RSC Blog

Put down that Sudoku and try a real challenge from the East. We’ve managed to get hold of and translate two entrance exams, in chemistry and maths, for Beijing City Senior High Schools, and we’d like you to give them a try.

These exams are for all students wishing to enter the high school. I must admit the translation isn’t perfect, but the aim of each question is clear. And quite revealing.

As reported by The Daily Telegraph this morning (story here), Dr Richard Pike, RSC’s chief executive, said: “In Britain most of the questions with some sort of mathematics or problem solving are very straight forward. With the Chinese ones you’ve got to think a little bit further, you can’t just stick down the answer.”

While a similar gradation of questions – from an easy start to difficult finish – can be seen in the new GCSEs, the curve is much steeper for the Chinese exams. Many of the longer answers require much critical thinking and problem-solving skill; compare this with the hand-holding a student gets in GCSE exam questions and you’ll see clearly the different levels of understanding required.

At the same time there are many topically-relevant questions, such as questions about the 2008 Olympics (although these are often quite heavily politicised.)

So why not have a look yourselves? Here are download links to the papers:

Download the chemistry paper here

Download the maths paper here

We’ll post the answers next week. If you have any opinions please do leave your thoughts in the comments below. If you can’t see the comments box, click here.

Trade in yer peg-leg for a real leg, mateys! Alchemists from Italy have discovered how  to transform wood into bone, and logged it in the ArrrSC Journal o’ Materials Alchemy.

Ahem.

A historically-accurate image of a buccaneer, complete with peg-leg

Although it’s not International Talk Like A Pirate Day until 19 September, this story called for a buccaneering theme. A relatively simple, multi-step chemical process to turn wood into bone has been reported by Anna Tampieri and colleagues at the Institute of Science and Technology for Ceramics, Faenza.

The organic structure of the wood is the perfect template for bone tissue suitable for use in repairing damaged limbs, which, in times past, might have been replaced with a peg leg. Cue stage right: gratuitous pirate picture, complete with all stereotypical accessories including wooden leg.

By changing the chemical composition of the wood, step by step, into hydroxyapatite (the main constituent of real bone) but retaining its natural structure, Tampieri’s team believe they have created a material that has the strength and structure of bone and could be suitably biocompatible for use in surgery.

Journal o’ Materials Alchemy (ok I’ll stop now) subscribers can view the article here.

Many famous brands are immediately recognisable symbols or colours: the Nike tick, Coca-Cola red, and so on. These aren’t necessarily evocative or appealing images – they’re just so well-known and consistent across the products that they’ve ascended to a whole new plane of brand awareness. The RSC’s theme for 2009 – food – has meant we’ve seen hundreds of brands and packaging for edible produce.

So let us look now to the most famous of sticky sauces, Lyle’s Golden Syrup. Everyone knows the century-old design: a round tin can with a lid you prise off with a knife; racing green bodywork with the golden words arching over a central picture of… of what is it again? A lion or something?

Look closely. It’s a lion alright, but a dead, rotting lion, and emanating from its stomach is a pestilential-looking swarm of bees. A more grotesque image for a foodstuff one can hardly imagine!

Under this disturbing logo are the words: “Out of the strong came forth sweetness”, a reference by its strongly-religious creator Abram Lyle to a scene in the Bible. Samson (of Delilah fame) saw in the desert a lion carcass which housed a honeycomb. For some reason Lyle thought this an appropriate way to sell his pancake topping.

Lyle's Golden Syrup - the most disturbing brand ever?

This marketing incongruity has puzzled us at the RSC. Clearly a household name and well-respected brand, Lyle’s Golden Syrup is as ubiquitous as Nike or Coca-Cola ever will be. EDIT: Our anonymous tipster below reports Lyle’s is “Britain’s oldest brand” according to the Guinness Book of Records. So the lion corpse definitely hasn’t done them any harm!

But have you ever even noticed that dead lion on the front? Now that you’ve seen it, does it put you off buying golden syrup? Is there a hidden champion of food producers with disgusting marketing that could tip Lyle’s to the title? Tell us below in the comments.