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July 2008 News and Articles
Olympic link to early 'computer'
A 2,100-year-old "computer" found in a Roman shipwreck may have acted as a calendar for the Olympic Games, scientists report in Nature journal. -BBC News, 30 July 2008
UK team take top pro-gaming prize
British pro-gaming team Birmingham Salvo have been crowned winners of the 2008 Championship Gaming Series (CGS). -BBC News, 30 July 2008
Russians in landmark Baikal dive
Russian scientists say they have reached the bottom of the world's deepest body of fresh water - Lake Baikal in Siberia. -BBC News, 29 July 2008
Why can't people with dyslexia do multiple choice?
A medical student with dyslexia claims multiple choice exams discriminate against people with the condition and is taking legal action to prevent their use. But why do people with dyslexia find multiple choice difficult? -BBC News, 29 July 2008
Apples beat pears on crunch issue
Just why pears rot faster than apples can now be explained by science. -BBC News, 11 July 2008
Cow burps help climate study (flash video)
Argentine scientists are studying the effects of global warming by strapping plastic tanks to the backs of cows to collect their gas. -BBC News, 10 July 2008
July 2008 Education News
A Level & GCSE Results
The complete ranked secondary schools's league tables based on GCSE and A-level results for 2007. -TimesOnline, 13 July 2008
Science teachers deserve their £30m fund
Project Enthuse will energise teachers and help foster the next generation of British scientists. -EducationGuardian, 9 July 2008
Marking problems delay Sats results
Ministers have been forced to delay the publication of this year's national tests results after widespread marking problems. -EducationGuardian.co.uk, 4 July 2008
Government defends National Challenge target
The government has said 638 National Challenge schools - where 30% of pupils fail to get five A* to C grade GCSEs including English and maths - will be closed if they fail to improve by 2010 or turned into academies. -EducationGuardian.co.uk, 25 June 2008
July 2008 Physics and Astronomy News
In video: BA Festival of Science 2008
Some of the UK's most innovative research teams have shown off their latest work at the annual British Association for the Advancement of Science festival. -BBC News, 8 September 2008
Time-lapse images of the Moon (flash video)
NASA has released images of the Moon taken from its Deep Impact spacecraft - some 31 million miles from Earth. -BBC News, 19 July 2008
Cern lab goes 'colder than space'
A vast physics experiment built in a tunnel below the French-Swiss border is fast becoming one of the coolest places in the Universe. -BBC News, 18 July 2008
Water 'widespread' on early Mars
Water was once widespread on Mars, data from a Nasa spacecraft shows, raising the prospect that the Red Planet could have supported life. -BBC News, 17 July 2008
Astronauts complete DIY on ISS (flash video)-
Two astronauts have successfully completed a spacewalk to complete tasks on the International Space Station. -BBC News, 16 July 2008
Mars Phoenix mission
NASA spacecraft beams back pictures of Mars.
Date set for Mars sample mission
Space officials have set a date of 2018 for launching an unmanned international mission designed to return samples of Martian rock and soil to Earth. -BBC News, 10 July 2008
Moon's interior 'did hold water'
US scientists have found evidence that water was held in the Moon's interior, challenging some elements of the theory of how Earth's satellite formed. -BBC News, 9 July 2008
Pre-quake changes seen in rocks
Scientists have made an important advance in their efforts to predict earthquakes, the journal Nature says. -BBC News, 9 July 2008
Smallest planet shrinks in size
The smallest planet in the Solar System has become even smaller, studies by the Messenger spacecraft have shown. -BBC News, 4 July 2008
UK space rocket revealed
A huge new rocket prototype has gone on display in Salford. Its creator hopes 'Nova 2' will take paying passengers into space by 2013. -BBC News, 1 July 2008
July 2008 Engineering and Technology News
Say goodbye to the computer mouse
It's nearly 40 years old but one leading research company says the days of the computer mouse are numbered. -BBC News, 17 July 2008
Power struggles: How mechanical engineers are tackling our energy problems
A special supplement produced by The Independent in association with IMECHE. -The Independent, 20 July 2008
Clean is mean for new plane engines
