Science Buddies Blog (Page 97)

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

A Wolf Story in California

January 12, 2012 10:44 AM

News of a lone wolf roaming through California made SF Gate headlines today. The gray wolf's movements are being monitored, but according to reports, the nearest companion is hundreds of miles away—the other direction. Why is this wolf wandering alone—and away from the nearest known female (and the potential of creating a pack)? Students interested in patterns of animal movement—or wolf behavior—can learn more by using available radio telemetry wolf movement… Read more

Green Tiles: Renewable Energy One Step at a Time

January 11, 2012 9:14 AM

Pavegen's research into green technology, sustainable energy sources, and clean, renewable energy alternatives led to the development of Pavegen tiles—and an exploration of the potential offered by kinetic energy harvesting. Image: Pavegen, used with permission. The 2012 Olympic Games are being held in London, England, this summer. It's an event for which athletes spend years preparing and training. For competitors, the quest to bring home the gold is a driving force, but for… Read more

Looking Back: Science in 2011

January 3, 2012 6:23 AM

A look back at science news from 2011 opens up exciting angles for student research and investigation. Despite the exacting nature of "science" and the scientist's quest for cut and dried, statistically sound results, science is constantly changing. There are always new questions being asked and new answers being found, engineered, or developed. New research, new findings, new accidents, and new discoveries happen every day. This spirit of "what if" and "what next" and "why not" makes… Read more

Staff Picks: Top Project Ideas from 2011

December 28, 2011 11:48 AM

The staff of scientists, editors, and writers at Science Buddies work throughout the year to develop exciting new Project Ideas that encourage and enable hands-on student exploration of inspiring areas of science and cutting-edge topics of research. We have more than 1000 Project Ideas for K-12 students in our library of free science, technology, engineering, and math Project Ideas. As the year winds down, we asked our staff to pick their favorites from the Project Ideas introduced in 2011 and… Read more

Today in Science History: snakes!

December 21, 2011 11:45 AM

Born on December 21, 1883: Laurence Monroe Klauber, a herpetologist who was particularly interested in rattlesnakes. Snakes appear in many different locations, including tucked away inside warm, dark caves. While winter weather may keep you indoors, you can learn more about cave formation and the ecosystems that live within by reading the Speleology: Counting Formations in a Local Cave geology Project Idea (and watching the Dragonfly TV video segment). (Science Buddies Geology Project… Read more

Turn Your Pencil Into a Dimmer Switch

December 19, 2011 12:05 PM

Put holiday lights and pencils to use in this introductory circuits and electronics project! If the holidays are in force in your house during the days of December, you might just have materials lying around that could shed a bit (or less) light on some fundamental principles involved in working with electricity and simple circuits. The Sliding Light: How to Make a Dimmer Switch Project Idea is a fun and hands-on electronics project that lets you explore what happens when you increase or… Read more

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