Cool eh? I got this over at the Ig Nobels.
Category Archives: science
Grow A New Bone!
Next Big Future has an awesome post on how to grow new bone cell off 3-D printed copy of a bone. It is so cool. Pop over and read all about it!
Refrigerated Beaches?
This is just an example of people with way to much money who know even more people with even more money.
Science Dork Alert!
There is an awesome article how engineers are retrofitting UC Berkley’s stadium. Why?
Memorial Stadium was built in 1923 atop the Hayward Fault, which the U.S. Geological Survey said has a 70 percent chance of hatching a 6.7-magnitude or greater quake by 2030. The earth could move up to 6 feet horizontally and 2 feet vertically, presenting a challenge to engineers charged with saving the stadium and the football fans who might be inside.
While plenty of buildings around the world sit atop earthquake faults, Memorial Stadium is unique because of the sheer quantity of people it holds: 75,662. It’s also unique because seismologists know exactly where the fault lies – under Section LL, through both end zones and out Section XX.
Cool.
(HT: Instapundit)
Homeschooler Powers Activate: Name the Bug
My friends over at The Weave were taking pictures at the park on Saturday and found this bug. While you can’t really see the wings, it was flying. As The Weave describes it, it is a cross between a spider and a June Bug but they don’t know what it is.
Well, I have faith in all you homeschooling families and I think it is a great time to show off your science knowledge. What is this bug? Let’s knock the socks off this public school teacher(Who is a great guy, even though;). Leave your guesses or narrowing knowledge in the comments.
Allergy Gene?
Apparently Munich scientists have found the gene that may be responsible for many people’s allergies. The FCER1A gene controls the lgE receptor. It appears that the lgE receptor is what fights off parasites (in people who need that). Maybe now a gene therapy drug can be developed to treat allergies once and for all.
Fun with Chemistry
Its Hip to be Nerdy
Queen’s guitarist Brian May finished his PhD in Astronomy last year from Imperial College in London. Now his doctoral thesis is being published. Apparently he was working on his doctorate when Queen began to take off so he put the PhD on the back burner.
As a stay at home mom it brings me joy to see someone who took a 30 year break in education getting critical acclaim for their research. It brings me hope that someday I may actually go back to school.
As a nerd it brings me joy to see a rock legend say things like this:
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my years playing guitar and recording music with Queen,” said May, 61, who earlier this summer received his doctorate in a ceremony at the Albert Hall. “But it’s extremely gratifying to see the publication of my thesis. I’ve been fascinated with astronomy for years.”
You don’t have to collect knowledge for the sake of making money in it but the pure joy!
(HT: Physorg.com)
Frugal Homeschooler: Science
Once again I am out there looking for ways to homeschool on the cheap and this time I am sharing great science websites.
First up is MSNucleus. They have complete, free science curriculum for K-12. You can use the units as is or, like I do, canabilize them to use specific resources for specific points. Next is The Gorilla Foundation. You can get information on gorillas, got to the kids club or see KoKo the gorilla sign. This is very useful to me this year as we are doing 10 animal units. The third sight is a cool Nasa weather sight, SciJinks. They have activities in 4 areas: fun, People, Weather Technology and How & Why.
You can’t forget the hands on science experiments with the TWINKIES Project. They have all kinds of cool experiments that teach real science principles. The last site for today is Extreme Science. They have facts and info on areas of science. I am sure that we will be spending loads of time here.
There are just a few of the science site the web has to offer. If you have any that you like, please share. As always remember homeschooling doesn’t have to be hard or expensive!(Yes, I am trying to develop a tagline;)
Why I Sneez, Shiver, Hiccup, and Yawn
This was a good book on reflexes that we read aloud over the weekends. The kids loved the illustrations and activities included in the back. It was a simply put book that explained why you have physical reactions to some things. It could have been an independent read except for just a few words. I like that they included real phrases such as plantar reflex yet keep it simple enough for kids to grasp. I would recommend this book!