The Open University has finally opened registration for the new SXx288 Practical science modules and I have duly registered for SXC288 Practical science: chemistry and analysis.
This will only be the second OU module that I have done on its first presentation and from previous experience there may be some teething troubles to begin with (maybe the various false starts for registration will be the only ones but I doubt it).
I must admit I've been obsessing over this module for a while now as there is a mini residential (3 days) associated with it and I wanted a specific date (the long weekend option). I've been checking pretty much every day since 1st July and registered at 07:09 this morning (after a tip off in the OU Science programme website yesterday).
The module starts in February next year so I've still got a while to wait before it starts but S205 begins next month so I've got something to keep me occupied.
Oh and I'm still completing the S104 EMA which I will probably post a bit about when I'm done.
Tuesday, 20 September 2011
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
S104 Book 6
The title of book 6 is "Exploring Earth's History" and its another foray into geology (oh joy!!!)
After a brief introduction in chapter one, chapter two looks at geological time and stratigraphic columns.
Chapter three is a bit of a mixture. It starts off looking at fossils (there are some copies in the home kit for us to look at) and then goes into radioactive half-lives as a method of dating rocks.
Chapter four looks at igneous rocks (a couple of examples are in the home kit), how they form and how various minerals are concentrated in them.
Chapter five looks at sedimentary rocks (again a couple of examples are in the home kit), how the various sediments are laid down and how the rock is subsequently formed.
Predictably, chapter six looks at metamorphic rocks (yes we have a couple in the kit), their formation and deformation. This chapter also sums up the previous three chapters by introducing the rock cycle.
Chapter seven takes a look at the geology of the British Isles and chapter eight looks at human evolution and how it was affected by geological events.
I didn't find this book too heavy going, it was certainly easier than Book 5. I think it helped that I had attended SXR103 before studying it and so had some understanding of the processes involved.
After a brief introduction in chapter one, chapter two looks at geological time and stratigraphic columns.
Chapter three is a bit of a mixture. It starts off looking at fossils (there are some copies in the home kit for us to look at) and then goes into radioactive half-lives as a method of dating rocks.
Chapter four looks at igneous rocks (a couple of examples are in the home kit), how they form and how various minerals are concentrated in them.
Chapter five looks at sedimentary rocks (again a couple of examples are in the home kit), how the various sediments are laid down and how the rock is subsequently formed.
Predictably, chapter six looks at metamorphic rocks (yes we have a couple in the kit), their formation and deformation. This chapter also sums up the previous three chapters by introducing the rock cycle.
Chapter seven takes a look at the geology of the British Isles and chapter eight looks at human evolution and how it was affected by geological events.
I didn't find this book too heavy going, it was certainly easier than Book 5. I think it helped that I had attended SXR103 before studying it and so had some understanding of the processes involved.
S104 Book 5
The title of this book is Life.
It starts off asking the question, "What is life?" and gives an introduction to reproduction, metabolism and population levels.
The book then moves on to consider diversity and the classification of species into domains and phyla.
Next we got a look at cells, their classification, structure and diversity as well as mitosis/meosis and both asexual and sexual reproduction.
Chapter five is an introduction to biochemistry. It explains polysaccharides, nucleic acids, enzymes and proteins in some detail.
We then look at how energy is created (photosynthesis) and used in metabolic processes in some depth.
The idea of energy utilisation is then extended from an individual to an ecosystem in chapter seven.
Chapter eight introduces genetic variation and inheritance as well as another look at meosis.
Chapter nine continues the variation theme by looking at genes and how they can become mutated.
The subject of genes is continued in chapter ten by looking at DNA and how errors can creep in.
Chapter eleven looks at how DNA is used in creating polypeptides and the genetic code.
There is another look at genetic mutation in chapter twelve.
Chapter thirteen looked at various genomes, as well as the projects to sequence the genomes of various creatures.
Chapter fourteen looks at Darwin's work on evolution and natural selection.
The final chapter, fifteen, looks at human evolution.
I found this to be a very long book and struggled to remain motivated through it. The TMA helped me consolidate my understanding of some of the topics covered (I know more about photosynthesis then I ever wanted to know) but it was still a slog.
Wednesday, 27 July 2011
New practical science courses - Update 3
Online registration for any of the SXx288 courses is still not available for online registration. I've emailed the OU Student Registration and Enquiry Service requesting a date when they will be available and am awaiting a reply.
In the meantime here is a leaflet I picked up whilst on SXR103 with some information about them:
In the meantime here is a leaflet I picked up whilst on SXR103 with some information about them:
I know its not much but its something.
Wednesday, 20 July 2011
SXR103 - Thoughts of the week
I really enjoyed my week in Brighton. I met a fantastic bunch of people, who like me are studying science with the Open University as well as a group of enthusiastic tutors who can make the subject come alive.
I would totally recommend this course to anyone interested in science. Its a great way to get your 'hands dirty' with some practical experience, meet some like-minded people and immerse yourself in University life.
I found it quite an exhausting week but would definitely like to do a similar summer school again. Its a shame that the OU have retired most of their level 2 and 3 summer schools but i'm hoping that the new level 2 'practical' courses are just as good.
Only the EMA left to do, but i'm looking forward to doing it as it should bring back memories of a great week doing science.
I would totally recommend this course to anyone interested in science. Its a great way to get your 'hands dirty' with some practical experience, meet some like-minded people and immerse yourself in University life.
I found it quite an exhausting week but would definitely like to do a similar summer school again. Its a shame that the OU have retired most of their level 2 and 3 summer schools but i'm hoping that the new level 2 'practical' courses are just as good.
Only the EMA left to do, but i'm looking forward to doing it as it should bring back memories of a great week doing science.
SXR103 - Day 7
The final day...
Another cooked breakfast (I know, im weakening) and then its back to the tutor room at Friston for the morning session with Brian.
We start by going over how we think we worked together yesterday. Which isn't too bad a way to start and I think went well. Then we start on a "writing up practicals" workshop. This involved us performing a little experiment (measuring the time for a pendulum to complete one swing) before Brian took us through how we should and shouldn't write it up (he had a handout on a less than ideal write-up).
After coffee we did a quick debrief on "Doing Science Safely", which was a little online section we had to do before coming on the week. The relevence for today was that there is a question on "Doing Science Safely" in the EMA.
