Science Projects | Science Buddies Blog (Page 51)

Putting Your Eggs All in One (Dye) Basket

April 2, 2012 10:29 AM

A year after an egg-based impromptu family science exploration, this science mom prepares for the next phase of her family's hard-boiled egg and dye bath testing: natural dyes. The process of hard-boiling and dyeing eggs offers a great chance for informal, at-home, science exploration. The eggs shown above were dyed using an assortment of natural ingredients and showcase a range of colors that can be achieved by experimenting with fruits, plants, and spices. Image: Emily Weaver… Read more

Galaxy Games

March 26, 2012 10:18 AM

Astronomers at the University of California, Santa Cruz are part of an international team that captured exciting first photos of a dwarf galaxy absorbing an even smaller galaxy. The photo above, captured by the Suprime-Cam in Hawaii, shows the dwarf galaxy, NGC 4449. In the upper right, a visible stellar stream is all that remains of a smaller galaxy that has been absorbed by NGC 4449. Photo: R. Jay GaBany (Blackbird Observatory), used with permissionWhen it comes to galaxy growth, it's a… Read more

New Paper Plane Record

March 2, 2012 12:52 PM

A plane designed by John Collins set a new world record last week. Thrown by former football quarterback Joe Ayoob, the plane flew 226 feet, 10 inches in an indoor hangar on the McClellan Air Force Base, breaking the previous record by more than 19 feet! Paper Planes Folding paper airplanes is an age-old and ageless pastime. How many planes does the average person fold in a lifetime? How many have you folded? Probably more than you can count! While not everyone can fold or… Read more

The Nighttime Sky Offers a Rare Treat This Week

March 1, 2012 9:04 AM

By Kim Mullin Sky gazers will find the night skies especially rewarding in coming days. Image source: NASA. Five planets can be viewed at various times without a telescope, but catching them all in the same night is rare! If you're interested in a closer look at Mercury, NASA is holding an online chat on Monday, March 5. The night sky is offering up a rare show this week: five planets so bright that you can see them with the naked eye! Also for your viewing pleasure, Earth's moon… Read more

Arsenic and Rice

February 27, 2012 11:49 AM

If you think arsenic poisoning is something relegated to the pages of mystery novels, think again. Arsenic may be in foods you routinely eat—but it's undetectable by taste or smell. How much arsenic in your diet is safe? Number 33 on the periodic table, arsenic is a naturally-occurring heavy metal—and a much-used poison throughout history. Because it appears in the soil, arsenic may be lingering in foods you and your family frequently eat. Recent research raises questions… Read more

Science Buddies Helps Scientific American Bring Science Home

February 20, 2012 9:02 AM

Image: Wikipedia Visitors to Scientific American's Bring Science Home section are treated to an exciting array of activities that encourage families to explore hands-on science. Thanks to an ongoing content partnership between Science Buddies and Scientific American, many of these activities have been created by Science Buddies as fast, family-friendly guided explorations based on our longer science Project Ideas for students. Note: STEM activities can now be found in a dedicated… Read more

Approaching Solar Max

January 25, 2012 6:34 AM

The image above shows predicted rise and fall of sunspot activity during a Solar Cycle. Image source: NASA. Born on January 24, 1882: Harold Delos Babcock, an astronomer who studied sunspot cycles and the sun's magnetic polarity during each approximately 11-year cycle. That the orientation of the sun's poles changes, routinely, may come as a surprise, but, right now the sun's poles are upside down. The sun looks the same, but every 11 years or so, things flip over again as the Solar… Read more

Licorice Root, Please

January 24, 2012 10:45 AM

Licorice root may help fight cavities and other oral health problems, but most "licorice" candies are actually flavored with anise. Image source: Pikaluc, Wikipedia. Willing to try a licorice-based toothpaste? When it comes to candy, certain flavors fall into a category that tends to require a more sophisticated palate. That's my decidedly non-scientific assessment having watched my own kids and their love-hate (mostly hate) relationship with all things "mint," something to which… Read more

Field Work: Gorillas, Lions, and More

January 20, 2012 10:21 AM

Our "science history" notes this week at Facebook included mention of both Dian Fossey and Joy Adamson. Both women left behind inspiring legacies and volumes of experience gathered from living with, observing, and interacting with animals. Born on January 16, 1932: Dian Fossey, a famed zoologist whose study of gorillas in Rwanda, Africa is chronicled in Gorillas in the Mist. The book is her own account of thirteen years spent living in an African rain forest and was also later made into a… Read more

Find a Feather, Pick It Up?

January 16, 2012 1:26 PM

The feathers showcased in the photo accompany a recent essay in Audubon Magazine (screenshot above) are breathtaking to look at. But how safe are feathers to pick up? We're out for a rare walk around one of my favorite spots in the Bay Area, Stow Lake in Golden Gate Park. We've fed the geese and practiced our aim as we tried to toss bits of salvaged and saved bread to them and the mallards. We know the gulls will swoop in, loudmouthed and pushy, to steal away our stale but doughy… Read more

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