Scottish university to test out Mars Rover on billion-year-old Highland rock
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Scotland is making a contribution to space exploration by loaning out one of its ancient rocks to test out a robot bound for Mars, with researchers from one of the country's top universities trialling instruments to be used on the European Mars Rover.
Researchers from The University of St Andrews will carry out imaging and analysis of one billion-year-old geological formations that are very like those on Mars to boost the rover's intelligence before its set to launch in 2028.
A Mars rover is a remote-controlled motor vehicle that is designed to travel on the surface of Mars and allow scientists to examine more territory, target specific features, and study the planet's geology and environment, reports The Daily Record. Some rovers also collect samples for future return to Earth.
Using the billion-year-old mudstones that are unique to the north-west Scottish coastline, the researchers will be able to understand how the geological capture of ancient microbial life in these sediments changes the chemistry of the rocks.
They can also better understand how these changes can be detected using Mars rover instruments. These ancient rocks are the same that would have been found in Mars' ancient terrains when the environment was much more agreeable to life.
Led by Dr Clare Cousins, of the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, researchers have already been on getting their hands dirty in the fields of north west Scotland with two emulator instruments.
"Our understanding of Mars is rooted in geological knowledge inherited from the Earth," Dr Cousins explained.
"Rock formations here are vital testing grounds for new instruments that are destined for the Martian surface.
"It's hoped these instruments will allow the ExoMars rover team to identify those geological formations at the landing site that not only betray once habitable water-rich environments that existed billions of years ago, but also rocks that are excellent at preserving the long-gone remnants of microbial life.'
The University of St Andrews is also part of a larger project in partnership with the University of Western Ontario for their Canadian Space Agency project to test these same instruments at an impact crater site in Germany.
It comes after astronomers, including one from University of Edinburgh, have stumbled across a strange object that is emitting radio waves - and they don't know why.
The object - a long-period transient (LPT) - is emitting pulses of radio waves and X-rays every 44 minutes.
LPTs are a relatively new class of astrophysical objects that are known to emit radio waves periodically.
However, this is the first time such objects have been detected in X-rays. Incredibly, the discovery could hint at a new type of physics or new star models in the sky.
As of yet, there is no clear cut answer to what the curious entity is, and why it's doing what it's doing.
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Edinburgh Live
17 hours ago
- Edinburgh Live
Scottish university to test out Mars Rover on billion-year-old Highland rock
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Scotland is making a contribution to space exploration by loaning out one of its ancient rocks to test out a robot bound for Mars, with researchers from one of the country's top universities trialling instruments to be used on the European Mars Rover. Researchers from The University of St Andrews will carry out imaging and analysis of one billion-year-old geological formations that are very like those on Mars to boost the rover's intelligence before its set to launch in 2028. A Mars rover is a remote-controlled motor vehicle that is designed to travel on the surface of Mars and allow scientists to examine more territory, target specific features, and study the planet's geology and environment, reports The Daily Record. Some rovers also collect samples for future return to Earth. Using the billion-year-old mudstones that are unique to the north-west Scottish coastline, the researchers will be able to understand how the geological capture of ancient microbial life in these sediments changes the chemistry of the rocks. They can also better understand how these changes can be detected using Mars rover instruments. These ancient rocks are the same that would have been found in Mars' ancient terrains when the environment was much more agreeable to life. Led by Dr Clare Cousins, of the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, researchers have already been on getting their hands dirty in the fields of north west Scotland with two emulator instruments. "Our understanding of Mars is rooted in geological knowledge inherited from the Earth," Dr Cousins explained. "Rock formations here are vital testing grounds for new instruments that are destined for the Martian surface. "It's hoped these instruments will allow the ExoMars rover team to identify those geological formations at the landing site that not only betray once habitable water-rich environments that existed billions of years ago, but also rocks that are excellent at preserving the long-gone remnants of microbial life.' The University of St Andrews is also part of a larger project in partnership with the University of Western Ontario for their Canadian Space Agency project to test these same instruments at an impact crater site in Germany. It comes after astronomers, including one from University of Edinburgh, have stumbled across a strange object that is emitting radio waves - and they don't know why. The object - a long-period transient (LPT) - is emitting pulses of radio waves and X-rays every 44 minutes. LPTs are a relatively new class of astrophysical objects that are known to emit radio waves periodically. However, this is the first time such objects have been detected in X-rays. Incredibly, the discovery could hint at a new type of physics or new star models in the sky. As of yet, there is no clear cut answer to what the curious entity is, and why it's doing what it's doing.