Finally we took a quick look at the EMA (I had downloaded it this morning). Brian couldn't go into too much detail here but we all saw that there was nothing too taxing. His advice was to do the EMA as soon as possible, whilst everything is fresh in our minds.
Then it was all over. We posed for a group photo, said our goodbyes and parted company for the last time.
Another cooked breakfast (I know, im weakening) and then its back to the tutor room at Friston for the morning session with Brian.
We start by going over how we think we worked together yesterday. Which isn't too bad a way to start and I think went well. Then we start on a "writing up practicals" workshop. This involved us performing a little experiment (measuring the time for a pendulum to complete one swing) before Brian took us through how we should and shouldn't write it up (he had a handout on a less than ideal write-up).
After coffee we did a quick debrief on "Doing Science Safely", which was a little online section we had to do before coming on the week. The relevence for today was that there is a question on "Doing Science Safely" in the EMA.
Finally we took a quick look at the EMA (I had downloaded it this morning). Brian couldn't go into too much detail here but we all saw that there was nothing too taxing. His advice was to do the EMA as soon as possible, whilst everything is fresh in our minds.
Then it was all over. We posed for a group photo, said our goodbyes and parted company for the last time.
 |
| The Yellow Spots - 09-15 July 2011 |
SXR103 - Day 6
Activity E, the dreaded poster project. Of all the activities this is the one that few people have been looking forward to. The thought of a whole day researching and producing a poster seems very unexciting compared to the lab days (even the field trip) but it has to be done.
So after a cooked breakfast (only my 2nd of the week) I wander off to Friston to meet the rest of the group in our tutor room.
After a little prep talk from Brian we all moved on to the room dedicated for our project topic, Aluminium (if you're a spot you get Aluminium, if you're a rectangle its Energy), where we heard the subject areas on offer. From memory they were: Aluminium Recycling; Aluminium and Health; Uses of Aluminium; Aluminium and the Environment; Aluminium from the Earth. We then went and sat next to the subject area we were interested in and I picked Aluminium from the Earth with Pat and Michaela. We were then given a well-thumbed pack of information we could use as well as a group logon for the computer (this is mainly so the OU can limit our printing capability to a set budget of £2.50 with 5p per b&w print and 20p per colour print).
We then looked through the information pack trying to find a thread to follow. Our pack was a mixture of geology and processing based information with a few odd additions (the aluminium content of certain gemstones) which were soon abandoned. After 30 minutes of brainstorming we had a skeleton outline for our areas of research, we would each do 2 sheets of A4 and I agreed to cover the geology of bauxite (the principle ore of aluminium). Within another hour we have exhausted the information packet so it's off to the computer suite for some web-based research.
I pretty much knew how I would lay my section out and had gotten a lot of information from the information pack; I just needed to fill in the gaps. After lunch I had most of the information into Microsoft PowerPoint and it was just a case of tweaking the layout. Then disaster struck, we had a power blip and half the computers rebooted!!!! There were a few cries around the room, including a tutor who was working on something in front of me when the power went, so we waited for the PCs to boot and log back in. Fortunately Microsoft had saved the day with its auto recovery feature and so I had only lost a couple of tweaks, I think a lot of people saved their work at this point!!!
The afternoon went pretty quickly and by 3 I had my first draft printed in b&w so I could check the overall result. A few further tweaks were required which I made while I remembered and then I was done. All I had to do was to wait for my teammates to finish their contributions and we could see the final product. I spent the rest of the afternoon dealing with the odd technical question (IT-based) and sorted out my bibliography. By 6 we were done and dusted and I was quite pleased with the results, then it was off for tea.
We reconvened at 7:15 and got to take a look at what the rectangles had done. The task was actually to critically review one of their posters, which proved slow going (4 people reaching a consensus of opinion often does) but I did take the opportunity to look at the other posters as well and they were all of a very high standard. Then we got to look at the comments the rectangles had made of our poster, some of which I agreed with others I didn't. Then the day was over.
In all it wasn't too bad a day. Creating a poster is a valuable skill to have and so it was a useful exercise. Last day tomorrow, well half day as we end at 12:30.
So after a cooked breakfast (only my 2nd of the week) I wander off to Friston to meet the rest of the group in our tutor room.
After a little prep talk from Brian we all moved on to the room dedicated for our project topic, Aluminium (if you're a spot you get Aluminium, if you're a rectangle its Energy), where we heard the subject areas on offer. From memory they were: Aluminium Recycling; Aluminium and Health; Uses of Aluminium; Aluminium and the Environment; Aluminium from the Earth. We then went and sat next to the subject area we were interested in and I picked Aluminium from the Earth with Pat and Michaela. We were then given a well-thumbed pack of information we could use as well as a group logon for the computer (this is mainly so the OU can limit our printing capability to a set budget of £2.50 with 5p per b&w print and 20p per colour print).
We then looked through the information pack trying to find a thread to follow. Our pack was a mixture of geology and processing based information with a few odd additions (the aluminium content of certain gemstones) which were soon abandoned. After 30 minutes of brainstorming we had a skeleton outline for our areas of research, we would each do 2 sheets of A4 and I agreed to cover the geology of bauxite (the principle ore of aluminium). Within another hour we have exhausted the information packet so it's off to the computer suite for some web-based research.
I pretty much knew how I would lay my section out and had gotten a lot of information from the information pack; I just needed to fill in the gaps. After lunch I had most of the information into Microsoft PowerPoint and it was just a case of tweaking the layout. Then disaster struck, we had a power blip and half the computers rebooted!!!! There were a few cries around the room, including a tutor who was working on something in front of me when the power went, so we waited for the PCs to boot and log back in. Fortunately Microsoft had saved the day with its auto recovery feature and so I had only lost a couple of tweaks, I think a lot of people saved their work at this point!!!
The afternoon went pretty quickly and by 3 I had my first draft printed in b&w so I could check the overall result. A few further tweaks were required which I made while I remembered and then I was done. All I had to do was to wait for my teammates to finish their contributions and we could see the final product. I spent the rest of the afternoon dealing with the odd technical question (IT-based) and sorted out my bibliography. By 6 we were done and dusted and I was quite pleased with the results, then it was off for tea.
