The British scientist Augustus Matthiessen (1831-1870) is widely known for his investigations on the influence of temperature on the electric conductivity of metals and alloys. However, his contributions to other areas of science throughout his career are not widely acknowledged. His research on the electrolytic decomposition of metallic salts…

Ask someone to name a female scientist and they will inevitably say Marie Curie. They would be very unlikely to be able to name a second. Does this mean there have been no women achieving greatness in science in the past century? In fact, there have been many and not only have they achieved great things, they have had to overcome considerable…

The achievements of Michael Faraday in the fields of electricity and electrochemistry have led some to describe him as the greatest experimental scientist in history. Charles Dickens was the creative genius behind some of the most memorable characters in literature. In this article, we share an historical account of how the collaboration of these…

Accidental discoveries have been of significant value in the progress of science. Although accidental discoveries are more common in pharmacology and chemistry, other branches of science have also benefited from such discoveries. While most discoveries are the result of persistent research, famous accidental discoveries provide a fascinating…

The author shares her personal view about when it is useful for children to record their work in science, what helps their learning, and what switches them off, describing some fairly common scenarios. In her role as an Ofsted inspector, the author is privileged to observe, talk to, and learn from dedicated, inspirational, and gifted teachers who…