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Subcategory: Informal Science
Take a Nanooze Break
Feb 26 2010 - National Science Foundation
A new long-term exhibition at the Walt Disney World Resort will bring visitors face to face with the nanoworld. It features a series of interactive displays that allow visitors to manipulate models of molecules and interact with scientists and engineers who conduct the latest nano research.
'Sidewalk Astronomy' to Sweep the U.S. This Weekend
Oct 23 2009 - Yahoo! News
To celebrate "Galilean Nights," a project supported by the International Year of Astronomy 2009, public observing events will be held this upcoming weekend in over 50 countries. More than 75 events in the United States are planned.
Beekeeping the New "Green" Thing to Do
Jun 29 2009 - Voice of America
As bee populations decline around the world, beekeeping is becoming the environmentally "in" thing to do, even in urban settings.
Cell Phones Allow Everyone to Be a Scientist
Jun 8 2009 - Yahoo! News
Equipped with high-tech GPS, cameras, and other sensing devices, cell phones can allow individuals to monitor their environment and their health. And they can even turn people into "citizen scientists" who contribute data to scientific research.
A Nightclub for Nerds Makes Science Cool in New York
Mar 5 2009 - The Christian Science Monitor
In Brooklyn, the Secret Science Club meets once a month, drawing lofty speakers and large numbers of young people, who yearn to discuss sci-tech issues in an informal setting. The Secret Science Club belongs to a burgeoning international community of "science cafes."
5 Surprising Holiday Health Myths
Dec 18 2008 - U.S. News & World Report
Many supposed holiday hazards are as innocuous as a tepid mug of apple cider. A review article in the current issue of the British Medical Journal cites five fears that can officially be crossed off the holiday worry list.
Happiness Is Contagious
Dec 5 2008 - WebMD
New research suggests that happiness is influenced not only by the people you know, but by the people they know. The study showed that happiness spreads through social networks, sort of like a virus, meaning that your happiness could influence the happiness of someone you've never even met.
1 in 5 Young Adults Has Personality Disorder
Dec 2 2008 - The Boston Globe
Almost one in five young American adults has a personality disorder that interferes with everyday life, and even more abuse alcohol or drugs, researchers reported in the most extensive study of its kind. The study also found that fewer than 25% of college-aged Americans with mental problems get treatment.
Adults Can Now Take President's Fitness Test
May 16 2008 - CNN.com
If you didn't get a Presidential Physical Fitness Award in school, the government is giving you another chance to prove you're in shape. An adult fitness test is being introduced by the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. It will incorporate several of the exercises that millions of students undertake each year as they aim for a certificate signed by the president.
How Second Life Affects Real Life
May 15 2008 - Time Magazine
New research suggests that the qualities you acquire in online virtual games--whether it's confidence or insecurity--can spill over and change your conduct in the real world, often without your awareness.
Green Funerals Make for Eco-Exits
Apr 22 2008 - Time Magazine
It's no longer enough to live a greener life--now people are being encouraged to be environmentally friendly when they leave the Earth too. Cardboard coffins, clothes sewn from natural fibers, a burial plot in a natural setting. Green funerals attempt to be eco-friendly at every stage.
Are Americans Afraid of the Outdoors?
Feb 6 2008 - Scientific American
Americans have been visiting national parks and other natural reserves less and less since 1987, new research confirms. Outdoor pursuits, ranging from camping to hunting, have entered a persistent and growing decline. The conservationists believe that the electronic world has supplanted the natural world as the leading diversion.
Famed Fossil 'Lucy' Meets the Press
Aug 29 2007 - MSNBC.com
The world’s most famous fossil has made her public debut amid controversy. Lucy, a 3.2 million-year-old Australopithecus afarensis, was unveiled at the Houston Museum of Natural Science on August 28. Scientists say they are outraged over the decision to bring Lucy to Houston because the fragile fossil could have been damaged en route to the museum. The fossil will be the centerpiece of an exhibit set to open on August 31.
