Think like a scientist - for iPod/iPhone
20 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 10 years ago -Learn to think like a scientist. In this collection we demonstrate a series of hands-on experiments that you can carry out in your own kitchen. We'll explore some key aspects of life on Earth such as why water is so important to all living organisms, how matter behaves at different temperatures and what are the best conditions for life to flourish. The experiments start off simply, with baking a potato to destruction, but by the end you will be isolating and extracting the DNA of a kiwi fruit! Along the way you’ll learn some key skills that will develop your scientific thinking – like what to look for when designing an experiment, why you should keep a scientific journal and how to report your results. By the end of the collection you will be able to think about how to investigate the world around you and find out how it works. These materials form part of the Open University free courses Basic Science: Understanding Experiments and Basic Science: Understanding Numbers available from OpenLearn. http://www.open.edu/openlearn/free-courses
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
How to present your results
October 01, 2014 16:43 - 3 minutes - 12.6 MB VideoA graph is a great way of telling a story with numbers but the same data can be presented using different ways. So how do you choose the right type of graph to use?
Transcript -- How to present your results
October 01, 2014 16:43 - 80.1 KB application/pdfTranscript -- A graph is a great way of telling a story with numbers but the same data can be presented using different ways. So how do you choose the right type of graph to use?
Making it all add up
October 01, 2014 13:49 - 3 minutes - 8.65 MB VideoSince numbers first emerged people have tried anything to make maths easier, find out how these attempts have changed through time.
Transcript -- Making it all add up
October 01, 2014 13:49 - 59.7 KB application/pdfTranscript -- Since numbers first emerged people have tried anything to make maths easier, find out how these attempts have changed through time.
Explaining scientific notation
October 01, 2014 13:32 - 6 minutes - 20 MB VideoFind out how to write very big or very small numbers, and why it’s useful for communicating your results.
Transcript -- Explaining scientific notation
October 01, 2014 13:32 - 63.8 KB application/pdfTranscript -- Find out how to write very big or very small numbers, and why it’s useful for communicating your results.
Explaining negative numbers
October 01, 2014 11:11 - 2 minutes - 10.3 MB VideoNegative numbers can seem hard to understand, but looking at different temperatures around the world shows that it's not that difficult.
Transcript -- Explaining negative numbers
October 01, 2014 11:11 - 24.4 KB application/pdfTranscript -- Negative numbers can seem hard to understand, but looking at different temperatures around the world shows that it's not that difficult.
Why keep a journal
October 01, 2014 09:52 - 7 minutes - 27.5 MB VideoKeeping a lab notebook is a vital skill for any scientist and beginners to the subject often underestimate its importance.
Transcript -- Why keep a journal
October 01, 2014 09:52 - 167 KB application/pdfTranscript -- Keeping a lab notebook is a vital skill for any scientist and beginners to the subject often underestimate its importance.
Potato experiment: How much water is in a potato?
October 01, 2014 09:02 - 6 minutes - 23.6 MB VideoEveryday food stuffs such as potatoes and apples contain water, but have you ever wondered how much? The answer may surprise you.
Transcript -- Potato experiment: How much water is in a potato?
October 01, 2014 09:02 - 91.5 KB application/pdfTranscript -- Everyday food stuffs such as potatoes and apples contain water, but have you ever wondered how much? The answer may surprise you.
Cucumber experiment: How to measure osmosis in a cucumber
September 30, 2014 16:00 - 4 minutes - 16.8 MB VideoBy recording what happens when you drop cucumber into salty water you'll learn about an important process called osmosis.
Transcript -- Cucumber experiment: How to measure osmosis in a cucumber
September 30, 2014 16:00 - 108 KB application/pdfTranscript -- By recording what happens when you drop cucumber into salty water you'll learn about an important process called osmosis.
Ice tray experiment: changing states of matter
September 30, 2014 15:51 - 5 minutes - 23 MB VideoHow the physical properties of matter change at different temperatures is fundamental to life on our planet as you’ll see in this experiment.
Transcript -- Ice tray experiment: changing states of matter
September 30, 2014 15:51 - 99.2 KB application/pdfTranscript -- How the physical properties of matter change at different temperatures is fundamental to life on our planet as you’ll see in this experiment.
Yeast Experiment: measuring respiration in yeast
September 30, 2014 15:07 - 5 minutes - 22.1 MB VideoThis experiment uses a living organism to investigate the conditions under which life grows the best.
Transcript -- Yeast Experiment: measuring respiration in yeast
September 30, 2014 15:07 - 90.3 KB application/pdfTranscript -- This experiment uses a living organism to investigate the conditions under which life grows the best.
Kiwi Fruit Experiment: Finding the DNA of a kiwi fruit
September 30, 2014 14:37 - 4 minutes - 18.4 MB VideoTurn your kitchen into a CSI lab by using some common household chemicals to isolate the DNA in the cells of a kiwi fruit.
Transcript -- Kiwi Fruit Experiment: Finding the DNA of a kiwi fruit
September 30, 2014 14:37 - 97.1 KB application/pdfTranscript -- Turn your kitchen into a CSI lab by using some common household chemicals to isolate the DNA in the cells of a kiwi fruit.