This post is part of KQED’s Do Now U project. Do Now U is a biweekly activity for students and the public to engage and respond to current issues using social media. Do Now U aims to build civic engagement and digital literacy for learners of all ages. This Read More …
This post is part of KQED’s Do Now U project. Do Now U is a biweekly activity for students and the public to engage and respond to current issues using social media. Do Now U aims to build civic engagement and digital literacy for learners of all ages. This Read More …
For some dinosaur fanatics, seeing them roam the Earth again would be a dream come true. But what if modern science could make that dream a reality? Do you think we should we bring back extinct species?
from QUEST http://ift.tt/2pfi6Qj
For some dinosaur fanatics, seeing them roam the Earth again would be a dream come true. But what if modern science could make that dream a reality? Do you think we should we bring back extinct species?
Featured Resource: How Hydrogen Fuel Is Made (DNews)
Is hydrogen fuel the future of car fuel? Learn more about how it’s made.
Do Now
Do you believe hydrogen fuel cells are a practical renewable energy option? Should companies invest in improving fuel cell technology or should Read More …
Featured Resource: How Hydrogen Fuel Is Made (DNews)
Is hydrogen fuel the future of car fuel? Learn more about how it’s made.
Do Now
Do you believe hydrogen fuel cells are a practical renewable energy option? Should companies invest in improving fuel cell technology or should Read More …
Featured Media Resource:This Is How You Spot Bad Science Reporting (Above the Noise/KQED) How can you spot bad science reporting? Host Myles Bess helps you do just that by following this simple acronym: G – L – A – D.
Featured Media Resource:This Is How You Spot Bad Science Reporting (Above the Noise/KQED) How can you spot bad science reporting? Host Myles Bess helps you do just that by following this simple acronym: G – L – A – D.
This post is part of KQED’s Do Now U project. Do Now U is a biweekly activity for students and the public to engage and respond to current issues using social media. Do Now U aims to build civic engagement and digital literacy for learners of all ages. This Read More …
This post is part of KQED’s Do Now U project. Do Now U is a biweekly activity for students and the public to engage and respond to current issues using social media. Do Now U aims to build civic engagement and digital literacy for learners of all ages. This Read More …
This post is part of KQED’s Do Now U project. Do Now U is a biweekly activity for students and the public to engage and respond to current issues using social media. Do Now U aims to build civic engagement and digital literacy for learners of all ages. This Read More …
This post is part of KQED’s Do Now U project. Do Now U is a biweekly activity for students and the public to engage and respond to current issues using social media. Do Now U aims to build civic engagement and digital literacy for learners of all ages. This Read More …
This post is part of KQED’s Do Now U project. Do Now U is a biweekly activity for students and the public to engage and respond to current issues using social media. Do Now U aims to build civic engagement and digital literacy for learners of all ages. This Read More …
This post is part of KQED’s Do Now U project. Do Now U is a biweekly activity for students and the public to engage and respond to current issues using social media. Do Now U aims to build civic engagement and digital literacy for learners of all ages. This Read More …
This post is part of KQED’s Do Now U project. Do Now U is a biweekly activity for students and the public to engage and respond to current issues using social media. Do Now U aims to build civic engagement and digital literacy for learners of all ages. This Read More …
This post is part of KQED’s Do Now U project. Do Now U is a biweekly activity for students and the public to engage and respond to current issues using social media. Do Now U aims to build civic engagement and digital literacy for learners of all ages. This Read More …
This post is part of KQED’s Do Now U project. Do Now U is a biweekly activity for students and the public to engage and respond to current issues using social media. Do Now U aims to build civic engagement and digital literacy for learners of all ages. This Read More …
This post is part of KQED’s Do Now U project. Do Now U is a biweekly activity for students and the public to engage and respond to current issues using social media. Do Now U aims to build civic engagement and digital literacy for learners of all ages. This Read More …
This post is part of KQED’s Do Now U project. Do Now U is a biweekly activity for students and the public to engage and respond to current issues using social media. Do Now U aims to build civic engagement and digital literacy for learners of all ages. This Read More …
This post is part of KQED’s Do Now U project. Do Now U is a biweekly activity for students and the public to engage and respond to current issues using social media. Do Now U aims to build civic engagement and digital literacy for learners of all ages. This Read More …
This post was written by Masha Pershay, KQED Learning intern.
