Friday, March 12, 2010
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Chile Quake Changed Earth's Rotation ... probably.
Penguin Wars and Stranger Things
A few years ago we did the same project in science that you are doing now, where students had to invent a board game that taught about simple machines. I am always impressed by the projects I get! Here is one with some pretty involved maps and rules about acquiring territory, in which the opposing players drive little Lego ATV's:
In this next one, called "My Little Boa", there's a simple objective (a Candyland-like path), but the player in possession of the board has to wear a feather boa and a tiara; there is also a song that goes with it. The loser has to wear a plastic bucket on her head.
Here is the board all set up for play:
And here are the little game pieces, drawn by the student in a drawing program, miniaturized, and mounted on foam squares. Have you ever seen penguin snipers or swordsmen? How about heavy gunners? Cavalry!??!!?
In this next one, called "My Little Boa", there's a simple objective (a Candyland-like path), but the player in possession of the board has to wear a feather boa and a tiara; there is also a song that goes with it. The loser has to wear a plastic bucket on her head.
I loved this one, a trivia game based upon Cheaper by the Dozen, or something like that.
Here is the board all set up for play:
Conclusion: I love my job.
By far the best game, an actually marketable game, was this one called "Penguin Wars," a battle strategy game involving conquest of igloo-building territory and materials.And here are the little game pieces, drawn by the student in a drawing program, miniaturized, and mounted on foam squares. Have you ever seen penguin snipers or swordsmen? How about heavy gunners? Cavalry!??!!?
The Prandtl–Glauert Singularity, a.k.a. "vapor cone"
Many of you have ben asking how the vapor cone pictured in the sound barrier post forms. This vapor cone is known as the Prandtl–Glauert Singularity or P.G. Singularity. It is sometimes also referred to as a shock collar or shock egg.
This effect can be seen anytime air is forced to rapidly expand and contract, such as during supersonic flight, and even during bomb explosions.
Apollo 11
Operation Crossroads
F-18
The cause of the PGS is complicated & still being studied, but in general what occurs is that rapid air pressure changes in the wake of the aircraft traveling at or above the speed of sound cause a temperature drop. If the tempertaure drops below the dew point, water vapor in the area condenses into water droplets. So the cone-shaped shock wave is, in simple terms, a cloud that forms in the region of the shock wave, much like the cloud-in-a-jar that you saw in 7th grade.
Source: Wikipedia.org
One Crazy Ride [a must watch video!]
(click link above)
Justification for posting on this blog:
1. It is awesome.
2. Simple machines! (wheel & axle)
3. Acceleration!
4. Gravity!
5. Friction!
6. Momentum!
7. Collisions (hopefully not)!
8. Great music.
9. Makes me happy to be alive.
Disclaimer:Just because you see it on the interwebz does not indicate that you should do it.
Monday, March 01, 2010
Speaking of Sculpture...
Mask II wikipedia.org
Boy wikipedia.org
Ron Mueck sculpts gigantic, realistic human figures. This style of art is called hyperrealism. The figures look realistic from every angle, and have lots of detail. Many of them are nudes (I warned you!), elderly people, and people with physical flaws like most people have. Read more about him on Wikipedia here.
Tsunami
With the recent earthquake in Chile and subsequent Tsunami alarms across the Pacific Ocean, you may be wondering how a tsunami forms. There is an excellent and lengthy description here.
i.cdn.turner.com
Tsunamis are formed as a result of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or landslides that occur under the sea. When these events occur under the water, huge amounts of energy are released as a result of quick upward bottom movement. For example, if a volcanic eruption occurs, the ocean floor may very quickly move upward several hundred feet. When this happens, huge volumes of ocean water are pushed upward and a wave is formed. A large earthquake can lift thousands of square kilometers of sea floor which will cause the formation of huge waves. The Pacific Ocean is especially prone to tsunamis as a result of the large amount of undersea geological activity.
blog.indahnesia.com
windows.ucar.edu
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Mini Art!!!
"Wizard of Oz" in the eye of a needle.
