How do we Hear? Sound  is caused by pressure waves that vibrate. These vibrations are funneled by the outer ear to the ear drum. The ear drum is extremely sensitive, and it, in turn, vibrates.  The vibrations of the ear drum are then transmitted to the three bones of the middle ear : the hammer, which touches the inner surface of the drum, the anvil and the stirrup. These tiny boens...

How do we taste and smell? Taste is sometimes confused with smell. It is easy to mistake a smell for a taste. An onion, for example, has no taste. Anyone with a heavy cold may complain of losing his taste, when , in fact, he has lost his smell. Quite what sort of smell or taste  we get from anything depends upon its physical and chemical properties. So before we know...

What is man’s nervous system? The nervous system is made up of the brain, the spinal column and the nerves. It is responsible for detecting and processing information form within and outside the body, and it produces and controls movement by stimulating the muscles. Among other things, the brain is the site of 12 pairs of nerves which look after the senses of  seeing, hearing, taste and smell; while the spinal...

How did the English Heralds get their names? Edward III (1312-1377) loved the idea of knightly chivalry, and he created many of the heralds whose ceremonial duties still exist today. You have probably seen heralds take part in state occasions. Edward honoured many of his sons by appointing heralds to their households. The Chester herald is named after on e of the titles of his eldest son, the Black Prince, and...

What happened near the village of Agincourt in 1415?   Edward III of England claimed the throne of France in 1337 and began the conflict known as the Hundred Year War. It started with spectacular victories for Edward and his son, the Black Prince, but these early promises of success were not fulfilled, and the fighting became very spasmodic. When Edward’s great- grandson, Henry V, came to the throne, hostilities were...

What was a Victorian education like? While Britain was the richest country in the world during the reign of Queen  Victoria (1837-1901) there were many people who were very poor and life was hard for them. Many country people went  to live in towns during the nineteenth century because there was work for them in the newly built factories. Housing conditions were often appalling and children were forced to work in...

What did Victorian Children play with? If you keep a sharp lookout, sooner or later you will come across Victorian toys in museums or antique shops. The pictures on these pages will give you some idea of what they are like. Victorian children used to play with beautiful dolls, gaily painted rocking horses, mechanical, toys that were exact replicas of such things as steam trains, correct in every detail, and perhaps,...

What is an Electromagnet? A compass needle will only point north- south if there are no other magnets near it. If there are, the needle will be attracted towards them and will point in a different direction or be deflected. It was discovered that if a compass was held near a wire carrying an electric current, the needle was deflected. But, if the current was switched off the needle swung back...