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After barely catching our breath after the March I’m a Scientist and I’m an Engineer events we’re straight into planning the next events in June. We’re running 2 I’m a Scientist events back to back in June 2012 because, with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and different term dates in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, there’s no fortnight that fits everyone. The June dates are: ‘Amsterdam’ event: 11th – 22nd June ‘Los Angeles’ event: 25th June – 6th July For anyone wondering what the names ‘Amsterdam’ and ‘Los Angeles’ are about, rather than simply naming them events 1 and 2, or A and B, we’ve had a bit more fun. The 2 events in June will be the 9th and 10th I’m a Scientist events we’ve run since the first in 2008. Seeing as 2012 is the year of the London Olympics and Paralympics the events are named after the 9th (Amsterdam) and 10th … Continue reading →

It’s been a very intense two weeks of animated live chats and thought-provoking questions, with lots of topical issues up for debate. Students and scientists have had over 120 live chats and scientists have answered over 3,350 student questions. The eight winning scientists have made it through four nail biting rounds of evictions. Each student vote counted and in some zones the evictions came down to just a few votes. It’s time to reveal the winner in each zone. Congratulations to:  Zone  Winner  Where they work  Electromagnetic Zone  Sam Vinko  University of Oxford  Energy Zone  Jack Snape  University of York  Gallium Zone  Sean Murphy  Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine  Germanium Zone  Katherine Haxton  Keele University  Quantum Zone  Martin Austwick  University College London  Selenium Zone  Vicky Young  Edinburgh University  Space Zone  Adam Stevens  The Open University  Sports Zone  Fiona Hatch  University of Hull The winning scientists all receive £500 to spend on science … Continue reading →

It’s now under 24 hours until we’ll be announcing the zone winners! Today it was game over for one more scientist from each zone and the third set of scientists to go are: Ben from Electromagnetic Zone Akram from Energy Zone Lena from Gallium Zone Daphne from Germanium Zone Suzanne from Quantum Zone Ken from Selenium Zone Catherine from Space Zone Audra from Sports Zone We hope you’ve enjoyed taking part! Thank you for all the time and effort you’ve put into answering student questions and taking part in live chats. One student said in a live chat: “I still can’t get Over I am talking to real SCIENTISTS” The final scientists in each zone are stepping up the game. Tactics include the comedy facial hair (or teamtash): Vicky in Selenium Zone, and Leila and Adam in Space Zone. Scientists are also frantically answering the last student questions. In Quantum Zone … Continue reading →

Only one scientist can win each zone and so today we had to say goodbye to more scientists. The second set of scientists to go are: Mario in Electromagnetic Zone Gill in Energy Zone Asif in Gallium Zone Jon in Germanium Zone Marcus in Quantum Zone Jarvist in Selenium Zone Nazim in Space Zone Gavin in Sports Zone We hope you’ve enjoyed taking part! Thank you for all the time and effort you’ve put into answering student questions and taking part in live chats. Students are getting a lot out of the event. With evictions happening everyday, the tension is building. After yesterday’s eviction Vicky Young tweeted: “Phew – made it through the first round of ‘imascientist Really really want to win!“ Despite the pressure, there’s still lots of camaraderie between scientists.   Highlights from student questions include: The philosophical: “Do you think that all of our achievements may be … Continue reading →

It’s been a great event so far! Scientists have been working hard to answer over 2,700 questions and have taken part in over 80 live chats collectively. But as only one scientist can win in each zone it’s time to announce the first to be evicted. The first scientists to go are: Clare in Electromagnetic David in Energy Viv in Gallium Cathal in Germanium James in Quantum Indi in Selenium Karen in Space Steve in Sports We’d like to say thank you to all the scientists for all the time and effort you’ve put into answering student questions and taking part in live chats. We hope you’ve enjoyed taking part. Students are getting a lot out of the event. In live chats students have said: “thank you guys amazing chatting with you” and “i REALLY ENJOYED THIS WAS VERY INTERESTING!!!”   There’ll be more evictions every day and on Friday … Continue reading →

At the beginning of the second week and students haven’t just been asking big questions, they’ve been debating them!   In Selenium Zone Indi and Vicky discuss with students the ethics behind animal testing. Indi defends her animal research as necessary for preventing disease and ill health. While Germanium Zone have been having a conversation about how their research can involve physically or emotionally hurting living things. Answers include Daphne bleaching microalage and Darren giving mice in his experiments plenty of food, water and shelter, which they don’t get in the wild.   Energy Zone scientists decide whether time is an illusion or a dimension. Student stanners69 commented: “i think that we exist in a 4 demensional universe where are future is already set out.”   And in Gallium Zone students ask if people are born gay, straight, bisexual or do  people choose.   It’s great to see such topical issues like these being discussed … Continue reading →

It’s National Science and Engineering Week. This year’s theme “Our World in Motion” relates well to what students have been asking. Fiona and Justin in Sports Zone explain how the time of day effects running speed, Adam in Space Zone answers why space missions must account for solar wind  and Sam and Elizabeth in Electromagnetic Zone explain use roller coasters and cars to explain why centrifugal force is only virtual.   With the first eviction on Tuesday tension is increasing!

In a day of more manic live chat sessions we found some Q&A treats for you: What sound did the big bang make? – that gave the chance for some serious physics and “Whoosh.” do you think that stars have any importance to the world? – some physics and philosophy from Space Zone Continuing the more philisophical side of things students in Energy Zone have asked: do you believe in miracles? and in Selenium Zone can any other mammals apart from  humans cry? The scientists are getting through – Student terrariakid said in an Energy Zone live chat: “i am learning alot about everything!!!!!! !“

Today has been busy! There’s been 8 live chats and there are now over 1,700 student questions for scientists to answer. Some scientists have been feeling the strain but all their hard work seems to be paying off. Ezzy Pearson said in a live chat: “There were such good questions. I feel like I’ve had a good brain work out“.   Student have also been enjoying themselves. Student (ayshacupcake) from Gallium Zone said “we are in a science lesson but we would do this in our own time, thank you for infactuating us with your knowledge” in a live chat.   There have been lots of questions on space. Some brilliantly weird: Do you think the prime minister could be an alien? and some very logical: why is space so black? and is there rain in space?   Bodily questions include why we get morning breathe and what triggers the content … Continue reading →

It’s the end of only day two and already the mods have approved over 1,200 questions form the 1,400 students registered so far on the site. Today the scientists typed their way through 13 live chats. Fingers are tiring. Second day of live chats and question answering for @imascientist and my typing fingers are sore.Exhilarating! #IAS2012 — Leila Battison (@leilabattison) March 13, 2012   The students are still going good guns: Our sports scientists are being asked if we could have two hearts and what the impact would be on performance. Space scientists are providing their views on Super Mario Galaxy and the science involved. In the Quantum Zone Suzanne gives a very full explanation of the maths of juggling and the cute award lands in Energy Zone: Woould you rather have a puppy sized elephant pr an elephant sized puppy?   Enjoy.