Speakers include geneticist Steve Jones and the director of the National Numeracy Strategy, Anita Straker. Details: Michael Brookman, ASE, College Lane, Hatfield, Hertfordshire ALl 0 9AA, tel: 01 707 283000.

I With the aim of expanding its support for non-specialist physics teachers and technicians, the Institute of Physics is planning sponsored in-service training courses around the country at a cost of about pound;25. Details: Dr Steven Chapman, tel:

0171 470 4924; e-mail: Steven.Chapman@iop.org I The Royal Observatory Greenwich is offering a nine-month Open Museum course in GCSE astronomy for adults from October 6 (7-9pm). Topics include the Earth and moon, solar system, stars, galaxies and observing techniques. Assessment is by practical project work (worth 25 per cent) and examination in June 2000. Fee: pound;100 plus pound;27 examination fee. Details: Joy Affection, tel: 0181 312 6747; website:

www. n mm . a c. u k EVENTS I Engineering in Health Week takes place at the Royal Institution of Great Britain, 21 Albemarle Street, London Wi, November 1 5-1 9. Organised by the Institution of Electrical Engineers, it includes lectures on medical imaging of the brain and the body, the senses, the body (skeleton repair, rehabilitation, the skin, tissue engineering) and sensing (electricity in the body, seeing the heart work and discovering what goes wrong). Details from Andy Piggott, above address, or e-mail:

schools@ri.ac.uk AWARDSCOMPETITIONS I Through its Teachers of Primary Science and Teachers of Physics Awards 2000, the Institute of Physics seeks to recognise teachers who oby their outstanding practice in the classroom have raised the status of physics and science in schoolsi.

Nominations are invited by November 27. Forms from: Barbara Hill, Teachers Awards 2000, Institute of Physics, 76 Portland Place, London Wi N 3DH.

I Four British finalists won medals at this year’s International Biology Olympiad held in Sweden in July. Claire Bulmer, 1 8, from Cheltenham Ladies College, and Natalie Coltman, 1 7, from The Perse School for Girls, Cambridge, won silver medals. Henry Evans, 1 8, from King Edward’s School, Birmingham, and Tristan Martin, 1 8, from Gravesend Grammar School, Kent, won bronze medals. Competitors completed a theoretical paper and a series bf experiments.

For next year’s Olympiad details: Anne Jordan, Institute of Biology, tel: 0171 581 8333; e-mail: a.jordan@iob.org I Vaccination: just a shot in the arm?, a millennium competition from the Microbiology in Schools Advisory Committee, requires GCSEStandard Grade students and pupils aged 11 to 1 4 to produce a public information leaflet for parents about immunisation. Closing date: March 31. Top prize is pound;30 for the students and pound;100 for their school.

Tel: Daniel Burdass, 011 8 988 1 835. E-mail: d.burdass@ soc g en micro b jO 1.0 rg. u k FREE FOR ALL I The Power Rangers in Space project for primary and nursery schools takes a new look at the stars and planets. Run by toy company Bandai, the National Space Centre and Tesco, it features a free schools’ kit, a website linked to Tesconet and chances to collect additional project material on Tesco cereals at the end of the year. Send a pound;1 SAE to:

Power Rangers in Space pack, TWP, 2 Thameside Centre, Kew Bridge Rroad, London TW8 OHF.

I Sea Life Centres and the National Seal Sanctuary have produced a primary science pack to support visits to their 1 8 centres around Britain. It contains 1 4 task sheets, teacher’s notes, schemes of work and background information and costs pound;5, or free when schools book a visit. Details:

Merlin Entertainments Group, 3 Market Close, Poole, Dorset BH1 5 1 NQ, or call: 01 202 666900.

I For the fourth Jeans for Genes Appeal on October 8, participants are asked to wear jeans for a day and pay pound;1 towards research into genetic disorders and birth defects. The accompanying K52 and K54 packs, The Science Behind Jeans for Genes Day, are available from freephone 0800 980 4800.