Joe Winters is the IOP's Senior Press Officer

Today’s physics news: are science practicals worth the faff?, Atlantis’ final flight, Japan’s supercomputer, and more

How useful are practicals in science lessons? Alom Shaha, Guardian blogger, asks whether time could be more valuably spent by the teacher giving class demonstrations rather than ‘faffing’ around with apparatus. Guardian Europe’s version of GPS gets a cash boost Sufficient savings have been found in Europe’s Galileo sat-nav project for at least six additional [...]

Today’s physics news: Endeavour lands; twin galaxy image; jetpacks; and life on Saturn’s Moon

Endeavour space shuttle lands after its final flight Space shuttle Endeavour and its six astronauts have returned to Earth with a safe night-time landing.  Endeavour touched down on the runway a final time under the cover of darkness just as Atlantis, the last shuttle bound for space in NASA’s 30 year programme, arrived at the [...]

Today’s physics news: Tax on fusion; global carbon emissions; Brian Cox at Hay; Isle of Man in space; and Tevatron data legacy

Environmental tax threatens green energy research in UK The UK’s carbon reduction commitment (CRC) scheme has ‘perverse effect’ of threatening zero-carbon energy research, such as research at Culham Centre for Fusion Energy in Oxfordshire. Guardian International Energy Agency data shows ‘worst ever’ carbon emissions Greenhouse gas emissions increased by a record amount last year, to [...]

Today’s physics news: Moon water, ash cloud particles in Aberdeen, Tohoku quake infrared anomalies, and dyscalculia

Moon soil hints at water bonanza Researchers from the Carnegie Institution have analysed sediments from the moon brought back by the Apollo 17 mission and found that the moons interior holds far more water than previously thought. Reported in the journal Science, these findings could cast doubts on how the moon originally formed. BBC Daily [...]

SCORE calls for opportunity to bring coherence and consistency to the science curriculum

SCORE (Science Community Representing Education), the partnership representing the UK’s foremost science education organisations, has submitted its response to the Department for Education’s call for evidence in its Review of the National Curriculum.