Atmosphere ezine: Dolphin Watching Expands in Shannon Estuary

Science.ie · 04-02-2002 12:42pm #1

A t m o s p h e r e
Science for a Successful Ireland
http://www.science.ie

Issue 6 - January 2002

THIS MONTH:
1)...News - "Mathematician of Promise" wins Young Scientist Award
2)...Irish Scientist - Originator of the Beaufort Scale
3)...Events - Today FM's The Last Word on Science Competition

A t m o s p h e r e is the free monthly Science, Technology and
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1)...N E W S A N D I N F O

>>>"MATHEMATICIAN OF PROMISE" WINS ESAT YOUNG SCIENTIST AWARD
The largest Esat Young Scientist Exhibition to date took place
this year on 11 January at the RDS Dublin. Over 1400 students
participated and there were a total of 430 projects on display.
http://www.science.ie/news_info/index_articles.html

>>>DOLPHIN WATCHING CONTINUES TO EXPAND IN THE SHANNON ESTUARY
During 2001, despite being a poor year for tourism, there was an
18% increase in the number of dolphin-watching trips. An estimated
15,000 people went dolphin-watching, an increase of 25% on 2000.
http://www.science.ie/news_info/index_articles.html

>>>NAPD SURVEY OF SCIENCE IN SCHOOLS
The state of schools' science laboratories and the nature of
practical work in Physics and Chemistry may have a part to play
in the decline of the uptake of these subjects.
http://www.science.ie/news_info/index_articles.html

>>>20% INCREASE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EXPENDITURE
State expenditure on Science and Technology Research and
Development for the year 2000 came to euro 1.4bn, signifying a
20.5% increase on the previous years total. For more information
see the article dated 5 December 2001 on the following page:
http://www.forfas.ie/news.html

>>>INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF SCIENCE FOUNDATION IRELAND
The Board of SFI, the State science agency responsible for
administering the Technology Foresight Fund of over €635 million,
will hold its inaugural board meeting in Dublin on 30, 31 Jan 2002.
http://www.sfi.ie

More Science and Technology Headlines at:
http://www.science.ie/news_info/index.html
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* Fact of the Month *
According to the Central Statistics Office, 48% of Irish
households recycle waste in some way. Approximately 37% of
Irish households recycle glass and clothes, while only 6%
recycle paper, cardboard or plastic.
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2)...FRANCIS BEAUFORT

The British Navy’s greatest hydrographer and map-maker was
actually an Irishman originally from Navan Co. Meath. Born in
1774 Francis Beaufort is best remembered as the originator of
the Beaufort Scale which classifies the velocity and force of
winds at sea.

At age 16, just three years after he began his nautical career,
Beaufort began keeping a meteorological journal with brief
comments on the weather, a practice he continued until his death.

His actual career at sea was short-lived despite remaining in
the British Navy until he was 81. While trying to escape local
hostilities when patrolling pirates in the Eastern Mediterranean,
Beaufort was shot in the groin by sniper fire. He fractured his
hip and was never again fit enough to return to active sea duty.

The original Wind Force Scale that Beaufort developed consisted
of 13 degrees of wind strength, from calm to hurricane. This
proved enormously useful for mariners – Captains knew what to
expect when venturing into waters and an officer could tell
from the ship’s log if the ship could survive storm conditions.

The Scale was eventually refined to 17 values, defined by
ranges of wind speed at 10 metres above sea surface. So the
scale changed from the Beaufort Wind Force Scale into the
Beaufort Wind Speed Scale.

From 1829, he was appointed Hydrographer to the Admiralty and
planned detailed surveys of all uncharted coasts, both at home
and abroad. Beaufort’s interest in making charts was a direct
result of being shipwrecked at the age of 15 because he didn’t
have a map!

http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/history/beaufort.htm
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* Link of the Month *
UK Science Year takes place from September 2001 to August 2002
and is celebrated with various science events and activities.
Its aim is "to wake up people of all ages and backgrounds to
the importance of science in society".
http://www.scienceyear.com/
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3)...E V E N T S

The Last Word on Science Competition
The STI Awareness Programme is running a competition on Today
FM's 'Last Word Show' with Eamon Dunphy. Tune in each evening
at 17:00 to 19:00, from 4 – 8 Feb 2002 for your chance to win
travel vouchers from a total prize fund worth over 19,000 Euro.
>>>For more information see http://www.science.ie

'Opportunities 2002' Careers Exhibition
200 companies and educational institutions from Ireland and UK
take part in this exhibition in the RDS, Dublin. High profile
science and technology displays will include attending
astronauts from NASA and ESA.
>>>Friday 1 February at 10:00 until Monday 4 February at 18:00.

CNRI Quantum Information Theory Workshop
New proposals for implementations of quantum computing, and
new advances in information theory. All are welcome. There
will be an open session for short presentations, interested
participants are invited to submit abstracts.
Venue: Maxwell Theatre, Trinity College, Dublin.
>>>Thursday 21 March - Friday 22 March.
For more information see http://www.cnri.dit.ie/events.html

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...W H A T T O D O T H I S M O N T H

Watch...
'Eamonn de Buitlear'. Ireland's foremost wildlife expert and
film-maker looks back at some of the highlights of his career.
>>>Network 2, 19:30, Friday 1 February

Watch...
'Planet Storm'. A series looking at weather systems on other
planets in our solar system. Special effects are used to
simulate extraterrestrial storms on earth.
>>>Channel 4, 20:00, Friday 1 February

Listen to...
'The Grey Seal' presented by Terry Flanagan. One of six 'World
Wild' wildlife documentaries presented by six Irish naturalists.
>>>RTE Radio 1, 19:03, Saturday 2 February

Read...
'Flora Hibernica: the wild flowers, plants and trees of Ireland'
>>>By Jonathan Pilcher and Valerie Hall, Collins Press 2001
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Next Issue - February 2002
http://www.science.ie/

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