fun sites... serious science, serious fun
20 Questions
http://www.20q.net/
This is a great site that will leave you wondering. It's the Internet version of the game '20 Questions' and is an exercise in artificial intelligence. The site’s been going for about 10 years and all the information the program has comes from users answering its questions.
Active Science
http://www.activescience-gsk.com/
Here’s a really nice site with loads of games to suit all ages… Can you master population control over a group of rabbits? Can you match the animals to their habitats? Can you put all the body parts together the right way, or plan a balanced diet? Some of the games take a moment to load, and the instructions seem to be written more for adults than for kids, but once you’re into the games, it’s great fun – in a painlessly educational way. As well as the games, there are features for older students such as an interactive periodic table and resources on enzymes and genetic engineering. The whole thing is highly teacher friendly with links throughout.
A Day Full of Energy
http://www.bp.com/genericaarticle
Calling all primary teachers! 'A Day Full of Energy' interactive board game for use on the whiteboard is available here.
BBC Science & Nature - Climate Challenge Game
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sn/hottopics/climatechange/climate_challenge/
You are president of the European Nations. Can you tackle climate change and stay popular enough with the voters to remain in office?
BBC Science & Nature - Interactive Body
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/
Heart in the right place... But what about the liver? Plumb together your organs in a 3D jigsaw.
Boggling Illusions
http://www.lottolab.org/
Sounds like something to do with those all-important number draws, but in fact R. Beau Lotto is the name of an investigator into neuroscience, who also works on other projects at the crossover points between science and art, ecology and history. The bits of the site which might really turn your head are the Illusions.
Dance Mat Typing
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/
Attention all two-fingered typists! This site borrows a concept from those machines in the Amusement Arcade where lithe 14 year olds wow the crowd by stamping out complicated patterns with their feet. Though you may be glad to hear, on this site your fingers to do the dancing.
Dino Jaws
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/temporary-exhibitions/dino-jaws/dino-defender.html?src=enews-defend
This is a scary, morbid game from the Natural History Museum … cracking good fun though! (You’ll need Flash version 8.0 to play it, but you can download it from the site.)
Earth Sandwich
http://scourist.com/2006/06/09/0009-earth-sandwich/
This really does sound like something only superman could achieve but apparently it’s really been done by real people. They’ve placed two slices of bread exactly geographically opposite each other with the whole world in between. What would you like in your sandwich? EVERYTHING!
EepyBird.com
http://eepybird.com/dcm1.html
What happens you combine 200 litres of Diet Coke, over 500 Mentos mints, and two crazy Americans? Find out by watching this video. What you're seeing is a magnificent demonstration of nucleation. Dig a little deeper at the site and you'll see that the perpetrators undertook a detailed study of drink and confectionary combinations, and of the effect of different sizes of hole in the bottle tops. Excellent science; brilliant choreography; hysterical film.
Exploratorium: Depth Spinner
http://www.exploratorium.edu/exhibits/depth_spinner/index.html
Here's an animated optical illusion from the Exploratorium. Watch the swirly spiral for 30 seconds - then look at your hand and yeooooucgh, it looks like the flesh is melting. Nurse, help!
Funology
http://www.funology.com
Funology is a colourful American site full of activities like recipes and crafts. There are also some really terrible jokes you can tell your friends! Check out the laboratory for some fun experiments.
LaughLab
http://www.laughlab.co.uk/home.html
LaughLab was a scientific experiment to find the world’s funniest joke. The data has been gathered and analysed and you can read all the findings here.
Most Popular Myths in Science
http://www.livescience.com/
Can animals really predict natural disasters? Do we really use only 10% of our brains? Do you get less wet if you run in the rain? These and many other science myths are subjected to scrutiny at Live Science.
Physics Limericks
http://www.aps.org/apsnews/limericks.cfm
Is there really a whole website devoted to physics limericks? Don’t scientists have anything better to do?
Phys Link
http://www.physlink.com/Fun/Index.cfm
Ever wanted to know what happens at a physics party? This and more physics and astronomy fun.
