Haileybury Hypothesis - Pupil science magazine

A note from your editors:

Welcome to the latest edition of the Haileybury Hypothesis! As the editors, we are thrilled to present to you a collection of articles written by pupils that showcase the curiosity, creativity, and passion for science that is thriving in our school community.

This has provided a great opportunity for our pupils to research on any field of science which has sparked their interest, and share it with their peers, parents and members of our Haileybury community.

Over this academic year, we have developed this collection of scientific articles. It has been a very enjoyable process, in which we have all broadened our knowledge of the scientific world.

We have been kindly guided by Miss Hannah Simmons, (Teacher of Chemistry) and Mr Arthur Kattavenos, (Head of Science), who have helped us complete this project, offering advice and assistance throughout the process. Thank you so much for reading, we hope you enjoy!

Haileybury HypothesisEditors

HAILEYBURY HYPOTHESIS EDITORS

Summer, Isla, Molly Summer, Isla, Molly Feliz, Paisley Feliz, Paisley

Elizabeth, Athena, Sofia Elizabeth, Athena, Sofia

EXPLORATION:

Practical benefits for the Earth

THINGS THAT GLOW:

Cherenkov Radiation

MAGNETS BEHIND MUSIC:

How electric guitar pickups work

EXOPLANETS

BIOMIMICRY IN DESIGN

CUBESAT

INNOVATION IN CREATION:

A guide to 3D Printers

CLIMATE CHANGE

GREENPOWER RACING

ARDUINO STEM CLUB

VEX ROBOTICS

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE:

STAN-X INTERVIEWS

An interview with Briony Marshall In collaboration with HYT

SENIOR ENGINEERING SOCIETY

TEACHER FEATURE

GRANDI‘S SERIES AND CONVERGENT/DIVERGENT SERIES

DRINKABLE RIVERS

PHOTO GALLERY

14 March 2024

On 14 March 2024 Scitech was officially opened by award-winning astrophysicist Jocelyn Bell Burnell, who discovered the first radio pulsars in 1967. Many governors and architects who helped to fund and design the building arrived at the event to tour the new facilities. They watched pupils undertake experiments and visited lessons in the new labs and were spellbound by the pupil work that was displayed in posters around the main entrance.

Jocelyn Bell Burnell was awarded the Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics and she used the prize money to help female, refugee and minority students become research physicists. She is an inspiration to all women in science, especially in Physics and us at Haileybury are very proud to have had her as the guest of honour on this important day. At the opening, Jocelyn Bell Burnell stated that the best piece of advice for women in science was that:

“If you’re interested in science, please go for it. Don’t be put off by people telling you women don’t do science, or girls can’t do physics, none of that’s actually true. So just go for it”.

After a tour around the new buildings, Bell Burnell was very impressed with how science has developed for young pupils simply over her lifetime.

PROFESSOR DAME JOCELYN BELL BURNELL

An introduction by Dr. L. Duffy

We welcomed one of the most historically significant living Astrophysicists, Professor Da Jocelyn Bell Burnell to formally open our ne SciTech centre on 14 March

At the age of 24, while a PhD student at the University of Cambridge in 1967, Professor Da Bell Burnell built and operated a radio telesco antennae which was part of the Interplaneta Scintillation Array at the Mullard Radio Astrono Observatory outside of Cambridgeshire to de and characterise a previously unknown objec the universe - the Pulsar

Pulsars are extremely dense, rapidly rotating stars composed of Neutrons, the Neutron being a neutrally charged subatomic particle found within the nucleus of most atoms. Pulsars are created in the intense conditions of the death throes of an exploding star or supernova Pulsars can have a diameter as small as 20 km or 12 miles, which is 3 times the distance from Haileybury to the centre of Hertford, yet have 1 35 times the mass of the Sun, an object which is 1 4 million km or 865,000 miles across

A pulsar is so dense that one teaspoon of pulsar material would weigh one billion tonnes on the surface of the Earth The fastest Pulsar detected rotates 716 times in one second. For comparison, this Pulsar rotates 9 times in the single flap of a hummingbird's wings, which itself occurs 80 times every second.

The properties of the pulsar lead to the generation of intense beams of radiation which are released from the pulsar's north and south magnetic poles which stretch 40 billion miles through the universe. As the Pulsar rotates, these intense beams of radiation sweep through the universe like beams of light from a lighthouse beacon. On that fateful night, the 28th November 1967, Professor Dame Bell Burnell recognised the regular rhythmic pulses of the sweeping beams of a Pulsar as detected by her radio telescope. In the space of two months Professor Dame Bell Burnell went on to discover three more Pulsars There are now over 3,000 Pulsars that have been detected in the known universe following Professor Dame Bell Burnell's initial research.

Portraits of Dame Bell Burnell

The original data taken for CP1919, 1967

Above and below: Artist interpretations of Pulsars

PROFESSOR DAME JOCELYN BELL BURNELL

An introduction by Dr. L. Duffy

Professor Dame Bell Burnell and her discovery have had a huge impact on the scientific community, popular culture and society. The 1974 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for pioneering research in radio astrophysics, including the discovery of pulsars. This Nobel Prize is historically significant as it is the first Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to the field of Astrophysics, essentially validating the significance of the field of research. Controversially, the prize was not awarded to Professor Dame Bell Burnell, who made the discovery and was instead awarded to her supervisor Antony Hewish. Although Professor Dame Bell Burnell has dismissed the need for her to have won the prize, stating that she is proud of her contribution to the first Astrophysics Nobel Prize, she has also spoken about Hewish's initial scepticism of the data and her discovery and how she continued to pursue the research despite intense criticisms from colleagues.

The controversy is commonly used by commentators on the Nobel Prize as a key example of issues surrounding the lack of female representation within the awarding of Nobel prizes in the sciences. Scientists, in reference to the slight, have often referred to the 1974 Nobel Prize in Physics as the "No-Bell" Prize, a play on Professor Dame Bell Burnell's maiden name "Bell".

Professor Dame Bell Burnell has regularly discussed the misogyny she experienced from the media during the 60's and 70's, where she was commonly treated differently to her male counterparts by being asked questions about her personal life rather than the science of her discovery. Being the recipient of countless other significant scientific awards, Professor Dame Bell Burnell has donated prize money to help promote under-represented individuals taking part in physics research.

Album Cover to Joy Division’s Debut Album "Unknown Pleasures”, Peter Saville 1979

The regular pulses of her original pulsar measurements, which can still be seen on display at the Cambridge University Library, inspired the album cover of the famous debut album from Joy Division, "Unknown Pleasures" which is commonly considered to be one of the greatest album covers of all time. Professor Dame Bell Burnell has been the subject of a number of documentaries, most recently the first part of the BBC Four three-part series "Beautiful Minds". Clips of this documentary can be found on YouTube.

Professor Dame Bell Burnell is currently a Professorial Fellow at Mansfield College University of Oxford where she continues to undertake research in the astrophysics of neutron stars, pulsars and energetic binary stellar systems through observations conducted with telescopes at all appropriate wavelengths.

CP 1919 Pulsar Pulse Data taken from Bell Burnell’s first discovered Pulsar in a textbook

Antony Hewish; Bell Burnell’s supervisor

SPACE EXPLORATION: PRACTICAL BENEFITS FOR EARTH

The study of space and its effects on the human body has led to breakthroughs in medical products. Insulin pumps, for instance, deliver insulin through a small computerised device, revolutionising diabetes care. The connection to space exploration lies in the development of energy-efficient piezoelectric transducers, originally used in space instruments. They later facilitated the creation of insulin pumps by converting small mechanical movements into electrical energy for sustainable power sources.

Similarly, while developing ideas about life support on Mars research, NASA scientists discovered a natural source of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid present in certain algae, leading to the creation of Formulaid—a vegetablelike oil rich in DHA. Formulaid, incorporated into infant formulas, has significantly improved their nutritional composition. Previously, DHA of this kind was only found in breast milk.

Many of you may have noticed that the topic of space exploration has been in the news quite often lately. Some of the topics making headlines include NASA’s human mission Artemis to the Moon, and Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos sending spaceships with tourists into space. Humans colonising the moon, as well as potentially landing on Mars, are concepts shifting from science fiction to slowly becoming reality. While headlines like these generate are hype, there are some very practical products that have resulted from mankind's attempt to conquer space. When technology developed for a particular use and is used in an unrelated area the resulting product is called a technology spinoff.

Space exploration not only transformed medicine but is also helping address environmental issues on Earth.

Satellite-based carbon dioxide observations, for example, have become a good scientific tool for monitoring and quantifying emission reductions. This is illustrated through a pivotal case study at Europe's largest fossil fuel power plant. Here satellites are equipped with advanced sensors which offer precise, real-time data on carbon dioxide emissions. This technology enhances accountability

and evidence-based decision-making in the global effort to combat climate change. NASA's Landsat satellites transformed how we observe and study Earth's surface. They play a key role in helping us understand glacier retreat, giving essential details on shrinking ice masses. Landsat images are also vital for monitoring desertification and deforestation, helping scientists pinpoint areas at risk and evaluate human activities' impact on ecosystems. This information guides conservation and climate change efforts.

Introduction

Human health

Climate Change

SPACE EXPLORATION: THE PRACTICAL BENEFITS FOR EARTH

Another example that illustrates the link between NASA advancements and new technology is Invisalign. Invisalign and similar invisible braces use a clear material called transparent polycrystalline alumina (TPA), developed by NASA for heat-seeking missiles. TPA's advanced ceramic properties, including exceptional strength and transparency, make it an ideal material for discreet orthodontic applications.

References

Publisher(2019)Dustbusterstobabyformula:Moonlandinginspiredtechnology westillusetoday SkyNews.Availableat:https://news.sky.com/story/dustbustersto-baby-formula-moon-landing-inspired-technology-we-still-use-today-11759900 (Accessed:30January2024). (2024)NASA.Availableat:https://www.nasa.gov/(Accessed:30January2024). Ahighefficiencypiezoelectricenergyharvestingsystem|IEEE...Availableat: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6138792/(Accessed:30January2024). ZhengbaoYang13etal.(2018b)High-performancepiezoelectricenergyharvesters andtheirapplications Joule.Availableat: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2542435118301260(Accessed: 30January2024).

Covaci,C.andGontean,A.(2020a)PiezoelectricEnergyHarvestingSolutions:A Review MDPI.Availableat:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/12/3512 (Accessed:30January2024).

Covaci,C.andGontean,A.(2020b)PiezoelectricEnergyHarvestingSolutions:A Review,MDPI.Availableat:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/12/3512 (Accessed:30January2024). HomepageCopernicus.Availableat:https://www.copernicus.eu/en(Accessed:30 January2024).

Nasir,S.Vaccinesandbabyformula:10keyinventionsmadepossiblebecauseof spaceexploration TheNational.Availableat: https://www.thenationalnews.com/uae/science/vaccines-and-baby-formula-10key-inventions-made-possible-because-of-space-exploration-1.1145970(Accessed: 30January2024).

Philips(2015)10spaceinventionsthatarecloserthanyouthink Philips.Available at:https://www.philips.com/c-w/malegrooming/philips-space/space/10-spaceinnovations-that-are-closer-than-you-think.html(Accessed:30January2024).

SpaceforourclimateESA.Availableat: https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Space_for_our_climate (Accessed:30January2024).

The space suits that were designed for the Apollo missions featured boots with a spring-like design. This design tackles lunar dust challenges by adding a flexible structure for better energy use, improving traction and stability in a manner that is compatible with the mechanics of running. This later influenced the development of shock-absorbing insoles through a process known as blow rubber moulding, a technology that was initially used in the helmet production of space suits by NASA. Now the technology has been integrated into the athletic shoe industry.

Bedding

Memory foam is another example, initially developed for NASA aircraft seats. The opencell polyurethane silicon plastic evenly distributes weight and pressure, providing shock absorbency and retaining its original shape after compression, making it the perfect material for NASA aircraft seats. Now, it is commonly used in mattresses.

As you can see, humankind's pursuit of space exploration has resulted in advancement of technology and innovation of products that benefit humanity here on Earth. The renewed interest in Space in recent years will no doubt bring many more such advancements to fruition in the coming years.

THINGS THAT GLOW: THE CHERENKOV EFFECT

In the popular imagination, radioactivity is often associated with some sort of bright green glowing. This phenomenon is undoubtedly radioluminescence, which can be explained by the fact that an appropriate material is excited to luminescence by a radioactive substance.

However, anyone who has some interest in the functioning of nuclear power plants has certainly wondered what is that eerie, pale-blue haze, which is often seen in the cooling pools of spent fuel in nuclear power plants or around an operating water-submersed reactor.

