction crisis. Scientists have suggested that, unless urgent action is taken now, many species will disappear in the next 50 years. This article looks at some of the issues involved. This article is from Catalyst:…
Atomic Force Microscope (AFM)
A Catalyst article about using an AFM to image surfaces. The article comprises an annotated diagram of the microscope. This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2005, Volume 16, Issue 2. Catalyst is a science magazine for students aged 14-19 years. Annual subscriptions to print copies of the magazine can be purchased…
Astronomy - Careers
This Catalyst article investigates possible careers in astronomy and space science. It provides some information on a number of academic courses leading to an exciting career in astronomy; the article also lists places to visit for those with general interest in astronomy. This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2005,…
Coming to a Beach Near You!
A Catalyst article examining what causes breaking waves to leave foam on the beaches. The article explores the human impact on the environment and the changes in the growth of algae in the seas. This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2005, Volume 16, Issue 1. Catalyst is a science magazine for students aged 14-19…
Exploration Geology - Careers
A Catalyst article about careers in geological exploration. The article contains a case study about an exploration geologist and looks at an undergraduate degree course in exploration geology. This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2007, Volume 17, Issue 4. Catalyst is a science magazine for students aged 14-19…
Hurricanes
A Catalyst article about Hurricane Katrina which caused many deaths in August 2005, and vast damage along the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico in the USA. Hurricanes are an unfamiliar phenomenon here in the UK. Why is this? And can people expect to see more hurricanes in future as a result of climate change? The article looks at how…
Fantastic Fossils
A Catalyst article about encountering the fossils of the bones or shells of individual animals embedded in sedimentary rocks. This article looks at some extraordinary fossils of plants and animals preserved together in an ecosystem - it is even possible to see the cells of which they were made. The article also introduces the Rhynie…
Impact Earth
A Catalyst article about giant asteroids. Astronomers say that, one day, a giant rock from space will collide with the Earth and cause mass devastation. This could lead to the extinction of many species, including humans. The article looks at what can be done to prepare for such an impact and what happened when a giant asteroid collided…
Earth's Early Atmosphere
A Catalyst article about how the study of ancient rocks and sediments can help deduce how the Earth's atmosphere has changed over billions of years. There used to be much less oxygen than there is today. This article describes how the composition of the atmosphere has changed through history; it also explains the link between…
Careers in Ecology
A Catalyst article explaining how scientists with qualifications in ecology and environmental science play an increasingly important role in assessing the human impact on the Earth. Ecology is the branch of biology that looks at how organisms, plants and animals, depend on each other and their surroundings. It also looks at how humans…
Ancient Air in an Antarctic Ice Core
A Catalyst article about ice cores from Antarctica which contain air bubbles which record the changing atmosphere. The Antarctic ice sheet is over 3 kilometres thick; ice cores enable scientists to sample each year of snow fall in sequence. This evidence is vital in understanding how the climate is changing. The article explains…
Cool Chemistry
A Catalyst article about the work of a scientist from the British Antarctic Survey, gathering data about climate change by studying ice cores from Antarctica. One of the areas of research was to find out whether it is possible to learn how much sea ice there was around Antarctica in the past by measuring how much sea salt is in ice…
Year of the Sun
A Catalyst article about International Heliophysical Year (2007-08) - a year of scientific collaboration, studying the Sun and the impact of its radiation on the Earth. How the Sun is changing and the history of solar research is examined. This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2007, Volume 18, Issue 2. Catalyst…
Hubble Explores a Barred Spiral Galaxy
A Catalyst article about the Hubble telescope exploring a barred spiral galaxy, known as NGC1672 in the astronomers’ New General Catalogue. The image was made by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and was released in April 2007. NGC 1672 is situated 60 million light years away, in the constellation of Dorado. The image is just…
Beagle Voyage
A Catalyst article about Darwin's travels on the Beagle which gave him ideas about evolution. Darwin spent almost five years on board HMS Beagle as it sailed around the world. The purpose of the voyage was to map navigation channels around the coast of South America. Darwin was the ship’s naturalist and companion to the…
Designs on Space: the Lifecycle of a Satellite
A Catalyst article about designing, building and testing a spacecraft. There are thousands of man-made satellites orbiting the Earth. Some are only a few hundred kilometres above the Earth and complete one orbit roughly every 90 minutes. Geostationary satellites are located around 40 000 kilometres from the surface of the Earth,…
Tracking Ike
This Catalyst article presents a series of photographs from NASA Satellites tracking Hurricane Ike from space. This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2008, Volume 19, Issue 2. Catalyst is a science magazine for students aged 14-19 years. Annual subscriptions to print copies of the magazine can be purchased…
Flying Weightless
This Catalyst article looks at what it means to say that an astronaut is 'weightless'. The article looks at how astronauts are trained in aircraft and how underwater work can also help prepare them for space travel. This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2008, Volume 19, Issue 1. Catalyst is a science…
Infra-red Astronomy
A Catalyst article describing how the VISTA telescope, which is located in Chile, works. It detects infrared radiation - electromagnetic radiation beyond the red end of the spectrum. This has two great benefits: • The telescope can detect radiation from distant stars which are otherwise hidden behind clouds of dust which…
Mission to Mercury
A Catalyst article about BepiColombo, a spacecraft which will visit Mercury, powered by a revolutionary new rocket engine technology using ion engines and using a slingshot manoeuvre to accelerate it. The development of the spacecraft is an international project and will combine exciting scientific goals exploring the inner solar…