FHS Science podcast - Beyond the curriculum.

Just a chat this morning, no prep, no format, just a final in-person chat with Mr A before he leaves FHS for a new school. We wish him all the best, and the podcast would not be what it is without him.

The hunter gatherer Hadza tribe burn as much energy each day travelling between 10 and 20km on foot as an office worked. How? We talk energy and how to lose weight you must diet, and also how you must exercise, but perhaps not specifically solely for weight loss.

We talk sweat, why we sweat, what doesn't sweat, and what data we can get from sweating!

We talk frivolous science and POST notes from 2024 and what to look out for in 2025. HNY!

S4 E6 = biosensorsWe talk about biosensors and whether they are useful or indeed accurate.

We talk about the ‘hidden’ impact of using the internet, and then the ‘hidden’ dangers in the violent world of golf!

We discus some items that have appeared in the news recently: vaping, drought, the Cass report and daylight savings time!

We talk chlorophyll! …and plants. Although, there’s a load more to talk about!

We talk about what it might mean to be ‘net zero’ and whether e are on track to achieve it.

Welcome to series 4! We start with an overview of what’s in the news this week - viruses, dust and space!

What does this year hold in store? Amongst the doom and gloom of global destruction there is the shining light of science! Be optimistic, 2024 is going to be awe…. Wait for it…..SOME! 🤘😁😉

We chat about new words and what they mean. Where did the word for ‘atom’ come from. Before we knew they existed there was no ‘atoms’! 😂

Ethanol is a key chemical in society from its (ab)use in drinks to fuels to hand gels. There are other ‘alcohols’, but how do alcohols work? We share our ignorance on the subject and hope to provide a starting point…. We are not experts!

What do we know about the Sun? What can we calculate about the Sun?! The Sun is essential for life on Earth - its distance, the heat it radiates… but what do we know about it and Heliophysics?

We try and talk around what AI is… and some of the perceptions in films, and whether it’s all doom and gloom!

We talk about films and science predictions. What predictions have come true…

We talk Christmas and science… stars, planets, trees, batteries… all good stuff, some of it may be true, 😂🤘

How much of the comic book science is based on reads science? We talk Ant man, Wolverine and Deadpool.

We talk about some scientific ‘facts’ and whether they are true or not…. Does what goes up always come down?

We talk about the molecule carbon dioxide and it’s importance, it’s uses and the problems it’s causing for our weather and climate.

We talk talk clouds, wandering clouds, daffodils, art and okta. Queen also gets a mention of course.

With the World increasing in temperature through man-made global warming, what are the best ways of keeping yourself cool? We talk about how animals do it, and how we might need to focus more on passive cooling methods.

After the World cycling championships in Glasgow we talk about bikes and what is the best way to reduce head injuries in cyclists.

I cycle on the Helix Around Town Tour (mostly!) and link in some science and history and information en route. I’m hoping I can link it to school to engage pupils with local history and science. https://www.visitfalkirk.com/plan-your-visit/itineraries/cycle-in-the-hartt-of-scotland/ https://falkirklocalhistory.club/

We talk about faster Tour de France cycling times and the Festina affair, and the Titan submarine catastrophic failure. Last one for season 2. See you again in season 3.

We talk about why science should be taught in schools, and why science is really about rebellion and rock’n’roll. 🤘The image used for this podcast is of Carl Sagan, legendary scientist and communicator.

We talk songs in science and what effect they have on us. Part of the STE(A)M series linking art and science.

We talk inflammation, leeches and maggots. We are not medically trained, do not use our chat as any kind of endorsement of any medical best practise.

Is it healthy to be cold?

We link King Charles’ coronation with conservation work, de-extinction, reintroduction and biodiversity. Have you ever had an Elk burger?

What is atmospheric pressure? We talk altitude and pressure for balloons, aeroplanes and mountains.

Ferry’s, water density, surface tension, cisterns and bugs?

We make genuine and some tenuous links to Falkirk’s science connections. https://falkirklocalhistory.club/around-the-area/industry/nobel-westquarter-works/

Outsells coke, sold in cans/bottles with a secret recipe…. What’s the history of IrnBru and what goes into each can?

Scotland apparently has created the modern world through invention. The discussion wasn’t quite what I expected, but some interesting chat on inventions… I’m not sure we proved the case for Scotland’s place as invention capital of the world!

We talk about what we know about ‘the brain’. Brains, talking about brains? 🤷‍♂️

A tricky one to navigate, but, do you feel optimistic about the future because of science, or do you feel an overwhelming sense of doom? We chat about the perception of science… despite Mr a Forsyth trying to dodge the question! 😂

What are earthquakes, how often do they happen, how can we protect ourselves against them? You can make donations for the earthquake appeal here: https://www.redcross.org.uk/stories/disasters-and-emergencies/world/turkey-syria-earthquake

We chat about why we sleep and how we measure sleep. Do all animals sleep? 🤷‍♂️

The Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology (POST) provides ‘horizon scanning’ , briefing notes and full notes for Westminster. Used in Select committees and to inform policy and legislation we chat around some of the possible issues.

We talk around bones - what do they ‘do’ and how are they attached?

W discuss what a battery is and some of the issues surrounding their use and disposal.

We talk space, crash test mooses and whether our risk of death might be doubled in a simple test.

Some tenuous links between things associated with a winter Christmas and some science discussions. We find out that Mr Atkinson is super tasty… or a super taster?

In this episode we discuss the best general advice we would give in the run up to prelims, and then deviate to some general chat about some funny science word usage.

We talk ‘what has the BBC ever done for us?’

Were cadavers used for the first crash test dummies? Can you get electrocuted in the bath? Can you. At h baldness from your dad? 🤷‍♂️

We look at public scares that either turned out not to be through lack of basis, or were avoided through taking precautions. We talk Y2K, GMO and vaccines. Remember it’s a chat, we’re not topic specialists.

We talk briefly about the context of Prince William’s Earthshot prize, and how science does have the answers to many of today’s issues.

We chat around why water is so important and some of its special properties. What is it about liquids that is so interesting?