CERN, the world’s largest particle physics laboratory, birthplace of the World Wide Web and home of the famous Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is running a competition to win an internship at CERN. Competition entrants have to submit an original short film or multimedia piece, incorporating information about ATLAS, the biggest experiment on the LHC. Full competition rules are available on the following pdf. The winner will get to witness and record the unveiling of the Large Hadron Collider’s biggest project, and help spread the news.
The winner will be offered a trip to CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, and given exclusive access to scientists working on the project as well as all the equipment and expertise in CERN’s audiovisual lab. The contest and intern position are open to persons over the age of 18 as of July 31, 2009 who are capable of traveling to and residing at CERN during fall of 2009.
The sixth Cork Lifelong Learning Festival takes place from Monday March 30 to Sunday April 5. During the week learning moves out of the classroom with displays and demonstrations in shopping centres and venues of all kinds –in parks, community and resource centres, museums, theatres and of course, colleges. People can try out different skills from life drawing to karate, architecture to creative writing, and a whole lot more.
Among the SCIENCE THEMED highlights this year are:
• The annual Bat Walk, round The Lough this year;
• Talks from broadcaster Leo Enright and from the Vatican’s Astronomer;
• A range of activities around the book: Ice Man: Tom Crean – The Adventures of an Irish Antarctic Hero by Michael Smith;
• A mobile ICT bus visiting the Glen and Mahon, helping you learn digital photography.
Other interesting events include: try rowing a longboat, experience traveller culture and lunchtime concerts. There are puppet shows for the young ones and computer classes for seniors.
This festival is unique – the only one in Europe which showcases and celebrates learning across all age groups. All events are free and there is no charge for taking part, although some events are ticketed due to limited space. For the full programme visit www.corkcity.ie/learningfestival or pick up the hard copy from city libraries and community centres.
Engadget reports that IBM has filed a patent for bionic body armour. Apparently, “the device works by constantly emitting electromagnetic waves that bounce off any fast-moving projectiles, and it uses the data to calculate risky trajectories. If the object in question is determined to be a threat, muscle stimulators activate and cause the wearer’s body to contort in such way to avoid being hit. It works under the idea that a sniper typically fires from a distance, given the armor time to detect the oncoming bullet and react accordingly.”
The science of attraction was discussed at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting. Prof Wendy Hill, provost and professor of neuroscience at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania, conducted a small study on the science behind kissing which showed that snogging isn’t simply about love, but also contains a dash of biochemistry, neurotransmitters and evolution. In fact the “part of the brain which was strongly active for those passionately in love also happened to be the brain centre involved in cocaine addiction and the satisfaction felt when eating chocolate.” The Guardian goes into a bit more sloppy detail.
Mi-POWER, a cushion which harnesses naturally occurring body heat and converts it to top-up battery power suitable for MP3 players, mobiles, game consoles, laptops and more.
KidSpotter is a device that aims to actually enhance children’s freedom to roam rather than restrict it, by means of a gadget that is worn like a watch and monitors where a child is via GPS or Bluetooth signal, using the internet or a mobile phone.
UCD campus-based company Bioplastech is looking at new ways of converting everyday waste materials into biodegradable plastics to deliver an alternative to the pricey and increasingly scarce petrochemicals used in much plastic manufacture.
2011 has been announced as the International Year of Chemistry, with UNESCO and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) at the helm of the celebrations. 2011 is the 100th anniversary of the award of the Nobel Prize in chemistry to Mme Maria Sklodowska Curie and also marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the International Association of Chemical Societies (IACS), which was succeeded by IUPAC a few years later.
Ethiopia submitted the U.N. resolution calling for the Year, which will celebrate the achievements of chemistry and its contributions to the well-being of humanity. National and international activities carried out during 2011 will emphasize the importance of chemistry in sustaining natural resources.
Commenting on the announcement, President of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), Professor Jung-Il Jin, said, “The International Year of Chemistry will give a global boost to chemical science in which our life and our future are grounded. We hope to increase the public appreciation and understanding of chemistry, increase young people’s interest in science, and generate enthusiasm for the creative future of chemistry.“
The Science Gallery is hosting a special event on Wednesday morning in the wake of the Irish pork recall. The public is invited to submit questions about the pork recall on the Science Gallery website from this afternoon. Leading experts from the fields of public health, toxicology and food safety will be on hand to answers questions, allowing you to delve deeper into the science behind the latest food contamination crisis. Questions will be answered on the site on Wednesday.
On a semi related note, there are still a few tickets available tonight for the Science Gallery’s latest RAW debate. This month the topic for debate is whether Ireland is falling behind in the race to create a sustainable future, a particularly apt subject given that we have entered the last month of the International Year of Planet Earth. For more info, log onto the Science Gallery website.
The World Festival of Science will take place between June 11 – 14, 2009 in New York City. Mark your calendar for this four-day science extravaganza, featuring some of the world’s most renowned scientists, acclaimed artists, and influential policy-makers. Check out their website to see what made last year’s festival such an amazing event.
FÁS are calling for applications for their Science Challenge Research Training Programme for Third Year Undergraduates in Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA next summer. Applications are welcome from the FÁS Science Challenge Research Training Progammme for Life Science undergraduates who will complete third year in summer 2009.
Successful applicants will participate on a 9 week unique research training programme in biomedical science at Baylor College of Medicine in the world renowned Texas Medical Centre in Houston. Selected candidates will train alongside 80-100 US undergraduate students who are recruited every year for this elite programme (www.bcm.edu/smart )
This programme offers:
• 9 weeks research training with internationally recognized mentors
• Daily seminars designed for undergraduates
• Career development activities
• Housing at University dorms
• Competitive stipend
• Return flights
• Free GRE prep workshops