Website Attracts Scientists for Work and Dating
Jul 3 2007 - The Guardian (United Kingdom)
A popular new website could involve scientists exchanging ideas, posting data, and finding love online. Facebook for professors, postdocs, and those who hold a doctoral degree is known as Nature Network. Established in February, the site already has hundreds of thousands visitors across the world and more than 10,000 users in the United Kingdom. Matt Brown, editor of the London office of Nature Network, said his office is considering a dating element to the site, but noted it is not a priority. The site, said Brown, is “designed more as a professional toolkit for scientists.”
Rare Manta Born
Jun 18 2007 - CBS News
Officials at a Japanese aquarium claim they have witnessed the world’s first manta ray born in captivity. The baby female manta was born June 16 in a huge fish tank at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. Aquarium official Minoru Toda said little has been known about the life of manta rays, and the record of pregnancy and the birth, would provide valuable scientific data to the studies of the species.
Virtual Journey to the Center of the Earth
May 22 2007 - Nature News
The Earth Simulator Center in Yokohama, Japan, has a new attraction along with its supercomputer: a mini theatre that will allow scientists to interact with data in three dimensions. The theatre extends the experience of working with complex dynamic systems.
Scientists Help Restore Aging Artworks
Apr 24 2007 - CBS News
When white masquerades as yellow, and green might actually be blue, a call goes out to Henry DePhillips. DePhillips, a Trinity College chemistry professor is among a cadre of specialists using cutting-edge science to solve the color mysteries of paintings and other cultural treasures often several centuries old.
Pi Day Celebrated
Mar 15 2007 - Nature News
What is it that draws hundreds of visitors to San Francisco’s Exploratorium every March to celebrate Pi Day? The allure of the unknowable? The draw of a mathematical mystery? Sure, all of that, said several participants at the March 14 event, but also the free pie.
Math Circles Primed for Idol's 300th Birthday
Jan 29 2007 - Philadelphia Inquirer (Requires free registration)
Move over Ben Franklin, your 300th anniversary has passed. It’s Leonhard Euler’s turn. Euler (pronounced Oiler) is one of the world’s most prolific mathematicians and the “intellectual ancestor” of Sudoku, a logic puzzle of squares that has become highly popular in recent years. Mathematics professors and teachers worldwide are excited over the forthcoming tercentenary of the birth of this numbers hero whose work is important in engineering, physics, and astronomy.
Dinosaur Show Brings Reptiles to Life
Jan 11 2007 - CBS News
What does it take to bring a dinosaur to life or at least a life-sized recreation? Start with 323 yards of fabric stretched over 144 yards of foam. Stuff the contraption with a half a mile of cabling, six hydraulic motors, and a dozen truck batteries. Program 24 computers to control the reptile's every move and cover with 56 gallons of paint. Finished product: a two-ton Torosaurus. The horned herbivore is one of 15 dinosaurs making their world debut in a Sidney stage production of the popular British Broadcasting Corporation documentary, Walking With Dinosaurs. The production will tour Australia before opening in the United States in July.
Crafty Geometry
Dec 28 2006 - Science News Online
Mathematicians are knitting and crocheting to visualize complex surfaces
Mathematics has long been an essential tool for the fiber arts. In recent years, mathematicians have started knitting and crocheting concrete physical models of hard-to-visualize mathematical objects. One mathematician's crocheted models of a counterintuitive shape called a hyperbolic plane are enabling her students and fellow mathematicians to gain new insight into startling properties. Other mathematicians have knitted or crocheted fractal objects, surfaces that have no inside or outside, and shapes whose patterns display mathematical theorems.
The Best Science Show on Television?
Nov 21 2006 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
It may be the best science program on television, in no small part because it does not purport to be a science program at all. What “Mythbusters” is best known for, to paraphrase Jamie Hyneman, is blowing stuff up. And banging stuff together. And setting stuff on fire. Hyneman and his partner, Adam Savage, do it for fun and ratings, of course. But in a subtle and goofily educational way, they commit mayhem for science’s sake.
Net Ranks Just Behind TV for Science News
Nov 21 2006 - MSNBC.com
The internet ranks behind only television as the leading source for science news and information, but most users will not trust what they read online blindly, according to a new study. The Pew Internet and American Life Project said in a report that 20% of Americans obtain most of their science information from the internet, compared with 41% who cited television. Newspapers and magazines were each credited by 14%, and radio by 4%.
