Trump's Ban Banned. Hard Brexit Disagreement. Home School Microscopy

Cornflower seed

President Trump's most recent travel ban was supposed to come in effect tomorrow but has again been halted by Judge Watson from Hawaii on the bases that it "plainly discriminates based on nationality." There was an immediate rebuke from the White House who will be contesting the judgement.

The OECD warned "no deal" would see investment in the UK seize up, the pound hit new lows and the UK's credit rating cut. At Parliament, David Davis reiterated that the UK needed to plan for a hard Brexit in order to be credible in negotiations. His cabinet colleague Amber Rudd calls Brexit without a deal 'unthinkable'. Bank of England's Mark Carney thinks that inflation will continue to rise above 3%, a consequence of the drop in the value of the pound, and he reckons that the effect will continue for a couple of years. Boris ebulliently declared it would all be fine.

Took some low power stereo microscopes and compound microscopes to a home schooling science group. The age range was from about 5 to mid teens and the leaders had also organised some other activities, using magnifiers, playing with different prisms and, one I thought was very innovative, writing or painting on rice grains or noodles. These would then be put into small bottles filled with oil and a small air bubble. When this was tilted, the roundness of the bottle would magnify the rice grain. If the bubble was in view, it would act like a concave lens and shrink the grain.

There was no pressure for the children to come to the microscopes, the were there to be used. A significant proportion of the children, from all age ranges, looked at the available samples from butterfly wings, sand and seeds to a head-louse and pond sample. Some flicked through quickly, others made their own hole punched slides with salt or animal hair and sellotape and took their time. Using a Biolam with dark-field, there was buzzing ciliate life (including a stentor) and algae. Ninety minutes flew by as I let them get on with it, being there to help if needed or provide an explanation. Parents were lured in too. It was a very enjoyable middle of the day.