Science Buddies Blog (Page 94)

Pinhole Viewer: Trying Again for the Transit

June 4, 2012 9:40 AM

The Venus Transit offers a wonderful opportunity for family summer science and an easy DIY science activity—making a pinhole viewer. From parallax to exoplanets, tomorrow's transit raises plenty of talking points for students and their families, but a safe viewing strategy is a must. During the Venus Transit, Venus will appear as a dark spot crossing the face of the Sun. Safe viewing is a must, but families can witness this event, which won't happen again until 2117, using a… Read more

Venus Transit: Last Chance of the Century

June 4, 2012 8:54 AM

By Kim Mullin Did you know that our moon is not the only heavenly body to pass between Earth and the Sun? The orbits of both Mercury and Venus infrequently take them on such a path, and on June 5th, you will have your last opportunity of the century to see Venus make this "transit." The next transit of Venus will not occur until 2117! We call this phenomenon a "transit" because from Earth we can see the planet moving across the face of the Sun. Unlike a solar eclipse, when the moon… Read more

Two Students Win Outstanding Mentor Awards

June 1, 2012 9:00 AM

Annual Science Buddies award recognizes outstanding student mentor contributions in the Ask an Expert forums. Two high school students from New York receive this year's honors. Reshma Mir (top) and Grace Kim (bottom) received first and second place Craig Sander Outstanding Mentor awards for their help in the Ask an Expert forums this year. Ask an Expert: A Community of Volunteers Helping with K-12 Science Questions Ask an Expert is a free online forum that enables students… Read more

Success Story: A Video Game for the Blind

May 24, 2012 10:00 AM

Dylan Viale's fifth-grade science project gave him a chance to share something he enjoys with his grandmother, who is blind. Designing his first video game ever, Dylan created Quacky's Quest, a maze game you don't have to see to play! For his fifth grade science project, Dylan Viale (pictured above) used GameMaker to create a sound-based video game to share with his grandmother, who is blind. The project gave Dylan a firsthand look at what's involved in video game design, and his classmates… Read more

Family Science: Pinholes and Safe Solar Viewing

May 21, 2012 12:13 PM

Creating a pinhole projector for the eclipse encourages hands-on family science—and offers a lesson in perseverance. Family science doesn't always turn out exactly as planned, but everyone learns something along the way. Tubes, tape, and a pinhole lead to unexpected reflections of the eclipse for this family. I am not a scientist. I am a writer who works for Science Buddies, and so I approached yesterday's eclipse not as one of my scientist colleagues might, but as a mom who tries… Read more

Intel ISEF Winners Named

May 18, 2012 9:21 AM

Winners of the 2012 Intel ISEF have been named and the confetti thrown! Science Buddies is proud to find some of our student success stories and student volunteers among the winners. 2012 Intel ISEF winners of the Gordon E. Moor Award and the Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award. Source: Society for Science & the Public This year's top Intel ISEF winner and recipient of the Gordon E. Moore Award is Jack Andraka. The fifteen year old from Crownsville, MD, won first place for his… Read more

Gear Up for the Solar Eclipse

May 15, 2012 4:54 PM

By Kim Mullin Safely viewing a solar eclipse takes special equipment—ask an adult for help now so you are ready! Those who see the May 20 annular eclipse will see a ring of sun around a dark center. The above photo of the January 2011 annular eclipse was taken by the Hinode satellite. Image: NASA. Solar Eclipse to be Visible from Most of North America on May 20 As the Earth makes its rotation on May 20, many people around the world will be in for a treat—a view of a… Read more

The Goods on Glucose

May 15, 2012 10:23 AM

Depending on your age and your weight, you might stop, spoon poised, and fleetingly think twice about your loaded triple-fudge and caramel brownie sundae with extra candy sprinkles—just before you dig in. Whether you finish off the sundae alone or not, it's impossible to escape awareness of the debates that rage on about the nutritional dangers of too much sugar. But it isn't as simple as simply saying "no" to a spoonful of sugar here and there. When it comes to sugar and the body,… Read more

Celebrating Student Science

May 14, 2012 3:50 PM

The 2012 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) kicks off today! According to the Society for Science & the Public, more than 1,500 high school students from all over the world will be on hand in Pittsburgh this week to show off their projects and compete for more than three million dollars in awards. Blake and Matthew, winners of the 2011 Intel ISEF, are featured on the cover of this year's Intel ISEF program. To follow along with this week's Intel ISEF proceedings,… Read more

Personal Genetics and Prescription Drugs

May 9, 2012 5:58 AM

A single DNA mutation you don't even know you have may determine whether or not the medication your doctor prescribed will work for you. Image: Bigstock Due to differences in individual genetic makeup, prescription medications may work differently for different people. Online pharmacogenomics databases help document the relationship between genetic mutation and pharmaceuticals. When you catch a cold, you might reach for an over-the-counter product to help relieve symptoms like nasal… Read more

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