Daily Record
21 hours ago
- Daily Record
Robot that will explore Mars' surface tested out on billion-year-old Highland rock
It turns out one-billion-year-old mudstones unique to the Scottish coastline are very like the red planet's terrain Scotland is playing its part in space exploration by lending one of its ancient rocks to test out a robot bound for Mars. The University of St Andrews researchers are trialling instruments to be used on the European Mars Rover. A Mars rover is a remote-controlled motor vehicle designed to travel on the surface of Mars. It allows scientists to examine more territory, target specific features, and study the red planet's geology and environment. Some rovers also collect samples for future return to Earth. The work is imaging and analysing one billion-year-old geological formations that are very like those on Mars to up the rover's intelligence before its launch in 2028. Using one billion-year-old mudstones, unique to the north-west Scottish coastline, researchers can understand how the geological capture of ancient microbial life in these sediments changes the chemistry of the rocks. They can also get their head round how these changes can be detected using Mars rover instruments. These are the same kinds of rocks found in Mars ' ancient terrains when the environment was much more agreeable to life. Led by Dr Clare Cousins, of the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, researchers have already been on getting their hands dirty in the fields of north west Scotland with two emulator instruments. "Our understanding of Mars is rooted in geological knowledge inherited from the Earth," Dr Cousins explained. "Rock formations here are vital testing grounds for new instruments that are destined for the Martian surface. "It's hoped these instruments will allow the ExoMars rover team to identify those geological formations at the landing site that not only betray once habitable water-rich environments that existed billions of years ago, but also rocks that are excellent at preserving the long-gone remnants of microbial life.' The University of St Andrews is also part of a larger project in partnership with the University of Western Ontario for their Canadian Space Agency project to test these same instruments at an impact crater site in Germany. It comes after astronomers, including one from University of Edinburgh, have stumbled across a strange object that is emitting radio waves - and they don't know why. The object - a long-period transient (LPT) - is emitting pulses of radio waves and X-rays every 44 minutes. LPTs are a relatively new class of astrophysical objects that are known to emit radio waves periodically. However, this is the first time such objects have been detected in X-rays. Incredibly, the discovery could hint at a new type of physics or new star models in the sky. As of yet, there is no clear cut answer to what the curious entity is, and why it's doing what it's doing. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Maths journaling is giving students control over lessons
It is also one which may be doing more damage than we realise. According to data collected through the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa), more than half of Scottish 15-year-olds worry about poor marks in maths and nearly the same amount are anxious about failing. The overall Pisa results also showed that Scottish students' performance in maths has fallen again, down 18 points from the last time the scores were released. The Scottish Government is in the middle of a major curriculum review, and mathematics is the first subject under the microscope. As with most problems, however, teachers are working to solve them, and two educators in Edinburgh are laying a new path for students. Erskine Stewart Melville Junior School teachers Holly Drummond and Dr Kirsten Fenton are working to change attitudes towards maths one classroom at a time through a teaching strategy they call 'mathematical journaling.' It is a core tool in their teaching ethos, which focuses on play, agency, creativity, and engagement (PACE, because "you know we love an acronym in education," Dr Fenton said). Dr Fenton said that maths journaling, at its foundation, is about helping students learn how they want to approach a topic and be creative about maths lessons. "It's a real teacher-developed approach that Holly and I have come up with. It aims really to put the learner at its centre. It's joyful, which is what learning and teaching should be about, but it's also practical because it gives children a way of reconnecting with what learning is." The journaling method is, in some ways, as simple as it sounds. As Mrs Drummond and Dr Fenton's students work on a mathematical principle over the course of a week, they have set times to 'stop and jot' in their journals as Mrs Drummond described. Teachers will show some example journal entries, but the idea is to get students thinking about the lesson in their own words. This works to dispel the myth that maths is a "secret language" that only some can understand, Mrs Drummond said. "We wanted to move away from jotters being a space of rote practice, and to see it much more as a tool for their learning. It's