Earth Science Weekwas organized by theAmerican Geosciences Institutealmost two decades ago in order to help people understand and appreciate the earth sciences. This is the perfect time to learn how the atmosphere, the oceans, and earth processes have shaped—and are continuing to shape—our planet. To celebrate this year’s Earth Science Week (October 9-15), explore some of geologist Andrew Alden’s geological outings around the Bay Area, and learn the history of rock formations beneath some of the most iconic local landscapes.
Geological Outings Around the Bay: Shell Beach
This beach in Sonoma County is of particular interest for geologists because of the wide range of rocks found here, which have been grouped into a category called Franciscan Melange. Learn how the subduction zones and tectonic mixing affected the history of the rocks on Shell Beach.
Geological Outings Around the Bay: San Bruno Mountain Just south of the city of San Francisco, San Bruno Mountain not only offers spectacular views of the bay, but also holds a lot of information about the geological history of the Bay Area. Study the complete anatomy of San Bruno Mountain with the special map provided in this article.
Geological Outings Around the Bay: Los Trancos Open Space The San Andreas Fault runs through Los Trancos, making it the perfect location for observing this earthquake trail and surrounding landscape features. Using lidar, a laser-based mapping technology, geologists are able to create detailed topographic images of the San Andreas Fault.
Geological Outings Around the Bay: Marin Headlands The Marin Headlands are known for their distinctive cliffs and iconic views of the Golden Gate Bridge, as well as visually stunning rocks called ribbon chert. Learn about the different types of rocks and minerals that make up the Marin Headlands.
Geological Outings Around the Bay: Natural Bridges Located off the coast of Santa Cruz, Natural Bridges is a fabulous place to observe rocks with intricate patterns that date back as far as 10 million years. Learn about the different processes that rocks undergo throughout their lifetime.
from QUEST http://ift.tt/2cXIYgn
This post was written by Masha Pershay, KQED Learning intern.
Earth Science Weekwas organized by theAmerican Geosciences Institutealmost two decades ago in order to help people understand and appreciate the earth sciences. This is the perfect time to learn how the atmosphere, the oceans, and earth processes have shaped—and are continuing to shape—our planet. To celebrate this year’s Earth Science Week (October 9-15), explore some of geologist Andrew Alden’s geological outings around the Bay Area, and learn the history of rock formations beneath some of the most iconic local landscapes.
Geological Outings Around the Bay: Shell Beach
This beach in Sonoma County is of particular interest for geologists because of the wide range of rocks found here, which have been grouped into a category called Franciscan Melange. Learn how the subduction zones and tectonic mixing affected the history of the rocks on Shell Beach.
Geological Outings Around the Bay: San Bruno Mountain Just south of the city of San Francisco, San Bruno Mountain not only offers spectacular views of the bay, but also holds a lot of information about the geological history of the Bay Area. Study the complete anatomy of San Bruno Mountain with the special map provided in this article.
Geological Outings Around the Bay: Los Trancos Open Space The San Andreas Fault runs through Los Trancos, making it the perfect location for observing this earthquake trail and surrounding landscape features. Using lidar, a laser-based mapping technology, geologists are able to create detailed topographic images of the San Andreas Fault.
Geological Outings Around the Bay: Marin Headlands The Marin Headlands are known for their distinctive cliffs and iconic views of the Golden Gate Bridge, as well as visually stunning rocks called ribbon chert. Learn about the different types of rocks and minerals that make up the Marin Headlands.
Geological Outings Around the Bay: Natural Bridges Located off the coast of Santa Cruz, Natural Bridges is a fabulous place to observe rocks with intricate patterns that date back as far as 10 million years. Learn about the different processes that rocks undergo throughout their lifetime.