The aim of this little research is to pay honour to the scientist behind the discovery of this phenomenon, illustrate its behaviour and explore a few interesting applications that this radiation has.

DISCOVERING CHERENKOV RADIATION

Pavel Alekseyevich Cherenkov was born in July 1904 in a small village called Novaya Chigla. After graduation from Voronezh State University in 1928, he became the senior researcher in the Lebedev Physical Institute. In 1934, Cherenkov began conducting his own experiments on this strange form of radiation, working with his institute colleague Sergei Vavilov (in fact, it was termed “VavilovCherenkov radiation” in the Soviet Union.) He noted the same emission of blue light when bombarding a bottle of water with radiation.

It should be noted that before that, this pale blue glowing light had been observed in 1910, when Marie Curie notably referenced an observation of a strange blue light during her research into a highly concentrated radium solution.

“Nor was this the end of the wonders of radium,” she wrote “It also gave phosphorescence to a large number of bodies incapable of emitting light by their own means ”

However, neither Maria nor her husband Pierre followed up on the observation. For the discovery and the theory of the Cherenkov radiation, Pavel Cherenkov was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1958 together with his colleagues Ilya Frank and Igor Tamm.

BEHAVIOUR OF CHERENKOV RADIATION

First, we should consider the speed of light. According to the special theory of relativity, c (speed of light in a vacuum) is the upper limit for the speed at which conventional matter or energy (and thus any signal carrying information) can travel. Nothing can travel faster than light and no transfer of information can be performed at a faster speed than light. This, however, only applied to light in vacuum. When light travels through a medium (as water or air), its speed is significantly reduced. Therefore, as the speed of a charged particle released from radioactive decay reaches values higher than the slowed speed of light in a medium, part of its energy is emitted as Cherenkov radiation.

As we can see from the diagram, the Cherenkov radiation corresponds to the sonic boom, where the wavefront produced by a supersonic aircraft travel faster than the speed of sound in the air.

THINGS THAT GLOW: THE CHERENKOV EFFECT

APPLICATIONS OF CHERENKOV RADIATION

The discovery of Cherenkov radiation has brought many applications in different fields

Cherenkov radiation is used for the detection of high energy charged particles, such as beta particles, in nuclear fission decay It is worth noting that the emission of light doesn’t stop with the end of the fission process Therefore, it is useful for verifying the presence of nuclear fuel spent in pools by the characteristics of the light emitted from the fuel rods In general, it is used to gauge the amount of radioactivity

Cherenkov radiation has also interesting applications in the field of biomedicine Being generated during radiotherapy or radioisotope decay, Cherenkov radiation can be used for monitoring the dose, and dose distribution of radiotherapy to prevent radiotherapy-related adverse events With a combination of imaging techniques, molecular probes and nanomedicine, Cherenkov radiation presents many advantages (accuracy, low cost, convenience, and speed) in tumour radiotherapy monitoring and imaging.

Finally, it is worth mentioning the application of the Cherenkov radiation in the field of astronomy. A special type of observatories, called Cherenkov Telescope Array, investigate the nature and direction of the high energy gamma ray bursts which enter the atmosphere by detecting the consequent Cherenkov radiation, which of course is too small and fast to be observed with naked eyes.

“The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) will be the foremost global observatory for very highenergy gamma-ray astronomy over the next decade and beyond.”

REFERENCES

Kirkpatrick L.D. Wheeler G.F. (1998) Physics A World View Saunders College Publishing Cherenkov, P.A. (1934) “Visible emission of clean liquids by action of gamma radiation,” Doklady Akademil Nauk SSE 2: 451. P.A. Cherenkov, C.R. Acad. Sci. URSS 20, 651–655 (1938) Pavel A. Cherenkov – Biographical. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2024. Tue. 30 Jan 2024. https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1958/cerenkov/biographical https://www.britannica.com/science/Cherenkov-radiation

Bianfei S, Fang L, Zhongzheng X, Yuanyuan Z, Tian Y, Tao H, Jiachun M, Xiran W, Siting Y, Lei L. Application of Cherenkov radiation in tumor imaging and treatment. Future Oncol. 2022 Sep;18(27):3101-3118. doi: 10.2217/fon-2022-0022. Epub 2022 Sep 6. PMID: 36065976. https://www.iac.es/en/projects/iactec-large-telescopes-cherenkov-telescope-array-cta https://www.innovationnewsnetwork.com/cherenkov-telescope-array/973/ https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/what-is-cherenkov-radiation

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Cherenkov-radiation-scheme-14_fig10_339948176 https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/cherenkov-radiation-explained

MAGNETS BEHIND MUSIC:

THE SCIENCE OF AN ELECTRIC GUITAR PICKUP

AN INTRODUCTION

I know what you’re thinking, dear reader: Joe Tong doesn’t know a thing about science, (but this editor sort of does, and will be heavily coursecorrecting this article) and you’re right, I have my GCSE results in Physics and Chemistry to prove it. But, one of the few things I know about in the scientific field is the innovation of the guitar pickup, and its monumental impact on popular music and culture in the 20th century. So, my dear reader, let's get locked in and take a knee deep wade in the world of Guitar Pickups…get excited!! Right, cast your minds back to the roaring twenties. This was a time of great cultural and scientific advancements, with the rise of Hollywood and Jazz tradition being firmly established as the cornucopi musically for a whole new generation. However, by the late 30s, as music got louder and more raucous as the angst of the new generation shaped a new form of popular music, traditional instruments became increasingly difficult to hear. Thus, the dawn of amplified music began!

The first guitar featuring pickups, the "Frying Pan" slide guitar, was created by George Beauchamp and Adolph Rickenbacker in 1931. The first solidbody guitars would also feature pickups, their lack of resonance made up for with their ability to be amplified through external speakers, known as

‘Amps’ (funny enough). The Telecaster (1951), changed the face of music forever- however, It was not certain that such innovation would be embraced; indeed, some scoffed and laughed at the Telecaster when it was officially released, calling it as a “boat paddle”.

THE SINGLE COIL

The most traditional single coil pickups consist of 6 magnets within a copper coil. To create sound that is able to be amplified, current must be induced within the coil. According to Faraday’s Law, current in a coil of conductive wire is only able to be induced when either the magnets or coil are moving around each other, (for example, a moving magnet through a stationary coil, or a moving coil around a stationary magnet). So how is it we are able to create this current with both stationary magnets and stationary copper coil in a pickup?

Above:Left-Layereddiagramofapickup,Topmiddleandrightimagesofpickups,(withandwithoutacover),Bottomrightdiagramofthemagneticfieldofapickup.

Below:Magnetisationoftheguitarstringscreatingamovingmagnet

Here’s where the guitar strings show their importance. (After allowing you to be able to actually play the guitar, of course.) Since there are magnets in the pickups, there is a magnetic field created. As the strings fall within this magnetic field, the (usually) steel or nickel strings are magnetised. When the strings are plucked, vibrations are sent through the strings, creating the movement needed from a magnet to induce a current in the coil of the pickup. So now, we have a moving magnet (strings) around a stationary coil (pickup), giving us the current to be amplified.

These current signal strengths can, however, be changed. This is what we guitar nerds call ‘tone’. (Might have heard that one before). Tone can be affected by almost anything variable in the guitar, whether it be the magnets in the pickup, the strings, string gauge, and some even argue the wood that the body is made of.

However, as most things stand, the first was not the best, and came with its flaws. Single-coil Guitar pickups function like a directional antenna and are prone to ‘hum’— changes in the signal from outside sources that interfere with the pickup’s magnetic field. From electrical power cables, power transformers, fluorescent light ballasts, video monitors or TV, this interference is amplified along with the musical signal. While some embraced this arguably iconic sound, many also found it an annoyance, and wished it good riddance when the humbucking pickup was invented in 1955.

The ‘boat paddle’ Telecaster

This guitar featured two ‘single coils’, in the neck, and bridge positions. But I bet, my esteemed reader, you want some science, so here you are…

ELIMINATING ‘HUM’, AND THE HUMBUCKER

Both Joseph Butts (Gretsch), and Seth Lover (Gibson) claim innovation for it- but we have it today, and Nothing Else Matters. A humbucking pickup is essentially just two single coils placed next to each other. If you happen to be a single coil purist, you might notice that when you set your pickup selector to one of the in-between slots, the hum is reduced significantly. A hum-cancelling pair is created by reversing the coil direction and magnetisation of each respective pickup. (diagram and more details on the next page) Replicating this to a single pickup and connecting the coils, a humbucker is created.

Guitars with double humbucker setups

SCIENCE OF GUITAR PICKUPS

As promised, an example middle and bridge pickup are shown. the one wound clockwise will have the north side of the 6 magnets facing up, while the one wound anti-clockwise the right will have the south side facing up. Note the direction the coil is wound is also reversed.

REMOVING THE ‘HUM’ FROM SINGLE COILS

<- A representation of the humbucking coil directions, as well as the reversed magnetisation

If we represent the hum from each individual pickup as a smaller wave to the signal wave, since the polarities of each part of the humbucker are reversed, they will essentially ‘cancel each other out’ via destructive interference. Now, we are just left with the signal wave. No hum!

The new humbuckers came with some new benefits:

Doubling the coils meant doubling the output: a louder, heavier sound. 1

The hum from previous pickups meant that any sort of distortion or applied effect would also be applied to the hum. Eliminating this factor of amplified hum, effects could be stacked to the player’s heart’s content.

These are just some of the reasons why humbuckers are now the industry standard for playing rock or metal music.

ACTIVE PICKUPS

We have so far only discussed ‘passive’ pickups, and there is much more to be explored within the pickup world. The other most prominent competitor on the scene is the active pickup, requiring a battery powered pre-amp to be able to operate the pickup to it’s full potential.

Comparing them at surface level, they operate in basically the same manner. A magnet in the pickup magnetises the strings, and sends signals to be amplified. Except in the case of active pickups, there are a lot fewer coils on the magnets, and therefore, the output signal is a lot weaker. Adding an external preamp gives a more powerful sound (as there is an additional power source, instead of purely relying on the magnet and coil system itself), and a more consistent sound.

Modern pickups such as Fishman Fluences harness this power, and create ‘multi-voice’ pickups. But that story is too long for today, (maybe tune in again next year).

FDM AND METAL

CONCLUSION

To conclude, although simple, the science of guitar pickups has radically changed music and culture, with continuous scientific innovation. So Micheal Faraday, (of Faraday’s Law) is the reason we have those iconic moments in music such as the solo from ‘Stairway to Heaven’ and the overplayed opening riff to ‘Sweet Child O Mine’… basically the first rockstar.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

<- Some of the many pickups available on the market today

Dado, F. (2022) The setup of Your guitar (pt 5): Setting single-coils pickups - soundsation music, The setup of Your guitar - soundsation music. Available at: https://www.soundsationmusic.com/en/blog/the-setup-of-your-guitar-pt-5-setting-single-coilspickups (Accessed: 14 May 2024).

Delsack, T. (2020) How do humbuckers work?, Fralin Pickups. Available at: https://www.fralinpickups.com/2017/08/22/how-do-humbuckers-work/ (Accessed:14May 2024).

Goetz, A. (2022) Stratocaster pickups: Single-coil tone profiles - Seymour Duncan, Guitar Pickups, Bass Pickups, Pedals. Available at: https://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/latest-updates/stratsingle-coil-tone-profiles (Accessed: 14 May 2024).

Huey, R. (2022) How was the humbucker invented?, Stringjoy. Available at: https://stringjoy.com/how-was-the-humbucker-invented/ (Accessed: 14 May 2024).

Kirby, D. (2020) The science behind your pickups, Dave Kirby Music. Available at: https://davekirbymusic.com/blogs/gear-tips/the-science-behind-your-pickups(Accessed: 14 May 2024).

Labial, H. (2020) How does a guitar pickup work?, CircuitBread. Available at: https://www.circuitbread.com/ee-faq/how-does-a-guitar-pickup-work (Accessed: 14 May 2024).

Stringjoy (2023) Active vs passive pickups, Stringjoy. Available at: https://stringjoy.com/active-vspassive-pickups/ (Accessed: 14 May 2024).

Diagram showing the magnetic fields of different pickups: a single coil’s field expands outwards, picking up excess noise. Humbuckers have a ‘closed’ field, limiting the size of the field to only just above the strings.

