Resources by Catalyst

The Moon, an Optical Illusion and an Iceberg: Did These Sink the Titanic?

This Catalyst article uses physics to investigate the possible causes of the sinking of the Titanic. Mike Follows explains how the hull of the Titanic was constructed to be watertight, however, the strength of the rivets used on the ship were inadequate.

The article shows how the alignment of the sun, Earth...

The Most Accurate Thermometer in the World

Almost every scientific experiment or industrial process requires a measurement of temperature. For example, the specification of the length of an object is meaningless without reference to the temperature at which the measurement was made. And all chemical and biological processes are intrinsically temperature-...

The One-Footed Ape

There has been a great deal of research into footedness in football. However, careful observations of what players do on the pitch reveal that the elite football heroes are much more one-footed than it was previously assumed. David Carey of Bangor University looks into the issue.

The article is from Catalyst...

The Other Genome Project *suitable for home teaching*

This Catalyst article details how the genome of a plant called Arabidopsis has been unravelled so that this species can act as a model in genetic studies. Arabidopsis thaliana is a model species like the fruit fly Drosophila, yeast, and the bacterium Escherichia coli.  Scientists...

The Peacock’s Tale: How Sexual Selection Works

This Catalyst article looks at sexual selection, a form of natural selection, and the role it plays in the evolution of many organisms. The article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2014, Volume 24, Issue 4.

Catalyst is a science...

The Price of Rice

This Catalyst article looks at the production of rice, which is a staple food for billions of people. It describes how crop scientists have identified varieties of rice with favourable characteristics, such as flood resistance, and are using them to develop crops with increased yield. Such crops may help to...

The riddle of restless rocks

This Catalyst article questions how heavy rocks can slide across a dry lake bed. The author introduces some theories to explain this phenomenon. 

This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2016, Volume 27, Issue 1.

Catalyst is...

The Sand Beneath Your Feet

This Catalyst article explains how studying sand can reveal both the geological and biological history of a local environment as sand varies from place to place. Sand from near a copper smelter can contain grains of copper; grains can contain worm trails from microscopic worms living in the ocean. Even the grains...

The sands of time

This Catalyst article looks at how plants colonise sandy beaches, producing dune systems and ultimately new land.

This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2017, Volume 27, Issue 3.

Catalyst is a science magazine for students...

The Socotra Archipelago

A Catalyst article about Socotra, a small archipelago of four islands in the Indian Ocean off the horn of Africa, belonging to the Republic of Yemen. The islands are becoming famous for their range of animal and plant species and for their use as a natural 'laboratory' where ideas about evolution can be tested. The...