Firstly, thanks to everyone who sent off for a Card Pack. They have been an amazing success and proved so popular that unfortunately we’ve now had to close the Order Form. (By the way, if you missed out this time, sign up to wired-up and we'll keep you informed of other groovy Science Year giveaways – and top competitions with great prizes up for grabs …!) Meanwhile for those of you who want to know more about what they’re all about, read on … The pack contains seven cards altogether. However, these are no ordinary cards. They are ‘smart’ cards. Not only do they look good, they are intelligent and respond to what’s going on around them. Once you have the cards, you are in control…. Change their environment and see what happens! The amazing abilities of the cards demonstrate just a few of the ways in which science is at work in your everyday life. You might be surprised to realise that whatever you’re doing, whether you’re laughing, playing football, listening to music, or going out on a hot date, there are scientific forces at work. And the more you know, the more fun you can have! Play the audio file, or read more about each card below...
	You may have seen and heard the Dreem Teem making music in the TV ad. Now you can too with this magnetic card (and a bit of help from your teacher). Failing that you can always stick it to the fridge! Without magnets you wouldn’t be able to hear the latest chart hits or underground sounds. Loudspeakers need magnets to push back and forth and make sound waves in the air. So, it’s magnetism that makes music. Big Bass - Science Fact Sound travels through water four times faster than through air. This is the reason why several ocean-dwelling animals (e.g. dolphins) can communicate so effectively to locate other animals, obstacles and food. Sound travels around 17 times faster through some solids than through air. The speed of sound through steel is 13,332mph and 767mph through air. Ever wondered what a gorillas armpit smells like? Scratch this card, sniff and find out! Our bodies produce a similar strong chemical smell that makes you attractive – luckily at such a low level that we are not conscious of them. We can smell perfume though, especially if we use as much as Richard Blackwood does before his date! Expensive perfumes often contain chemical attractants from other animals. Attraction - Science Fact Many animals release chemical attractants these are called pheromones. Some of these pheromones are used in perfumes e.g. musk. The red gel in this bag looks like blood. In fact blood is a gel, it is made up of tiny red blood cells suspended in a clear liquid. If Billie had made the audience laugh in the TV ad then a chemical would have been released into their bloodstream. This would have made them smile and feel happy. Try telling a joke to your friends – see if you can trigger that chemical and have them in stitches. A Bit of a Laugh - Science Fact Laughing and smiling helps to release a chemical in the brain. This chemical is called serotonin and is known as a neurotransmitter. Think you can do better than Dennis Wise? Footballers are usually ace at curving a ball into the back of a net. They manage to do this because a ball carries air around with it as it spins. This builds up pressure on one side, pushing the ball sideways. So it is the build up of air pressure that allows them to do the swerve shot. It also requires a bit of skill too though! Why not give it a go. It's in the Net! - Science Fact When a footballer curves a ball in flight it is called the coanda effect, bowlers in cricket and baseball also use it. This heat sensitive card will tell you. The red paint on this card is heat sensitive; in the same way silver grains on black and white photography film are light sensitive. A chemical change occurs in the red paint when it is exposed to heat. The silver on the film also undergoes a chemical change when exposed to light. Touch this card and watch it change colour. You have transferred energy in the form of heat from your fingers to the card. Test your friends and see who’s hot and who’s not. Feelin' Hot- Science Fact Your body always tries to stay warm at 37 C, but if you are losing heat quickly your fingers may be colder. Your body reacts to a change in temperature. When it is hot you sweat to lower your body temperature. When it is cold, you shiver to raise your body temperature. This is part of a process where the body tries to maintain the same internal environment when the external environment is changing. This biological process is called homeostasis. Light is bouncing around this plastic. Most of the light comes out around the edge. If you grip the plastic between your finger and thumb the light passes out of the plastic and is absorbed. You’ll be able to see the edges getting dimmer. Light travels down optical fibres in the same way as it does in this plastic. Fibre optics are used in the high-speed cables that make the Internet work. Click here for more info. Live Wire- Science Fact The card is made up of a plastic called perspex. You may have used this in Design and Technology lessons. The perspex in this card contains a fluorescent chemical. This fluorescent chemical absorbs ultraviolet light and re-emits it as visible light. "Put this card under a light and the special luminous paint stores energy. But here's the fun bit. Once you have `charged' the card have a look in the dark. The card glows as the energy is released as light. Sometimes manufacturers put a special type of luminous material (fluorescent substances or whiteners) in washing powder that cling to clothes. You may have seen your white shoelaces and T-shirts glow in the dark before and now you know why!"