EXOPLANETS

Introduction

The quest to understand the Universe is as old as humanity itself The ancient Greek philosopher Anaxagoras at 450 BC was the first to suggest that the Moon is not actually a god but a planet with aliens living on it, an idea that led to his execution (1) Since Anaxagoras, several astronomers, philosophers and science fiction writers have speculated about the existence of other planets beyond the boundaries of our own Solar System These distant worlds, orbiting stars beyond our Sun, are called Exoplanets according to the International Astronomical Union (2) Giordano Bruno was one of the first people to propose that other stars might also have planets This was way back in the 16th century It was an idea that Isaac Newton agreed with (3). However the proof that planets outside our solar system exist came almost 400 years later Astronomers Aleksander Wolszczan and Dale Frail tuned the Arecibo radio telescope into the pulsar PSR B1257+12, 2300 light-years away and detected not one but two planets (4) But the first exoplanet was discovered in 1995 by astronomers Mayor & Queloz, a discovery that was awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics (5, 6) Because of their discovery a whole new field of Astronomy emerged As data on these objects were very scarce, people had to create new and improved methods to find Exoplanets

Figure1 ThegraphthatwonMayorandQuelozthe NobelPrize providingthefirsteverdetectionofan exoplanet(7)

Extrasolar planets

Earth is a rocky wet planet where life first appeared Scientists have been suggesting for a long time about the presence of life on Mars (8) and Europa (9) So if an average star like our Sun has already got a habitable Earth and potentially had a couple more how possible is it that there is another habitable planet in our Galaxy?

Figure2:ThemostdetailedmapofthestarsintheMilkyWayasseenbytheESAGAIAmission(13)

If we consider that our Milky Way has between 100 and 400 billion stars (10) of which 4 1 billion stars are like our Sun then the probability of exoplanets is almost certain In fact, astronomers have calculated that there are at least 300 million stars with at least one habitable planet in our Milky Way (11) As of 10 January 2024, there are 5,569 confirmed exoplanets in 4,142 planetary systems, with 942 systems having more than one planet (12)

Detection of exoplanets

But if we know that there are millions of exoplanets, why is it so difficult to find them? In simple terms, it is difficult because the signals that allow us to detect them are weak For example Jupiter is 1000 times less massive than the Sun and as it orbits the Sun it will only block 1% of the Sun’s light (14) Earth blocks 100 times less of the Sun light (14) than that of Jupiter As a result it is more likely to detect Jupiter-like exoplanets than Earthlike exoplanets There are currently five methods used to detect exoplanets

Figure 2: The most detailed map of the stars in the Milky Way as seen by the ESA GAIA mission (13)

EXOPLANETS

A planet orbiting a star, tugs the star it circles around a common centre of gravity, causing a reflex motion While the exoplanet’s orbit causes the star to wobble both towards and away from us, this reflex motion can be seen with the Doppler , or also called the radial velocity method The main drawback of this method is that a Doppler shift cannot be seen in the plane of the sky, this means that we would normally be able to pick up on 50% of the signal (15). This method has been responsible for 1075 discoveries to date (15)

When an exoplanet orbits around a star, it briefly passes in front of the star and partially blocks off some of its light. Although it is a tiny change, it is enough to clue astronomers into the presence of an exoplanet around a distant star (17) This method has helped astronomers discover 4151 exoplanets (17).

Gravitational Microlensing

Gravitational microlensing happens when a star or planet's gravity focuses the light of another, more distant star, in a way that makes it temporarily seem brighter In the same way that a magnifying glass can focus the sun's light onto a tiny, very bright spot on a piece of paper, the gravity of the planet and the star focus the light rays of the distant star onto the observer (21). This method has helped astronomers discover 207 exoplanets so far

This method is the most straightforward but also the most difficult In this method, astronomers can take a picture of an exoplanet by removing the glare of the star they orbit. However, a Jupiter-like exoplanet forms only 1/100,000,000 of the star’s light it orbits and for an Earth-like planet this would be only 1/1,000,000,000 (19) So astronomers need to find a way to block out the star’s light, similar to humans wearing sunglasses This is a very difficult problem to be solved. Although only 69 exoplanets (19) have been discovered so far with this method, this is considered the future as it provides direct evidence of what type of exoplanet is

Figure3:TheradialvelocitymethodoralsoknownastheDopplermethod(16)

Figure4 Thetransitmethod(18)

Figure5 DirectimageofexoplanetsaroundthestarHR8799 (20)

This method resembles the Doppler method and is looking for miniscule movements of the star with an exoplanet in relation to the position of neighboring stars in the sky (23) In order to track the movement of these stars, scientists take a series of images of a star and some of the other stars that are near it in the sky. In each picture, they compare the distances between these reference stars and the star they're checking for Exoplanets/ Astrometry requires extremely precise optics, and is especially hard to do from the Earth's surface because our atmosphere distorts and bends light This is why only three exoplanets have been discovered with this method (23).

Mars is too cold as it is too far away and Venus is too hot as it is too close. Finding the habitable regions in different solar systems is extremely complex and there are many scientists that are actively researching planet habitability. The scientists so far have discovered 63 exoplanets within the habitable zone of their stars, that are under 10 Earth masses and smaller than 2.5 Earth radii, and thus have a chance of being rocky (29) Unfortunately, these measurements are not enough to guarantee habitability.

Biomarkers

After using all the above techniques to detect exoplanets, the next step is to characterise them. Characteristics such as the mass, its orbit, the size are identified using the Doppler and Transit Methods In addition, robust spectral characterization of a variety of exoplanets is needed to ultimately understand their formation and evolution Spectroscopy and other imaging techniques are critical in the search for biosignatures and life elsewhere in the Galaxy The Hubble space telescope has been able to accomplish this, but only for Jupiter-like planets and not Earth-like planets (24).

Several elements, and compounds, such as sodium, carbon dioxide and sometimes water vapour have been found in some large exoplanets (25) When trying to find life on exoplanets we look for either oxygen or ozone in the exoplanets atmosphere One of the early planets where this method has been applied was on COROT-7b. This planet seemed to be a super earth type planet as its density is close to that of Earth However it is not an Earth-like world as it orbits its host star in only 20 hours meaning that it is very close to its star making its surface very hot (26)

According to NASA, the definition of “habitable zone” is the distance from a star at which liquid water could exist on orbiting planets’ surfaces Habitable zones are also known as Goldilocks’ zones, where conditions might be just right – neither too hot nor too cold – for life (28) For a planet to have life on it, it should be in the habitable zone of its Solar system The habitable zone can range from how big or how strong their host star is. For example

Biomarkers are signs of biology (life) on other planets. If we look at the three major planets, Mercury, Venus and Earth we can see that Earth stands out from these three planets as its atmosphere has high amounts of oxygen and ozone. These are all biomarkers

Biomarkers have never been spotted in observations of an exoplanet, because their signal is so faint and the current telescopes used for exoplanets research are not sensitive enough However, the new generation of telescopes being planned today, such as the European Extremely Large Telescope (30) and JWST (31), may be sensitive enough to detect them.

The hunt for exoplanets is a very complex mission that humans have been trying to achieve for many years The advancement of telescope technology has reached a point that many astronomers believe that in a few years time we will make huge strides in the way we see and detect Exoplanets. And hopefully in a few years we will be able to answer Enrico Fermi’s question, one of the biggest questions ever asked in human history. Where are they?

References

Figure9 ArtistimpressionoftheJWST(33)

Characterising extrasolar planets

Figure7 ArtistimpressionofCorot7b

Figure8 Artistimpressionoftheextremelylargetelescope (32)

BIOMIMICRY IN DESIGN

In simple words, Biomimicry is design inspired by nature By studying individual fauna and flora forms and natural systems, designers and engineers are creating new systems and products Have you ever marvelled at a dragonfly caught in the rays of the sun and then noticed a striking similarity to helicopters? Or sat on a plane and realised that if not for the study of airflow over a bird’s wings, we might never have taken flight?

Nature has perfect production, consumption and decomposing systems, in which every plant, every animal, insect and bird is perfectly designed to flourish, every form of life is perfectly constructed to balance every other life form in its habitat Even we humans are engineered with a level of sophistication we can only dream of mimicking.

EXAMPLES OF BIOMIMICRY

The Shinkansen Bullet train, the fastest in the world, was creating serious noise pollution. To create a solution and redesign the train, engineers looked at the beaks of Kingfishers, birds that can dive into water almost silently to restructure the nose of the train.

TERMITES & TOWERS

Stealth Bombers like the B2 bomber and the Falcon have massive similarities in their appearance and shape. The Falcon and the Stealth Bomber both have a strong tail to centre their movement, strings wings to support and power it’s speed, and an aerodynamic head and beak to increase speed, movement and to cut across the air and wind resistance.

The Eastgate centre uses similar aspect as the termite mound for its air conditioning. Termites dig holes through the top and bottom of their mound, circulating the air and cooling the hill. By applying this concept, it created a passive cooling system for the building. The diagram shows the reflections between the mound and the building.

Other examples such as PowerCone Wind Turbines, looked at maple tree seeds to design better air flow. We’ve also learned how to send messages through water from dolphins, and NASA has designed a robot that can stick to tough surfaces in space taking inspiration from a gecko’s feet.

IN CONCLUSION

Most would say that science is what has led us to where we are now. The truth is that science does not lead.

“We knew how to breed animals before we understood genetics We knew how to create catapults before we understood gravity,” Says Luis Breva, MIT innovation teams professor

We have everything we need if we would only be humble and look.

REFERENCES

Cenciotti, D. (2021) An unbelievable image seems to suggest the shape of the B-2 stealth bomber was inspired by Mother Nature, The Aviationist. Available at: https://theaviationist.com/2013/03/19/anunbelievable-image-seems-to-suggest-the-shape-ofthe-b-2-stealth-bomber-was-inspired-by-mothernature/ (Accessed: 27 January 2024).

Li, J. (2021) Shinkansen: The bullet train inspired by Kingfishers, Medium. Available at: https://uxdesign.cc/shinkansen-the-bullet-traininspired-by-kingfishers-bf6173cc5eae (Accessed: 27 January 2024).

Pearce, M. (1996) Passively cooled building inspired by termite mounds , AskNature Passively Cooled Building Inspired by Termite Mounds Comments. Available at: https://asknature.org/innovation/passively-cooledbuilding-inspired-by-termite-mounds/ (Accessed: 27 January 2024).

BOMBERS & BIRDS

CUBE

This academic year, as part of Haileybury’s new SciTech initiative; which aims to provide pupils with hands on experience of high-level research in Science, the school has begun its CubeSat initiative

As part of the initiative pupils will work with industry experts to design and build a CubeSat system which will be launched into space, providing students with valuable experience in the field of spacecraft engineering If successful, Haileybury will become the first secondary school in Europe to achieve this feat

A CubeSat is a miniaturised satellite designed for low Earth orbit which has a standardised form factor to allow for accessible research into spacecraft technologies The CubeSat was developed in 1999 by Jordi Puig-Suari and Bob Twiggs [1]. The size of the CubeSat is selected based on units of 10x10x10 cm cubed and weighs no more than 2kg [2] The standardised form factor of the CubeSat allows developers to take advantage of the amount of left over space found on rockets which are launched into space for large scale missions.

Since October, pupils at Haileybury have been working to form a team of 30 student engineers with members year groups ranging from Lower School 2 through all years up to the Upper Sixth The team is structured in the same way as a spacecraft engineering team is utilised in industry to realise large scale projects. The team is headed by the pupils who are allocated positions of Project Manager, Engineering Manager and Systems Integration, and are also split into separate groups which relate to the different components of the CubeSat as well as important roles for ensuring the quality of the design and construction of the CubeSat. These include, Administration, Regulations, Cameras and Sensors, Power, Communications, Structure, Orbit and Propulsion.

Pupils have realised an initial plan for a mission that the CubeSat will undertake. The CubeSat will be launched via the use of a rocket and will be released into low Earth orbit After performing a series of measurements using sensors, the CubeSat will orient itself appropriately to allow for an optical camera to take photos of the Earth. These pictures will then be communicated back to Earth by the use of a ground station for processing and analysis The images may allow for environmental monitoring of the Earth in an effort to undertake further analysis of a targeted approach for sustainability processes. Images collected by the CubeSat can be used to analyse weather systems, as well as features associated with the land and ocean Analysis of such features can allow for an understanding of vegetation structures for determining farmland use, deforestation and desertification rates, as well as the measurement of ice cap sizes. Such measurements will help to add to data requirements for identifying the effects of climate change and therefore provide a means for a targeted approach to sustainability practices.

References:

1. Heidt, Hank, et al. &quot;CubeSat: A new generation of picosatellite for education and industry low-cost space experimentation.&quot; (2000).

2. Nason, I., Creedon, M., Puig-Suari, J., “CubeSat Design Specifications Document,” Revision V, Nov. 2001.

ESAT

What inspired you to start CubeSat?

