discoveringscience - cleup.it · we’re sure you’ve heard about sherlock holmes, and his famous...

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Make your own

Non-Newtonian

fluid!

Microscopes andcrystals to admirein Padua!

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13 DISCOVERINGSCIENCE

www.planck-magazine.it

Numero 0_GP_ING_130725_Planck 26/07/2013 12:33 Pagina 1

Welcome to PLaNCK!

Editorial BoardEditor-in-chief: Andrea FrisonManaging editor: Marta CarliProject coordinator: Agnese SonatoWriters: Marta Carli, Agnese SonatoEnglish version: Anna PiuttiProofreaders: Petra Spataro, Andrea FrisonComic strip: Bianca Maria Scotton (Graphics)Maurizio Marinaro, Gianluca Pozza (Writers)Graphic project: Stefano PozzaPhotography: Agnese SonatoWebsite: Maurizio Marinaro (ComIn!Solutions)

Scientific CommitteeDepartment of Physics and AstronomyProf. Alberto CarneraDr. Stefano CiroiProf. Ornella PantanoDr. Cinzia Sada

Department of Chemical SciencesDr. Massimo BellandaDr. Laura OrianDr. Giacomo SaielliDr. Elisabetta Schievano

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

I live in France, but oftenreturn to Italy with my 6-year-old daughter. In Orly Airport,we squabble: she wants to buyplasticky serial magazines fullof absurd and shiny fairypictures. This frustrates me. Itry pointing her towardcollective publications ofchildren’s book illustrators,“d’arts and d’essay”. I havemy reasons. She has her own.

We finally reach a compromise. InFrance, newsagents sell science magazines for any agegroup. One can always find at least a couple of them onmagazine stands… even in airports! These publicationsare interesting, captivating, and well made: they makeme happy (I don’t want to frustrate my daughter withregard to her reading choices, but I also need to be agood parent), and they make her happy (she doesn’twant to put up with anything stodgy, but she also wantsto be a good daughter). It is not by chance that, eachtime we are in London, we are always on the same mindwhen it comes to choosing our trip’s itinerary: we visitthe Natural History Museum, and the Science Museumin Kensington Road. According to visitor researchreports, one of the main reasons why people visitscience museums is a wish to strengthen familyrelationships. Science can build social bridgesconnecting people from different generations. Webecame aware of this fact when we launched the project:“Raccontami le tue tecnologie” by the association LesAtomes Chrocus, in Paris, where preadolescents andelderly people gather together and tell each otherstories about their relationship with technologicalobjects. In this context, science and technology serve asan opportunity for people to talk to each other. This isobviously an educational experience, but it’s reallymostly about talking, sharing curiosity about the world,and discovering that everyone has different opinions…

that knowledge lies within other people. Such values areclearly known to science, but this is not always the casewhen it comes to science communication.

When my daughter and I are in Linate Airport, waitingto board a plane to Paris, we don’t find the magazinesavailable in France. Sure, there is a science section inmagazines such as “Giulio Coniglio”, or the “junior”versions of publications targeted to adults, but there ishardly anything targeted toward other age groups. Theoffer in this department is lacking.

This is why PLaNCK! is a wonderful idea. A magazinefor kids must encourage adults to sit down with theirchildren, to browse it and explore it with them. A sciencemagazine must awaken critical thinking, and the wish toexclaim either, “Wonderful!” or, “Heck! I don’t agree withthis!”. PLaNCK! appears to be well structured in order toallow such needs to converge.

When issue number ‘zero’ sees the light, I will be verycurious, and eager to read reports of some of theconversations (within families, in classrooms, or betweenchildren) elicited by this magazine and its contents. Therichness of these conversations will allow us to evaluatethe outcome of such a beautiful endeavour.

Matteo MerzagoraMATTEO MERZAGORA implements — and reflectson — Science Communication, along with therelationship between science and society. He is ajournalist, an exhibition content developer, a teacher,and a cultural entertainer. He is also a consultant formuseums and scientific institutions. Mr Merzagorabegan his career hosting the radio programme 'IlCiclotrone' (Radio Popolare di Milano), and later on, 'LeOche di Lorentz' (RAI- RADIO 3). He has also takenpart in the project to build 'MUSE: Museo dell Scienzedel Trentino'. He co-directs the association TRACES(Paris), which coordinates the activities of Espace dessciences Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, and works as aconsultant for the science museums 'Palais de laDécouverte', and 'Cité de Sciences et de l'Industrie'.


