The process of manufacturing lumps of glass into sophisticated mirror systems in the world's largest telescopes.



Physics - Universe - Learni

ng Points.

Mirrors are made from glass, which is melted and
spread...

The Sun is dying, getting hotter as it goes. Eventually it will shrink into a black dwarf, but life will have vanished long before.



Physics - Our Solar System - Learni

ng Points.

The Sun is 5 billion years...

Marine mammals like dolphins, seals and whales can hold their breath far longer than humans. How do they do this?



Biology - Human Body - Learni

ng Points.

Underwater mammals, such as humpback whales, can...

Why scientists dispelled rumours of extreme waves at sea, based on flawed mathematics. Maths - Statistics And Probability A Twig Math Film. Reinforce and extend the learning required by the curriculum. Twig’s context films show abstract...

Learn about how the kidneys function, regulate the salt levels in our bodies, filter our blood, and ultimately keep us alive. Biology - Human Body - Learning Points. The kidneys are located just below the ribs - one on each side of the...

Dolphins use of sound as a navigational tool is essential to their survival. Discover how they produce these sounds and use them to learn about their environment. Physics - Waves - Learning Points. Dolphins, like most marine species, use...

How Churchill used geometry to protect his supply convoys during World War Two, by identifying the best shape for convoys to travel in... a circle. Maths - Shape A Twig Math Film. Reinforce and extend the learning required by the...

An introduction to the Earth's moon. What makes a moon a moon? Physics - Our Solar System - Learning Points. A moon is a natural satellite. Our Moon orbits the Earth roughly every 28 days. The Moon's glow is caused by the reflection of...

Discover why fat is important to our bodies, how and why it is stored - and why getting rid of excess body fat is so much more difficult than gaining it in the first place. Biology - Healthy Living - Fat is stored by the body when you...

How would you bake the world's biggest cake? The same way as a small one... in ratio, but with increased measures. Maths - Number A Twig Math Film. Reinforce and extend the learning required by the curriculum. Twig’s context films show...

The heart powers everything you do. It pumps without you thinking about it, and beats over a billion times in an average lifetime. But how does it work? Biology - Human Body - Learning Points. The heart is the hardest working muscle in...

Our thumbs are complex instruments; we need big brains to control them. Are they the reason behind the evolution of superior human intelligence? Biology - Human Body - Learning Points. The evolution of our hands and our large brains are...

Discover how fossils help scientists to piece together evolutionary changes in early man - and how one very special fossil in Africa led historians down an exciting new path. Biology - Adaptation And Evolution - Learning Points. Fossils...

What are stars made of? How are they born, how do they live, and how do they die? Physics - Our Solar System - Learning Points. Our nearest star is the Sun. A star is formed from a cloud of dust and gas, which shrinks under gravity and...

How Maharaja Jai Singh used scale to build and enhance the accuracy of his giant astronomical sundials. Maths - History Of Maths A Twig Math Film. Reinforce and extend the learning required by the curriculum. Twig’s context films show...

Solar and lunar eclipses are spectacular phenomena which captivate people around the world, but what causes them? Physics - Our Solar System - Learning Points. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth blocks sunlight from reaching the Moon....

Why are tiny ants considered the strongest creatures in the world? An introduction to the square-cube law and why muscle mass (length³) will always outstrip strength (length²). Maths - Number A Twig Math Film....

The geothermal features of Yellowstone National Park are a clue to its deadly secret. It sits on a massive supervolcano. But why can't we see it and will it ever erupt? Earth Science - Geology - Learning Points. Yellowstone National Park...

From polar bears to emperor penguins, how animals and plants survive in some of the harshest habitats on Earth - the polar regions. Biology - Adaptation And Evolution - Learning Points. A host of different animals survive in the coldest...

How are asteroids in our Solar System formed, where are they found, and what danger do they pose to life on Earth? Physics - Our Solar System - Learning Points. Asteroids are made from rock, metal or carbon, while comets are made of rock...

From camels to lizards, how animals and plants survive in some of the hottest and driest habitats on Earth - the hot deserts. Biology - Adaptation And Evolution - Learning Points. Organisms survive harsh environments by physical and...

Since Galileo first sighted Saturn, scientists have been baffled by its beautiful rings. What are they made of and where did they come from? Physics - Our Solar System - Learning Points. Saturn's rings were first discovered by Galileo in...

Computing technology has developed at a phenomenal rate in recent decades – what would once fill an entire room can now be held in the palm of your hand. So how was Moore's Law able to predict this over 50 years ago? Physics -...

Billions of years ago, Earth collided with its twin planet Theia. The impact and resulting geophysical changes prepared Earth for complex life. Physics - Our Solar System - Learning Points. 4 billion years ago Earth had a twin called...