With the new research facilities available to us in SciTech, we wanted to try and find a research program that would benefit pupils that were interested in Physics and Engineering at university. The course would help to best learn the skills needed and expected at a university undergraduate level, just at a much younger age for some of our members For myself, my interest in space bloomed when I was lucky enough to travel to Cape Canaveral to watch the SFS90 rocket take off I enjoyed it so much, I then went back to watch the final space shuttle launch As space has personally captivated me so much, I can say with confidence that it is an area of interest for many young physicists. By giving them the opportunity to develop skills spacecraft engineers have, again at a younger age, it would certainly give them an edge when growing their interest as well as allow them to demonstrate what they are capable of

-- Dr L Duffy

Haileybury’s StanX, which is mainly biological engineering and genetics, gives pupils interested in those fields the ability to go above and beyond their curriculum, and we wanted to create something similar for physics-focused pupils This course would enable those interested in engineering, electronics and astrophysics to have that opportunity as well, as we’re essentially building a satellite and sending it out to space So those three things (engineering, electronics, astrophysics) come into play, and it’s a chance for pupils to become real scientists and engineers. Hopefully, we will be the first ones to do it, and in fact, with StanX/ SciTech research, we are already the first ones in the Independent School system to be doing things like this. So that’s what we want. We want to give students the opportunity to apply the fundamentals they learn in the classroom and apply them to real world problem solving.

-- Mr A Kattavenos

3D PRINTERS: INNOVATION IN CREATION

AN INTRODUCTION

3D printing is one of the most innovative and industry-changing technologies developed in the last few decades. It has appeared in the news many times, such as when NASA 3D printed edible steak, or more recently, the production of 3D printed housing. However, the technology behind it is rarely explained, and there are a few different forms of it, along with different use cases, costs and benefits.

3D PRINTERS IN OVERVIEW

3D printers are a form of Computer

Aided Manufacturing, or CAM, and are classed as additive manufacturing technology The printers are generally useful during the rapid prototyping phase of a product's design development, as they are fast and accurate. All 3D printers use 3D files that are designed on computer aided design software, or CAD The 3D files are then sent to the printer, where they then use different processes to build the file.

(2017) Gyro the dodo by Virtox, UltiMaker Community of 3D Printing Experts. Available at: https://community.ultimaker.com/files/file/2007-gyro-thedodo-by-virtox/ (Accessed: 19 March 2024).

A CRASH COURSE IN PLASTICS

Almost all 3D printers use plastic as the building material, as its excellent properties deem it the most versatile material at our disposal in current times. Plastics are generally categorised into two types, Thermoplastics, and Thermoset Plastics.

Thermoplastics when heated become soft and pliable, and eventually melt, however once set, they can be re-melted and solidified virtually unlimited times. This is due to the fact that the polymer chains that make up the plastics chemically bond, this means when energy in the form of heat is applied to the polymers, they break apart into smaller chains again.

However when thermoset plastics set, they cannot be remelted, and instead burn. This is due to the chains tangling when set, and they lock together. These properties mean that thermoplastics are easily recyclable, but thermoset plastics cannot be recycled.

Lastly, within the thermoplastic family, there are bioplastics, made from biological sources, the most popular one is Poly Lactic Acid (PLA), made from cornstarch. It is also the most popular 3D printing filament for Fused Deposition Modelling, this is hugely beneficial for the planet, as most plastics come from non renewable sources like crude oil.

FDM TECHNOLOGY

FDM is the most popular and one of the oldest forms of 3D printing If you have seen a 3D printer at school or elsewhere, it is likely to be an FDM printer. It uses thermoplastics in the form of filament (spools of plastic in the form of one long thin wire, about 2mm in diameter) which is fed through a heating element and extruded through a nozzle, to be placed on a build plate, the flat surface on which the product is produced. The nozzle is able to move on two axes, while the build plate can move up and down

Industries,R (2021)FDM(FusedDepositionModeling)3Dprinting explained!FibReel Availableat: https://wwwfibreelcom/blogs/news/fdm-fused-deposition-modeling3d-printing-explained(Accessed:23January2024)

The best way to describe the process that FDM uses is that each layer is drawn out in the plastic, before the build plate moves down less than a millimetre, and then the next layer is built on the previous layer The main benefits of FDM is its cost, it is by far the cheapest form of printer, with entry level printers starting at around £200, but the more complex and

accurate printers start at around £500, this means they are less of an investment for schools and individuals. Furthermore the filament is also much cheaper than the plastic used by other types of printers Generally there is little post processing after support removal and a light clean up, meaning once it’s finished, you have the prototype ready Lastly they are relatively simple, so they are typically quite easy to troubleshoot and fix, again, making them more suitable for a school environment However, due to the layering style of printing, they are not as precise as other technologies, and not as strong Finally, as the printer needs something to build on top of, disposable support structures are built to support overhangs, these are then removed and disposed of once the print has finished After FDM, the next most popular type of 3D printing is SLA printing.

Ultimaker

3D PRINTERS: INNOVATION IN CREATION

SLA (RESIN) PRINTING

SLA printing, more commonly known as resin printing, is a more recent innovation, utilising a type of thermoset plastic called UV resin Like I said before, as with all thermosetting plastics, once cured, cannot be reshaped, this means the printers must use a different manufacturing process to FDM In this case, an ultraviolet LASER cures a section of liquid resin in a reservoir from below, still a layer at a time, but the layer height is much much smaller Due to this arrangement, prints are built upside down After the print is finished, it must be bathed in isopropyl alcohol, this removes any remaining uncured resin, some materials then need to be post-cured where it is placed in a chamber, and bathed in UV light to bring the material to full strength. The material is sold in bottles of liquid, and once it has started being used, the whole reservoir must be used within two months Resin printing is great for parts that need to be highly accurate and light, and while being slower than FDM, resin printing is still fast, anything of a similar precision would be much more expensive

However, the main drawback is the cost, both of the initial investment of the printer and the resin costs, furthermore you have to regularly use it to justify using a reservoir of resign every 2 months. It is a complicated technology, it cannot be fixed easily, and this makes it a much more specialised technology As a result of this, SLA printing is much more inaccessible Lastly, due to the laser needing a surface on which to cure the resin, supports are still necessary.

FDM AND METAL

You might think resin printers will take over the market eventually as its price decreases, however, FDM printers have still been developing, with new technologies such as metal filaments, FDM printing can become an even more powerful tool Metal filaments, as the name suggests, allows you to print using metal The filament is made up of 20% plastic and 80% metal, and once printed, washed and heated in a furnace, yields solid metal components The main advantage is that other than speed, it is also less wasteful, with other metal processes, like machining, you start with a block, and remove material to shape it However, when using metal filament there is no metal wasted, due to the additive nature of 3D printing.

AsimpleschematicofanSLAprinter(nodate)WhatisLowForce Stereolithography(LFS)?Proto3000 Availableat: https://proto3000com/formlabs-sla-materials/(Accessed:23January 2024)

REFERENCES

Grunewald,SJ (2016)Ametalfilament3Dprintedpart,beforeandafterbeing bakedinthefurnace 3DPrintingFilamentThatTurnsFDM3DPrintersintoMetal 3DPrinters 3Dprintcom Availableat:https://3dprintcom/140472/virtual-foundryfilamet/(Accessed:24January2024)

Guide to stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing (no date) Formlabs Available at: https://formlabs.com/uk/blog/ultimate-guide-to-stereolithography-sla-3d-printing/ (Accessed: 23 January 2024). Guide to selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printing (no date) Formlabs Available at: https://formlabs com/uk/blog/what-is-selective-laser-sintering/ (Accessed: 23 January 2024)

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE EFFECTS OF DRUGS ON THE BODY

HOW DO DRUGS WORK IN THE BRAIN?

Drugs interfere with the way neurons send and receive signals via neurotransmitters Drugs such as maijuana and heroin affect this process, as their chemical structure mimics these neurotransmitters in the body and attach onto the active neurons Although this activates the neurons in the brain, it does not do so in the same way natural neurotransmitters do and they lead to abnormal messages being sent through the network.

HOW DOES THE BRAIN WORK?

Our brain is the most complex and important muscle in our body It consists of millions of neurons, which are small cells adapted for their function of carrying nerve impulses across the central nervous system, composed of the brain and the spinal cord This flow of information allows for the body to carry out an appropriate response to act upon a detected stimulus. The communication happening between the neurons allowing this process, occurs through the release of a neurotransmitter across a synapse between it and the next cell.

THE BRAIN AND ADDICTION

There are three primary areas that are responsible for addiction in the brain and the constant cravings for the consumption of a certain drug, the basal ganglia, the extended amygdala and the prefrontal cortex.

The Basal ganglia is the part of the brain, where the drugs trigger the reward circuit, creating pleasure If drugs overact here, the sense of high is created However, once this happens

numerous times, the reward circuit adapts to the drug, meaning it is hard to feel any pleasure without the drug The extended amygdala processes anxiety and unease. Once the drug fades, withdrawal symptoms appear here, as with drug use, this area becomes more sensitive

The prefrontal cortex’ task is planning, thinking and solving problems Compulsive activity due to a reduction in impulse control happens in this area of the brain. This is also the area of the brain that is still maturing during adolescence. Introducing drugs during this period of development may cause brain changes that have profound and long-lasting consequences

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE EFFECT OF DRUGS ON THE BODY

DRUGS AND PLEASURE

Although the euphoria caused by a drug high is still poorly understood, it probably involves surges of chemical signalling such as surges of neurotransmitter much greater than the smaller bursts naturally produced. These surges of the neurotransmitters dopamine are thought to be responsible for getting humans to repeat pleasurable activities.

DOPAMINE AND DRUG USE

SOURCES

https://americanaddictioncenters.org/he alth-complications-addiction/chemicalimbalance

https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugsbrains-behavior-scienceaddiction/drugs-brain#

https://www.sanantoniorecoverycenter.c om/rehab-blog/what-part-of-the-braincauses-addiction/

https://www.statista.com/chart/14461/gl obal-drug-users/

https://drugabusestatistics.org/teendrug-use/ https://nida.nih.gov/researchtopics/trends-statistics/overdose-deathrates

Pleasure is how a healthy brain identifies and reinforces beneficial behaviours, to increase the odds that we will repeat pleasurable activities. Whenever a healthy, pleasurable experience is detected by the brain, a burst of dopamine that causes changes in neural connectivity is sent around the body. This surge leads to the human body repeating activities again and again without thinking about it, leading to them becoming a habit to the body. Due to the fact that besides only producing intense euphoria, they also produce a large surge of dopamine, creating a connection for the brain between the consumption of the drug and the resulting pleasure.

The brain may also create external cues to the experience, meaning that daily routines and environments can become linked with drug use. This can lead to uncontrollable cravings whenever a person is exposed to these external cues. The problem with this is that these can last a long time. Even people who have not consumed drugs in decades may experience cravings when returning to an old neighbourhood where they used drugs.

TRANSITION METALS

An investigation into the effects of temperature on ligand substitution

Transition metals, also commonly referred to as d-block elements are known for their ability to form complexes in two or more oxidation states Many transition metal compounds are colourful due to the d-electrons absorbing visible light, which is useful for making pigments and dyes. They form coordination complexes by bonding with ligands which donate electrons to the metal ion, these complexes often exhibit properties distinctive to the metal on its own The bond between the metal ion and the ligand is a coordinate covalent bond, also known as a dative bond which is formed when the metal ion accepts a pair of electrons from the ligand to complete its electron configuration The shared electron pair coming from the ligands acts as the Lewis base. Ligand substitution is a process in which one ligand is replaced by another This happens when a ligand with a greater affinity enters the coordination sphere forming a new coordination bond and pushing the previous ligand out

In the investigation I looked at the hexaaquacopper complex:

In the hexaaquacopper (II) complex four water ligands will be replaced by ammonia ligands However, before ligand substitution can take place the ammonia acts as a base and deprotonates one of the water ligands, pulling of the Hydrogen ions as shown:

METHODOLOGY

To determine the formula of the complexes I used a continuous variation method, where I started with zero moles of the transition metal ion, the copper (II) ions and an excess of the ligands, here ammonia ligands. In each successive mixture, I increased the amount of metal ions and decreased the amount of ligands I ensured that the solutions were the same molarity

Because the complexes formed involved colour changes, for the copper complex a colour change from cyan blue to dark blue could be observed This I monitored by using a colorimeter and measuring the absorbance of the solutions. In a colorimeter the filter always needs to be the complementary colour of the solution’s colour, so that only the colour of light being transmitted by the solution is the one that is most strongly absorbed As different ligands split the d-shell differently a change in the colorimeter readings could be observed, therefore could be used to find the metal ligand ratio, and monitor ligand substitution.