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Curiosity and marvel: thewonderful world of science!

Our grandparents used toread a comic that always beganwith this sentence: “Quicomincia l’avventura del SignorBonaventura”. An adventure isabout to start here, too… It isPLaNCK!’s adventure! PLaNCK!is a new magazine aboutscience and its marvels.

Very well, then: let’s startthis journey to becomescientists… but, where do westart?

It’s easy: we start by beingcurious about the world aroundus. We don’t need to go veryfar from our homes. Indeed,red cabbage can be used tostudy the properties ofsubstances! What’s more, bymixing water and cornstarch,you can make a fluid that canact like a solid! Did you knowthat? In this issue of PLaNCK!,you will discover how all of thisworks.

As you continue your journey,you will discover that there arespecial places where sciencehas a leading role. Many ofthese places are in Padua,where there’s a very ancientand important University.There are researchlaboratories full of people whostudy and work with the thingsthey are curious andpassionate about. One canadmire very ancient and rarescientific devices in theMuseum of the History ofPhysics. Finally, you willdiscover the fascinating worldof crystals, thanks to a veryoriginal exhibition. Shall webegin?

EDITORIALTABLE OFCONTENTS

In this issue...

Nice to meet you, I’m a scientist!A fly as big as a hen“How can you be so beautiful?”

040809

Let’s put our skills to the test

GamesExperiments

0710

Comic

The adventures of Marie and Max05

3www.planck-magazine.it - [email protected]

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PLaNCK! is a project by Accatagliato associationvia S. Sofia 5 - 35121 Padovaaccatagliatoassociazione.wordpress.comaccatagliato.info@gmail.com

In collaboration with, and supported by the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Department of Chemical Sciences University of Padua

Printing press and editorCLEUP sc “Coop. Libraria Editrice Università di Padova” via Belzoni 118/3 - 35121 Padovatel. 049 8753496www.cleup.itwww.facebook.com/cleupISBN 978 88 6787 090 5

© by Accatagliato All Rights Reserved

PLaNCK! is made in collaboration with,

and is supported by the

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND

ASTRONOMY

and the

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL SCIENCES

OF THE UNIVERSITY OF PADUA

On the cover: La Specola, Padua’s ancient astronomic

observatory


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NICE TO MEET YOU,I’M A SCIENTIST!Researchers from the University of Padua

invite you to their laboratories. Is it

magic? No, it’s Chemistry!

We’re sure you’ve heard about SherlockHolmes, and his famous exclamation:“Elementary, my dear Watson!”. Did you knowthat the first encounter between the famousdetective and his trusted assistant happenedin a Chemistry laboratory? Indeed, in thenovel, “A Study in Scarlet”, Holmes enters thescene holding a test tube. Then, he tellsWatson that he has discovered a way toreveal blood traces.

Chemistry isn’t only useful in a crime scenescenario. Thanks to Chemistry – for instance– we can start the engine of a car. We can alsobuild very light yet very resistant materials,and make dietary supplements! You will beable to see and experience all this on 21September, when researchers from theDepartment of Chemical Sciences will opentheir laboratories to the public.

The proposed experiments are sofascinating that, at first glance, they looklike… magic! However, as Joe Schwarcz wouldsay, “Magic only exists when explanations donot. When explanations are provided, magictransforms into science”. That’s why this eventis called, It’s not magic, it’s Chemistry, or“NEMEC”. This event has taken place everyyear for six years. You can’t miss it! Last year,it was attended by 1500 children, along withmany older kids and students!

Contacts

www.chimica.unipd.it/chimica-non-magia

[email protected]

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Marie, Max, and the special toothpaste

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LET’S PLAY!CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Solve this puzzle by finding the answers to the cues. To figure out the solution, write the colouredletters in the corresponding coloured slots in the space provided.

Across.2. They shine in the sky at night6. We drink it when we’re thirsty7. It’s used to cool down beverages in

summer9. The period between sunset and

sunrise11. It appears in the sky when it’s rainy

and sunny at the same time

12. One of the smallest particles that composeall substances and objects.

13. The young male character of PLaNCK!’s comicstrip

14. Large prehistoric animal15. A frequently used expression of approval16. The young female character of PLaNCK!’s

comic strip

Solution:

Down.1. We can’t see anything

when it’s switched off3. We use it to erase

marks made by pencils4. Two identical brothers

or sisters5. If you inflate it

excessively, it explodes8. A public place where we

go to watch fims and cartoons10. A device used to

observe stars and planets atnight

12. January is the first______ of the year

14. It’s in our cells

Name a famous German physicistwho lived between 1858 and 1947

Solution

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A FLY AS BIG AS A HENFEATURE

Discovering the microscope!