For 59 of the last 60 Farnborough International Airshows, nobody really had to worry about the price of aviation fuel. -BBC News, 16 July 2008
BBC interviews robot star (flash video)
The star of the Pixar movie Wall-E, the robot of the same name, has spoken to the BBC's Sophie van Brugen on the red carpet. -BBC News, 14 July 2008
Students create cleaning robot (flash video)
Four students in Portugal have built a robot which will help clean floors. -BBC News, 9 July 2008
Engineering: New way forward
An exciting new engineering diploma is about to hit the classroom, says the director of education programmes at The Royal Academy of Engineering. -The Independent, 7 July 2008
Physics is coming to the fore in games
A leading developer and publisher of video games, has set up a special Games Education Projects team to take a closer look at this idea of using games as learning environments, and to explore the idea of seamless learning between game play and subjects that many kids hate - maths, physics and trigonometry. -The Guardian, 3 July 2008
July 2008 Engineering and Technology News
Power struggles: How mechanical engineers are tackling our energy problems
A special supplement produced by The Independent in association with IMECHE. -The Independent, 20 July 2008
Say goodbye to the computer mouse
It's nearly 40 years old but one leading research company says the days of the computer mouse are numbered. -BBC News, 17 July 2008
Clean is mean for new plane engines
For 59 of the last 60 Farnborough International Airshows, nobody really had to worry about the price of aviation fuel. -BBC News, 16 July 2008
Hi-tech help for Olympic hopefuls
For the past four years UK Sport has been running a research and innovation department whose aim is to bring the best experts in their field to help elite British performers. -BBC News, 15 July 2008
BBC interviews robot star (flash video)
The star of the Pixar movie Wall-E, the robot of the same name, has spoken to the BBC's Sophie van Brugen on the red carpet. -BBC News, 14 July 2008
Students create cleaning robot (flash video)
Four students in Portugal have built a robot which will help clean floors. -BBC News, 9 July 2008
Engineering: New way forward
An exciting new engineering diploma is about to hit the classroom, says the director of education programmes at The Royal Academy of Engineering. -The Independent, 7 July 2008
Physics is coming to the fore in games
A leading developer and publisher of video games, has set up a special Games Education Projects team to take a closer look at this idea of using games as learning environments, and to explore the idea of seamless learning between game play and subjects that many kids hate - maths, physics and trigonometry. -The Guardian, 3 July 2008
June 2008 News and Articles
Maths: does it matter?
Not enough teachers, trainees who fail basic questions, and a dispute over how the subject should be taught. Maths seems to be in crisis. But should we be worried? - The Independent, 7 June 2008
Earth 'not at risk' from collider
Our planet is not at risk from the world's most powerful particle physics experiment, a report has concluded. -BBC News, 23 June 2008
Weird science
Explosions. Bunsen burners. Adoring crowds in evening dress - or school uniform - eyes wide with wonderment. Can we recapture the excitement of science, asks historian Lisa Jardine. -BBC News, 27 June 2008
Easy as pi: Astrophysicist solves riddle of Britain's most complex crop circle
The crop circle in a barley field near Wroughton in Wiltshire is a coded version of pi. -MailOnline, 18th June 2008
Can maths be cool?
A report suggests that most Britons are happy to be almost innumerate. But is mathematics really so geeky? - TimesOnline, 10 June 2008
Can you do maths? (flash video)
Specialist maths teachers are to be introduced in every school in England. -BBC News, 17 June 2008
Isaac Newtons of the future: great young maths minds at Trinity College, Cambridge
Perhaps, in asking if maths is cool, we are posing the wrong question. -TimesOnline, 10 June 2008
'Number blindness' more common than dyslexia
More children suffer from an innate condition that renders them incapable of understanding arithmetic and numbers than those who suffer dyslexia or "word blindness", according to a study of 1,500 school pupils. -The Independent, 9 June 2008
Do the maths... answer 30 questions and win one of 50 Flips
A fun maths quiz. -The Independent, 7 June 2008
How to solve the British maths problem?