PICTURES

When the hydrogen ions are removed the complex loses its positive charge, therefore it is insoluble in water and a precipitate form If there is excess ammonia, the precipitate dissolves and it will form [Cu(H₂O)₄(NH₃)₂]²⁺, called tetraaminediaquacopper (II) ions

Plotting the data of absorbance for the copper complex shows two clear linear trends, with one ascending and one descending at each temperature Drawing a line of best fit allowed me to calculate the intersection as can be seen in graph 1, at all temperature the intersection lies at around 2 cm³ This was used to calculate the moles from which the number of ligands around the metal ion was determined, giving ligand ratio of 4 to 2 (ammonia to water) From the data I obtained we can conclude that temperature does not affect the ligand substitution

To explain this result, we need to understand why only four ammonia ligands bonded to the central copper (II) ion under standard conditions forms a more stable complex This behaviour is in fact atypical, as stronger field ligands such as ammonia tend to replace all weaker field ligands in ligand exchange reactions. A possible reason for this behaviour is given by the JahnTeller effect, which states that under certain electron configurations such as the d⁹ configuration of copper (II), the octahedral geometry taken by the complex ion becomes distorted as it is more energetically favourable In copper (II) complexes, the distortion translates to the two ligand bonds along the z-axis becoming elongated In short, this creates an environment that is more conducive for the water ligands This explains why the most stable configuration of the copper (II) complex ion under standard conditions has two water ligands and four ammonia ligands However, the result of my findings might be challenged, as through research I found the process through which the ligands are replaced occurring sequentially However, we can display the equilibrium reaction in a single equation:

This reaction is exothermic in the forward direction, which supports the conclusion that ammonia should typically displace four water ligands, as suggested by the K values found for the gradual ligand substitutions, which decreased in value with more ammonia ligands having substituted the water ligands According to Le Chatelier’s principle, increasing temperature affects the reaction constant, moving the equilibrium of the reaction in the endothermic direction As such, we should expect more reactants to form as temperature increases Beyond a certain temperature, this effect may become strong enough to make copper(II) complexes containing three ammonia ligands more common than four ammonia ligands However, this was not evident in my experiment as I didn’t obtain a change in the ligand to metal ratio

PRECIPITATE

The expected dark blue colour was not achieved, and a light blue precipitate was formed at the bottom of the test tub, as can be seen in photos This suggests that the ammonia failed to replace the water ligands around the copper (II) ions After having conducted further background research, I believe this was caused by some of the ammonia reacting with the water as opposed to the copper (II) ions: Thus, some of the ammonia was used up which decreased its effective concentration. At lower concentrations, ammonia acts as a BrønstedLowry base, reacting with hexaaquacopper (II) to form copper (II) hydroxide: As copper (II) hydroxide is insoluble, this would account for the observed precipitate. In addition, since all oxygen molecules remain attached to the copper (II) ion, this is not a ligand exchange reaction, which explains why a colour change was not observed This problem could be mitigated by adding more ammonium sulphate solution to the mixture

CONCLUSION

Although, from my experimental data, it seemed that temperature does not affect the ratio of ligands substituted in the copperhexaaqua ion, it is likely that the additional kinetic energy will be influencing the ligand exchange, making it possible to see further ligand substitutions at increasing temperature

REFERENCES

Langford,C.H.andGray,H.B.(1965).LigandSubstitution Processes. W. A. Benjamin,Inc.Clark,J. (2014). substitutionincomplexions-ligand exchange. [online] chemguide.co.uk.Available at: https://chemguide.co.uk/inorganic/complexions/ligandexch.html. Christie,R. (2014).ColourChemistry.[online] Google Books. Royal Society ofChemistry. Available at: https://books.google.co.uk/books? hl=en&lr=&id=PdqYBAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=colour+of+transitio n+metal+complexes&ots=6f7QHQhRBD&sig=6XDffRNDLwaMCUIhMuo_ 2Xfriug&redir_esc=y[Accessed22Jan.2024]. Brown,P. (n.d.). Colorimetry quantitative analysisdetermining formula oftransitionmetalcomplexioncolorimeter measurements calibration graphGCEASA2IBinorganic chemistryrevisionnotes.[online] docbrown.info. Availableat: https://docbrown.info/page07/appendixtrans09.htm. Penn StateUniversity,W.(2019).5.8: Jahn-TellerEffect.[online] ChemistryLibreTexts. Availableat: https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Inorganic_Chemistry Book%3A_Introduction_to_Inorganic_Chemistry_(Wikibook)05%3A_Coord ination_Chemistry_and_Crystal_Field_Theory/5.08%3A_JahnTeller_Effect#:~:text=The%20Jahn%E2%80%93Teller%20effect%2C%2 0sometimes%20also%20known%20as%20Jahn%E2%80%93Teller [Accessed 6 Feb.2024].

THE EFFECTS OF NUTRIENT STRESS ON MICROALGAL LIPID YIELD

Introduction

In recent years, resource scarcity and the goal of greenhouse gas emission minimization, drives a shift towards alternative energy sources. This has led to increased interest in biofuels, which are derived from biomass over a short period of time and offer sustainable benefits, while emitting fewer greenhouse gases. Thus microalgae, particularly Chlorella vulgaris, have become a major focus of research, due to their

Methodology

high lipid content, which make them suitable for biofuel production. This research aims to investigate the impact of nutrient deprivation the lipid yield from C. vulgaris under the research question: “How does the dry mass of lipid in the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris vary under nutrient stress, through magnesium, iron or potassium deprivation?”

The growth media, which simulate nutrient stress, were mixed according to a growth medium adapted from the microalgae Scenedesmus quadricauda, where 3 media lacked magnesium, iron or potassium respectively For each nutrient solution for each of the 4 trials 350ml of the medium were then added to an Erlenmeyer flask together with 33 ml of a Chlorella vulgaris concentrate Then an aquarium aerator stone was connected to a pump and added to the flask, which was covered by tinfoil to minimize evaporation. The algae were left for 4 weeks under the influence of garden lights

IMAGES AND GRAPHS’ SOURCE: BENJAMIN’S IB EXTENDED ESSAY

To extract the lipid after cultivation the algal solutions were evaporated at 60ºC for 24 hours and transferred to plastic dishes for weighing. After weighing, an adapted Soxhlet extraction method was used with 100ml of cyclohexane added to the algal powder. The extraction apparatus was left for 8 hours under a fume cupboard, with a hot plate at 120ºC and 500rpm. Following the extraction the extraction thimble containing the algal powder was removed from the apparatus and left to dry for 24 hours, after which the algae were weighed again.

As only non-polar molecules, mainly lipids, can dissolve in the cyclohexane, which breaks down the algae, the lipid mass can be obtained by determining the difference between the dry algal mass before and after the lipid extraction.

Results

DID YOU KNOW?

The results were tested for significance using an analysis of variance test, giving the F-stat value, which indicates a models predictive capability, so whether the difference in the individual groups is significant, as well as the Pvalue, which describes how likely it is that the data occurred randomly For this set of results the F-stat was calculated to be approximately 20 61, which indicates a significant difference, and the P-value was calculated as 0, which shows that the data did not occur randomly

THE EFFECTS OF NUTRIENT STRESS ON MICROALGAL LIPID YIELD

After the initial growth period range of approximately 0.70g to 0.77g was observed for the dry algal masses, where the highest average dry algal mass and lipid mass was observed for the samples under iron deprivation, followed by magnesium deprivation, while the mass differences between potassium deprived samples and the control samples was minimal. Through calculating the lipid mass as a percentage of the dry algal mass after cultivation, the algal mass and lipid production were analysed in relation to each other. This revealed the highest percentage yield of lipids was achieved under magnesium-deprived samples. However the difference between samples under iron and magnesium deprivation was not substantial, with overlapping standard deviations. The difference between the control samples and potassium-deprived samples was again negligible.

Overall, the study found that iron and magnesium deprivation increased lipid yield, while potassium deprivation has a minimal effect on the lipid yield Several studies have shown similar results that nutrient limitation and stress results in an increased accumulation of cellular lipids, but also in a decrease in cellular productivity and growth The strategy of inducing nutrient deprived or generally external stress conditions for increased lipid content works, as once the cell faces a lack of nutrients, it accumulates more lipids as an response to the undesirable circumstances, to maintain membrane stability and store energy in form of triacylglycerols (TAG), by overexpressing certain cofactors or expressing different genes Yet the disadvantage of this strategy is a decrease in the growth rate of the microalgae

These findings are important, as they lead to further optimisations for large scale biofuel production, which is still economic, through lower costs

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OUR OUR TECHNICIANS TECHNICIANS

S. Roomans S. Roomans

C. Aylott C. Aylott

R. Farrell R. Farrell

G. Norris G. Norris

R. Blunt R. Blunt

L. Stark L. Stark

Fromallthe students and teachers... Thankyouallfor the work you do astechnicians!

Who are the science technicians?

The team consists of:

Mrs Gwynneth Norris

Mrs Caron Aylott

Mr Richard Blunt

Mrs Rosanne Farrell

Mrs Sue Roomans

Mr Lloyd Stark Senior Technician Biology Chemistry Chemistry Physics Biology, STEM engineer technician

Read about their favourite experiments in the photos on the page!

What do we do?

Mrs Norris’ : The Whoosh Bottle“It looks great, and sounds spectacular!”

Our job is to make sure that practical science lessons happen We’re responsible for putting the equipment, chemicals and other items in the classroom for the start of the lesson, and then taking it away afterwards. In the prep rooms we’re washing up the dirty glassware, repairing and replacing damaged equipment, making up solutions, disentangling cables, sorting molymods into the correct trays, going outside to find woodlice… Everything to make sure that you have everything you need for successful practical work.

That’s the basic role. We also work with the teachers to make sure that practical lessons are predictable, that you get the expected results (as long as you follow the instructions properly, that is). We test and tweak, we advise on what’s possible in a school.

On top of all that, life in a school is rarely predictable, and never dull There will always be other jobs that need to be done, and in Science that’s where the technicians step in. Four of us are First Aiders. If a photocopier needs unjamming, or a new building needs to be ready to teach in, that’s us.

How did we become technicians?

One factor is common: we were all looking for jobs that fitted around our children. Several of us have worked in industrial science labs, and we’re all fascinated by science.

Why are we still technicians?

Mrs Aylott’s : The garlic root tip squash“it's very satisfying to see the different stages of mitosis.”

We enjoy it! Our goal (technicians and teachers) is that practical work improves the learning experience for pupils in Science. When our ideas work, when teachers tell us how good a particular lesson was, it’s very satisfying.

And, sometimes, we get the chance to play! (or rather, test our ideas) Our favourite experiments are shown here around the page, have a look around to see if you’ve done any of them!

Mr Blunt’s: Making compounds, especially crystals. “They’re just great to look at, and growing them gives you a real sense of satisfaction.”

Mrs Roomans’: Dropping a magnet down an aluminium tube and seeing how long it takes to drop though.

“It amazes me every time!”

Mrs Farrell’s: Setting up distillations: “They remind me of the work I used to do at GSK”

CLIMATE CHANGE

Many people agree that climate change is the biggest threat to our world today David Attenborough said in 2021 that it is the ‘biggest threat to security that modern humans have ever faced...if we continue on our current path, we will face the collapse of everything that gives us our security: food production, access to fresh water, habitable ambient temperature and ocean food chains ’ At the same meeting at the UN, the Secretary-General António Guterres said that climate change is a ‘crisis multiplier’ that can increase problems between countries. And on 5th September 2021, 200 medical experts said: “The science is unequivocal A global increase of 1 5°C above the pre-industrial average and the continued loss of biodiversity risk catastrophic harm to health that will be impossible to reverse ”

Climate change is a massive shift in weather patterns caused by rising temperatures

NationalGeographic,2021,WorkersfumigateformosquitoesonacitystreetinNewDelhi,India,asa preventativeagainstthespreadofdengue,malariaandchikungunya Availableat: https://wwwnationalgeographiccouk/environment-and-conservation/2021/09/why-climate-change-isstillthe-greatestthreat-to-human-health

This is caused by an increase of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere from fossil fuel emissions, deforestation and agriculture Burning fossil fuels affects health because the air pollution contains tiny bits of soot, smoke or droplets This causes breathing problems and asthma, and affects organs such as the heart Between 3 6 million and 9 million deaths are caused by this type of pollution Increased temperatures also cause deaths Between 1991 and 2018, a third of all deaths that were caused by heat were because of global warming. As the planet gets hotter, organisms that carry disease such as mosquitoes and ticks, are found in areas that you would not expect. Diseases such as Zika virus, dengue fever and malaria used to only be found near the Equator but because the world is getting warmer, you now find these in places in Northern Europe and Canada

Another way climate change affects health is by reducing the amount of food available More than 10% of the world population are hungry and half a billion people live in areas that are becoming more like deserts and soil is disappearing faster than it is being made. This means there is less suitable land for agriculture Climate change like floods, drought and storms will make this worse If crops and cattle cannot grow and live, and if ecosystems are destroyed and drinking water is not available, people will die Therefore, many people flee and migrate to avoid this and to find safer and more comfortable places to live.

