Altitude and wind effects on long jump performance with particular reference to the world record established by Bob Beamon

An analysis of long jump performance, including both the approach and aerial phases, is applied to Bob Beamon's legendary leap at the Mexico City Olympic Games of 1968. It is shown that the combined effects of altitude and wind assistance yielded an increment in the length of the jump of about 31 cm, compared to a corresponding jump at sea level under still air conditions. The main factor is shown to be the increased sprinting speed attained under favourable conditions of wind and altitude.     

What sort of science education do we really need?

The research aims to explore the role of science for employees in science-based industries and for members of the public interacting with science in their everyday lives. Case studies were carried out in a small sample of industries, in community action groups and in personal decision making. The methodology, informed by a tentative model of science, included scrutiny of available relevant documentation and semi-structured interviews. The findings suggest that procedural understanding was essential in the higher levels of industry and in interacting effectively with everyday issues, while conceptual understanding was so specific that it was acquired in a need-to-know way. The implications for science education hinge on a substantial reduction in the conceptual content and the explicit teaching of the nature of evidence (procedural understanding). The authors suggest building on primary pupils' enthusiasm for investigative work at UK Key Stage 3 (11-14 years) and developing an issues-based curriculum at Key Stage 4 (14-16 years).     

PHONE HOME? AN ANALYSIS OF HOUSEHOLD TELEPHONE OWNERSHIP

A multivariate, theoretical model is developed and tested topredict household telephone ownership. Factors theorized topredict telephone ownership are 1) socio-economic status/resources,2) household composition, 3) cultural background, 4) attachments,including—a) community/mobility ties, b) civic/politicalties, c) group ties, d) personal ties, e) social and institutionalalienation, and of misanthropy, 5) counter-normative behavior,6) psychological well-being, and 7) physical well-being. Theanalysis, indicates that the socio-economic factor in generaland income in particular has the largest impact. All other factorsalso have significant, independent effects with the exceptionthat some, but not all, of the attachment factors and psychologicaland physical well-being are not related to telephone ownership.Overall, non-telephone households can be characterized as marginaloutsiders.