The British are uniquely happy to admit being bad at maths, says a report. Why is that and how can attitudes change? -BBC News, 4 June 2008
Equality makes maths a girl thing
The gender gap in maths ability disappears in more sexually equal societies, suggesting that boys' knack for algebra is more nurture than nature. -New Scientist, 4 June 2008
Pigeons make pupils high flyers
Racing pigeons are helping pupils on Tyneside sharpen their numeracy and literacy skills. -BBC News, 4 June 2008
British maths put to the test (flash video)
Britons need to be embarrassed about their lack of maths skills, according to a think tank - but just how bad is numeracy in the UK? BBC News, 3 June 2008
Without the big maths stories our numbers are plummeting
Britain has been denied a generation of experts thanks to dumbed-down teaching of what should be a magical subject. By Marcus du Sautoy. -The Guardian, 3 June 2008
June 2008 Education News
Understanding the 14-19 Diplomas
The new Diploma is an alternative to the traditional GCSE or A level route. It offers a mix of classroom learning, creative thinking and hands-on experience. -UCAS
Statements from universities and colleges about the Diploma
Some universities and colleges have provided a statement regarding their view of the Advanced Diploma. - UCAS
Government defends National Challenge target
The government has said 638 National Challenge schools - where 30% of pupils fail to get five A* to C grade GCSEs including English and maths - will be closed if they fail to improve by 2010 or turned into academies. -EducationGuardian.co.uk, 25 June 2008
How many teachers really know their stuff?
Martin Stephen on gaps in the knowledge of some teachers. -The Guardian, 24 June 2008
Scrap diplomas and go back to the drawing board, urges CBI
Britain's employers have withdrawn their support for the Government's new diplomas, urging ministers to go back to the drawing board and concentrate on improving GCSEs and A-levels instead. -The Independent, 23 June 2008
One-on-one to boost maths skills
A scheme that has already seen 27,000 Welsh school children improve their reading is being introduced for maths. -BBC News, 20 June 2008
Schools threatened with closure 'are not failing'
The National Union of Teachers (NUT) launched an attack on ministers today for their "shocking and random" condemnation of more than 600 schools they claim are failing. -EducationGuardian.co.uk, 20 June 2008
First state school drops GCSE for new 'O-level' exam
One of the country's leading grammar schools has become the first state school in the country to ditch the GCSE in favour of an exam modelled on the traditional O-level. -The Independent, 19 June 2008
Leading Article: Blunt warnings cut both ways
The Government has used a blunt instrument in its latest drive to improve school standards – namely, warning 638 schools that don't get 30 per cent of their pupils to achieve five A*- to C-grade passes at GCSE, including maths and English, that they risk closure or being turned into an academy or trust school. -The Independent, 12 June 2008
National challenge strategy launched to ensure more children get better GCSEs
Ed Balls set out the next phase of the Government’s School Improvement Strategy – National Challenge - to transform schools, raise results in English and maths, and tackle underachievement by young people. -DFES, 10 June 2008
Failing schools told: improve or close
Hundreds of failing schools face being closed down or replaced with more privately-backed academies under a £400 million drive to raise standards of education, it was announced today. -The Independent, 10 June 2008
Diplomas 'could spell disaster'
Plans for an all-embracing system of Diplomas could spell disaster for England's education system, a report by a leading academic has warned. -BBC News, 6 June 2008
£81M to prepare teachers for the 14-19 overhaul
Schools Minister Jim Knight has today announced £81 million of additional funding to prepare teachers to deliver the new Diploma. -DFES, 3 June 2008
Most maths teachers 'not experts'
Less than half of maths teachers in England's secondary schools have a degree in the subject, despite a massive recruitment campaign. -BBC News, 3 June 2008
Passing GCSE maths 'has become much easier'
It is now "substantially easier" to obtain a C-grade GCSE pass in maths compared with 20 years ago, academics said. -The Independent, 3 June 2008
June 2008 Physics and Astronomy News
Predicting Britain's weather
We only notice them when we think they’ve got it wrong – during floods, tornados and, of course, Wimbledon. So what is the point of weather forecasters? Hugo Rifkind took his umbrella to the Met Office to find out. -The Times, 28 June 2008
Big Chill turned on in hunt for our origins
One of the most exciting experiment in particle physics in the last 25 years. -The Sunday Times, 29 June 2008
Martian soil 'could support life'
Martian soil appears to contain sufficient nutrients to support life - or, at least, asparagus - Nasa scientists believe. -BBC News, 27 June 2008
Lift-off for Nasa space telescope
A Nasa space telescope has launched successfully on a mission to explore the Universe with "gamma-ray glasses". -BBC News, 11 June 2008
