The Birmingham Institute for Forest Research (BIFoR) is home to the BIFoR FACE facility, one of the world's largest climate change experiments where 150 parts per million extra of carbon dioxide is added to areas of the oak forest, to predict the impact on the ecosystem 50 years into the future.

BIFoR has...

This Catalyst article describes how, as two tectonic plates separate, wide fissures appear in the ground in northern Ethiopia. Eventually a new ocean will form in the area affected. The Earth’s surface is not stable or permanent. The tectonic plates that form our planet’s outer crust are constantly moving around,...

This Catalyst article looks at orchids, their breeding, and why they have great commercial value. The family of Orchidaceae is one of the largest plant families, with about 900 genera and 25,000 species. Orchids are amongst the oldest flowering plants. After a long evolution, they have developed a very intimate...

Produced by Twig, this animated video is a clear and accessible explanation of how the Solar System fromed. The video describes how:

* the solar system grew from a ball of gas which formed the Sun

* gravity caused heavy material to cluster together and eventually form planets

* the inner...

Black holes provide an important tool for testing the fundamental laws of the universe. This resource from the Institute of Physics, looks at the extreme physics associated with black holes, how we can spot them, and what roles they may play in galaxy formation.

This guide looks at stellar black holes and...

This resource introduces the Black Sea Maritime Archaeology Project (@BlackSeaMAP), a three-year...

This article explores the relationship between black holes and gravitational waves.

Catalyst is a science magazine for students aged 14-19 years. Find out more about Catalyst magazine: www.stem.org.uk/catalyst

This resource includes data on blackbirds caught and ringed in a single garden in the UK across a period of several years. It includes interesting background information on the migratory habits of these birds, and the characteristics of European and ‘British’ resident birds.

The data, which is a rich source...

This Catalyst article explains how chemists build molecular 'traps' to mimic the surface of a cell. To scientists, sugar is much more than a food; sugar molecules can also form polymers which act as ‘molecular bar codes’ to help cells recognise each other. The article describes how chemists made a synthetic...

Purpose: Observing changes over time can result in the collection of a lot of data. One method of keeping a central record for the class is to set up a blog or a wiki for the duration of the investigation where photographs, measurements, results tables and graphs can be collated. Using a digital record rather than...

A Catalyst article about fainting and how it can be the result of a sudden drop in blood pressure, which is often part of a shock reaction. Maintaining blood pressure is an important part of keeping the human body in balance. This article examines hypertension, living with high blood pressure, and the relationship...

This resource, from Siemens UK, looks at the use of wind farms to provide sustainable energy for a range of communities in a variety of settings. The selection of a New Zealand context is significant as Maori communities see themselves as being responsible for effective stewardship of the land for future...

In this activity, from the Institution of Engineering and technology (IET), students investigate a use of electronic systems to improve health care.

They study a case where a Body Centric Antenna (BCA) increases the...