The British mini-sculptor Willard Wigan creates these incredible mini sculptures that have already the status of “the eighth wonder of the world”. The process of creating is very delicate and almost anything can affect his work. So, the artist “enters a meditative state in which his heartbeat is slowed, allowing him to reduce hand tremors and sculpt between pulse beats”. It’s just impressive what efforts artists should do in order to achieve the desired effect. See his gallery here.
30-Second Bunnies Theater
Monday, February 22, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Northrop Grumman Foundation Weightless Flights of Discovery To Be Featured on CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer
There I am ... 6th from left.
Tune in on Friday, Feb. 12, 2010 * during the 6 o’clock hour (Eastern) to watch CNN’s segment on the Northrop Grumman Foundation Weightless Flights of Discovery program. The story is slated to air at around 6:45 p.m.
Brian Todd, news correspondent for The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, will highlight elements of the weightless flights program including the final flight of the 2009 program, which took place in Washington , D.C.
Please check your local television schedules for station and airtimes in your area.
*Note: In the event of breaking news, scheduling changes may occur. We will attempt to notify everyone of the new air date and time as soon as we are able to confirm with the network.
Sunday, December 06, 2009
The Giant Jellies are Coming!
(CNN) -- Giant jellyfish descend on the Sea of Japan, causing untold devastation to coastal villages and leaving a trail of destruction and human misery behind
A diver attaches a sensor to a Nomura's jellyfish off the coast of northern Japan in October 2005.
.
Sounds like a great sci-fi flick. But it's not.
It's real and a nightmare for Japanese fishermen.
The massive sea creatures, called Nomura's jellyfish, can grow 6 feet (1.83 meters) in diameter and weigh more than 450 pounds (204 kilos). Scientists think they originate in the Yellow Sea and in Chinese waters. For the third year since 2005, ocean currents are transporting them into the Sea of Japan.
Monty Graham, a marine biologist at Alabama's Dauphin Island Sea Lab, said the jellyfish grow to an enormous size as they are transported by ocean currents. He said they stay together in packs and as they drift northward, they get caught in fishermen's nets.
The giant jellyfish are one of about 200 species of coastal jellyfish or large jellyfish that exist around the world. But Nomura's stands out because of its enormous size.
"The sheer size of them, individually, makes them fairly spectacular," Graham said. Spectacular, perhaps, to scientists, but perilous to villagers along the Japanese coast who have seen the destructive habits of these colossal creatures in the past. They had giant-jellyfish invasions in 2005 and 2007, and because they've recently been spotted in the Sea of Japan, they're bracing for another, potentially harmful wave this summer.
The jellyfish destroy fishermen's nets, getting trapped in them, tearing holes and ruining catches.
Fishermen often use expensive mazelike nets that stretch for hundreds of kilometers. When swarms of giant jellyfish tear them, the result is devastating.
"Communities of fishermen and these fishing villages own these nets," Graham said. "When these nets get wiped out, it actually has this economic devastation for an entire community."
The good news is that previous attacks have prompted Japan to put in place a warning system for fishermen. While they still risk losing a big catch, they can, at least, save their pricey nets from the invasion of the giant jellyfish.
It's not clear why waves of Nomura's jellyfish have made it to the Sea of Japan in recent years. Some have speculated that overfishing, pollution or rising ocean temperatures may have depleted the kinds of fish that prey on Nomura's jellyfish in the polyp stage. However, no one is certain, Graham said.
A diver attaches a sensor to a Nomura's jellyfish off the coast of northern Japan in October 2005..
It's real and a nightmare for Japanese fishermen.
The massive sea creatures, called Nomura's jellyfish, can grow 6 feet (1.83 meters) in diameter and weigh more than 450 pounds (204 kilos). Scientists think they originate in the Yellow Sea and in Chinese waters. For the third year since 2005, ocean currents are transporting them into the Sea of Japan.
Monty Graham, a marine biologist at Alabama's Dauphin Island Sea Lab, said the jellyfish grow to an enormous size as they are transported by ocean currents. He said they stay together in packs and as they drift northward, they get caught in fishermen's nets.