Phoenix diary: Mission to Mars
The robotic lab is due to investigate the region's climate and geology as well as determine whether it could support life. -BBC News, 9 June 2008
Space station crew repair toilet
Crew members have fixed a toilet at the International Space Station with a pump delivered by the shuttle Discovery. -BBC News, 4 June 2008
Tiniest extrasolar planet found
Astronomers have sighted the smallest extrasolar planet yet which orbits a "normal" star, or a brown dwarf. -BBC News, 2 June 2008
June 2008 Engineering and Technology News
Cube robots play football
Scientists from across Europe have created teams of "cube robots" to play football against each other. -BBC News, 24 June 2008
Punk-loving robots pogo for science (WARNING: The video in this article contains strobe lighting)
Despite the chaos and carnage of three nights of live punk at the Institute of Contemporary Arts punters would still be hard pressed to miss the three pogo-dancing robots in their midst. -BBC News, 4 July 2008
Sinclair dreams of 'flying cars'
Personal flying machines will be a reality, home computer and electric car pioneer Sir Clive Sinclair has said. -BBC News, 30 June 2008
Building a better world
Alice Piggott joined the Engineers Without Borders to help others. -The Independent, 26 June 2008
The original Microsoft 'family'
In 1978, when Microsoft was three years old and based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, there were only a dozen people working for the company - compared with the current number of almost 90 000 employees worldwide. -BBC News, 26 June 2008
Dubai plans 'moving' skyscraper
The world's first moving building, an 80-storey tower with revolving floors giving a shifting shape, will be built in Dubai, its architect says. -BBC News, 25 June 2008
Gates from the beginning (flash video)
From schoolboy to software titan, Bill Gates on how it all started. -BBC News, 20 June 2008
Experts to champion better maths
There is to be a renewed emphasis on mental mathematics in England's primary schools, with 13,000 maths specialists to spearhead better teaching. -BBC News, 17 June 2008
Real racing in the virtual world
Sat on the start grid, foot poised over the accelerator, you wait for the row of red lights to extinguish. -BBC News, 11 June 2008
Supercomputer sets petaflop pace
A supercomputer built with components designed for the Sony PlayStation 3 has set a new computing milestone. -BBC News, 9 June 2008
New atomic clock built (flash video)
A new atomic clock which is correct to within one second every 10 million years has been made in Mexico. -BBC News, 1 June 2008
April and May 2008 News and Articles
The science of fun
Some of the finest minds in mathematics spend their time working on pastimes such as juggling, puzzle-solving, magic tricks and board games. So why is it still an uncool subject? -The Guardian, 31 May 2008
Mars lander flexes its robot arm
Nasa's Mars lander Phoenix has unstowed its robotic arm - the key tool in its mission to test the red planet's soil for the building blocks of life. -BBC News, 29 May 2008
Toilet trouble for space station
International Space Station astronauts are eagerly awaiting the arrival of shuttle Discovery - it is bringing a new pump to mend their broken toilet. -BBC News, 29 May 2008
Tripping the light fantastic
A tour of the high voltage facility at the University of Manchester, High Voltage Research Centre. -BBC News, 28 May 2008
Monkey's brain controls robot arm
Monkeys have been able to control robotic limbs using only their thoughts, scientists report. -BBC News, 28 May 2008
More universities back Diplomas
The university admissions service says more than 100 higher education institutions have now provided statements backing the new Diplomas. -BBC News, 21 May 2008
Exploding star caught in the act
Astronomers have been able to capture and record the first moments when a massive star blows itself apart. -BBC News, 21 May 2008
Virtual telescope opens night sky
Twirling galaxies, exotic nebulae and exploding stars are now just a mouse click away for amateur astronomers. -BBC News, 13 May 2008
Sporting nanobot to inspire kids
A tiny football-playing robot has been developed by a team in Zurich to spark young people's interest in nanotechnology - and with the hope of leading to pioneering medical treatments. -BBC News, 13 May 2008
Students deterred by 'geeky' image of maths
The 'geeky' image of maths and mathematicians stops people from studying the subject or using it in later life, according to research. -EducationGuardian.co.uk, 12 May 2008
Victorian 'supercomputer' is reborn
The world of computing could have been very different to that of today had a machine that was designed over 150 years ago been built at the time. -BBC News, 10 May 2008
Freighter boosts altitude of International Space Station
Europe's "Jules Verne" freighter has pushed the International Space Station (ISS) to a higher altitude. -BBC News, 25 April 2008
Pupils to get university mentors
Secondary school pupils are to be mentored by university students to encourage them to continue their education to degree level. -BBC News, 4 April 2008
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