A Catalyst article about aluminium, a shiny silvery metal, which is extracted from its ore by electrolysis. Further addition of other metallic elements results in an alloy, which can be cast into various shapes using moulds. The article looks at the processes of extraction, casting, patterns, moulds and finishing...

A Catalyst article describing how new materials can be designed by studying natural materials and how they work. In particular the development of Velcro, military fabric, swimwear and waterproofing is looked at. These products were developed by scientific study of natural products such as plant burrs, pinecones,...

A Catalyst article about the use of tiny electronic sensors to monitor the movement of people. As electronic devices get smaller and more powerful, they are finding new uses in monitoring human activity. This article describes a project to develop sensors with uses in medicine, sport and electronic gaming.

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A Catalyst article investigating if mobile phones produce harmful radiation. The short article compares the view points of a concerned parent, protester, scientist, official report and a complacent citizen.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2005, Volume 16, Issue 1.

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A Catalyst article about chemical reactions that occur in a blast furnace during the steelmaking process. This short article features a diagram of a blast furnace showing the active ingredients used to produce iron from ore.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2006, Volume 16, Issue 3.

A Catalyst article about the work of Damian Murphy a music technologist. Acoustics and sound are examined in addition to the physical modelling and acoustics of buildings and environments, both real and virtual.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2007, Volume 17, Issue 3.

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This Catalyst article is about using computer models which use natural selection to evolve new products. Computers can be used to simulate evolution showing how some species die out and how others evolve and thrive. Products used by humans in everyday activities also evolve and this article describes how their...

A Catalyst article about a brilliant new light source under construction in the heart of the Oxfordshire countryside - the Diamond Light Source. Diamond will be a source of synchrotron light. Many of the everyday commodities people take for granted, from chocolate to cosmetics, from revolutionary drugs to surgical...

A Catalyst article about diamonds. The element carbon exists in a number of allotropic forms, but diamonds have always held a special allure, whether it be for their hardness or for their transparency. The article examines how they can be made artificially and looks at some of their uses.

This article is...

A Catalyst article about people who believe that their health is affected by mobile phone radiation. The World Health Organisation has labelled this condition Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance with attribution to Electromagnetic Fields (IEI-EMF). Idiopathic describes a disease with no known cause. The article...

A Catalyst article about mobile phones. This article looks at the science behind this popular piece of technology, such as the use of radio waves, aerials and cells. The article also explains how mobile phones are able to use short aerials.

This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2005, Volume 16,...

This Catalyst article looks at the use of polymers in the manufacture of household items. The exciting thing about polymers is that it is possible to make polymers behave in so many different ways by organising their long chain molecules in different ways – polymers are the ultimate designer material. The article...

A Catalyst article about careers in the food industry. The food and drink industries are part of a chain linking farming and growing through to food processing, manufacture and finally to the sale of food in supermarkets and restaurants. This article describes some of the many career areas in food technology...

A Catalyst article about food additives. Some additives are natural and some are manufactured by the chemical industry. Some, like vitamin C, can come from either natural or artificial sources. As with every other component of food all additives are chemicals. Even organic food can contain a certain number of...

A Catalyst article explaining how much of the food that humans consume comes from systems in which large numbers of plants or animals are grown under closely controlled conditions, designed to maximise production. When they grow plants as crops farmers intervene in various ways to optimise growth, so that the food...