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Subcategory: Science and Reading
Intense Heat Killed the Universe's Would-Be Galaxies, Researchers Say
Jul 1 2009 - ScienceDaily
Millions of would-be galaxies failed to develop after being exposed to intense heat from the first stars and black holes formed in the early Universe, according to new research.
Obama to Support Science in the Islamic World
Jun 5 2009 - ScienceInsider
In his recent speech in Cairo, President Barack Obama indicated his intentions to support
scientific initiatives in the Islamic world as part of his vision for promoting peaceful
relations between the United States and countries with a Muslim majority.
Physics Professor Combats Science Illiteracy
Jul 17 2007 - New York Times (Requires free registration)
Although it is rare for a senior professor to volunteer to teach basic science courses to undergraduates, Eric Mazur is determined to achieve this objective. Mazur, the Gordon McKay professor of Applied Physics at Harvard University, wants to end science illiteracy among the nation’s college students through his Physics 1b class. “It’s important to mentally engage students in what you are teaching,” Mazur noted. We are way too focused on facts and rote memorization, and not on learning the process of doing science.”
Photo Books 'Better for Toddlers than Pictures'
Apr 18 2007 - The Telegraph (United Kingdom)
Very young children learn faster from picture books that contain color photographs than from books with color drawings, according to new research. Psychologists say their study shows that illustrated books play a much greater role than simply entertaining young students, by helping them understand how the world works.
In Quest for Speed, Books Are Lost on Children
Oct 24 2006 - Washington Post (Requires free registration)
In many classrooms around the country, teachers are emphasizing, and periodically testing, students’ reading fluency, the current buzzword in reading instruction. The problem is that speed is not the only element to fluency, educators say. Key elements also include accuracy and expressiveness.
Stone Reveals Ancient Writing System
Sep 14 2006 - MSNBC.com
It’s more than idle doodling, and the meaning is unclear. But there is one thing researchers are sure of: the insect, ear of corn, inverted fish, and other symbols inscribed on an ancient slab found in Veracruz, Mexico, is the earliest known writing in the Western hemisphere.
Letters Reveal Einstein's Personal Life
Jul 11 2006 - ABC News
More than 3,500 pages of correspondence written by Albert Einstein have been unsealed. The material, unsealed by and available for study at Hebrew University’s Albert Einstein Archives, sheds no light on Einstein’s scientific efforts or how he reached his achievements. The material, however, does reveal information about Einstein’s private life, including his romantic affairs and how he was a more devoted father than previously thought. The letters also provide details on how Einstein lost most of his Nobel Prize money in the Great Depression.
Darwin's Patient Letter Up for Auction
Jun 26 2006 - NewScientist.com
Few scientists can rival Charles Darwin’s impact on the way we view the world, yet in a letter that has just surfaced, Darwin explains his ideas in modest terms. The six page letter dated October 15, 1860, to Rev. William Denton shows Darwin seemingly buoyant. Written in the aftermath of On the Origin of Species, the letter provides insight into how Darwin’s ideas were received, said Gabriel Heaton, a manuscript specialist at Sotheby’s in London. The organization plans to auction the letter.
Genetic Science Applied to Historic Prints
Jun 21 2006 - MSNBC.com
A biology professor with a passion for old prints and maps has found a new way to date centuries-old books by using a technique similar to what scientists use to study mutations. Pennsylvania State University’s Blair Hedges “print clock” technique consists of counting the number of discrepancies, such as line breaks on the same pages in the different editions of a book. Experts note that breaks or fading may be a result of wear and tear during print runs. Hedges said his analysis shows the breaks occur at a constant rate over time.
FAU Study Finds Route to Higher Test Scores Might Lead Through Science Lab
Jan 30 2006 - Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
Can elementary students become better readers by studying science? A new project is showing they can if their schools reconsider their attitudes. Schools, however, must see science as a crucial subject that does not take a backseat to reading and math. Schools must also have students devote two hours a day to lessons on climate, matter, energy forces, and ecosystems, as well as find teachers who want to overcome their fear of teaching chemistry, biology, and physics.
Writing Science for Children in an Age of Discovery
Dec 16 2003 - The New York Times (Requires free registration)
Writing science books for children can be a daunting task. The need to balance accuracy with enticing copy and artwork can pose a challenge for authors, but that is not stopping them from producing new works. According to an unidentified trade group, science books now make up a significant segment of the 5,000 children's books produced each year. [See also these NSTA links: Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K-12; NSTA Recommends]
Shakespeare Neuroscience and Literature Merge in a Study of How the Mind Works
Oct 9 2003 - USA Today
What do you get when you mix neuroscience with Shakespeare? The book The Bard on The Brain: Understanding the Mind Through the Art of Shakespeare and the Science of Brain Imaging by neuroscientist Paul Matthews and Shakespeare scholar Jeffrey McQuain. The publication pairs Shakespeare themes such as depression, old age, love, and revenge with 21st-century science and shows the human brain in color images as it works to produce such emotions. For more information on Science and Literature Connections, NSTA members can refer to the October 2003 issue of Science & Children.
New Premise in Science: Get the Word Out Quickly, Online
Dec 17 2002 - The New York Times (Requires free registration)
A group of scientists plan to announce this week the creation of two peer-reviewed online journals in biology and medicine in an effort to accelerate the progress of science and provide additional access to articles. The Public Library of Science project stems from years of friction between scientists and journals such as Science and Nature over who should control access to scientific literature in the electronic age. According to Dr. Harold Varmus, chair of the new project, “our ability to build on the old to discover the new is all based on the way we disseminate our results.”
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