In an effort to strengthen science education in the country, an inter-institutional collaborative project, ‘Enrichment of Resource Material for Science Education,’ was recently launched in the Capital. The project attempts to reconceptualise science resource material and focus on the potential and scope of ‘science kits’ to popularize the subject. These low cost portable science kits vary depending on level, theme or even needs.

The project has been jointly undertaken by the National Council of Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC), Ministry of Science and Technology; Unesco, Central Institute of Education (CIE), Delhi University; and Society for Education and Social Development (SESD). The project also has an active involvement of experts from the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) Mumbai, Delhi University Centre for Science Education and Communication, Institute for Life Long Learning (ILLL) Delhi University, Jamia Milia Islamia University, colleges of Delhi University, IP University, Ignou, DIETS, schools of Delhi, among others.

While announcing the launch of the project, Warren Mellor, director, Unesco, said that the outcomes of the project would have an impact not only at a national level but in other countries as well. On teacher education, Mohd Akhtar Siddiqui, chairperson, National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), emphasized that it’s the teachers who make all the difference in making a subject interesting and not textbooks or curriculum, hence, they need to be empowered. “This project would validate the science resources and also popularize them across the country,” he added.

The focus of the project would be to pedagogically evaluate the sampled science kits from sources like department of science and technology (DST), HBCSE, NCERT and to enrich them further. The kits would be accompanied by manuals/handbooks and ICT backup so that it can be further disseminated. These packages would be tried out with teacher educators, teachers and students in schools of Delhi, to begin with, and also with community based organizations.

Elaborating further, US Sharma, general secretary, Society for Education and Social Development, said: “The project will be completed in two phases and we also plan to take it to an international level.”

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Jobs in the science industry are becoming the fastest growing in our lifetime. Technological advances in many fields are leading to new types of science and therefore new fields of study. A career in the field of science does require an education, most often a four year degree but two year degrees can begin your career and let you advance in your studies as you go along in your career. These are some jobs in the better known fields of science that you may find of interest:

Biology – One of the fastest growing fields in the science industry is the field of biology, which is growing by leaps and bounds as technology and the current laws in the United States change. For a job in biology you will need to have a field of study chosen and then choose a good 2 or 4 year college with a good plan of study. Biology encompasses many fields such as the medical field, animal studies as well as field research and academia. Biotechnology is a growing field that expects greater growth in the coming decades. According to a 2003 study biologists with less than one year experience had a starting salary of approximately $33,000, while those with more experience and who are in the fields of life sciences have a starting salary closer to $60,000. A job in the field of Biology is a job that you can enjoy for the various aspects of study.

Chemistry – Jobs in the chemistry field also vary by specialty such as chemical engineering, biochemistry and even teaching at high school level and on a college level. Chemistry is a four year degree with heavy study loads but they have a rewarding future. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, in July of 2007 the starting salary for graduates with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry was on average $41,500 a year and those in the highest end of the degree field were being paid just over $100,000.

Forensic Sciences – Due to the popularity of the various crime dramas on TV these days the field of forensic sciences has exploded. This field actually encompasses many sub fields of science such as chemistry, biology, and even anthropology. Jobs in forensic sciences have actually made the science industry cool again, as NASA once did in the late 60’s and early 70’s with the trips to the moon. Ideally you will have had a good deal of chemistry and biology in high school , this will help in your four year degree in whatever job you have chosen. Also, a real love of science and technology is a plus. The starting salary for someone on the forensic science field varies due to many factors but a 4 year degree holder can expect to start out at $30,000 and analysts with many years of experience can reach as high as $70,000.

Aeronautics and Space – With the Space Agency set to begin trips to Mars soon, this is one job that will have many openings in so many different areas. Space studies is a relative new comer to the science industry really only having been around since the 1950’s but it is a fast growing field that actually houses all the various forms of scientific study as well as the specific study of flight. Careers within this field can have starting salaries of no less than $57,000 for a person with under one year experience all the way to $108,000 for those who have more than 20 years experience

The Korea Science and Technology together with the Korea University has made a research that uncovered the effects of the nano-particles in killing bacteria and germs. However, their research showed that the nano-silver particles have microbe particles that are known to damage plants and animal cells that have been exposed to these particles.

Right after the research done, an alarm was raised to many washer companies and one of them was the Samsung Electronics which has been very active in their promotion of the Silver Nano Health System in washers and their air conditioners.

Gu Man-bok, professor in the bioscience department of Korea University stated that their evaluation of the effects of the silver nano-particles on different organisms as well as the environment is now on going. They further stated that the experiments the department has been doing on rice fishes have shown that the toxic on these organisms has been high in concentration.

Gu further stated that his laboratory has joined hand in hand with the Ministry of Environment to do a research about the silver nano-particles effect on different forms of life and this was considered as a delayed effort due to the fact that many consumers have already purchased washers with this technology and they have already been exposed to these kinds of products. Silver-nano cutlery, electronics, clothes, toys, baby bottles and the face masks are also now being sold in the market.

In lieu of these researches, the government of USA is planning to ban the selling of these products starting next year of evidence of safety is not provided. However, the government of South Korea stated that it was not in their plans to regulate such products.

According to Yoon Jun-won, a researcher of National Institute of Environmental Research said that it is too early to decide whether they are going to regulate certain products or not because as of this time, there aren’t proven bad effects that are coming from these products.

For long, silver has been known to have the antiseptic effect and because of this, many Greeks in the olden days had used silver vessels for drinking water storage. Koreans have also chosen silver to make their chopsticks.

Because of this fact about silver, the modern technology has also maximized the used of silver as antibiotic. Through small particles with bigger surface areas, the particles can react with other materials more actively that is why many companies have taken advantage of the use of sliver particles that measure one nanometer.

In order to know the effects of the size of particles in sterilizing, Gu together with his colleagues has used a bacterium which was genetically modified to alter the damage that was incurred. Amazingly, it was out that super-oxide radical commonly described as deleterious molecules were produced by silver nano-particles and these radicals were not produced from normal silver ions.

LG Electronics as well as Samsung created washers with the silver-nano particles technology because of its power to kill bacteria. In fact, silver nano particles really kill bacteria, however; many scientists are still not certain of the safety it gives to humans. Hwang Ee-taek said that the research field is still in the elementary stage.

Another author who was also a part of the research said that many researchers are starting to become careful and aware of the results of the silver-nano particles to humans simply because of the worries that companies concerned may give them. Accordingly, this issue is such a sensitive one especially for big companies like Samsung.

An academic journal named Small published this research in March.

Timonty has a special interest in the field of washing machine technology. Visit his site http://www.washingmachineadvisor.com for more reviews on washing machine and washer buying tips.