We reconvened at 7:15 and got to take a look at what the rectangles had done. The task was actually to critically review one of their posters, which proved slow going (4 people reaching a consensus of opinion often does) but I did take the opportunity to look at the other posters as well and they were all of a very high standard. Then we got to look at the comments the rectangles had made of our poster, some of which I agreed with others I didn't. Then the day was over.
In all it wasn't too bad a day. Creating a poster is a valuable skill to have and so it was a useful exercise. Last day tomorrow, well half day as we end at 12:30.
SXR103 - Day 5
I didn't get a lot of sleep last night, what with the very loud line dancing going on across the road (some kind of event) until gone midnight and the recycling truck picking up the glass at 6 am. So the alarm going off was not a welcome sound.
Still we are doing chemistry today so I'm in a good mood, so after breakfast we all congregate sound the chemistry lab on the 4th floor of Chichester. The smell of a chemistry lab is so unique and it instantly brings back memories from 18 years ago. I'm really looking forward to this!!
After a quick safety briefing from our activity tutor (Danny) task 1 was some qualitative observations on the reactions between certain metal nitrates and several common lab reagents. This was a nice introduction with some pretty coloured compounds made.
Next we had to identify which metal nitrate is in an unknown sample. For this we used the data previously gathered and come up with the correct answer, all very satisfying.
Now we moved onto quantitative analysis. We wanted to know how much aluminium is in a sample of water to determine whether it meets recommended levels. For this we use a commercial test kit which includes a colorimeter. The catch is that each group wil test a different concentration of the solution so we can plot a graph and arrive at a constant of proportionality which can be used to convert the figure from the colorimeter to the value of the concentration. I found this experiment nice and easy (which you would expect from a commercial kit) and we came up with a pretty good figure (according to Danny). However after getting the data from the others and plotting it the line of best fit was very loosely applied. Still we got a value, which at level 1 is the object.
Then there was just time for lunch, a very good chicken curry before we moved onto flame tests.
The activity tutors were a bit nervous about this part of the day, I'm not sure what had happened on previous days but we did fine and no one got burned. Basically we burnt a small sample of a metal chloride in a Bunsen flame and watched the pretty colours. We then used a hand-held spectroscope to look at the light being emitted by the burning salt, which was quite tricky to do and wasn't particularly satisfactory.
This had all been building up the main event of the afternoon, using the grating spectrometer. This fiddly bit of kit allows you to measure the angle of diffraction for a particular element being excited either through combustion or electrification. We started getting to know this tool by looking at the spectra of a sodium vapour lamp. From this we managed to calculate the spacing of the lines on the diffraction grating in nanometres. This was quite a mind-blowing thing. Here we are looking at glowing lines through a small telescope and after taking a few readings we can get a figure that small!
The final task of the day was to look at the spectra of a metal salt being blown through a flame and identify the metal involved. I found this fiendishly difficult and only managed to identify my metal by discounting the others but some of the other groups had their "eye in" and were going great guns.
The lab was over and as this was our last practical of the week (tomorrow we get to do a research poster) I have to say that I'm going to miss the labs. They were really well written and led you naturally through to a conclusion.
I decided not to do any optional tutorials or lectures, I was tired and needed to sort my notes out for the day.
Not really looking forward to tomorrow but the end is in sight.
Still we are doing chemistry today so I'm in a good mood, so after breakfast we all congregate sound the chemistry lab on the 4th floor of Chichester. The smell of a chemistry lab is so unique and it instantly brings back memories from 18 years ago. I'm really looking forward to this!!
After a quick safety briefing from our activity tutor (Danny) task 1 was some qualitative observations on the reactions between certain metal nitrates and several common lab reagents. This was a nice introduction with some pretty coloured compounds made.
Now we moved onto quantitative analysis. We wanted to know how much aluminium is in a sample of water to determine whether it meets recommended levels. For this we use a commercial test kit which includes a colorimeter. The catch is that each group wil test a different concentration of the solution so we can plot a graph and arrive at a constant of proportionality which can be used to convert the figure from the colorimeter to the value of the concentration. I found this experiment nice and easy (which you would expect from a commercial kit) and we came up with a pretty good figure (according to Danny). However after getting the data from the others and plotting it the line of best fit was very loosely applied. Still we got a value, which at level 1 is the object.
Then there was just time for lunch, a very good chicken curry before we moved onto flame tests.
The activity tutors were a bit nervous about this part of the day, I'm not sure what had happened on previous days but we did fine and no one got burned. Basically we burnt a small sample of a metal chloride in a Bunsen flame and watched the pretty colours. We then used a hand-held spectroscope to look at the light being emitted by the burning salt, which was quite tricky to do and wasn't particularly satisfactory.
This had all been building up the main event of the afternoon, using the grating spectrometer. This fiddly bit of kit allows you to measure the angle of diffraction for a particular element being excited either through combustion or electrification. We started getting to know this tool by looking at the spectra of a sodium vapour lamp. From this we managed to calculate the spacing of the lines on the diffraction grating in nanometres. This was quite a mind-blowing thing. Here we are looking at glowing lines through a small telescope and after taking a few readings we can get a figure that small!
The final task of the day was to look at the spectra of a metal salt being blown through a flame and identify the metal involved. I found this fiendishly difficult and only managed to identify my metal by discounting the others but some of the other groups had their "eye in" and were going great guns.
The lab was over and as this was our last practical of the week (tomorrow we get to do a research poster) I have to say that I'm going to miss the labs. They were really well written and led you naturally through to a conclusion.
I decided not to do any optional tutorials or lectures, I was tired and needed to sort my notes out for the day.
Not really looking forward to tomorrow but the end is in sight.
SXR103 - Day 4
I'm really getting into the swing of things now so after a quick breakfast at Bramber House it's off to the lab for a day of rocks and radioactivity.
This was a mixture of geology and physics with a nice link between the two. We started by looking at several samples of different rock and have to sort them into igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic, before beginning to look at the rocks more closely and thinking about how and where they were formed. This was very much like book 2 of S104, only with more and larger samples. By the end of this we had a pretty good idea that there must be something below the surface of the Earth that provides the energy to melt igneous rocks as well as drive plate tectonics.
In steps radioactivity, nicely linked by the OU I think.
