This Valentine’s Day will you be giving someone special a gift from the heart? Or will you be pleading with your Valentine not to break your heart? Perhaps you’ll be the recipient of a wonderful gift, and respond with heartfelt …[Continue]
Tsunami
On December 26, 2004, a powerful 9-magnitude earthquake struck beneath the Indian Ocean off the west coast of Sumatra. It was followed by a series of smaller quakes. The resulting tsunami caused massive damage across eleven countries in southern and …[Continue]
Grizzly Bears
Adult grizzly bears (also known as brown bears) measure from six to eight feet long, and weigh 350 to 500 pounds. There are approximately 1,200 grizzlies in the continental states (where they are endangered), about 25,000 in Canada, and roughly …[Continue]
Buoyancy
Buoyancy is the upward force that keeps things afloat. When placed in water, an object will float if its buoyancy is greater than its weight. And it will sink if its weight is greater than its buoyancy. Learn more about …[Continue]
Science Fair Projects
Each year there’s another batch of science fair pleas in my mailbox. “Help! My daughter (or son) needs a science fair project. Can you suggest one?” Each year, my answer is always the same: no. I make a point of …[Continue]
Dolphins
One of the reasons we find dolphins (and their cousins, whales and porpoises) so delightful is their playful behavior at the ocean’s surface. Breaching, spy hopping, and spouting are just three of the many dolphin antics that scientists have named. …[Continue]
Transit of Venus
On Tuesday, June 5-6, 2012, many of us will get to see a rare astronomical performance. Venus will pass between the Earth and the Sun, visible as a small black dot moving across the face of the Sun. Called a …[Continue]
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope, launched in 1990 by space shuttle Discovery, orbits the earth about 380 miles above us. It uses two cameras and two spectrographs to record images of space. Hubble’s pictures have delighted scientists and star gazers for …[Continue]
Plate Tectonics
Plate tectonics theory, formulated in the 1960s and 70s, states that the Earth’s outer crust is composed of moving plates. For example, two hundred million years ago there was only one super continent named Pangaea. Plate tectonics also explains how …[Continue]
Science of Light
Optics, the science of light, is studied by both scientists and engineers. It includes defining light, learning how it is produced, how it travels, and how it is measured. Today’s picks run the gamut from simple science for K-3 students, …[Continue]