Rays and Neutrons, for Art's Sake
Oct 24 2006 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Eager for precision in a field notorious for ambiguity and frustration, curators at top museums in Europe and the United States have long reached for the instruments of nuclear science to hit treasures of art with invisible rays. The resulting clues have helped answer vexing questions of provenance, age, and authenticity.
Mona Lisa in Stable Condition After 500 Years
Sep 26 2006 - MSNBC.com
The Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci’s 16th century masterpiece, is in fragile condition after 500 years, but should not suffer too much damage if taken care of properly, according to scientists who have examined the painting. Scientists from Canada’s National Research Council used special three–dimensional technology to examine both sides of the artwork, which was painted between 1503 and 1506 and is housed at the Louvre Museum in Paris.
Video Projections on a Globe Make Planetary Data Click
Jun 13 2006 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Although it was originally developed as a teaching tool for students and the public, Science on a Sphere is becoming increasingly popular among scientists. Science on a Sphere takes flat, two-dimensional images and data from spherical objects like planets and moons, and synchronizes and blends them into animated presentations. Scientists note that the pioneering system can help quickly convey large amounts of data.
Girl Guides Go for Launch
May 9 2006 - Nature News
In Britain, 75% of the 3.4 million people working in science, engineering, and technology-related careers are men. But organizers of a new initiative are hoping to inspire more women to pursue careers in science. Click on the link above to learn more about girl guides.
Taking the Rough-and-Tumble Approach to Science
Mar 29 2006 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Webcasting special events is an increasingly common practice for science museums that are trying to nurture online visitors, but it has been a longstanding activity at the Exploratorium. Since 1996, the museum has covered science events online, including six eclipses and scientific expeditions to Antarctica and the rain forests of Belize. Webcasts are so common for the Exploratorium, which regularly produces science-themed presentations and even game shows, that it has a broadcasting studio on its exhibition floor, complete with a podium, backdrops, and stage lighting.
Coming Soon to a Theater Near You: Mars in Glorious 3-D
Jan 25 2006 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
A dozen years ago, when they were just thinking about how to build remote-controlled vehicles for exploring the surface of Mars, Cornell University scientists Steve Squyres and Jim Bell already knew they wanted their rovers to have cameras worthy of an Imax screen. What they never imagined was those photographs would actually reach an Imax audience. But starting Jan. 27, in 25 Imax theaters across North America, audiences will be able to watch the rovers in a new 40-minute movie titled “Roving Mars.”
Aquarium Opens Invasive Species Exhibit
Jan 6 2006 - ABC News
A new exhibit at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago features invasive species threatening the Great Lakes. The exhibit concerns threats to the Great Lakes from invasive species of plants and animals that arrive in spots where they didn’t originate. They then multiply, spread, and harm the balance of their new environment by eating or competing with native species. Visitors who view the exhibit can learn tips about how they can help prevent introducing or spreading invasive species. For more information on Informal Science, NSTA members can refer to the January 2006 issue of The Science Teacher.
Fairy Tale Physics: Myths and Legends Explained
Dec 30 2005 - National Geographic News
Poor Rapunzel. Not only did she get locked up in a tall tower, but she literally risked her neck by allowing a prince to climb up her hair. Such dilemmas had long bothered Sue Stocklmayer, director of the National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science at the Australian National University. But Stocklmayer and her colleague Mike Gore have channeled their frustrations over fairy tale physics into a traveling science show. The duo hopes the show will enable students and adults to better understand science concepts. For more information on Informal Science, NSTA members can refer to the January 2006 issue of The Science Teacher.
Kids Learn Science on TV's Planet Zula
Dec 14 2005 - CNN/Associated Press
In the Public Broadcasting System's new show, “The Zula Patrol,” three cartoon aliens troll the universe while subtly teaching young viewers science lessons. Creator Deborah Manchester hopes to have the program on 80% of PBS stations by the end of 2005.