National Geographic, 2021, A family has dinner in their flooded home in Central Java, Indonesia,For over 40 years they have witnessed their productive agricultural land slowly disappear under the sea. They have physically raised everything in their home to cope. Available at: https://www.national geographic.co.uk/ environment-and-conservation/2021/09/ why-climate-change-is still-the-greatest threat-to-human-health

Nichols,M,2021,DavidAttenboroughtoUN,:‘Climatechangeathreattoglobalsecurity,Idon’tenvyyou.’.Availableat:https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/david-attenborough-un-climatechange-threat-global-se 2021,ClimateChange‘Biggestthreatmodernhumanshaveeverfaced,’world-renownednaturalisttellsSecurityCouncil,callsforgreatergood.Availableat:https://press.un.org/en/2021/sc14445.doc.htm 2022,Climateandhealth:ApplyingAllOutHealth.Availableat:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/climate-change-applying-all-our-health/climate-and-health-applying-all-our-health McKeever,A,2021,Whyclimatechangeisstillthegreatestthreattohumanhealth.Availableat:https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/environment-and-conservation/2021/09/why-climate-change-is-stillthe-greatest-threat-to-human-health 2021,Globalwarmingalreadyresponsibleforoneinthreeheat-relateddeaths.Availableat:https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/news/2021/global-warming-already-responsible-one-three-heat-relateddeaths Flavelle,C,2019,Climatechangethreatenstheworld’sfoodsupply,UnitedNationswarns.Availableat:https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/08/climate/climate-change-food-supply.html Leahy,S,2019,Thirstyfutureaheadasclimatechangeexplodesplantgrowth.Availableat:https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/plants-consume-more-water-climate-change-thirsty-future Phelan,J,2022,Howmanynuclearweaponsexistandwherearethey?Availableat:https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-many-nuclear-weapons-exist-and-who-has-them/ Gayle,D,2017,NHSseekstorecoverfromglobalcyber-attackassecurityconcernsresurface.Availableat:https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/may/12/hospitals-across-england-hit-by-large-scalecyber-attack Farmer,D,2018,Fourmealsfromanarchy:HowBritainwouldcollapseinjustdaysifpowersupplyiscut.Availableat:https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/03/17/britain-four-meals-away-anarchycyber-attack-takes-power-grid/ Britannica.comhttps://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Toba Davis,J,2023,OnefifthofallspeciesinEuropethreatenedwithextinction.Availableat:https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2023/november/one-fifth-of-all-species-in-europe-threatened-with-extinction

GREEN POWER RACING

Introduction

The Greenpower Challenge (part of the Greenpower Education Trust) is a competition in which pupils who are enthusiastic about STEM from across the UK are invited to build their own electric cars and compete in races around the country. Our team has chosen to create the car using the official Greenpower framework and has been working on the mechanics and body of the car so far this year.

The Greenpower Team

Our school’s Greenpower team has been building the current car for the past two years. It is a joint effort from a team of passionate Sixth Form pupils.

We have been manufacturing wheel covers, designing and making a nose cone, and working with carbon fibre to complete the body work. As for the car’s mechanics, part of our team worked on the air ducts, wiring of brakes and maintaining the batteries.

Marketing and Sponsorships

Apart from building the car itself, doing marketing and obtaining sponsorships were also a significant part of this project. Creating our own social media page and presentations contribute to attracting potential companies that may offer us sponsorship, which enables us to have the funding into building the car as well as competing in the actual race.

Racing in the F24+ Category

Our ongoing focus is to finish manufacturing of the car so that it is in a position to test it and to train up the drivers of the car. In June of Summer term and September of the next Autumn term, we are hoping to be able to represent the School in a race, but until then, we will continue to work as a team to improve our car and expand our knowledge as engineers.

The car in its early stages

The Building Process

Assembling the wheel covers

Carbon fiber for the body of the car

The manufacturing of the wheel covers

Official Haileybury Greenpower instagram (@haileyburygreenpower)

The finished nose cone

Green Power Race

The Arduino-STEM team has harnessed the power of Arduino microcontrollers to create an array of autonomous smart devices. Their methodology involves an organic approach to design and troubleshooting, constructing devices from fundamental components rather than relying on pre-made solutions. Their philosophy centers on the ethos of crafting instead of purchasing off-the-shelf devices. This holistic process enables the application and enhancement of a diverse range of STEM skills, fostering continuous innovation and creativity. Guided by the principles of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals[1], the group integrates environmental consciousness, sustainability, and climate considerations as driving forces in each project. The overarching objective is to contribute meaningfully to our global society by addressing shared challenges.

STEM Club Arduino

Solar System Model

This undertaking harnesses the capabilities of a high-power stepper motor coupled with an intricate gear system to create a dynamic scaled model of our solar system. In this model, each planet orbits the centre (representing the Sun) at a speed corresponding to the actual orbital velocities of the eight planets in our solar system. Notably, the group is actively engaged in the design and 3D printing of their custom gear wheels for this innovative project.

Automatic Watering System

The project utilises a moisture sensor to monitor soil water levels. When moisture levels dip below a predetermined threshold, an automated water pump is activated. The pump ceases operation once the soil has received adequate irrigation. This self-regulating watering system, designed for both groundbased and potted plants, effectively conserves water, preventing unnecessary waste of this limited resource. This project’s ultimate goal is to optimise its function taking into account also sunlight, temperature and other factors and irrigate the plants in the geosphere newly built at Sci-tech.

Braccio++

Robotic Arm

The Arduino-STEM club, in partnership with Haileybury's Design Engineering team, has successfully assembled three Braccio++ robotic arms Notably, these robotic arms feature memory motors, providing a valuable capability to record motor positions in 3D space. This functionality ensures precise reproduction of movements, allowing for the repetition of mechanical tasks with high accuracy. Programming for these robots is accomplished using the Arduino IDE in C++, leveraging pre-made libraries. An illustrative example is the recording code, which captures motor angles at specific time points. The recorded movements can subsequently be replayed as required.

Gyroscope Stabiliser

Founded on the MPU-6050 microchip[3], this project aims to explore the practical applications of a gyroscope in various projects. These applications include tasks such as balancing a two-wheeled vehicle, managing the thrust vectoring of a rocket, and addressing numerous other scenarios centered on navigation in both space and time.

VEX ROBOTICS

Introduction

VEX robotics is an organisation that brings young minds together in a team to design and build a robot to play an annual game as well as possible. As one of the drivers in the girls Haileybury VEX team, I get an overview of all the work that everyone puts in Both of our teams have learned so much, and gained valuable experience, even just from the two competitions we have already done This article will cover our start in VEX, our first two competitions, and the lessons we have learned from all of it

Our first competition was the most challenging part of vex so far. Both teams suffered broken robots, stress, and performances that could have been better Even though we struggled, our first competition was incredibly fun, and we learned a lot Something I personally took away from that competition was the importance of communication between teams. In VEX competitions, you are randomly paired with another team to complete the game, so you have to discuss strategies prior to playing Without the help and teamwork of our alliances, we would have struggled far more than we did, so I’m grateful for the assistance and kindness that we received

There were only ten spots available to be in VEX--five boys and five girlsso we all had to go through an interview process before we could begin It involved questions about our personalities, as well as our capabilities and experience in robotics Personally, I hadn’t considered robotics as something that I would ever have the opportunity to do, and when I found out that it was available, interviewing and starting up was a welcoming and exciting challenge. After the teams had been decided, our beginning was a whirlwind of new information and organising robot parts Builders in the team used robot designs that already existed, to kick start our drivers getting practical experience of the game, while our engineering notebook was being added to with communications we made and important dates for the future A huge decision had to be made; we needed to name our teams. It took deliberation and narrowing down, but both teams chose names they can be proud of The girls team is called Acumen, meaning ‘to make decisions and learn quickly’, and the boys team is called Haros, a demon from Greek mythology Each team chose names to be unique and interesting, and it was amazing to see our team name up on a board at competition

The second competition was the day after the first, but in terms of preparation, it felt like worlds away. Unfortunately, once again Haros had to deal with breakage, but they pushed through, and impressively managed to fix their robot by the end of the competition Acumen was lucky enough to be paired with strong alliances, but we also worked hard to achieve the results we got. Myself and the other driver, Sienna Patel, used our learned skills to get consistently strong scores, ending up in eighth position out of twenty-nine schools Over our short vex careers, we have learned resilience, perseverance and teamwork We have learned how to look after our team members, how to enhance our communication skills, and how to deal with failures in a productive manner Our next competition is on the third of February, and I think it’s something that we’re ready for

Our 1st competition

Our 2nd competition

Briony Marshall: Briony Marshall: Artist in Residence Artist in Residence

This half term, we welcome Briony Marshall as Haileybury’s first STEM artist in residence! Being both an Oxford biochemistry graduate, as well as a member of the Royal Society of Sculptors, she is a perfect match for the school’s projects. By integrating both complex science and artistic ideas, she creates works that connect with scientists and non-scientists alike. She will be working in the DT department, in the new glass bowl, allowing passerbys to see her ideas grow and eventually become reality. These six weeks will result in art proposals for the courtyard and science building.

Now, An interview about her and her work…

What got you into doing art?

I’ve always wanted to be an artist, I even told my family I didn't need to learn reading and writing, because I was going to do art. In the end, I did learn those skills which proved useful. In school, I enjoyed and excelled at science, so I was encouraged to pursue that path.

I then studied biochemistry at Oxford because I loved how rapidly that field was advancing with new discoveries at the time, but I wasn't very enthusiastic about doing research afterwards. So I graduated, worked for four years and managed to go back to art school for three years. There I really focused in on sculpture, how to really see and understand space, form and aesthetics. I’d taken two Art GCSEs, and an A-level, so I’ve always been keen on doing art eventually.

What got me back into art, was during my working years in Paris. I visited an atelier there, and from that, I started to think how I could use science as a metaphor for art, and I was speaking to a colleague, who had a similar view and was working on something for the NHS at the time:

To get people to stop smoking, they would model people as particles moving in Brownian motion, seeing how social circles would affect the likelihood of people to stop smoking, which is quite an interesting way to think about things.

I have a whole series of sculptures where human figures represent the atoms in molecules, with their arms and legs forming the bonds between them.

Are you an artist or scientist first?

An artist, definitely. Sculpting. I think there are two sides of it though, tying the two together. So see here, this is a Holliday Junction- (the sculpture seen in the photos on this page)- which is what’s behind the fact you’re a mix of all four of your grandparents. In this junction, you’ve got the two double helixes coming together, and there’s this point in time where everything is joined together, before they all get split off into two new DNA strands that are each a mix of both original strands. This moment where these two things, for me, science and art are joint together sort of parallels my art. It’s also about metaphors, thinking of the bigger picture, especially when you want to try and get people that aren’t necessarily scientists by nature to understand and connect with the art.

Tell me about your past works, or your favourite project you ’ ve done so far?

One of my recent major projects was funded by the Arts Council, which involved creating a large 2.5 meter rammed earth sculpture on a pavement in South London with the local community. We did extensive outreach to get locals involved, so volunteers would help to pack and mold the dirt, the volunteers would also approach passersbys, hand them litter pickers, and ask them to collect plastic waste from the area. They explained how different plastics take varying lengths of time to break down as part of raising awareness.

In the lead up, we conducted workshops at local primary and secondary schools on the problems caused by plastic pollution. The collected plastic litter was then embedded into the rammed earth sculpture during construction.

Once unveiled, the unstabilised rammed earth was allowed to slowly erode away in the rain, revealing an internal metal framework with only the plastic litter remaining attached. This was meant to show how plastic isn’t a natural form, and shouldn’t really be returned back to nature.

I drew a parallel to how millions of years ago, trees evolved lignin that initially could not be broken down, leading to coal formation, until fungi eventually evolved to digest it. Similarly, we are now working to evolve decomposers for modern plastic polymers, as we don't have the luxury of geologic timescales.

What are you working on now for Haileybury?