We then moved onto measuring the background radiation in the lab (not very much) followed by two different types of granite (more than I had expected). By this point it's time for lunch so we all left the Geiger counters running to get a better figure for background.
Lunch today was chicken covered in guacamole and boiled potatoes followed by chocolate muffin. Then it was time to return to see how much radiation we had detected.
With the mean background count over 1 minute calculated we moved onto some more reliable sources, starting with a uranium-rich mineral. It starts getting "serious" at this stage as we have to handle the source with tongs even though the sample is in an enclosure, but nothing to worry about. We got a nice count for radiation emitted by the sample over 1 minute (which was not much higher than for the granite) before switching to another source.
This one comes in a protective box!! However no one was donning lead-lined suits and the dosimeter hanging by the bench didn't seem too worried so neither were we. This sample was called a caesium/barium isotope generator and we first measured how much of the radiation (gamma radiation) would get through different thicknesses of lead sheet. Even with 2cm of lead between the Geiger counter and the source we were still getting readings (we used the background count we got earlier to eliminate this). We also had to calculate a figure for the uncertainty of this figure but even accounting for this the gamma rays were still getting through. Then we had to plot our figures on a graph (with an awful scale pre-printed by the OU) and so calculate the mean half-thickness for absorption.
The final practical of the day involved extracting the barium isotope from the generator we had just used, which has a very short half-life that we get to calculate. Because of the short half-life we get a sample by flushing the caesium/barium isotope generator with distilled water which will give us a sample. This had to be carried out with a tutor present to make sure that if we spill any of the radioactive water it can be dealt with safely. Goggles and gloves were added to the list of precautions here and everything had to be checked before we could proceed. Once we had taken readings over 15 minutes we plotted the values (this time the scale was better) and could then calculate a half-life value. All the class came pretty close which was satisfying.
Another enjoyable day over with and time for tea (jacket spud followed by a very nice rice pudding) a call home and a check through today's workbook to make sure I had completed everything before going to my selected 8:15 lecture.
Another one by James (my third in a row) and this time he was talking about drug design and synthesis. This was a very interesting talk from a seasoned organic chemist which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Tomorrow is the lab I've been looking forward to, the notional chemistry practical with a bit of physics thrown in.
This was a mixture of geology and physics with a nice link between the two. We started by looking at several samples of different rock and have to sort them into igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic, before beginning to look at the rocks more closely and thinking about how and where they were formed. This was very much like book 2 of S104, only with more and larger samples. By the end of this we had a pretty good idea that there must be something below the surface of the Earth that provides the energy to melt igneous rocks as well as drive plate tectonics.
In steps radioactivity, nicely linked by the OU I think.
We then moved onto measuring the background radiation in the lab (not very much) followed by two different types of granite (more than I had expected). By this point it's time for lunch so we all left the Geiger counters running to get a better figure for background.
Lunch today was chicken covered in guacamole and boiled potatoes followed by chocolate muffin. Then it was time to return to see how much radiation we had detected.
With the mean background count over 1 minute calculated we moved onto some more reliable sources, starting with a uranium-rich mineral. It starts getting "serious" at this stage as we have to handle the source with tongs even though the sample is in an enclosure, but nothing to worry about. We got a nice count for radiation emitted by the sample over 1 minute (which was not much higher than for the granite) before switching to another source.
This one comes in a protective box!! However no one was donning lead-lined suits and the dosimeter hanging by the bench didn't seem too worried so neither were we. This sample was called a caesium/barium isotope generator and we first measured how much of the radiation (gamma radiation) would get through different thicknesses of lead sheet. Even with 2cm of lead between the Geiger counter and the source we were still getting readings (we used the background count we got earlier to eliminate this). We also had to calculate a figure for the uncertainty of this figure but even accounting for this the gamma rays were still getting through. Then we had to plot our figures on a graph (with an awful scale pre-printed by the OU) and so calculate the mean half-thickness for absorption.
The final practical of the day involved extracting the barium isotope from the generator we had just used, which has a very short half-life that we get to calculate. Because of the short half-life we get a sample by flushing the caesium/barium isotope generator with distilled water which will give us a sample. This had to be carried out with a tutor present to make sure that if we spill any of the radioactive water it can be dealt with safely. Goggles and gloves were added to the list of precautions here and everything had to be checked before we could proceed. Once we had taken readings over 15 minutes we plotted the values (this time the scale was better) and could then calculate a half-life value. All the class came pretty close which was satisfying.
Another enjoyable day over with and time for tea (jacket spud followed by a very nice rice pudding) a call home and a check through today's workbook to make sure I had completed everything before going to my selected 8:15 lecture.
Another one by James (my third in a row) and this time he was talking about drug design and synthesis. This was a very interesting talk from a seasoned organic chemist which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Tomorrow is the lab I've been looking forward to, the notional chemistry practical with a bit of physics thrown in.
SXR103 - Day 3
Another day, another lab but this time we don't start til 9.
So after a quick breakfast in Bramber House it's off to an actual lab for a day of biology.
We all wandered into a rather warm biology lab, find a microscope to perch behind and don our OU lab coats (mine is actually a bit baggy). I had the good fortune to pick a place next to a large fan which made the room seem less like an oven.
After a safety brief we got started by making some qualitative observations wheat plants, aged 3, 7 and 14 days old, some of which have been irradiated with gamma radiation. It has to be said that the irradiated samples do look a little worse for wear although there is some growth visible.
Next we get a demonstration on preparing a sample of leaf from the 14 day control wheat from our activity tutor (Janet). The catch is that we must prepare a sample that is only one layer of cells thick!!! This consists of gently scraping along the leaf with a razor blade until all the green colour has gone. It's as tricky as it sounds, and my first attempt ended in shreds. Fortunately my 2nd turned out OK so I placed the sample carefully on a slide and stuck it under the microscope.
The next 5 minutes were spent playing "locate the sample in the eyepieces" as we all tried to get the sample in view and in focus, which turned out to be difficult but strangely rewarding when we could see the plant cells we had produced. We then had a go at staining the sample with toluidine blue, which as the name suggests will stain the sample (and anything else it comes into contact with) blue. So we got to don some rather fetching purple gloves and a pair of safety specs just in case, while we drip a bit of stain onto the slide. The next bit was probably the best demonstration of capillary action I have ever seen as we used a tissue to draw the stain from one side of the slide to the other, pure magic!!! The more successful of us get to try with an irradiated wheat sample, with mixed results due to the size of the leaf present.
