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With more than 680 questions being sent to the scientists from the weekend, I’m a Scientist March 2014 has got off to a flying start! Across the 12 zones, students have been chatting to scientists about everything from cutting-edge developments in solar technology, to travelling to the moon, and gender biases in some sciences. Student: Are you working on anything interesting at the moment, if so what are you working on? Sabina Hatch: Yes! At the moment there is new material called perovskite – it is actually quite unique and amazing- it could change the way we make solar cells as it is so cheap and yet still effective. I look forward to experimenting with it. In the posted ASK questions, scientists have been asked about their opinion on explosions, and if an asteroid is going to hit the earth any time soon. The scientists have explained what causes the … Continue reading →

I’m a Scientist, Get me out of here! is back from 10th–21st March with 8 themed zones, four general zones (including 2 Primary School zones), 60 scientists, and nearly 140 different schools from Shetland to Cornwall taking part. Thanks to the Wellcome Trust for part funding I’m a Scientist, Get me out of here! Also to the STFC for funding the Extreme Size and Nuclear Zones, the IOP for funding the Light Zone, and the RSC for funding the Colour Zone. For the latest updates on the event, follow @imascientist on Twitter. Our hashtag for 2014 is — you guessed it — #IAS2014. For updates from scientists taking part, and our funders, check out our Twitter List. Let’s take a look at the schools and scientists taking part this March! There are still a couple of names to be confirmed, and the lists will be updated as that happens. Cancer Zone The Scientists: Matthew Lam Breakthrough Breast Cancer I help … Continue reading →

This March students in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Swindon, West of England, Somerset & Dorset can talk with 5 scientists at nearby universities who are offering Nuffield Research Placements this summer.   I’m a Scientist, Get me out of here! is an online project and we’re partnering with the local Nuffield regional coordinator to run a zone specially for students to talk with scientists running Nuffield placements. How does it link with Nuffield placements? It’s a chance for your students to better understand what a placement involves. They’ll ‘meet’ some of the scientists who are offering placements at their universities this summer, find out about the type of research they’re doing, and the kind of work a summer placement could involve. Can all students take part? Yes! For students not applying for a summer placement, it’s a chance to ask a real scientists anything they like. From the topics they’re learning about in … Continue reading →

I’m a Scientist: Get me out of here! is back for two weeks from the 10th March 2014. Let’s take a look at the 15 — yes, 15! — zones we’ve got lined up. To find out more about taking part, see the bottom of the post.   ComputationalBio Zone Part of the 2014 I’m a Scientist Big Data Season Biology isn’t all dissections and microscopes. There are geneticists sequencing genes, epidemiologists simulating disease spread, and neuroscientists mapping the brain; computers and the Big Data they generate are radically changing science. This is the first in a series of zones in the the I’m a Scientist Big Data season, where we will explore how computers are used in real science today. We’ll look at the science and scientists at the cutting edge of Big Data and explore some of the issues that Big Data presents to society. Click here to … Continue reading →

After every event we ask the scientists and moderators to select the students who stood out to them; the students they thought asked the best questions, or engaged most in the live chats. Well done to all of the student winners, to the runners up, and everyone who took part. There were so many interesting questions, and comments this November, but there could only be one winner in each zone. The winners will receive a certificate and a £20 WHSmith’s gift card. Ecology Zone tporter10, Westfield Primary School “For asking numerous, very interesting questions, and for chat participation.” Runners up: amaziboogles14, imasnake123, inazuma, mistymagic. Extreme Clean Zone crazyxoxo, Sirius Academy “Asked some very good questions.” Runners up: danielfulton, sadia12345, bethen, candyxoxo, macncheese, genghisbranflakes, insaneharry. Genes Zone thequestionmaker, South Molton Community College “They posted some really interesting questions.” Runners up: tillieissocoollike, about80africans. Particle Physics Zone infintaneousdeath, Broadoak “This student posted a … Continue reading →

Here we are! After two fantastic weeks of competition, two weeks of questions on everything from science musicals to top tips for science we’ve had the penultimate vote, and you have your finalists. Let’s take a look at who’ll be going head to head in the final tomorrow: Ecology Zone Thomas Doherty-Bone vs. Sofia Franco Extreme Clean Zone Jessica Liley vs. Sarah Tesh Genes Zone Vicky Forster vs. Marlene Lorgen Particle Physics Zone Zachary Williamson vs. Kristian Harder Stem Cells Zone Matthew Tomlinson vs. David Christensen Tellurium Zone Julie Speakman vs. James Hickey Iodine Zone Susan Skelton vs. Simon Langley-Evans Congratulations to the November 2013 finalists! And to those who’ve been voted out, commiserations; but remember, you can still join in the live chats! We’re grateful to the Wellcome Trust for providing part funding to run I’m a Scientist: Get me out of here!, as well as to the STFC … Continue reading →

It’s the penultimate day of I’m a Scientist: November 2013. So far we’ve said “so long” to 14 scientists, and this afternoon, another 7 will gracefully* bow out leaving just two finalists in each zone to battle it out for the title! In the meantime, we’ve decided to try out something new on our contestants: We’re opening the floodgates. Tomorrow afternoon (Friday 22nd) we’ll be opening up the live chats in all the zones to any students who want to chat with the scientists. We’ve never had students chatting with scientists outside of their teachers’ classrooms before; keen students will be able to log in in their own time to chat with the scientists, get in some last minute questions, and give the finalists a chance to pick up some eleventh-hour votes, before the winners are announced at 3 pm. The live chats will be open from 12 pm to … Continue reading →

You may have noticed that all our scientists are now in the final stages of some top notch soup strainers. Not one to shy away from a charitable lol, we thought this would be a nice way for us to get involved. Make a donation to Movember here, which supports men’s health programmes that combat prostate and testicular cancer, and if you’re taking part Tweet us a photo of your ACTUAL nose neighbors. Check out the scientists ‘tashes in; Ecology Zone, Extreme Clean Zone, Genes Zone, Particle Physics Zone, Stem Cells Zone, Tellurium Zone, Iodine Zone

The third day of I’m a Scientist: Get me out of here! is just about done with, the scientists — we’re sure — will be answering questions late into the night, but for now, let’s take a look at what happened today. Today in the Tellurium Zone, carrotcake116 wanted to know why some people have different coloured eyes; heterochromia is what it’s called, and it’s caused by distribution of a substance called melanin. In the Particle Physics Zone, science1234321 wanted to know if it is possible to control lightning: Yes, to some extent. lightning is attracted by charge. we can divert it with Faraday cages. after all, it’s just a bunch of electrons flying about. We can work with that. Robots, were a big topic of conversation today. In the Iodine Zone, epicduckofepicness wanted to know whether it will ever be possible to create a human-like artificial intelligence; a question … Continue reading →

The sun is setting on another day of I’m a Scientist: Get me out of here! and here we are again to look at the questions the students have been putting to the scientists. In the Particle Physics Zone, the scientists were asked to consider what they might change about the Universe, given the chance: What law of physics would you change? Joel wants to change the second law of thermodynamics, making the world a much more spontaneously tidy place, Kristian would happily leave his desk a mess if he could change special relativity and travel through the stars. In the Genes Zone, students wondered just how plausible a zombie outbreak might really be, the advice: “Don’t panic.” In the live chats, we caught up with the old favorite questions of nature vs. nurture, Do you think genes or environment have the biggest effect on characteristics? A great question, and … Continue reading →