Well, when they first approached me, I wanted to get to know the school better, rather than just come up with some proposals without understanding the school and it's culture. So I'm now here as an artist in residence, and I've been here since the start of the Summer term until the half term.

I've been working on two main sections- the staircase of the research building and pieces for the courtyard. The research building will have something to do with all the StanX work, the DNA, Holliday Junction stuff. And in the courtyard, I'll probably put a rammed earth sculpture - one that will be permanent and won't dissolve- and I want to get students involved with the construction of this one, potentially with both art and science students.

The staircase, I'm thinking, will have a Holliday junction, and the base pairs will be little sculptures of Haileybury students connected up and down the helix... and I'll have it hanging between the beams and descend through the staircase. I've had students come in to help me with the proposal models, so I'm more involved with the school community especially now.

More can be found at her website, https://briony.com/, or at her email , info@briony.com.

STAN-X INTERVIEWS

What is Stan-X all about?

Molly

“Stan-X is all about creating genetically novel lines of flies, which can be used by scientists and stored in the fly library in Bloomington. Our flies can then be used by scientists all over the world to conduct research into areas such as type one diabetes.”

Adura

“Stan-X is about generating a novel line of fruit flies, using binary expression system LexA-LexAop; this line will hopeful used by scientists wishing to do research using the fruit f genome “

Mieke

“In Stan-X we set up a series of genetic crosses between flie order to create a genetically novel line of flies with a synthe genetic element called the p-element inserted in them. The flies are then sent off to a fly library where scientists can u them for research due to the genes being similar to many hu ones. “

What is the future for Stan-X?

Molly

“With the opening of the new SciTech research centre, hopefully more people can be involved in the program. Professor Seung Kim wants to further open this opportunity to more people. Also, some of my research should be published in research papers and as well as if off-line lines are used, we can be credited as a co-author in some papers.“

Adura

“The future of Stan-X is to learn about and use quicker ways of genetic modifications in our research.”

Mieke

“Hopefully the program will continue to grow to involve more pupils in real life science. Also, the more flies we produce, the better chance our lines have of being used for research which would allow us to be published in science papers “

What type of work do you do in the lab?

Molly

“Within the lab, we do practical work just working with the flies As well as dissection which we earn a dissection licence by doing 40 hours of dissection under a microscope on fly larvae looking to obtain their brains, we also look at areas of biochemistry such as processes of fixing and staining and preparing microscope slides.”

Adura

“In the lab, our work includes breeding specific flies in the hopes of producing offspring with the phenotypes we are looking for such as red eyes or curly wings. We also dissect fruit fly larvae and remove the brains from the larvae in order to study them. Our work also included looking at sequenced fruit fly DNA and analysing the results ”

Mieke

“We use microscopes to study the phenotypes of flies which signal the success of our crosses, these microscopes are also used to aid our dissection of fruit fly larvae in order to obtain the developing brain We also undergo a biochemistry module in which we can sequence the DNA of our flies. Finally we maintain live fruit fly stocks in vials and stock bottles with fresh food.“

Do you think the work you complete in Stan-X will provide you with skills needed to impact future generations?

Molly

“The work that we do and skills that we earned during Stan-X will definitely help future generations, especially with them equipping us for university and practical work. I I think science will also help future generations because it gives a different side and approach appreciation for science because it connects what does learn in the classroom with practical work, but then research on type one diabetes is also groundbreaking and our work which we do in the flyers will be stored in libraries and used for many years to come by scientists.“

Adura

“Definitely, I believe the work I’ve done during Stan-X has taught me patience and resilience. Also a clear idea that outcomes may not always be ideal at first, but that doesn’t mean we should give up.”

Mieke

“The flies we produce will be used by scientists in universities to investigate treatments for certain types of cancer and diabetes.“

How does the research you conduct help with the progress towards finding cures for diseases such as pancreatic cancer or diabetes?

Molly

“Our work feeds into the research done for type one diabetes and cancer as our flies, which we create, have novel expressions within them due to us putting the P element in enhancing traps, which we are then able to track through imaging the brain. This involves staining the brains and putting them in under a microscope which uses different colour filters to expose expression patterns in the brain. We then present this information at the conference in America and share it with other students as well as this all being collated in the research paper.”

Adura

“The research we do in Stan-X will allow us to send lines of fruit flies to a fly library in America. Hopefully medical scientists that are researching cures for diseases such as pancreatic cancer or diabetes will choose our line from the library. These fruit flies will enable them to do further research about these diseases because fruit flies share 75% of the genes that cause diseases in humans.”

Mieke

“The genes in fruit flies are orthologous to those in humans, so the evidence we find in the lab contributes to the knowledge around disease. Also, by studying phenotypic markers in the flies, we can learn about the genetic processes which drive human disease.“

SENIOR ENGINEERING SOCIETY:

PROPOSED HYT HUT PROJECT

Introduction

We are hoping to investigate Interlocking Stabilised Soil Bricks (or ISSB) technology to educate students at Haileybury about the amazing work done by Ugandan engineers through HYT, one of the charities at our school. HYT is a charity which trains Africa’s most marginalized people in climatefriendly construction and builds schools, homes and water tanks.

Intentions

Our intention is to purchase the same ‘machine’ used by HYT (fig 2) so we can replicate their brick manufacturing process and hopefully undertake our own research here at Haileybury. We are planning to build a hut out of the ISSB bricks which has a radius of 3 metres and a height of 2.5 metres which should resemble the ones that they built in Uganda. (figure 3) This is to increase the awareness of HYT amongst pupils and parents through interaction with an actual HYT hut at Haileybury.

What is an ISSB Block?

An ISSB block is a block of inorganic subsoil, often called marram, which is mixed with a small amount of cement and sand and then manually compressed in a mold in a press.

Before

Regular bricks take a lot of firewood to dry, leading to deforestation and a large amount of carbon emissions. A lot of cement would be used and ultimately, wasted.

Problem and Solution

After

No firewood is used to make the ISSBs. They consist of inorganic subsoil (referred to as marram) which is then mixed with sand and a bit of cement. The blocks are then cured for 28 days to harden.

At the moment, HYT constructs the corner of their huts using the same blocks but cutting off the excess parts and using additional cement to hold the exposed surfaces together, (figure 4) As an engineering project, we aim to come up with a better corner piece that still only requires one compressor but will allow the blocks to interlock with each other. Therefore, the next step of our project is to create the intended corner piece and a 3D model of the hut that we are going to build.

THE TEACHER FEATURE ‘24

IN THIS INSTALMENT...

R. Lapidge

S. Mughal

C. Metcalfe

H. Pretorius

K. Donkin

Design Technology Chemistry Biology Physics Computer Science

VOTE FOR THE NEXT ISSUE’S STARS, SUBMIT YOUR BEST QUESTIONS!

MR R. LAPIDGE DesignTechnology

Whatisyourfavouriteteachingstory?

Trying to get across the subtle effects which can be achieved on a laser andIamroutinelyaskediftheonesweuseinschoolwouldbeabletocuta finger off This always seem to be of more interest when pupils are introducedtothelaserworld

Whatisyourfavouritetopictoteach?

Teaching sailing (best outdoor sport ever) and woodturning (producing somethingbeautifulfromarandompieceoftree)

Whatisyourfavouriteprojectyou’veeverworkedon?

Building (and racing) a Ginetta G4 Modified Sports Racing car when I was 20 in collaboration with two of my best friends from school We modified it by adding a G12 roof and our own designed and fabricated independent rearsuspension

Whoisyourfavouritecelebrityidol/ inspiration?

Charles Rennie Mackintosh (idol) & John Makepeace (inspiration, & I worked for him for two monthswhenIwasyoung,18)

Whatisyourfavouritelateprep excuse?

Thedogatemyassignment(beforedigitalprep)

Whatisyourfavouriteinspirational quote?

“If you TRULY believe you can do it, you will be able to!”

Anyskillsyouwishyouhad?

I would like my sketching and fine art skill to be better as it makes it easier to get radical design ideasacrosstoothers

MSS.MUGHAL

Whatisyourfavouriteteachingstory?

We had just come out of Covid lockdown and I was a Removes tutor at my previous school and the pupils were a little apathetic. They were in their bubblesandweweretalkingaboutcareersandtheytoldmethattheydidn’t want to make plans because they didn’t think anything successful would everhappentothemfollowingCovid.BecauseIhadbeentheirtutorforsuch a long time I said to them; “I think you guys need to start increasing your positivity and develop a better mindset” They are in sixth form now and I thinkitworked Ithinktheyendedupdoingquitewellforthemselves

Whatisyourfavouritetopictoteach?

I love teaching the whole of physical chemistry, like the calculations, the thermodynamics, kinetics, that calculation side of things. I absolutely love teaching thermodynamics and energetics By far my favourite topics to teach Ifindthemsoexcitingbecausetheyfollowsuchalogical,methodical process There'salwaysastepone,steptwo,andyou'vegotthetablesanda specific way you lay it out There are calculations, you can draw really nice diagrams,whichwillhelpbuildupreallygoodproblemsolvingskillsaswell It gets you to apply your theory to a practical, to diagrams, and problem solving I did my fourth year project in physical chemistry and that was my favouritepartatuniversity

Whoisyourfavouritecelebrityidol/inspiration?

Chemistry

Iwouldn’tsayhe’sacelebrityidol,butIwouldsaymyinspirationismyQuran teacher from when I was like five years old There's some teachers out there who know how to manage a class without raising their voice. They have such a calm presence and they're very mellow. They never get angry. You want to be well-behaved for them. So I think that for me he's been my biggest inspiration because he was always so relatable. He was really easy totalkto,butatthesametimeheknewhowtocontroltheclass.Ithinkthat's kind of where I've been picked up on my teaching style as well. I avoid, thoughitdoeshappenwhereIdoraisemyvoice,butItrytoavoidbeingthe teacher who like, shouts or, you know, raises her voice because I'd rather be oneofthoseteacherswheremypupilsdon'twanttodisappointme,sothat's why you want to behave and enjoy being in my lessons. I think my Quran teacher iswhereI'vetakenmyinspirationfrom.

Whatisyourfavouriteexperimenttoteach?

ThereasonwhyIenjoyteachingiswhensomethingreallytieseverythingyou learn about together This experiment at A level or IB, when you set up a titratelikeanequilibriumofirontoandsilverionsinequilibriumtoformsilver metal and iron(III) Then you carry out a titration using potassium cyanide and it's self indicating so you don't need to add an indicator It goes from purpletothisorangeredcolourbecauseoftheiron(III) Andit'sareallynice way of calculating equilibrium and equilibrium constants But that's more if youwanttoapplythechemistryandbeverytechnical

Ofcourse,Ithinkifyouwanttodofunexperiments,theonewedoinorganic where we just get to set things on fire? By far that has to be the best. Whenever I teach that experiment I just get so excited about it because it's justlotsoffire.I’vehadtoputoutsomefiresaswell!

Whatisyourfavourite lateprepexcuse?

A lot of times I hear; “Oh, miss, I didn't know it was in today I thought it was due tonight” But myprepisalwaysduefor8:30in themorning That'swhereI’mlike okay, come on I know you ' re trying to pull one over me I've never had ‘the dog ate my homework’kindofthing

Doyouhaveafavourite chemistryjoke?

“Someone asks at the bar can I have some ? And then the otherpersongoes,oh,canIhave some too. And then that personendsupdying.

“What do you have to say to get silver to come over? Au come here!”

Anyskillsyouwishyou had?

I have always wanted to be able todrawandpaint Iwouldloveto be able to make all these beautiful art pieces but I just can't do it I think I'm a different kindofcreative

MR C. METCALFE

Whatisyourfavouriteteaching story?

I was demonstrating a lung dissection to a class of Removes. I had not one... but TWO pupilsfaintinthesamelesson!

Whatisyourfavouritetopictoteach?

A topic that I actually disliked studying at university was genetics, but it is now my favourite topic to teach Every year, I look forward to seeing the reaction from the pupils when they learn more in depthabouthowtheyhaveinheritedtheirtraitsand canevenpredicttheoutcomesofgeneticdiseases.

Biology

Whoisyourfavouritecelebrityidol/ inspiration?

My favourite actor is Tom Hanks, but my biological inspiration is most probably Sir David Attenborough (Iknow,classic!)

Whatisyourfavouriteprojectyou’veever workedon?

I worked with local NGOs to investigate whale shark migration routes in the Seychelles, which involved tagging their dorsal fins and tracking their real-time movements. Really enjoyed swimming next to these gigantic fish (yes, not whales), but it was certainly hard work-theirswimmingspeedisfasterthanitlooks!

Whatisyourfavouriteinspirational quote?

