A Catalyst article about the efficient use of heating systems. Many people complain of being too hot or cold. Coming soon are a new generation of intelligent heating controls which can learn how people live, and then deliver heating efficiently when and where they need it. These devices are known as Wattboxes and...

A Catalyst article devoted to food chains. This article looks at photosynthesis and the loss of energy from plants to animals throughout the food chain. How this limits the number of animals that can survive on the energy fixed by a patch of vegetation is explained. Foraging characteristics and how many animals can...

A Catalyst article about how the society can decide whether energy-efficient lighting is good for the environment. With the UK Government announcement that sales of filament lamps will be phased out over the next few years the article examines their replacements, CFLs, compact fluorescent lamps. Not everyone agrees...

This summary was produced by the Department for Education in 2012 to support schools with their behaviour policy. This document summarises the legal powers and duties that govern behaviour and attendance in school at the time of writing, and explains how they apply to teachers, governing bodies, pupils and parents...

A Catalyst article explaining how enzymes allow chemical reactions in all living organisms to proceed quickly, under conditions where they would normally be very slow. By isolating enzymes that could be used to catalyze reactions, scientists have started a major biotechnology industry. The article describes how...

This resource contains an evaluation report on the two-year mentoring pilot programme for science and mathematics teacher trainees and early career teachers funded by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) which started in July 2009. 'Starting Out' was delivered by the Learning and Skills Network (...

Published in 2012, NFER was commissioned by the National STEM Learning Centre and Network to evaluate the effectiveness and early impacts of the European Space Education Resource Office for the UK (ESERO-UK). ESERO-UK aims to promote the use of space as a context for enriching science, technology, engineering and...

This report, published in March 2012 by the National Foundation for Educational Research,
presents the findings of an evaluation of the Wellcome Trust’s Camden Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Initiative which provided funding to eight Camden schools to develop interdisciplinary...

A Catalyst article looking at the evidence for evolution and which considers the ongoing conflict between scientists and creationists. The work of Charles Darwin is central to the article which summarises his theory of natural selection and also covers creation myths and creationists.

This article is from...

A Catalyst article looking at the benefits of exercise and how it affects bone structure and hence physical fitness. Furthermore, obesity in Britain is on the rise and so the population is encouraged to do regular exercise, not only for cardiovascular and respiratory health, but also for general well-being. But...

A Catalyst article about the hunt for an explanation of inheritance. The role of chromosomes was announced in 1903 and the structure of DNA was revealed in 1953, both of which were major scientific breakthroughs in this field of research. This article examines the history of inheritance.

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A Catalyst article about careers in geological exploration. The article contains a case study about an exploration geologist and looks at an undergraduate degree course in exploration geology.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2007, Volume 17, Issue 4.

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A Catalyst article following the journey of the space probes Huygens and Cassini, sent to explore Titan, a moon of Saturn. After a seven year journey Huygens was set to fall through the atmosphere transmitting data back to Earth via Cassini so more can be learnt about this distant moon. The article describes the...

Published by the Wellcome Trust in September 2011, this report aimed to find a deeper understanding of young people’s attitudes to science education, particularly regarding the value young people place on science education (for themselves as individuals and for society in general), as well as the key factors...

A Catalyst article examining the basic functioning of the eye and what can be done to maintain function when something goes wrong. In particular, the article looks at problems with focus, cataracts and colour blindness and how these problems can be detected and treated.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE...