Ben at the micro frontier

Ben Allanach is a theoretical physicist who has worked at CERN and is interested in something called supersymmetry, which predicts particles that could be dark matter and might be produced in the collisions at CERN. Watch Ben explain it all in this TEDx lecture.

Ben Allanach is one of our favourite theoretical physicists. He is a professor at the University of Cambridge who has realised a life ambition by working at CERN for two years as a research fellow. His work focuses on providing tests of theories of fundamental particle physics and the early Universe and interpreting the data itself. He is particularly interested in something called supersymmetry, which predicts particles that could be dark matter and might be produced in the collisions at CERN.

Read more.

Why you shouldn't use a toss for overtime

Steven J. Brams and Zeve N. Sanderson

In soccer a coin toss is used to decide who goes first in a penalty shootout and similarly in American football a coin decides who plays offence in overtime. But is this really fair? This article explores an alternative.

When a tied game in professional soccer leagues (football in most of the world) goes into overtime in knock-out tournaments or cup competitions, a coin toss is used to determine which team starts a sequence of penalty kicks to break the tie. Similarly, when a tied game goes into overtime in the National Football League (NFL) in the United States, a coin toss is used to determine which team starts as offence and which starts as defence in the overtime period.

Read more.

Factorising with Multilink

Can you find out what is special about the dimensions of rectangles you can make with squares, sticks and units? Read more.

Felix's Parachute Jump

On October 14th 2012, Felix Baumgartner made a world record breaking parachute jump. Can you figure out the numbers behind his jump? Read more.

Complex Squares

What happens when we square complex numbers? Can the square of a complex number be real? Read more.

Science fiction, science fact: What is space?

Space is the stage on which physics happens. It's unaffected by what happens inside it and it would still be there if everything in it disappeared. This is how we learn to think about space at school. But the idea is as novel as it is out-dated.

FQXi logo

In the latest online poll of our Science fiction, science fact project you told us that you'd like an answer to this question. Here are two Plus articles exploring the nature of space and we also bring you two articles from FQXi who are our partners on this project.

Read more.

STEM Teacher Inspiration Day: Embedding STEM in the Curriculum

Date: 
Thursday, 4 July 2013 - 10:00am to 4:00pm

The free NRICH STEM Teacher Inspiration professional development programme aims to support Key Stage 3, 4 and 5 mathematics, science and technology teachers who are committed to enhancing mathematical links across STEM subjects within their school. The aim is to help teachers nurture confident, resourceful and enthusiastic learners with a deeper understanding of the fundamental links between mathematics, science and technology.

Event full?: 
Places still available
Level additional information: 
Key Stage 3, 4 or 5 mathematics, science and technology teachers
Read more.