Then it's time for a quick tea break before we start some proper investigative science. Measuring 2 different types of cells in the coleoptile of both the control and gamma irradiated wheat samples. We were trying to discover why the irradiated samples are much smaller than the control. A bit of statistical analysis later and we determined that it's a mixture of less of one cell and shorter lengths in another (I don't want to give the game away for anyone who might be doing this lab later).
Then it's off to lunch, which was not particularly inspiring so I went for the sandwich option, without the sandwich as they had sold out.
Then back to the lab to look if we could see any mitosis going on in either the control or irradiated samples. This involved extracting a tiny bit of leaf right at the base of the plant, dousing it in a red dye (aceto-orecin), warming it over a Bunsen flame (we had a couple of slides shatter as they were heated too quickly) and then beating the sample flat with a small metal rod. I'll admit that I had no idea what I was looking at but Janet kept enthusing that someone had a sample in prophase or metaphase. We would all dutifully wander over to look at the sample in question and make approving noises.
And then it was time to finish. I have to say I enjoyed the day, it was a little fiddly at times but you got to look at samples you prepared and also prove a hypothesis which was like doing real science.
Tea was better than lunch and I had chicken in Polenta followed by lemon drizzle cake (yum).
I had signed up for an 8:15 lecture giving a taster for S205 which I am starting in September. I killed a couple of hours finishing the day's workbook whilst it was fresh in my mind before wandering off for the lecture just before 8.
This was done by James (the guy from last night) and started well with a talk on what to expect in terms of topics and workload. He also mentioned the new SXx288 Practical Science courses, particularly SXC288 which I'm intending to study in February. Then we sat and watched a 30 minute video on liquid crystals which is part of the S205 course. I found the video interesting but couldn't really see the point in screening it for us if we were going to watch it next year, but hey hoo.
Tomorrow is Rocks and Radioactivity, which is again in the lab and should be interesting.
So after a quick breakfast in Bramber House it's off to an actual lab for a day of biology.
We all wandered into a rather warm biology lab, find a microscope to perch behind and don our OU lab coats (mine is actually a bit baggy). I had the good fortune to pick a place next to a large fan which made the room seem less like an oven.
After a safety brief we got started by making some qualitative observations wheat plants, aged 3, 7 and 14 days old, some of which have been irradiated with gamma radiation. It has to be said that the irradiated samples do look a little worse for wear although there is some growth visible.
 |
| Can you guess which one was nuked?? |
The next 5 minutes were spent playing "locate the sample in the eyepieces" as we all tried to get the sample in view and in focus, which turned out to be difficult but strangely rewarding when we could see the plant cells we had produced. We then had a go at staining the sample with toluidine blue, which as the name suggests will stain the sample (and anything else it comes into contact with) blue. So we got to don some rather fetching purple gloves and a pair of safety specs just in case, while we drip a bit of stain onto the slide. The next bit was probably the best demonstration of capillary action I have ever seen as we used a tissue to draw the stain from one side of the slide to the other, pure magic!!! The more successful of us get to try with an irradiated wheat sample, with mixed results due to the size of the leaf present.
Then it's time for a quick tea break before we start some proper investigative science. Measuring 2 different types of cells in the coleoptile of both the control and gamma irradiated wheat samples. We were trying to discover why the irradiated samples are much smaller than the control. A bit of statistical analysis later and we determined that it's a mixture of less of one cell and shorter lengths in another (I don't want to give the game away for anyone who might be doing this lab later).
Then it's off to lunch, which was not particularly inspiring so I went for the sandwich option, without the sandwich as they had sold out.
Then back to the lab to look if we could see any mitosis going on in either the control or irradiated samples. This involved extracting a tiny bit of leaf right at the base of the plant, dousing it in a red dye (aceto-orecin), warming it over a Bunsen flame (we had a couple of slides shatter as they were heated too quickly) and then beating the sample flat with a small metal rod. I'll admit that I had no idea what I was looking at but Janet kept enthusing that someone had a sample in prophase or metaphase. We would all dutifully wander over to look at the sample in question and make approving noises.
And then it was time to finish. I have to say I enjoyed the day, it was a little fiddly at times but you got to look at samples you prepared and also prove a hypothesis which was like doing real science.
Tea was better than lunch and I had chicken in Polenta followed by lemon drizzle cake (yum).
I had signed up for an 8:15 lecture giving a taster for S205 which I am starting in September. I killed a couple of hours finishing the day's workbook whilst it was fresh in my mind before wandering off for the lecture just before 8.
This was done by James (the guy from last night) and started well with a talk on what to expect in terms of topics and workload. He also mentioned the new SXx288 Practical Science courses, particularly SXC288 which I'm intending to study in February. Then we sat and watched a 30 minute video on liquid crystals which is part of the S205 course. I found the video interesting but couldn't really see the point in screening it for us if we were going to watch it next year, but hey hoo.
Tomorrow is Rocks and Radioactivity, which is again in the lab and should be interesting.
SXR103 - Day 2
An early start on a Sunday is never a good thing, especially if you have had a long Saturday and not much sleep.
I awoke at 06:30 and after getting showered and dressed made my way over to Bramber House for breakfast. We only get a packed lunch today as we are out in the field so a full English breakfast was the order of the day. Then it's off to await the arrival of the coach.
We managed to leave bang on 8:00 and made our way to the cliffs at Birling Gap. The weather was overcast and blustery but there was only a small chance of rain (which never materialised, thank god). The trip took about 45 minutes and then we were deposited in the car park before wandering off to the beach with our group tutor (Brian) and Geology activity tutor (Arlene).
The view was certainly spectacular. Looking out along the coast there was certainly lots to see, so we looked at the cliffs.
This included a sketch, answering a few questions and then trying to work out what the white rock that makes up the cliff could possibly be. I know I wasn't looking forward to this activity but the Arlene's enthusiasm was infectious and it was actually quite interesting.
Next we wandered back to the coach to pick up our lunch bags before traipsing up over the Downs with the Ecology tutor (Phil). Here we were supposed to tke sample random areas of a 10m x 10m square looking for 6 different types of plant. Fortunately we were shown the plants beforehand, although that didn't make things any easier. We then got to sit and have lunch on the Downs (the clouds had parted then so we were bathed in sunlight).