Planet Jemma
http://www.planetjemma.com/
Know any girls who might be wondering what it’s like to study physics at uni? They can find out (for free) by signing up to Planet Jemma. Watch daily video diaries about Jemma’s life and receive regular emails written especially for you. Be inspired by very cool women scientists!
Poetic Licence
http://www.firstscience.com/site/poems.asp
Here’s a great collection of poems which all have a science theme, however tenuous! If you’re seeking inspiration for a lesson starter or to spark off some arty thinking about your science subject, this may be the page for you. The poems cover nearly everything: nature, fish tanks, snow, stars, memory, war, flowers, philosophy, lobsters – it’s seriously eclectic.
Project Eggs Factor (age 7-19)
http://youngeng.org/index.asp?page=1060
Airbus and Young Engineers are challenging you to build a model aircraft that safely carries its passenger - the egg – for the greatest flight distance possible!
Quote from the site:
"Can you rise to the height of the challenge by designing and building a method of transport capable of flying a chicken before it has its own wings? We are looking to challenge and test every part of your engineering capabilities, we don’t want an egg splat we want an eggsemplary landing!
rEvolution
http://revolution.caret.cam.ac.uk/
Here you’ll find a v cool evolutionary game … Just click on the museum link, and off you go!
Science Cartoons
http://nearingzero.net/index2.html
Drop down a gear or two, have a laugh at these science cartoons. Everything from a science perspective. Well worth printing off and leaving on the notice board!
Science Hobbyist
http://www.eskimo.com/~billb/
Strange melange of themes and information, and some very weird experiments with your face mind and body!
Science Jokes
http://www.xs4all.nl/~jcdverha/scijokes/13_3.html
Humour is the best medicine. This site is dedicated to medical, biology, physical science, and chemistry humour of all kinds.
Science Made Fun
http://sciencemadefun.podbean.com/
Science Made Fun is an online podcast dedicated to explaining science in a fun, enthusiastic and understandable way.
Science With Me
http://www.sciencewithme.com/
This is a free website that offers educational animations, movies, games, colouring pages, worksheets and stories to help young children learn science the fun way.
Star Light Colouring Book
http://soho.nascom.nasa.gov/
This is a fantastic downloadable colouring book with facts about the Sun and solar winds. Find ‘free stuff’ under resources in the navigation list on the left and then ‘Star Colouring Book’.
rEvolution
http://revolution.caret.cam.ac.uk/
Here you’ll find a v cool evolutionary game … Just click on the museum link, and off you go!
The ASE have Love on the Brain
http://www.upd8.org.uk/activity.php?actid=115
To celebrate Valentine’s Day the ASE have produced an UPD8 with a romantic, yet biological theme. To make a date with UPD8, all you have to do is register, secondary level UPD8s are free. If the Winter Olympics are more you’re thing, you might like the UPD8 specifically on that topic: http://www.upd8.org.uk/activity/163/Winter-Olympics.html where slipperiness is explored.
The Universal Leonardo Website
http://www.universalleonardo.org/activities.php
This site is devoted to the works of Leonardo da Vinci, and the section on Play contains small games, activities and simulations. Look out for one on mirror writing – it’s addictive.
Word Search Puzzles
http://www.awesomeclipartforeducators.com/
Need a quick but cute little something for your junior infovores sometimes? This is a clever little device to create word searches that will get them puzzling over the science (or other) terms you have camouflaged within the alphabetti spaghetti.
You Tube: Juggling in a Cone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqDAf_lg9Xs
Juggling three balls is easy. No, really, it is. Anyone can do it, with a little practice. It's just a bit of simple Newtonian dynamics, after all. Juggling three balls while standing inside a giant inverted perspex cone, however, is... come to think of it, we're not sure we've ever tried. Easy or hard, it looks stunning. Just remember to take some time out from gawping to consider what's going on with all those conic sections, and to wonder what Newton would have made of it all.
Yucky Stuff
http://yucky.kids.discovery.com/
Yucky science stuff for kids including worms, roaches, and all the facts on the bodily nasties of puberty.
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