The giant jellyfish are one of about 200 species of coastal jellyfish or large jellyfish that exist around the world. But Nomura's stands out because of its enormous size.
"The sheer size of them, individually, makes them fairly spectacular," Graham said. Spectacular, perhaps, to scientists, but perilous to villagers along the Japanese coast who have seen the destructive habits of these colossal creatures in the past. They had giant-jellyfish invasions in 2005 and 2007, and because they've recently been spotted in the Sea of Japan, they're bracing for another, potentially harmful wave this summer.
The jellyfish destroy fishermen's nets, getting trapped in them, tearing holes and ruining catches.
Fishermen often use expensive mazelike nets that stretch for hundreds of kilometers. When swarms of giant jellyfish tear them, the result is devastating.
"Communities of fishermen and these fishing villages own these nets," Graham said. "When these nets get wiped out, it actually has this economic devastation for an entire community."
The good news is that previous attacks have prompted Japan to put in place a warning system for fishermen. While they still risk losing a big catch, they can, at least, save their pricey nets from the invasion of the giant jellyfish.
It's not clear why waves of Nomura's jellyfish have made it to the Sea of Japan in recent years. Some have speculated that overfishing, pollution or rising ocean temperatures may have depleted the kinds of fish that prey on Nomura's jellyfish in the polyp stage. However, no one is certain, Graham said.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Awesome Tides Video Clip
This video really shows the fluctuation of the highs & lows between spring & neap tides. Thanks, C!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Friday, October 09, 2009
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Some pretty great experiments in Zero G!
The narration is a bit dry (& big words) but the video is a.w.e.s.o.m.e! Espcially the Alka-Seltzer experiment!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
More WFOD Coverage
Sep. 29, 2009 (GlobeNewswire) --
NORWALK, Conn., Sept. 29, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) Foundation sent 30 educators representing various school districts throughout Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island into weightlessness today as part of the Northrop Grumman Foundation Weightless Flights of Discovery Program, which aims to inspire and prepare the next generation of scientists, mathematicians and engineers -- critical areas where the U.S. has fallen behind globally.
The United States is experiencing a shortage of college graduates in the STEM disciplines, a negative trend that bodes ill for the nation's industries that depend on talented scientists and mathematicians. Because studies have indicated most children make the decision to pursue math and science education and careers during middle-school, Northrop Grumman developed the Weightless Flights of Discovery to engage teachers, and key influencers in the lives of students during these crucial years.
NORWALK, Conn., Sept. 29, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) Foundation sent 30 educators representing various school districts throughout Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island into weightlessness today as part of the Northrop Grumman Foundation Weightless Flights of Discovery Program, which aims to inspire and prepare the next generation of scientists, mathematicians and engineers -- critical areas where the U.S. has fallen behind globally.
The program, in its fourth year, provides educators with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to prepare for and participate in micro- and zero-gravity flights during which they test Newton's Laws of Motion with a variety of planned experiments. The experience and experiment results are captured through photos and videos that the teachers will then take into their classrooms to share with their students in order to demonstrate how exciting and cool careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) can be.
As the plane flew over the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, teachers conducted a range of experiments, including soaring like Superman, as they experienced lunar, Martian and zero gravity. Pictured: James Janski, Wells Road Intermediate School, Granby, CT (top row, left); Geoffrey Bergen, Whisconier Middle School, Brookfield, CT (top row, right); Michael Gary, J. A. DePaolo Middle School, Southington, CT (second row, right); Nina Rooks Cast, Cooley Health, Science, Technology High School, Providence, RI (second row, left), and Brian Katz, Keansburg High School, Keansburg, NJ (bottom row, left).
The Northrop Grumman Foundation supports diverse and sustainable programs for students and teachers. These programs create innovative education experiences in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Zero G or Bust!
Bye everyone, we are off to fly the Weightless Flight of Discovery on Tuesday! Here’s a website that tells a little more about it, if you are interested … our exact flight begins at 11 AM. Think of us!!!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
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