After lunch we returned to the coach for the journey to New Haven harbour, where we repeated the Geology and Ecology experiments again. The purpose of this is to show two different types of geology and the different types of plants that live on them. It's was a bit difficult to see the ecology in the field but the geology was blatantly obvious (guess the rock this time was a sandy coloured rock that when handled left you with sand in your hands).
We then got a short coach ride to the bottom of a very steep hill which we got to walk up to get to the top of the cliffs for the ecology part.
We then filed back down the hill and onto the coach for the trip back to the Uni where we get to analyse the data we gathered. Fortunately we get to go for tea first.
I think that data analysis was not quite the right title for the evening session. It started off with Arlene taking us through the geological history of this section of the UK, making reference to what we found today. Then Phil attempted to explain the Mann Whitney U Test to us, which thoroughly lost me shortly after the ranking part. I don't think I was the only one who was confused but I think that it was more the test itself than Phil's explanation.
I awoke at 06:30 and after getting showered and dressed made my way over to Bramber House for breakfast. We only get a packed lunch today as we are out in the field so a full English breakfast was the order of the day. Then it's off to await the arrival of the coach.
We managed to leave bang on 8:00 and made our way to the cliffs at Birling Gap. The weather was overcast and blustery but there was only a small chance of rain (which never materialised, thank god). The trip took about 45 minutes and then we were deposited in the car park before wandering off to the beach with our group tutor (Brian) and Geology activity tutor (Arlene).
The view was certainly spectacular. Looking out along the coast there was certainly lots to see, so we looked at the cliffs.
Next we wandered back to the coach to pick up our lunch bags before traipsing up over the Downs with the Ecology tutor (Phil). Here we were supposed to tke sample random areas of a 10m x 10m square looking for 6 different types of plant. Fortunately we were shown the plants beforehand, although that didn't make things any easier. We then got to sit and have lunch on the Downs (the clouds had parted then so we were bathed in sunlight).
After lunch we returned to the coach for the journey to New Haven harbour, where we repeated the Geology and Ecology experiments again. The purpose of this is to show two different types of geology and the different types of plants that live on them. It's was a bit difficult to see the ecology in the field but the geology was blatantly obvious (guess the rock this time was a sandy coloured rock that when handled left you with sand in your hands).
We then got a short coach ride to the bottom of a very steep hill which we got to walk up to get to the top of the cliffs for the ecology part.
We then filed back down the hill and onto the coach for the trip back to the Uni where we get to analyse the data we gathered. Fortunately we get to go for tea first.
Having piled off the coach we all wearily stagger into Bramber House expecting to be met with heaving queues, but there weren't any to be seen. Instead we were treated to roast pork with apple sauce (very nice and definitely appreciated after a hard day out) followed by fruit sponge and custard (the fruit appeared to be a thin layer of jelly on the bottom of the sponge). Then just enough time to go back to the room for a bit before mooching down for some data analysis.
I think that data analysis was not quite the right title for the evening session. It started off with Arlene taking us through the geological history of this section of the UK, making reference to what we found today. Then Phil attempted to explain the Mann Whitney U Test to us, which thoroughly lost me shortly after the ranking part. I don't think I was the only one who was confused but I think that it was more the test itself than Phil's explanation.
I was going to go back to my room for a well-deserved lie down but across the corridor was an optional evening lecture I had briefly considered going to during teatime but was worried that I would be too tired. As I felt OK I asked the tutor, James (who is the spitting image of Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall) if it was OK to sit in. I don't know whether James was worried about attendance numbers (lack of) or just keen to talk but he welcomed me into a talk entitled "Molecular Recognition - Chemistry beyond the bond". I must admit I was a bit out of my depth with some of the chemistry but found the talk James gave on what his research group are doing at Waltham Hall very interesting. An hour later I was free to return to my room for some much needed sleep.
Tomorrow we look at what gamma rays do to wheat plants. My guess is nothing good...
SXR103 - Day 1
Well here I am having just finished day one of SXR103, the time is 9:40!!! It's been a long day.
The first hurdle was registration. Basically you join the end of a queue (sitting at least) and keep moving down the line until you get to the two people registration team. This took about 30 minutes, which wasn't too bad but I can't help feeling that another pair of registrars would have sped things along nicely.
After registering and parting with £5 for a week's parking. I wandered off in possession of a name badge (name to be added yourself, who shall I be???) a guide on what is going to happen for the rest of the day, a badly photocopied map of the campus (although the registration lady was nice enough to indicate where I was, where my room was and where I'd need to go at 4) and a pink card with my room details on. Next task, find the room.
A quick glance on the map showed a car park closer to my accommodation block so I relocated my vehicle and proceeded to get the key and lug my stuff to my room for the next week.
We also got to meet our Group Tutor, Brian, who will be with us for the week.
After a quick getting to know you group session with Brian it was time for tea (finally as I missed lunch). We all traipsed over to Bramber House to join a massive queue for food.
The first hurdle was registration. Basically you join the end of a queue (sitting at least) and keep moving down the line until you get to the two people registration team. This took about 30 minutes, which wasn't too bad but I can't help feeling that another pair of registrars would have sped things along nicely.
After registering and parting with £5 for a week's parking. I wandered off in possession of a name badge (name to be added yourself, who shall I be???) a guide on what is going to happen for the rest of the day, a badly photocopied map of the campus (although the registration lady was nice enough to indicate where I was, where my room was and where I'd need to go at 4) and a pink card with my room details on. Next task, find the room.
A quick glance on the map showed a car park closer to my accommodation block so I relocated my vehicle and proceeded to get the key and lug my stuff to my room for the next week.
The room was quite a surprise. An on-suite bathroom including a shower (im very relieved about that). A small desk, a nice bed and an opening window (it was a bit stuffy). Student accommodation has certainly changed since my days at Bath Uni.
A quick glance at the itinerary showed that we had a "Course Director's Welcome" at 4 so after exploring the room and unpacking I decided to fire up the laptop and see if I could get the Internet connection working. 10 minutes later, after numerous prompts from Windows 7 to allow scripts to run, I was online and surfing.
Then it was time to go to the "Welcome" lecture.