Science & Technology Web Awards 2005
Oct 3 2005 - Scientific American
The editors of Scientific American showcase 25 of their favorite websites, including a lively "virtual tavern" for discussing and combating the antievolution movement; a blog written by a collective of maverick neuroscientists with more than just neurons and synapses on their minds; a virtual trip through the solar system, compliments of NASA; and a site that promises to teach the finer points of relativity in less time than it takes to eat a sandwich.
Challenged by Creationists, Museums Answer Back
Sep 20 2005 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Science museums and other institutions are struggling to contend with visitors who reject settled precepts of science on religious grounds. Observers note that challenges to museum exhibitions on evolution are becoming more common. Efforts are under way to help combat the problem. “The goal is to understand the controversies, so that people are better able to handle them as they come up,” observed Judy Diamond, curator of public programs at the University of Nebraska State Museum in Lincoln. “Museums, as a field, have recognized we need to take a more proactive role in evolution education.”
'Grossology' is Stinky, Oozy and Educational
Aug 3 2005 - USA Today
A popular science exhibit shows that museums are getting wise about what it takes to educate kids: gross them out. Disgusting is appealing, says Peggy Toth, CEO of Advanced Animations, creator of the museum exhibit Grossology: The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body. The stinky and oozy realm of human bodily functions is the organization’s first touring museum exhibit. Inspiration for the exhibit came from a series of Grossology books authored by science teacher Sylvia Branzei.
What's Wrong With This Picture?
Oct 16 2004 - Science News
For years, scientists have worried that inaccurate science in movies and on television misinforms viewers who may not distinguish fact from fiction. Some scientists, however, see opportunities in the most outlandish films and television shows. To dispel popular misconceptions about science, educators are teasing out shreds of scientific truth hidden within the fiction. Scientists are using unredeemable inaccurate scenes to attract public attention to genuine scientific concepts. Scientists propose that more accurate depictions of research and more-favorable portrayals of scientists in movies and television shows might lead more youths to study science.
Isaac Newton's Legacy on Display
Oct 4 2004 - Scientific American
Fans of Isaac Newton can now see the famous scientist’s life on display. The Newtonian Moment: Science and the Making of Modern Culture showcases Newton’s enormous influence, not only on science, but also on popular culture and the public’s perception of the world. The exhibition includes documents and manuscripts, as well as original artwork and prints that illustrate Newton’s iconic status. Visitors can view the free exhibit from Oct. 8 through Feb. 5, 2005 at the New York Public Library.
Scientists: 'Blade Runner' Best
Aug 26 2004 - CBS News
Blade Runner is the world’s best science fiction film, according to a newspaper survey of top scientists. The film tells the story of a retired cop played by Harrison Ford who hunts for renegade human replicates in a dark futuristic vision of Los Angeles. Stanley Kubrick’s epic, 2001: A Space Odyssey, was ranked second, followed by the first of two films of George Lucas’ Star Wars trilogy: Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back.
Spiffed-Up Science Center
Aug 13 2004 - ABC News
After a $35 million renovation, officials with the Maryland Science Center hope to attract thousands of new visitors. Those who visit the center can dig for fossils, walk through a beating heart, and climb into a chimpanzees’ nest and play tug-of-war to learn physics. “We feel that people learn best by being able to do things and also see things,” noted Roberta Cooks, the center’s director of exhibits. “It’s just a wonderful way of learning.”
Scientists, Like Criminals, Peak at 30
Jul 10 2003 - Nature News
Scientists and criminals have something in common, according to a new study. A report authored by Satoshi Kanazawa, a psychologist at the London School of Economics and Political Science, shows the productivity level in both scientists and criminals peaks at the age of 30 and then goes rapidly downhill. Kanazawa notes committing crimes and publishing papers “are ways of catching the female eye.”
For Zoo Denizens, A Taste of the Wild
Jan 25 2002 - MSNBC--Washington Post
Did the animals seem wilder the last time you visited the zoo? If so, you may have been picking up on a nationwide cultural change in zoos, many of which are employing a variety of "enrichment activities" to simulate the challenges animals would face in a wild environment. Some facilities, pushing this idea to its controversial limit, are even feeding roadkill to their carnivores in public view. "It's important for carnivores to do what they are intended to do, and the [carcass] animals are dead anyway," one advocate said. Read more...
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