Whatisyourfavouritelateprep excuse?

"My mum was meant to bring my homework in to schoolforme...butsheforgot,soIwouldemailher". Blamingitonyourparentsisshameful.

“Anunderstandingofthenaturalworldandwhat's in it is a source of not only a great curiosity but greatfulfilment"-SirDavidAttenborough

Anyskillsyouwishyouhad?

Iwouldlovetohavetheskillstosailaboat (stilltimetolearn)

Whatisyourfavouriteteachingstory?

Many many years ago, there was this child in LS2, who is now at university, whowasfunandnotalwaysfocused Onedayhewasnotveryfocused,soI askedhimtogetupandexplainsomethingattheboard Hesaidhecouldn’t getup,soIasked‘whycan’tyougetup?’andhesaidhisfingerwasstuckin the chair Somehow, he got his finger tangled in the chair I had to get a screwdriver and unscrew the whole chair to get his finger out of it Even today,whenweseeeachother,wetalkaboutthefingertrappedinthechair

Whatisyourfavouritetopictoteach?

IIliketoteachaboutelectricity,likecircuitsinseriesandparallel Everything aboutcircuitsandelectromagnetismbecauseit’ssouseful Youcanconvert electricityintoanykindofenergy,youcanconvertitintoheat,light,impulses, you can make anything. However, I find space the most interesting topic, becausethereissomuchthatisunknownaboutit.Imeanwestilldon’tknow why the Big Bang happened and we will never know. The Big Bang theory never tried to explain why it happened or why it started, we just know what happenedfromthatmomentonwards.SoIfinditinterestingthateverynow and then I hear about new discoveries like a new star doing something differentorbehavingdifferentlythanothers.Ifinditdauntingandsometimes scary that there is so much stuff out there that we don’t know anything about.

I love physics so much because it is a practical subject. I am a practical physicist.Idon’twanttobeatheoreticalphysicistthatjustwrotetheformula, I want to be solving problems. I think that’s what physics is about: solving problemsforeverydaylife,makinglifebetterhereonEarth.

Whoisyourfavouritecelebrityidol/inspiration?

Bonnie dan Bar, I met her at my previous school. She was one of the first femaleastronautswhoworkedonthethenRussianSpaceStation.Shecame to my previous school to talk about physics and engineering. She was amazing. She went to school in America and she was told by her maths teacherthatsheshouldjustbecomeawifeandhavechildren,andcookand do‘thingsthatwomendo’.Shedecidednoandgotintophysics.Shewentto space many times, and the thing that inspires me about her is that she is just so practical. For instance, she told us the reason we have velcro is because of space exploration: the astronauts needed something that they coulduseinspace.Sharpiepensweredesignedbecausetheyneededpens that didn’t require gravity for the ink to come down energy bars were designed because of the food type they had to make for the astronauts There are loads of things that we have today that we assume we always had, but they were actually invented for space exploration Even tablets for osteoporosis: when astronauts go to space and they come back their bone density decreases, so they show symptoms of osteoporosis So they had to create tablets for them to gain their bone density back and then they were usedtohelpotherpeopleaswell

Anyskillsyouwishyouhad?

It happened the first or second year I taught here. This boy told me he did his prep but he didn’t have it anymore. He and his dad wenttoMcDonalds,andwhenhe came back he had to put his drinks somewhere so they wouldn’t fall, so he put his prep on the roof of the car and the dad drove off. When he got home he realised his books and prep had flown away. I gave him the benefit of the doubt. He literally said ‘my dad drove off andIaskedtogobacktolookfor my prep but he didn’t want to’ I said ‘ok, I’ll let you off the hook’, but I don’t think it really happened He put effort into coming up with that one, and he evenmadehisdadtheculprit

Doyouhaveafavourite physicsjoke?

“‘What does one Uranium 238 say to another Uranium 238? We’vegottosplit!”

There are loads of things I wish I could do. One thing I wish is that I wasn’t claustrophobic, so then I could go to space.Idon’tlikesmallspaces.Ihaveafearofheights.

I wish I was a better astronomer, at finding stars. You know you have to look through a telescope, I literally can’t findthestarIamlookingfor.IwishIwasgoodatoperatingatelescope.

MSK.DONKIN

Whatisyourfavouriteteachingstory?

Picturethis:aroguepigeondecidestocrashmyComputerSciencelesson Pandemonium!Pupilswereshrieking,flappingtheirarms,andgenerally losingtheirminds ItwaslikeascenestraightoutofanAlfredHitchcockfilm, onlywithfeathersinsteadofsuspense.Wehadtoevacuatetheentirefloor!

Whatisyourfavouritetopictoteach?

Incomputerscience,ithastobenetworksandgraphtheory It'slikethedigital versionofnavigatingthesocialsceneatHaileybury–who'sconnectedto whom,andhowthegossipflows.Outsideofthat,I'mfascinatedbythetheory ofhistoricalknowledge Thinkofitasdebuggingthepast,figuringoutwhich sourcesarereliableandhoweventsarelinkedtogether It'sliketheultimate researchproject

Whoisyourfavouritecelebrityidol/inspiration?

GraceHopper,noquestion.Shewasn'tjustabrilliantmathematicianand computerscientist;aforceofnaturebutapioneerinprogrammingwho defiedthenormsofhertime,becomingaNavyRearAdmiral Sheinvented modernprogramming,higherlevellanguagesandwehavehertothankfor theveryconceptofacompiler,whichtranslateshuman-readablecodeinto somethingcomputerscanunderstand.Anamazingtrailblazer,shewasa womanwhoshatteredstereotypesandmadehistory.Butitwasherfearless approachtoinnovationandherabilitytoexplaincomplexideaswithatouch ofhumourthattrulysetherapart ButwhatIadmiremostaboutHopperisher relentlessspiritofinnovationandherwittywayofexpressingcomplexideas Sheoncesaid,'Ashipinportissafe,butthat'snotwhatshipsarebuiltfor.Sail outtoseaanddonewthings.'That'showIapproachbothteachingandlife.

Whatisyourfavouriteprojecttohaveeverworkedon?

ProjectswithpupilscreatingprogramsfortheAstropiforuseonthe internationalspacestation Inbusinessprobablydesigningandcreating customerrelationshipmanagementsoftware.

"Keep your hands, feet, objects and unhelpful comments to yourself"

"My luggage went to the wrong country...and it had my iPad with all my python code on it!"

Yourbestquote: Thebestlateprep excuseyou’veheard: Anyskillsyouwishyou had?

I'd love to play a musical instrument, maybe the piano. I think there's a connection between music and coding – both involve patterns, rhythm, and creativity Plus, I could finally write the algorithm for the perfect pop song.

Grandi’s Series and Convergent/Divergent Series

Oleg

1. Abstract

In1703,GuidoGrandiwrotehistreatiseabouthis nowfamousGrandi’sseriesThisisadeceptively simpleinfiniteseries(startingwith1-1+1-1 )that Grandisummedupusing3differentwaysto obtain 3 completely different results, one of which(1/2)iscompletelycounterintuitive-after all,howcouldtheadditionofwholenumbers resultinafraction?

2. Grandi’s Series Solutions

Approach1:Pairingtermsstartingfromthefirst leadstothesumof0

Middles,Thomason

Forcontrast,wecanlookatthepartialsumsof theseries-1-1/2-1/4-1/8-...

N PartialSequence Sum

4. Summing the Divergent

Mathematicians tried to come up with alternativewaystocomputethesumofa divergentseriesthatwouldgiveyousome finite number even if the partial sums convergeoninfinityordon’tconvergeatall Severalmethodshavebeenproposedover time,howevernotasingleoneofthemroseto thestatusofasingletruewayofsummingup adivergentseries.

Asanotherexample,wecanlookatthepartials sumsoftheseries-1-2-3-4-

Paradox:All3solutionsseemtechnicallycorrect, butit’simpossibleforall3tobecorrect simultaneously.Theproblemofthe‘trueanswer startedover150yearsofvigorousmathdebate thatledtothedevelopmentofmathematical theoriesrelatedtoseriesandtheirproperties,as wellasawholenewareaoflimits,integraland differentialcalculus,andmuchmore

3. Summing the Infinite

Therootoftheparadoxliesintheseriesbeing infiniteInsteadofcomputingthesumof infinitelymanyvalues,wecantrytoseehow thissumwillchangewhenwestartwiththe firstNelementsoftheseries,andgradually increaseN.

Forexample,wecanseetheresultofthis methodappliedtoGrandi’sSeriesbelow:

WecouldplottheseresultsonagraphNaively wewouldexpectthatusingasmallportiono thesequencewouldgiveusanapproximatio ofthesum.Wecouldincreasetheaccuracyo thisapproximationbytakingalargerprefixo

Green:Series1,Yellow:Series2,Purple:Series3

5: Abusing divergence

Becauseofthis,divergentseriesareoften usedinmathematicalpuzzlesorjokes,suchas theonebelow,allegedlyshowingthat0equals 1.Ontherighthandsideofthefirstline,we haveaconvergentserieswhichaddsupto0, butonthenextlinewereplaceitwitha divergentserieswhichdoesnothaveasum

Outofthethreeseriesthatweconsidered,onl thepartialsumsofSeries2behavethisway gradually converging on -2 Partial sums o Series1(Grandi’sSeries)oscillatebetween1and 0,notconvergingonaparticularnumber.Partia sumsofSeries3gotonegativeinfinity.

Mathematicians would say that Series 2 is convergent,andSeries1and3aredivergent. Partialsumsofdivergentseriesdonotconverge onaparticularnumberorconvergeonpositive ornegativeinfinity,meaningthemhardtosum.

Thesumofaconvergentseriesisdefinedasthe numberonwhichitspartialsumsconvergeThe sumofadivergentseriescannotbecomputed thiswayandisnotuniquelydefined

Withthisinmind,youshouldbeabletosee what’swrongwiththefollowingattemptto sumupallthepositivepowersof10

And if this was too easy, try to find the issueswiththisvideo, that shows that 1+2+3+4…equals-1/12.

6: References

https://wwwexpiicom/t/examples-of-convergentand-divergent-series-5080 https://tutorialmathlamaredu/classes/calcii/conv ergenceofseriesaspx https://enwikipediaorg/

A MISSION TO REVIVE OUR WATERWAYS

Introduction

Drinkable Rivers is a pioneering organisation dedicated to preserving and restoring our planet's precious waterways. Through their innovative Citizen Science program, they empower individuals worldwide to actively monitor and safeguard the health of rivers. By engaging citizens in scientific research and data collection, Drinkable Rivers fosters a global community of environmental stewards committed to ensuring clean and drinkable water for future generations.

Our contribution as students

At Haileybury, we are honoured to join this vital mission of protecting and revitalising our water resources. As student volunteers, we are actively contributing to this project in the following ways:

Collecting water samples: Our team collects regular water samples from the River Lea near our school, Haileybury, providing crucial data for analysis. Through a continuous monitoring and tracking process, we aim to progress towards a swimmable and drinkable River Lea.

2. Utilising professional toolkits: We utilise professional, standardised toolkits with instruction manuals and videos to measure 14 different parameters, including location, shape, environmental health, chemical composition, physical aspects, and more, indicating the river's overall health.

3. Data sharing and collaboration: We contribute our data to the Drinkable Rivers Data Platform, joining a global network of citizen scientists sharing information and learning from one another.

4. Participating in workshops and training: We attend online workshops and use instruction videos to finalise our hub measurement plan, ensuring we follow standardised protocols and best practices.

5. Promoting awareness: We raise awareness about water pollution and the importance of clean rivers through various channels, including social media and school events such as creating a poster for the academic exhibition, which is displayed in the SciTech building

As part of the Citizen Science program, Haileybury has become the first English school to join the community of 65 citizen science hubs across 22 countries. Our dedicated team of 26 student volunteers is committed to making a lasting impact by conducting regular measurements of the River Lea, raising awareness and many other roles. The team has started by creating an action plan of carrying out the measurements, connecting with other citizen science hubs of Drinkable Rivers organisation and engaging people at school. Through our long-term commitment and collective efforts, we aim to leave a positive impact on our local community and contribute to the global movement for a sustainable and thriving planet.

References: https://drinkablerivers.org/

Haileybury and The Drinkable Rivers Project

Figure 1. The standardized tool kit provided by Drinkable Rivers

Figure 2. Water measurements

Figure 4 & 5. Poster displayed at the academic exhibition

Figure 3 The data sharing platform

Photo gallery

We would like to congratulate and thank the chief editor, Athena, and her team for all of their hard work and dedication in putting this academic magazine together.

Miss

H Simmons and Mr A E Kattavenos