40 years of life on Mars... ?

The fascinating story of the Labeled Release experiment reached its peak 40 years ago today when the first Viking Lander sent back results from the planet Mars showing microbial life does exist on Martian soil. After some initial celebration NASA decided, on balance, the positive result must have been a mistake. No further biological missions have been sent to the red planet - it is now only geology - and you'll notice missions have changed from 'looking for life' to 'looking for signs that Mars could have supported life'.

Research the story by starting with a gripping account in Michael Brooks' '13 Things That Don't Make Sense' or this online essay by Geoff Olson; then note that a recent paper ran a statistical analysis of the mission data and found to disagree with NASA's ultimate conclusion.

The wild donkeys of Collioure

The small Catalan town of Collioure (Cotlliure) has a little known secret for those patient enough to wait - wild donkeys.
The small population of feral donkeys has been roaming the hills around Collioure for nearly four centuries now, having in all likelihood escaped from the conquering French army in 1642. Other historians state that they might be from one of the ancient monasteries in the hills surrounding the town.
The small population, probably numbering no more than 30 now, has proved to be remarkably adaptable in the face of many adversities thrown its way over the years. In the late 18th century, the last attempt by the Spanish to take control of the town reduced the population, according to the local town hall documents, to perhaps as few as 10 individuals. Many of the donkeys were conscripted into the Spanish army, allowing a cavalry unit to form the first "panzer" group of mounted troops. However, due to the quixotic nature of the animals, the small unit did not survive the hostilities, and ultimately the Spanish siege failed.
The remaining donkeys have continued to adapt to their environment, particularly the changing temperature - very hot during the day, and colder at night. The donkeys are semi-nocturnal, and as a result they have evolved a reflective tapetum, similar to cats, in their eyes. Their fur is also slightly thicker than other donkey species, as they can be found at altitude where temperatures are cooler, particularly at night. It was probably this adaptation that saved the population from extinction in 1870, when a freak snowstorm covered the town and its surroundings.
Nowadays, the small population of hardy survivors is treated with respect and caution. They occasionally roam in to town, to eat the flowers from unsuspecting locals' gardens, but most of the time they graze in peace in the hills surrounding this very pretty part of the world.

Biology Olympiad (Intermediate)

Just a quick note of congratulations to three of the PAL students, who took part in the Intermediate Biology Olympiad organised by the Society of Biology. All three did very well; the results are listed below:

Ariane 52/70 - Bronze medal

Hadi 49/70 - Highly commended

Anna - 48/70 - Highly commended

Perhaps we can get more students involved next year?

Lavender

Here in the south of France there's loads of lavender, and it's got many uses. The name probably comes from the Latin "to wash" (lavare) but might have its origins elsewhere...

If it's not grown decoratively, it is usually used for production of essential oils - lavender essential oil has found its way into much modern quackery:
- calming rub
- stops runny noses
- burns
- cuts and bruises
- ear pain
- monthly cramps
- anti-stress
All of the above can be magically treated by lavender. The oils do have some antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, but it's perhaps safest to use lavender in cooking - it's often included in "herbes de Provence". Bees use the flowers to make some very nice honey too, and if you get up close to lavender in the summer you'll find it alive with insects:

And there's money to be made in selling it - a large bunch will cost nearly $500, or in the old days you could get 50 free haircuts. Flower power.

Life in the south of France

At last a return to what might be more regular updates. At least until things start to get very busy again.

So what is it?
Suggestions so far include "Beetleus farageibona" and "Rattus titanicexitus" though neither of these seem likely...
Any ideas?

Video recommendation

I am half-way through the excellent Crash Course Biology from Godfathers of YouTube Hank and John Green. It is entertaining, well-informed and snappily presented in twelve-minute chunks. At forty episodes that's still nearly eight hours of watching but I recommend it for our PAL and TAL as it is exactly at A-level. For International GCSE it may be a bit much, but some of the inheritance videos are bang on. Enjoy!

Welcome back!

It feels good to be back at school - but I would say that because I chose to be a teacher!

PAL and I met yesterday which is always enjoyable as I get to see who chose to continue this wonderful subject - after they weren't being forced to any more! And many did - a record number of people returning to do A-level. In the absence of Pronote this week I thought I would note down what we talked about, for benefit of students and parents...

Pearson Edexcel Advanced GCE in Biology B

A-levels are changing, beginning this year, and biology is in the first batch to be updated. We are sticking with exam board Pearson Edexcel who offer two flavours of their new biology specification, of which we have chosen the snappily-titled, 'B'. There is a nice, graphical overview here.

Textbooks

We are not insisting you buy the official course book but would like you to buy one or two biology textbooks writing at A-level. Find one with a writing style that appeals to you, get to know how to use an index quickly, and cross-reference your learning. Such skills will prepare you well for university.

We also recommend subscribing to New Scientist, visiting the wonderful Natural History Museum regularly, and if you would like Biological Sciences Review delivered to you please get in touch with Mr Tweddle. These publications are all available in the school library.

Enjoy your first term!