a messy space, just as learning is messy. "It is a place to collect their thoughts, it's a place that evidences their struggle, but it also evidences their progress much more. Not just by marking out of ten, or having neat calculations laid out all the time." Many maths teachers constantly tell students to 'Show your work', but the team at ESMS believes that taking this a step further and teaching students how to show their full thought process helps them connect more with their lesson. Dr Kirsten Fenton works on a mathematical journaling exercise with her students. (Image: Gordon Terris) Beyond that, Mrs Drummond said that having a space to show their work to the fullest without risk of being marked down also makes it easier for students to learn from their mistakes with less anxiety. "I think we have placed too much emphasis early on with children about getting things right, and life doesn't actually work that way. "We thought that we needed something different. Having done quite a bit of reading and going to various conferences, we decided that what is missing a lot of the time is the talk side of maths teaching. "We are very good at that in other areas, whereas in maths thinking and teaching we don't always allow for purposeful talk. "We wanted to embed that and create students who are numerically literate." Dr Fenton said that part of PACE and maths journaling is about students being brave and "exploring mistakes" in their work, while having the correct vocabulary and understanding to discuss different approaches with their classmates. "At the start of the week, we will often take a mathematical concept and do a brain dump. "What do you know about, say, fractions? Can you give me definitions? Can you talk me through an example? If you were teaching someone who knew nothing about the subject, how would you start? "This is a really useful tool for us because it offers a starting point, and it gives a really early indication of any misconceptions that might not normally cause problems until later. "Their journaling helps us with responsive teaching as well, and really getting it right for each learner, which is very important to our approach." Read more: The PACE approach and mathematical journaling help tackle arithmophobia by teaching students how to think about lessons in their own words. Dr Fenton said every student likes to process information differently, and teachers always look for ways to adapt to their students. However, maths can be intimidating for some young people because the subject feels inflexible to the uninitiated: there is always only one correct answer and one way to get there. Students do not naturally see room for creativity or individuality, which leads to that tendency for defeatism. Frustration can lead young people to avoid the subject, which is part of another unhelpful narrative in society: the idea that maths can be escaped, sectioned off from our lives and careers. Mrs Drummond and Dr Fenton are chipping away at this misconception, too. Although there is much discussion about creativity, literacy, speaking, and writing, that is not to say that numbers have fled the classroom. "There still needs to be that explicit teaching of mathematical strategies," Mrs Drummond said. Colleagues at ESMS Junior School, Dr Kirsten Fenton and Holly Drummond, said they don't have all the answers, but they want to help teachers reimagine teaching and learning.(Image: Gordon Terris) However, she added it is essential that children should never feel "excluded" from any subject because it does not immediately resonate with them. "Students should not think, 'This one's not for me, it's inaccessible, it's hard.'" She said that just as other subjects will seep into maths lessons, it is just as crucial for students to recognise when they are using maths in other disciplines. "There needs to be a give and take between maths and other subjects. We are pulling in the literacy to make the maths more accessible, but we are also bringing maths into other areas as well." The pair of pioneers have been taking their PACE approach on the road recently. They have been sharing their approach with the British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics (BSRLM) at multiple conferences, showcasing how mathematical journaling has helped their students feel more confident, combat their maths anxiety and build new critical thinking skills. Feedback from other teachers and researchers has been positive. Dr Fenton said they are hoping for more collaboration as they try to do their part to give students the best foundation possible in a challenging time. "We see this as a crunch point in Scottish education with the curriculum review, rising maths anxiety and Pisa scores. They are all warning signs, but they also provide an opportunity for us to rethink how children learn. "Classrooms need to be places of possibility and we hope our PACE approach can be a call to arms for that. "We're not saying that we have all the right answers, but we're working with something that is research-based, that we can apply in our classrooms and teachers can take and go and apply themselves. "We want to encourage others to rethink what learning could and should look like."