This post is part of KQED’s Do Now U project. Do Now U is a biweekly activity for students and the public to engage and respond to current issues using social media. Do Now U aims to build civic engagement and digital literacy for learners of all ages. This Read More …
This post is part of KQED’s Do Now U project. Do Now U is a biweekly activity for students and the public to engage and respond to current issues using social media. Do Now U aims to build civic engagement and digital literacy for learners of all ages. This Read More …
This post is part of KQED’s Do Now U project. Do Now U is a biweekly activity for students and the public to engage and respond to current issues using social media. Do Now U aims to build civic engagement and digital literacy for learners of all ages. This Read More …
This post is part of KQED’s Do Now U project. Do Now U is a biweekly activity for students and the public to engage and respond to current issues using social media. Do Now U aims to build civic engagement and digital literacy for learners of all ages. This Read More …
From holidays like the Fourth of July to victories, fireworks mean celebration. And to me, they’re a celebration of chemistry too. Atoms and reactions power the colors, sounds and smoke of fireworks.
The first firecracker was discovered in China about 1,000 years ago. Called black powder, this explosive is a mixture of potassium nitrate, charcoal and sulfur. You only need the first two ingredients, an oxidizing agent and a fuel, to start the explosion. The oxidizing agent, often a perchlorate or nitrate salt, releases oxygen gas that feeds the fire in a firework. The fuel reacts with the oxidizing agent to create the gas. The sulfur in black powder intensifies and continues the reaction between the other two ingredients. Learn more about the chemistry of fireworks from the American Chemical Society:
Pyrotechnicians often add metal salts to make colorful fireworks. Here’s where that color comes from: Heating atoms of sodium, barium or strontium pumps energy into the electrons whizzing around each nucleus. Those energized electrons shoot up to higher locations in the atom. As they fall back down to their usual positions, the electrons lose their extra energy as visible light.
The amount of energy released during this process – which depends on the element – is related to the color of the light that we see. Higher energy, like that released by copper atoms, corresponds to a shorter wavelength of light towards the blue end of the spectrum. Red light from strontium atoms has a longer wavelength and lower energy. (The same process gives neon lights their color too. Electricity energizes the neon, xenon or argon in the lights.)
Loud bangs come from confining the explosions in a shell, much like a grenade. Gases expand faster than the speed of sound when the shell bursts, creating a loud sonic boom.
An abandoned recipe for crackling fireworks called dragon eggs shows how chemists control the ingredients in the firework to get sound effects too. The oxidizing agent in this recipe is lead oxide, which becomes lead atoms as the firework burns. These atoms vaporize in the flame. And those vapors create off little crackles as they expand.
Whistling fireworks are more tricky. Pyrotechnicians need to find the right ingredients so that the mixture burns just enough to push air out of its tube — but doesn’t detonate with a bang.
The starburst patterns of fireworks depend on how the designers pack explosive pellets into a shell. For a look at the innards of a firework before it explodes, check out this diagram from NOVA Online.
In case you’re worried about the environmental effects of the perchlorate oxidizers or metal colorants, fear not. Chemists are developing recipes for environmentally-friendly fireworks too.
Enjoy the fireworks this holiday and stay safe! For those looking to host their own fireworks shows, check your local laws first. It’s illegal where I live.
from QUEST http://ift.tt/298xh7k
Originally published on July 4, 2012.
From holidays like the Fourth of July to victories, fireworks mean celebration. And to me, they’re a celebration of chemistry too. Atoms and reactions power the colors, sounds and smoke of fireworks.
The first firecracker was discovered in China about 1,000 years ago. Called black powder, this explosive is a mixture of potassium nitrate, charcoal and sulfur. You only need the first two ingredients, an oxidizing agent and a fuel, to start the explosion. The oxidizing agent, often a perchlorate or nitrate salt, releases oxygen gas that feeds the fire in a firework. The fuel reacts with the oxidizing agent to create the gas. The sulfur in black powder intensifies and continues the reaction between the other two ingredients. Learn more about the chemistry of fireworks from the American Chemical Society:
Pyrotechnicians often add metal salts to make colorful fireworks. Here’s where that color comes from: Heating atoms of sodium, barium or strontium pumps energy into the electrons whizzing around each nucleus. Those energized electrons shoot up to higher locations in the atom. As they fall back down to their usual positions, the electrons lose their extra energy as visible light.
The amount of energy released during this process – which depends on the element – is related to the color of the light that we see. Higher energy, like that released by copper atoms, corresponds to a shorter wavelength of light towards the blue end of the spectrum. Red light from strontium atoms has a longer wavelength and lower energy. (The same process gives neon lights their color too. Electricity energizes the neon, xenon or argon in the lights.)