WHO INVENTED IT?

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) wasthe first person to write about theexistence of the microscope.However, Galileo never used it forhis research. Indeed, he used thetelescope, which had been built inHolland a few years earlier.Scientists were starting to realisethat it was possible to look atreally small objects - magnified bymicroscopes - or observe verydistant objects - magnified bytelescopes.

THE OPPOSITE OF ATELESCOPE!

A telescope allows one to see distantobjects. Conversely, a microscope doesjust the opposite: it allows one to have areally close look at really small objects.

Inside a tube there are three lenses: anobjective lens, a field lens, and an ocularlens.

ONCE UPON A TIME…Giovanni Poleni was a Venetian marquis who

lived between 1600 and 1700. He taught“experimental Philosophy”, the ancient name ofwhat we now call “Physics”. Poleni purchasedscientific instruments, which he used during hislectures. He had about 400 instruments, and oneof the most beautiful collections in Europe! Today,the museum’s collection consists of about 1000instruments. Roughly one hundred of themoriginally belonged to Giovanni Poleni.

NOT ONLY PHYSICS!Physics, as we know it today, has always been

related to art, philosophy, architecture, etc.People who built scientific devices also madeobjects that weren’t related to physics (e.g. abridge model). You can see some of these objectsin the Museum of the History of Physics.

Contactshttp://www.unipd.it/musei/fisica/http://divulgazione.fisica.unipd.it/

A TRIP TO THE MUSEUM OF THE HISTORY OF PHYSICS

SMALL INSECT

OBJECTIVE LENSE: itmagnifies the small insect.

FIELD LENS

INTERMEDIATE IMAGE

OCULAR LENS: you look into this lens.

Written in collaboration with Fanny Marcon, researcher at the Museum of the History of Physics, PaduaMicroscope bearing the inscription: "Eustachio Divini in Roma, 1672". Museum of the History of Physics - Padua

Microscope signed “Eustachio Divini in Roma

1672. Padua, Museum of the History of Physics.Mi

THE NAME ‘MICROSCOPE’

Johannes Faber invented the name

“microscope”. Galileo used to call it

“occhialino”, “cannoncino”, “perspicillo”,

and “occhiale”. The name MICROSCOPE

means, “to look at small things”.

CT

A RARE PIECE!

The microscope preserved in the

Museum of the History of Physics is a

unique piece. It is the only preserved

microscope built by Eustachio Divini -

a famous telescope and microscope-

builder.Book a visit to theMuseum for yourPrimary School(bookings open inSeptember)!


“HOW CAN YOU BE SO BEAUTIFUL?”

“See, I am a flower, and a creature of nature. This is why I am perfectly symmetrical…” “I

don’t understand”, answered the Little Prince […]. “Let me explain”, the flower said,

haughtily. “There is so much symmetry in nature.”

The passage above could be a good starting point to introduce the exhibition ‘Crystals!’,

which has recently opened in Padua. Professor Gilberto Artioli, a crystallographer who’s

curated this exhibition, tells us a few interesting secrets.

SYMMETRIES

Observe the picture in the background:

it shows a ‘pattern’ that repeats itself

when the picture is translated or rotated.

These transformations are called

‘symmetries’. The atoms in crystals form

arrangements, creating figures that are

repeated in a very regular way.

WONDERFUL SHAPES AND COLOURS

It is thanks to symmetries that crystalshave such amazing shapes, and can be cutto create the most precious gems. Thewonderful colours of crystals, on the otherhand, depend on the way they absorb andreflect light.

HOW ARE CRYSTALSSTUDIED?

X-rays are used to study thestructure of crystals. X-rays are aspecial type of “light”, and they arethe same rays used for takingradiographs. When we observe theway light reflects off, or passesthrough a crystal, we understand howits atoms are arranged. This science iscalled ‘crystallography’, and it is alsoused to study molecules like proteins.

