July 26, 2024
NASA's Curiosity rover discovered pure sulfur on Mars. Plus, monogamous prairie voles may help us understand how our brains respond to love, and how they move on after heartbreak. And researchers developed the first anode-free solid-state battery that’s based on sodium, which is cheaper and more abundant than lithium.
Study Tracks Alzheimer’s Progression In Mice
A new study looks at the role a corrupted protein plays in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
What’s So Cool About Frozen Water?
Ice can be hard to get a handle on, literally and figuratively.
Mini Speed Demons
From mantis shrimp to trap-jaw ants, some of the fastest organisms on the planet are ones you may never have heard of.
What Happens When You Levitate Flies?
In a recent study, Richard Hill levitated fruit flies to see how they behaved when they didn’t have gravity pulling them down.
Microorganisms on the Move
In this activity, students will learn how to prepare deep well slides for observing two types of microorganisms called Paramecium (a group of protozoa, or single-celled organisms, which move with cilia, so they are called “ciliates”) and Euglena (microorganisms which move with flagella, so they are known as “flagellates”).
Cool Craniums
In this activity, students will observe three “mystery” mammal skulls and compare and contrast the features of each skull. Students will learn the anatomical terms for skull features such as orbits, nasal passages, and foramen magnum. Students will learn how these features relate to physical characteristics or behaviors of each animal. Students will use their observations and recordings to attempt to identify each skull, and will discuss how these physical characteristics helped the animal survive in its environment.
Behind the Scenes with Inventor – and Actor – Hedy Lamarr
A new book looks at the life of the brainy movie star Hedy Lamarr.
Behold, The 1,000-Pound Pumpkin
Visit Robert Sabin’s pumpkin patch: he has been growing giant pumpkins—the breed is Atlantic Giant—for over ten years.
Meet The Balloonatics
It’s crunch time for the “balloonatics” at Macy’s Parade Studio.
Keeping a Betta
In this activity, students will research general information about bettas and use that information to determine suitable habitat requirements and maintenance. Students will work collaboratively to perform weekly maintenance duties to keep their betta alive. Students also will observe physical characteristics of their betta and conduct investigations on the behavioral characteristics of their betta.
When Is a Moth Like a Hummingbird?
A hawk moth feeds by hovering in front of flowers and slurping nectar through a proboscis, basically a body-length straw.
Mineral Madness
Geologists are greatly interested in minerals because they can reveal an enormous amount about the history of the geologic environment in which they are found. Geologists can classify and identify minerals by observing various properties such as streak, hardness, luster and, in some cases, fluorescence. In this activity, students will examine 10 mineral specimens and explore the different properties that minerals exhibit.
Geek My Pumpkin
Maniac Pumpkin Carvers Marc and Chris carve hundreds of pumpkins each fall, which go for a few hundred bucks and rarely end up on stoops. They gave us some tips for how to bring our pumpkins to the next level this Halloween.
Spinning Eggs In Space
NASA astronaut Don Pettit did science experiments in Space that interested him–like testing whether raw and hard-boiled eggs spin differently in space (as they do on Earth).
Could A Lack Of Empathy Explain Cruelty?
Simon Baron-Cohen explains the consequences of decreased empathy.
Cultivating the Perfect Chili Pepper
If you’ve had supermarket salsa, you’ve probably eaten one of Ed Curry’s chili peppers. Visit his farm and find out how the heat gets in chilis.
Termite Symbiosis
In this activity, students will sort and classify interactions between pairs of organisms under the appropriate symbiotic relationship of commensalism, parasitism, and mutualism. Then students will observe mutualism in action, as they perform a termite dissection.
Wind Power
In this activity, students will discuss the differences between the Bear Creek Wind Park and Bergey Windpower turbines. Students will learn the basic parts of a wind turbine and then build their own model wind turbine out of recyclable materials. Students will test their model wind turbines using three different-sized blades to determine which size harnesses the most wind.
Technology’s Odd Couple Teams Up For Science
Musician will.i.am and inventor Dean Kamen are working together to get kids interested in robotics.
Colorful Chromosomes
In this activity, students review how human physical traits, such as eye color, are determined by specific segments of genes. Students will use basic crafts materials to build a simplified model of a pair of chromosomes that represents some of their own physical traits. Then students will compare and contrast their models, to determine which traits are most frequently found among their classmates and therefore can be called high frequency traits.