This consisted of various bits of information about safety and the services the OU offers onsite (careers guidance being one), as well as a quick look at the timetable for the rest of the week for the various colours.
Here is an outline of what ive got to look forward to for the rest of the week:
- Sunday Activity C - Investigating the Environment: Birling Gap and Newhaven west cliffs.
- Monday Activity D - The biological effects of gamma radiation.
- Tuesday Activity A - Rocks and radioactivity: energy in the earth.
- Wednesday Activity B - Analysing our environment.
- Thursday Activity E - Research Project: working as part of a team.
The rest of Saturday is spent as an introduction to Activity E.
This means that I've got to be up for 8 am on Sunday!!!
We also got to meet our Group Tutor, Brian, who will be with us for the week.
After a quick getting to know you group session with Brian it was time for tea (finally as I missed lunch). We all traipsed over to Bramber House to join a massive queue for food.
I was quite impressed with the selection on offer. It's not quite what I'd consider typical student food, a bit up-market for my tastes but I take a gamble on a chicken and rice dish which turned out to be quite nice. I followed that up with a small apple tart covered in custard which was also very nice.
Suitably fortified we traipsed back to the Friston Building to work on a mock poster as part of activity E. We also got a visit from the activity tutors for tomorrows jaunt to the seaside.
So that's day one. Tomorrow it's off to the beach for sunburn, dehydration, rocks and ecology. Not my favourite subjects but at least it's over and done with. Just go to have a quick read over the activity book for tomorrow and then it's off to bed.
Friday, 1 July 2011
New practical science courses - Update 2
Well its the 1st July and none of the SXC2xx courses are available for online registration. So I decided to call the Student Registration and Enquiry Service to see if I could register over the phone.
Apparently the information passed to them (and on to me) previously was incorrect. The new date for registration to open is 16th July.
Although this is a little frustrating it does mean that it is after ive attended SXR103. This is good as I have asked whether information will be available on these practical courses during the week in Brighton, which has been confirmed.
So 15 days til registration opens, and counting ...
Apparently the information passed to them (and on to me) previously was incorrect. The new date for registration to open is 16th July.
Although this is a little frustrating it does mean that it is after ive attended SXR103. This is good as I have asked whether information will be available on these practical courses during the week in Brighton, which has been confirmed.
So 15 days til registration opens, and counting ...
Thursday, 23 June 2011
New practical science courses - Updated
I contacted the OU yesterday via email enquiring about SXC288 Practical science: chemistry and analysis and received a reply today.
The OU say that registration opens on 1st July and that the fees have not yet been confirmed but that the website will be updated when they are.
I hope the fees are confirmed by the time registration is open or it will be a bit of a leap of fate to register without knowing how much you need to stump up.
I hope the next posting I do on this subject will be more definitive...
The OU say that registration opens on 1st July and that the fees have not yet been confirmed but that the website will be updated when they are.
I hope the fees are confirmed by the time registration is open or it will be a bit of a leap of fate to register without knowing how much you need to stump up.
I hope the next posting I do on this subject will be more definitive...
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
New practical science courses
The Open University appears to be retiring most if not all of its level 2 science summer schools, which I think is a shame. now it appears that they are going to offer alternatives.
I was interested in studying SXR205 Exploring the Molecular World which is the companion summer school for S205. However this was discontinued in May 2011.
Now the Open University have some new courses listed under the umbrella term Practical Science. They are
Practical environmental science (SXE288)
Practical science: biology and health (SXL288)
Practical science: chemistry and analysis (SXC288)
Practical science: Earth and environment (SXG288)
Practical science: physics and astronomy (SXP288)
All are scheduled for first presentation in February 2012, however at the time of writing there are no prices available.
I am especially interested in SXC288, which includes a 3 day residential school at Bristol University (down from 7 days for the previous summer school).
I have made the following notes:-
Overall I am keen to do this course. If I start S205 in October (as planned) then I can start this one in February and the end of course assessments shouldn't clash.
Im just waiting for the prices to be posted and online registration to be opened.
Practical science: biology and health (SXL288)
Practical science: chemistry and analysis (SXC288)
Practical science: Earth and environment (SXG288)
Practical science: physics and astronomy (SXP288)
I am especially interested in SXC288, which includes a 3 day residential school at Bristol University (down from 7 days for the previous summer school).
I have made the following notes:-
- SXC288 is worth 30 points whereas SXR205 was only worth 10.
- SXC288 runs from February to October, much like a traditional OU course.
- There are also online labs to do throughout the year, including a very exciting sounding week long data gathering exercise using a remote webcam!!
- The cost of the residential school is included in the cost of the course (whatever that may be) but accommodation is not.
- The residential school is optional
Overall I am keen to do this course. If I start S205 in October (as planned) then I can start this one in February and the end of course assessments shouldn't clash.
Im just waiting for the prices to be posted and online registration to be opened.
Monday, 20 June 2011
S205 - Signed up
After enjoying book 4 so much I decided to sign up for S205 The Molecular World, starting in October. I pretty much knew I was going to do this course (it's the next progression in chemistry) but I wanted to see if the OU were going to replace it and it's summer school next year. S205 is scheduled for retirement in 2013 but I didn't want to wait that long.
Unfortunately the associated summer school has already been retired, which is a real shame as I think they enhance the learning.
Unfortunately the associated summer school has already been retired, which is a real shame as I think they enhance the learning.
S104 Book 4
This book is titled The Right Chemistry and is the book I've been waiting for.
Finally some chemistry and a nice thick book of it.
The book starts off gently enough by considering the atom and progressing to the periodic table.
Next chemical formulae are briefly introduced before we consider metals and their reactivity.
The book then looks at chemical reactions, reaction rates and equilibrium.
Finally organic chemistry is introduced.
There is a practical experiment which involved measuring the pH of various household chemicals. It wasn't very exciting and a bit of a disappointment after the one for book 3 but you can't have everything.
I found I flew through this book, it was such a page turner (I kid you not) that I finished it three weeks before the scheduled completion date. This allowed me to make a start on the next book early as well as fit a holiday in.
Finally some chemistry and a nice thick book of it.
The book starts off gently enough by considering the atom and progressing to the periodic table.
Next chemical formulae are briefly introduced before we consider metals and their reactivity.
