Archive for the ‘Science’ category

Symphony of Science

February 3rd, 2012

Like Science? Like T-Pain-style autotune? Check out the Symphony of Science. It reminds me a lot of the Autotune the News folks.

3D tours of the Smithsonian and a virtual dinosaur dig

December 16th, 2011

Even if you don’t get to travel this break, you can still explore the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History by clicking here.

Want to see what the process is like when you dig up fossils? Click here

The Newton Project

December 13th, 2011

The University of Sussex has scanned Isaac Newton’s notebooks and put them online for others to search. Check out the notebooks from the 1700′s by clicking here.

Interactive Periodic Table of Elements

November 3rd, 2011

Today we’re researching the properties of elements and their uses. I like this project because you have to apply what you know about the element by creating a superhero that uses those qualities.

Here are the sites:
WebElements
Dynamic Periodic Table
ChemicalElements.com
It’s Elemental

A reminder about the study at the botanical garden

October 28th, 2011

Larry Roberts from the University of Alaska is conducting research at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix to analyze how adults learn in informal settings.

The research days are in the following blocks:

Tuesday, October 25 9:00-11:00, 1:00-3:00, 3:00-5:00, and 6:00-8:00
Wednesday, October 26 9:00-11:00, 1:00-3:00, 3:00-5:00
Thursday, October 27 9:00-11:00, 1:00-3:00, 3:00-5:00
Friday, October 28 9:00-11:00, 1:00-3:00, 3:00-5:00, and 6:00-8:00
Saturday, October 29 9:00-11:00, 1:00-3:00, 3:00-5:00
Sunday, October 30 9:00-11:00, 1:00-3:00, 3:00-5:00
Monday, October 31 9:00-11:00, 1:00-3:00, 3:00-5:00 and 6:00-8:00
Tuesday, November 1 9:00-11:00, 1:00-3:00, 3:00-5:00

Admission into the garden is paid for by the study. If you would like to be a part of the study, message Larry Roberts by clicking here. It is a study of adult learning, so it’s not for junior high and high school students.

Harnessing power through our windows

October 21st, 2011

Imagine if every window, from our cars to our houses, could act as a solar panel.

Imagine a giant skyscraper and all those windows. What if that building could power itself and the neighborhood around it?

I love that the presenter is talking about unlocking things at the atomic level. I wrote a short story a while back about a young, modern-day alchemist who could add or subtract subatomic particles with just the touch of his hand. I really feel like chemistry is where we will continue to see some major revolutions.

Naming the GRAIL

October 5th, 2011

NASA launched two lunar probes in September as part of the GRAIL project to create a gravity map of the moon. The two probes are called GRAIL-A and GRAIL-B, but NASA wants help changing the names. Here’s more information about the writing contest. It’s cool because the Spirit and Opportunity rovers were named by students.

A chance to tour the botanical garden…for science!

September 29th, 2011

Larry Roberts from the University of Alaska is conducting research at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix to analyze how adults learn in informal settings. I’m going and it sounds like a lot of fun.

The research days are in the following blocks:

Tuesday, October 25 9:00-11:00, 1:00-3:00, 3:00-5:00, and 6:00-8:00
Wednesday, October 26 9:00-11:00, 1:00-3:00, 3:00-5:00
Thursday, October 27 9:00-11:00, 1:00-3:00, 3:00-5:00
Friday, October 28 9:00-11:00, 1:00-3:00, 3:00-5:00, and 6:00-8:00
Saturday, October 29 9:00-11:00, 1:00-3:00, 3:00-5:00
Sunday, October 30 9:00-11:00, 1:00-3:00, 3:00-5:00
Monday, October 31 9:00-11:00, 1:00-3:00, 3:00-5:00 and 6:00-8:00
Tuesday, November 1 9:00-11:00, 1:00-3:00, 3:00-5:00

Admission into the garden is paid for by the study. If you would like to be a part of the study, message Larry Roberts by clicking here. It is a study of adult learning, so it’s not for junior high and high school students.

How likely is it for a spirit bear to be born?

August 4th, 2011

kermode
Picture from National Geographic

At our junior high, some of the teachers read the novel Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen with their students. In it, one of the major forces is a giant white bear.

So, how likely is it for a spirit bear to be born?

National Geographic has a great article about the Kermodism genetics that causes the white fur. The really cool part is the Punnett square visualizing how the recessive trait is passed on.

This is an excellent opportunity for science and English teachers to team up for a cross-curricular lesson.

Atlantis has landed

July 21st, 2011


Image from NASA

Now what?