Science Buddies Blog (Page 84)

May 17, 2013 11:40 AM

Starting your summer break reading list? A new release from Mario Livio highlights notable "missteps" from well-known scientists. Today in TIME Science & Space: "Science's Brilliant Blunders: How Oops Moments Became Eurekas", discussion of Brilliant Blunders: From Darwin to Einstein - Colossal Mistakes by Great Scientists That Changed Our Understanding of Life and the Universe by Mario Livio, author of The Golden Ratio: The Story of PHI, the World's Most Astonishing Number. The… Read more

Family Math: Making a Geodesic Dome from Straws

May 16, 2013 7:00 AM

The above photos were taken during the creation of a geodesic dome as a family math and science activity over spring break. The dome resembles the dome created in the "Dome Sweet Dome" math Project Idea, but we used straws instead of newspaper, a different assembly process, and threw in some duct tape customization for visual effect. A model dome like this can be made in any size (as long as you figure out the relative lengths of the struts). This one is pretty… Read more

Exploring Engineering with Hands-on Building Systems

May 15, 2013 8:56 AM

Born on May 15, 1863: Frank Hornby, an inventor whose "toys" included Meccano, an engineering construction set of nuts, bolts, and strips of sheet metal. Hornby first devised the system for his children. When he moved on to mass produce Meccano, he marketed the product as "Mechanics Made Easy." Meccano sets, introduced for sale in 1902, resemble Erector sets, and today Meccano owns the Erector brand. Whether beams and bolts or brick-based, toy building systems give kids (and tinkerers of… Read more

Student Creates Science Alliance Network to Increase Science Mentoring

May 13, 2013 11:50 AM

Christina Ren, a high school junior and founder of Science Alliance Network believes student-to-student mentorship is key to keeping young kids excited about science. By Kim Mullin Above: Christina Ren at the 2012 Intel Inernational Science and Engineering Fair where she presented her project on the bioactive properties of deer antler and its therapeutic potential on wound healing. Look for Science Alliance Network at Intel ISEF! Christina and her mentor, Patti Carothers, are presenting a… Read more

Flower Pigment Science: Weekly Science Project Idea/Home Science Activity Spotlight

May 9, 2013 11:00 AM

Use paper chromatography to explore the colors that make up flowers! In this week's spotlight: a pair of flower power projects, perfect for spring and Mother's Day! Paper chromatography is used to help separate a solution into its components. In these hands-on science activities, paper chromatography lets students see what makes up the "colors" of flowers. Are all red flowers the same in terms of pigment? Pluck a few petals and find out! … Read more

Running for Science—Not from It

May 7, 2013 8:00 AM

A swarm of "scientists" ran the streets of Chicago in celebration of science and science education, thanks to Astellas Pharma US, Inc. Bystanders in the Chicago area a few weeks ago may have caught an unusual site—a swarm of scientists out of their labs and spilling through Grant Park in downtown Chicago. If you spotted a bunch of swift-footed scientists in lab coats running through the streets, you might have thought something was up, something of epic scientific proportion. You… Read more

Colorful Carnations: Hands-on with Capillary Function

May 6, 2013 10:00 AM

What color flowers do you want this week? Nature produces a wide array of wonderful colors, but plant biology opens the way for a whimsical "choose your own color" flower experiment, perfect for home or the classroom. April showers, May flowers, and Mother's Day... flowers may be out in abundance at your grocery or corner market, but not all flowers bundled and labeled for sale are straight from the garden. This science mom's daughter was excited by… Read more

Iron Man 3 Out Today--Highlight the Science

May 3, 2013 9:40 AM

The Suit in Iron Man 3 No spoilers here, but there has been plenty of talk about the suit in the Iron Man 3 movie. In fact, word has it that there are a plethora of suits that have been designed between the last movie and this installment. With so many iterations in between, it will be exciting to see how the suit has evolved and what features it sports now. If you were the designer, what kind of suit would you build? Which reactor would you use? What color armor and why? Right now,… Read more

Crystal Chemistry: Weekly Science Project Idea/Home Science Activity Spotlight

May 2, 2013 8:30 AM

In this week's spotlight: a pair of projects that extend a classic chemistry exploration—growing crystals. Growing crystals makes for excellent and engaging hands-on, kitchen science that can be enjoyed by all ages, but what determines the size of the crystals? Explore the relationship between temperature and crystal formation in these science project and activity procedures: Crazy Crystal Creations: How to Grow the Best and the Largest Crystals (full Science Buddies Project… Read more

Radiometric Dating: Playing Half-life Odds

April 30, 2013 11:00 AM

Roll the dice in a fun hands-on simulation of an isotope's decay to better understand the way scientists date mind-boggling old matter. A Winning Math and Geology Combo! Students will need a 100 'marked' dice (a piece of tape on one side of each) to conduct the "How Old Is That Rock? Roll the Dice & Use Radiometric Dating to Find Out" hands-on geology project. With dice at the ready, students can roll their way to better understanding of how an isotope decays. When it comes to… Read more

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