The book then looks at chemical reactions, reaction rates and equilibrium.
Finally organic chemistry is introduced.
There is a practical experiment which involved measuring the pH of various household chemicals. It wasn't very exciting and a bit of a disappointment after the one for book 3 but you can't have everything.
I found I flew through this book, it was such a page turner (I kid you not) that I finished it three weeks before the scheduled completion date. This allowed me to make a start on the next book early as well as fit a holiday in.
S104 Book 3
This book is called Energy and Light and as the title suggests it's a physics book.
The book starts by looking at energy in various guises. It introduces the concept of kinetic and potential energies and shows how they can be used.
Then it looks at internal energy, temperature and heat transfer.
The book then moves onto electrical energy, looking at connductors, insulators and electron volts.
We then consider the energy of the sun, nuclear fusion and how what light consists of.
Finally the book considers the wave-particle duality of light.
There is an associated experiment with this book. It involves calculating the wavelength and energy of light emitted by an energy-saving lightbulb using the diffraction grating from the home kit. I enjoyed this experiment, although it was a bit fiddly I was happy with my results.
I really enjoyed studying this book. It covers some fascinating topics in a very accessible way.
The book starts by looking at energy in various guises. It introduces the concept of kinetic and potential energies and shows how they can be used.
Then it looks at internal energy, temperature and heat transfer.
The book then moves onto electrical energy, looking at connductors, insulators and electron volts.
We then consider the energy of the sun, nuclear fusion and how what light consists of.
Finally the book considers the wave-particle duality of light.
There is an associated experiment with this book. It involves calculating the wavelength and energy of light emitted by an energy-saving lightbulb using the diffraction grating from the home kit. I enjoyed this experiment, although it was a bit fiddly I was happy with my results.
I really enjoyed studying this book. It covers some fascinating topics in a very accessible way.
S104 Book 2
This book is entitled Earth and Space. The first 10 chapters are about earthquakes, rocks and all things geological. The remaining 4 chapters cover the planets, the sun, the rest of the galaxy and finally Newtons laws of motion and gravity.
To me these two areas (geology and physics) make very strange bed fellows. I could not get into the geology part of the book at all and struggled to be interested. The physics portions I found much more interesting and found I wanted to know more. I think that some of the later books cover this a bit more.
This is the first time you get to use the practical kit, in this case looking at rock samples using a hand lens, which was interesting for a while.
Overall I didn't enjoy the geology but i'm looking forward to more physics.
To me these two areas (geology and physics) make very strange bed fellows. I could not get into the geology part of the book at all and struggled to be interested. The physics portions I found much more interesting and found I wanted to know more. I think that some of the later books cover this a bit more.
This is the first time you get to use the practical kit, in this case looking at rock samples using a hand lens, which was interesting for a while.
Overall I didn't enjoy the geology but i'm looking forward to more physics.
S104 Book 1
Book 1 is entitled Global Warming and serves as a gentle introduction to science. Several topics are coved including both the water and carbon cycles as well as precipitation rates and surface temperature.
The highlight of this book for me was the rain gauge experiment. Here we are asked to implement 2 rain gauges, one with a funnel the other without, from household materials and then measure the daily rainfall over a two week period. I spent a long time working out what I would use as my gauges. The obvious choice was to use soft drinks bottles, however as we were asked to measure the depth of the rain collected (rather than the volume) and the bottom of these bottles is not flat I had to work out a method of flattening them. I eventually settled on pouring self-levelling floor compound (it's like mortar used by builders but very runny) and then sealing it with waterproof carpenters glue. This worked a treat especially when I attached a printed depth gauge to each one.
In all a very interesting start to the course and a book I enjoyed reading.
The highlight of this book for me was the rain gauge experiment. Here we are asked to implement 2 rain gauges, one with a funnel the other without, from household materials and then measure the daily rainfall over a two week period. I spent a long time working out what I would use as my gauges. The obvious choice was to use soft drinks bottles, however as we were asked to measure the depth of the rain collected (rather than the volume) and the bottom of these bottles is not flat I had to work out a method of flattening them. I eventually settled on pouring self-levelling floor compound (it's like mortar used by builders but very runny) and then sealing it with waterproof carpenters glue. This worked a treat especially when I attached a printed depth gauge to each one.
In all a very interesting start to the course and a book I enjoyed reading.
Friday, 3 June 2011
Nearly 6 months since my last post !!!
Wow, ive been very lax in my postings since the beginning of the year.
Life has been hectic over the last 6 months but I have promised myself I will start regular postings as soon as I can.
Here is a brief update.
Im still enjoying S104, just starting Book 5 which is all about biology. i intend to post mini reviews of books 1 - 4 in the next couple of weeks.
Im off to Brighton next month for SXR103, which i'm really looking forward to. Ive got some prep work to go through beforehand which I will post about.
Im in the process of picking my next course (most likely S205 The Molecular World). More on this soon.
Life has been hectic over the last 6 months but I have promised myself I will start regular postings as soon as I can.
Here is a brief update.
Im still enjoying S104, just starting Book 5 which is all about biology. i intend to post mini reviews of books 1 - 4 in the next couple of weeks.
Im off to Brighton next month for SXR103, which i'm really looking forward to. Ive got some prep work to go through beforehand which I will post about.
Im in the process of picking my next course (most likely S205 The Molecular World). More on this soon.
Thursday, 6 January 2011
SXR103 - Signed up
Ive signed up for SXR103 Practicing Science.
This is the summer school associated with S104 and provides (what I think, anyway) is the necessary practical work backing up a science course.
When I studied Chemistry we had a compulsory day in the lab (it happened to be Monday) each week. This meant that by the end of the academic year we had 140 hours (7 hours a day for 20 weeks) of lab experience under our belts.
I'm really looking forward to this, especially after reading the student reviews on the OU website and this account:- OU Know: Off to residential school.
This is the summer school associated with S104 and provides (what I think, anyway) is the necessary practical work backing up a science course.
When I studied Chemistry we had a compulsory day in the lab (it happened to be Monday) each week. This meant that by the end of the academic year we had 140 hours (7 hours a day for 20 weeks) of lab experience under our belts.
I'm really looking forward to this, especially after reading the student reviews on the OU website and this account:- OU Know: Off to residential school.
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