WHAT CRYSTALS TELL US

Crystals are… a gold mine of information!They are all around us. Crystals teach us alot about various materials, our planet, andliving organisms. For instance, the crystalsfound in meteorites have a lot to tell usabout the history of our Solar System.

THE EXHIBITION

Visit the exhibition "Cristalli!"at Padua's Botanical Gardenfrom October 2013 to February2014! There, you can also buildcrystals using LEGO bricks!http://www.musei.unipd.it/eventi.html

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A crystal under the microscope


LIQUID ORLIQUID OR......SOLID?

SOLID?

Difficulty LevelDifficulty LevelEXPERIMENTS

WHAT YOU NEEDWHAT YOU NEEDCorn or potato flourWaterA plastic glassTeaspoons

HERE’S WHAT HAPPENSHERE’S WHAT HAPPENS

The fluid you have just made is very different from thefluids we are used to!Think about water: if you try to apply pressure to it, or ifyou pour it from a glass into another, it remains liquid.The fluid you have made, on the other hand, becomes solidif you either press on it, or try to pour it from a glass. Thisfluid returns to its liquid state as soon as you stopcompressing it or trying to pour it.Fluids such as water are called Newtonian fluids. The fluidyou have made is called a non-Newtonian fluid.

When you pour Non-Newtonian Fluid into a container, it will flowdown with much difficulty.

However, it will return to its liquid state as soon as it touches thebottom of the container!

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w

Take some of this fluid and use

it as if it were modelling paste.

Roll it between the palms of your

hands to make a ball. As you

apply more pressure, the fluid

will feel as it if were becoming

solid. However, this substance will

return to its liquid state as soon

as you stop manipulating it!

INSTRUCTIONSINSTRUCTIONS

1 Put 10 teaspoons of corn flour in the plastic glass,then slowly add 5 teaspoons of water.

2 Slowly stir everything together until you obtain awhite liquid substance.

3 Now… let’s experiment with this fluid!


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THE PAPER STRIP THAT

THE PAPER STRIP THATCHANGES COLOUR

CHANGES COLOUR

Difficulty LevelDifficulty Level

WHAT YOU NEEDWHAT YOU NEED

Red cabbageA sheet of white

cardboardLemonBaking sodaWater

Three glassesA knifeA cooking pot A bowlA hairdryerBlunt scissorsA teaspoon

LEMONLEMON WATERWATER BAKINGBAKINGLitmuspaper: this substance is…

AcidicAcidic

BasicBasic

NeutralNeutral

WHAT’S HAPPENED, THEN?WHAT’S HAPPENED, THEN?

The cardboard strips soaked with red cabbage juicehave changed colour according to the substances inwhich you have dipped them. This means that thesubstances used in this experiment have differentproperties. More specifically, lemon juice is acidic,baking soda is basic, and water is neutral. There aresubstances - called indicators - which change colourwhen they come in contact with acids and bases, andare used to help us distinguish between the two. Redcabbage juice is an indicator! Indeed, the cardboardstrips soaked with cabbage juice turn reddish whenthey come in contact with lemon juice. When dipped inwater, they don't change colour. When dipped inbaking soda, they turn green.Scientists use a paper strip similar to the one youhave used. It's called "litmus paper" because it issoaked with an indicator called litmus.

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The cardboardstrip you havedipped into the

lemon juiceturns reddish…

…The one youhave dipped

into the waterdoesn’t change

colour…

…and the one youhave dipped intothe water mixedwith baking soda

turns green!

INSTRUCTIONSINSTRUCTIONS

1 Cut a piece of red cabbage, put it in a potfilled with water, and let it boil for 30

minutes.

2 30 minutes later, the water in the pot willbe dark blue-purple. Pour this ‘juice’ you

have obtained into a bowl.

3 Cut a sheet of cardboard into strips and dipthem into the cabbage juice. Let them soak

for 30 minutes. Then, dry the cardboard stripsusing a hairdryer.

4 Take three glasses. Pour lemon juice intothe first glass, and water into the second

glass. The third glass must be half-filled withwater. Add 2 teaspoons of baking soda to thethird glass, and stir.

5 Now, dip your cardboard strips into thethree glasses!

2 3

DID YOU KNOW…

Even tea can act like

an indicator: when you

add lemon (acidic) to

it, your tea becomes

lighter in colour! Had

you ever noticed this?

WARNING:Ask an adult to help youwith this experiment.


LUCE?


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