The use of wind as a replenishable energy resource has come back into favour in recent decades. It is much promoted as a viable, clean energy option that will help towards reducing CO[subscript 2] emissions in the UK. This article examines the history of wind power and considers the development of wind turbines, together with their economic,…

As research probes deeper into all aspects of science, greater specialisation is required. This natural progression takes knowledge and understanding further away from the general public. Hence part of the responsibility of scientists is to communicate that knowledge at an appropriate level of understanding. As most people do not actively follow…

Finding an old notice on a canal towpath inspired a consultation with colleagues and search for evidence in an old book to help people look into how the words and symbols used in the teaching of electricity have evolved, including the apparent oddity of the symbol "I" for current. It is easy to explain that people use the symbol "Q" for what is…

The "Saggi di naturali esperienze" was published in 1667 by one of the earliest scientific societies, the Accademia del Cimento. The book was a triumph for the ruling Medici family of Florence, and the commitment of the Accademia to experimentation helped the "Saggi" become the "laboratory manual" of the 18th century.…

This article presents the transcript of the Presidential Address delivered to the Association for Science Education Annual Conference held at the University of Birmingham in January 2014. In her address, Alice Roberts traces the evolution of various features that are often thought to make humans different from other animals. Examples such as…

Over the past 50 years, the Association for Science Education (ASE) has published a wide range of journals as a principal benefit of membership of the Association, with some reaching beyond the membership. This article explores the history behind each of the four current ASE journals, as well as touching on two titles that "served their…

Viewed by someone with no involvement, the Association for Science Education (ASE) Annual Conference will seem like an impossibly ambitious task, relying significantly on volunteers (though increasingly supported by a small permanent staff) to organise and run it. Developed from events already established in the former associations, it offers a…