Hallo Hipsters
Ready for your quarterly chocolate fix? You deserve it! Easter is here and you’re probably breathing a sigh of relief because March was manic. It’s the no-excuse month of the year. You can’t pull an “I-am-just-getting-settled-in” attitude anymore. Classes are in full swing, sports teams have been chosen and the homework is rolling in – big time! Luckily this weekend you can swap your mountain of homework with a mountain of chocolate. We’ve got some mind-boggling features, zany experiments and crazy inventions to keep you busy between the mouthfuls…
Hot Topic: Bullet-proof birds and sharkskin swimsuits
Did you know pheasants are bullet-proof? Apparently the bird will occasionally escape a shotgun bullet to the chest unharmed. Scientists are now studying the properties of the feather protein keratin and its potential use in high velocity impact protection, such as bullet-proof vests.
Talking of bio-inspired inventions, the sharkskin swimsuit was worn by 28 of the 33 gold medal winners at the 2000 Sydney Olympics! The suit is designed to channel water over the body, reducing drag in the same way that a shark’s skin does.
This ‘abstraction of good design from nature’ is called biomimicry or bionics. Visit the HIP2B² site to learn more about how engineers are designing a self-healing space craft by looking at the process of blood clotting…
Making headlines: Want to live forever?
We’re not talking Dracula here. Honestly, who’d want to live forever with that pasty complexion and oily hair?! No, this method is much ‘cooler’… It’s called cryonics (as in ‘cryogenically frozen’ à la Austin Powers) and it aims to give people two lives by storing their posthumous bodies in vats filled with liquid nitrogen at bone-chilling temperatures of minus 160 degrees Celsius - all for the bargain price of R800,000!
Visit the Alcor Life Extension Foundation to learn more (But heed the warning: This is seriously freaky stuff!)
About town: Making Science Unlimited Week even hipper
We’ve just got back... What an awesome opportunity to meet with learners from lots of different schools, from as far afield as Zimbabwe, Limpopo and Mpumalanga. We had loads of competition giveaways and a much anticipated ‘Are you smarter than a 5th grade teacher?’ challenge. Perhaps not surprisingly, the learners creamed the teachers with the science questions... Check out the pictures – you might just know somebody famous. And if you want to know when we’ll next be travelling to your area for an event, sign up to our newsletter…
The (Don’t) Do This At Home Experiments: How to make your own pinhole camera
This is a great experiment for all of you who like taking photos but don’t have your own digital camera. Bet you didn’t know you can make your own camera by using a cardboard box, black paint, a pin, greaseproof paper and black electrical paint! Sounds too good to be true? Visit this site and start getting snap happy…
Hip Stuff: Oh! The horror…
Two-headed dogs, reversing death and being tricked into thinking you’re going to die in a few minutes… Sounds like a horrible nightmare? It isn’t. These are just a few examples of the weirdest experiments ever conducted. Wonder what the outcome was?
You’ll have to visit the HIP2B² website for answers.
This month the TV team are going to jump out of an aeroplane, scale Everest (and then mountain bike down it), dissect an eye, do a triple back flip followed by four somersaults, ride a hot air balloon and then wind down with a kite surfing session…
Keen to join in the fun? Here’s the TV schedule so you can start planning.
Survival 101 isn’t just about staying alive on a desert island. The Survivor Issue of the HIP2B² mag takes a look at how to survive being bullied, getting dumped and just plain peer pressure. So hurry and get your copy.
That’s it for now. Keep your eyes on all things HIP2B² and remember to keep us posted on your ideas and inspirations at talk2us@hip2b2.com – we’re all ears!
Nina
The HIP2B² team