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For a very interesting take on physicists and economic modeling, take a listen to this lecture by Tom Whyntie of the LHC given at the Royal Institute. http://www.rigb.org/contentControl?action=displayEvent&id=897

Make sure you visit the Faraday Museum. I'm amazed that I've not seen this recommended yet, but if you value all things electrical and electronic it's like making a pilgrimage. Faraday's original workshop is still preserved as part of the museum at the Royal Institution.

Coincidently, Ben Goldacre was presenting at the Royal Institution today on "Bad Science" - poor media reporting of science. You can view the stream from tomorrow afternoon at The Times Higher Education website: http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/webcast.html . Event details for the RI debate here: http://www.rigb.org/contentControl?action=displayEvent&id=948

Last week at JavaOne there was a presentation on the LHC and Mars and simply put they just stunned me at how interesting this stuff was and I leapt back on the net to find out more. The Royal Institute in the UK has the Christmas Lectures which always amazed me as a child.

But at school? Apart from one teacher science was always a dull subject, it was numbers in a way that made Maths seem exciting and it just never covered where all this science was leading to. Its no wonder that there are a shortage of scientists and engineers out there when the school system turns the most exciting subjects into the dullest ones.

So sure some of these presentations are beyond the level of kids at school, but isn't it sometimes worth blowing their minds to make them realise why they are doing what they are doing? Science is a stunning thing, can we please stop making it dull.

I came across the site looking for the human body one but they do have quite a few
Once upon a time...Man - history (from big bang to now, in major eras)
Once upon a time...Life/Human Body - Biology (the 1 i wanted)
Once upon a time...Americas - history (of america (south & north)
Once upon a time...Space
Once upon a time...Discoverers
Once upon a time...Explorers
there are previews here
imavision is in canada (so same DVD code) but they may only be in french

Also good are the royal institute Christmas lectures. You can view them online here for a fee, but they're probably available elsewhere. samples form 1974 one are here, Its not as interesting as later ones but it shows the way they blend serious science with kids. They cover pretty much everything from biology to astrophysics and chemistry to survival.

Hmmm... didn't read the "credible link" bit relating to the 10 years fact (oops...). The guy who said it was James Lovelock (the author of the GAIA hypotheses/theory) when asked about the likelihood / effects of global warming on this years (2004/5) Christmas Lectures on Channel4 in the UK. (another link).

He was referring to the "point of no return", after which there will be nothing we can do to stop global warming from melting the ice caps, not that Antarctica will melt in 10 years time. He was refering to the fact that the current CO2 levels in the Earth are around 370 ppm, and if it gets close to 400 ppm, then global warming will be unstopable. CO2 levels are currently rising at a rate of 2~3 ppm a year (which is where the 10 years fact comes from).

Now that I think of it, it might even be worth having a telly in the house over Christmas just to watch them this year.

Andrew

I don't know about a continuous channel, but you can get a few hours per year from the Royal Institution's Christmas lectures which are shown on British TV (and available to buy). Alternatively, if you don't mind the lecturers being somewhat unfashionable, the BBC shows Open University courses overnight.

He said that while the Mars Express will be entering its orbit on the 4th, the optimal time for contact with Beagle 2 will be on the 7th of January, when Express enters a much closer polar orbit. They're really pinning their hopes on that opportunity, rather than the 4th.

It should also be noted that while Mars Odyssey and telescopes on Earth are listening out passively for signals from Beagle, Express will actively send out a signal requesting a response from Beagle 2 and telling it to activate - effectively a wake-up call. If Beagle is safe but inactive or transmitting at the wrong times for whatever technical reason, instructions from Mars Express are likely to get it to wake up, charge its batteries and align its transmissions correctly. So don't give up all hope if nothing is heard by the 4th of January - at least wait until the 7th!

a british high speed train that leaned into curves

It was pretty much doomed after the first real-world journey, when it induced vomiting in the assorted dignitaries and members of the press who had been invited along.

Another great British idea which died (at least as far as Britain is concerned) was the world's first magnetically levitating high-speed train, developed by Eric Laithwaite. I remember seeing his Royal Institution Christmas Lectures in 1974 (I think I'm too young to remember the 1966 ones). It's a real shame that this man's genius was spurned in his own country, while other nations have exploited his ideas with conspicuous success.

FYI, this year's Christmas Lectures are being broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK this week, starting tomorrow (Sunday).

a british high speed train that leaned into curves

It was pretty much doomed after the first real-world journey, when it induced vomiting in the assorted dignitaries and members of the press who had been invited along.

Another great British idea which died (at least as far as Britain is concerned) was the world's first magnetically levitating high-speed train, developed by Eric Laithwaite. I remember seeing his Royal Institution Christmas Lectures in 1974 (I think I'm too young to remember the 1966 ones). It's a real shame that this man's genius was spurned in his own country, while other nations have exploited his ideas with conspicuous success.

FYI, this year's Christmas Lectures are being broadcast on Channel 4 in the UK this week, starting tomorrow (Sunday).