Science Buddies Blog (8 results)
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March 31, 2010 9:24 AM
What to Do When a Project Goes Wrong
Science fair season may be winding down at most schools, but scientific exploration at home and in the classroom continues year-round. And where there is science, there are variables and materials and controls and reactions and things that change and bond and grow ... and things that don't.
Lots of things can go wrong with a project, even with a well-designed, well-scheduled, and conscientiously-run project.
Learning to handle a project that doesn't…
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March 30, 2010 7:24 AM
Marc Church, Mechanical Engineer, Lockheed Martin
Marc Church, Senior Mechanical Engineer at Lockheed Martin, has always been a "builder" at heart. At age nine, he dreamed of being an architect and drew house plans for fun. A few years later, a retired railroad engineer moved in next door, and Marc's focus switched from architecture to engineering as he perused plans of railroad bridges and received mentoring from his neighbor.
Marc went on to study mechanical engineering at…
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March 18, 2010 1:24 PM
Botanical print by Anna Atkins, courtesy of The New York Public Library, www.nypl.org
These days of mid-March as Spring approaches have been unusually sunny here in the Bay Area. Short sleeves. Sunglasses. Sunscreen. The quest for a bit of shade.
The rain and fog may be just around the corner, but a sunny afternoon is a great time to explore the colorful composition of light, the filtering properties of various colors, and a light-activated chemical reaction--all while making…
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March 10, 2010 12:34 PM
I love puzzles of all sorts. Word puzzles. Number puzzles. Mazes. Codes. Brain teasers.
Not surprisingly, I passed on my willingness to tinker with a pencil and paper in an attempt to solve this or that challenge to my kids. Years ago, we spent countless hours poring over the pages of I Spy, Where's Waldo, and various spin-offs on the "can you find it hidden on this page" concept. In addition to the regular I Spy titles, the Can You See What I See? books by Walter Wick (one of the…
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March 9, 2010 11:51 AM
A "lost" science fair project report arrived at Science Buddies today. The project was apparently found loose in the US mail system somewhere in the postal routing process. Surprisingly, the person that found it didn't simply toss it in the recycling but looked closely enough at the report to realize it is a student's work and that the student was working on a Science Buddies project idea.
The report was forwarded to us here at Science Buddies.
The report is based on the Science Buddies…
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March 3, 2010 8:52 AM
We know the immediate and visible devastation earthquakes can cause, and last month, after the earthquake in Haiti, we posted a set of projects that offer good background material and talking points for discussion of earthquakes and plate tectonics. What students may not realize is that the impact of a big shake does more than cause structural damage.
In fact, an earthquake can alter the tilt of the Earth to such a degree that the length of time in a "day" changes. The change is very…
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March 2, 2010 11:20 AM
Have you ever noticed how many kinds and brands and flavors of lip balm appear in the cosmetics department at your favorite store? Why are there so many variations? Which one do you like most? Why do you like it? What kinds of differences do you notice between types?
It might surprise you to discover that lip balm is something you can make at home. In fact, just like mixing up a batch of cookies, making lip balm follows a basic recipe. And, just as there are many recipes for cookies and…
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March 1, 2010 8:58 AM
Note: This month's "Scientist's Pick" is from Science Buddies' staff scientist, Kristin Strong. Kristin presented this project to the Science Buddies' team in February. It's got an icy, winter theme! ~ Science Buddies' Editorial Staff
Project: No Pain, Lots of Game
Scientist: Kristin Strong
Science Buddies' Difficulty Level: 4
My favorite project of recent ones I've worked on is the Science Buddies project, No Pain, Lots of Game, a project that looks at the relationship between video…
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