Loud bangs come from confining the explosions in a shell, much like a grenade. Gases expand faster than the speed of sound when the shell bursts, creating a loud sonic boom.
An abandoned recipe for crackling fireworks called dragon eggs shows how chemists control the ingredients in the firework to get sound effects too. The oxidizing agent in this recipe is lead oxide, which becomes lead atoms as the firework burns. These atoms vaporize in the flame. And those vapors create off little crackles as they expand.
Whistling fireworks are more tricky. Pyrotechnicians need to find the right ingredients so that the mixture burns just enough to push air out of its tube — but doesn’t detonate with a bang.
The starburst patterns of fireworks depend on how the designers pack explosive pellets into a shell. For a look at the innards of a firework before it explodes, check out this diagram from NOVA Online.
In case you’re worried about the environmental effects of the perchlorate oxidizers or metal colorants, fear not. Chemists are developing recipes for environmentally-friendly fireworks too.
Enjoy the fireworks this holiday and stay safe! For those looking to host their own fireworks shows, check your local laws first. It’s illegal where I live.
From classic cars to simple electronics, we have been making and tinkering with everyday objects for decades. The recent surge in DIY and Maker Culture has inspired educators to Read More …
From classic cars to simple electronics, we have been making and tinkering with everyday objects for decades. The recent surge in DIY and Maker Culture has inspired educators to Read More …
This post is part of KQED’s Do Now U project. Do Now U is a weekly activity for students and the public to engage and respond to current issues using social media. Do Now U aims to build civic engagement and digital literacy for learners of all ages. This Read More …
This post is part of KQED’s Do Now U project. Do Now U is a weekly activity for students and the public to engage and respond to current issues using social media. Do Now U aims to build civic engagement and digital literacy for learners of all ages. This Read More …
Have you ever felt torn between two different career interests? Has someone told you that you can be be a scientist or an artist, but not both? Perhaps you focus on one over the other because you feel you don’t have enough time to pursue both. Well, it is possible to combine different career paths—but it takes creativity and effort to pull it off.
Dr. Indre Viskontas is an example of someone who followed her dreams—even when those dreams might seem completely different. Check out the video above, produced by KQED intern CaT Bobino, to see Dr. Indre Viskontas in action as she combines her equally strong passions for opera and neuroscience.
Dr. Viskontas earned a PhD in Neuroscience and a Masters in Music, and now she works as both a scientist and a soprano opera singer. Currently, you can find her teaching a variety of science courses at the University of San Francisco, as well as courses in music and memory at San Francisco’s Conservatory of Music. Outside of the classroom, Dr. Viskontas routinely performs with a number of opera groups, specializing in contemporary opera.
Dr. Viskontas started her music career early on, following the example of her mother, a composer. She realized she was usually the loudest singer in the room, and with some training, she landed her first professional performance at the age of 11. In high school, she discovered that although she loved music, she also had a love for biology and chemistry. After reading books by the renowned neurologist and author Oliver Sacks, Indre realized that she also had a calling for cognitive neuroscience.
After earning Bachelor’s of Science degrees in psychology and French literature from the University of Toronto, Dr. Viskontas decided to focus on her opera career. She spent a year in France trying to find work as a singer, but her fascination with science persisted. She left France for California, where she received her PhD in cognitive neuroscience from the University of California – Los Angeles, studying memory. Never content to stick to just one thing, she also received her Masters of Music in voice from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Dr. Viskontas could not and would not choose one career over the other, so she didn’t. Instead, she used her training and knowledge in both science and music to craft her own, unique career trajectory.
If you would like to learn more about Dr. Indre Viskontas, you can visit her websitehere.
from QUEST http://ift.tt/20KHTLQ
Have you ever felt torn between two different career interests? Has someone told you that you can be be a scientist or an artist, but not both? Perhaps you focus on one over the other because you feel you don’t have enough time to pursue both. Well, it is possible to combine different career paths—but it takes creativity and effort to pull it off.
Dr. Indre Viskontas is an example of someone who followed her dreams—even when those dreams might seem completely different. Check out the video above, produced by KQED intern CaT Bobino, to see Dr. Indre Viskontas in action as she combines her equally strong passions for opera and neuroscience.
Dr. Viskontas earned a PhD in Neuroscience and a Masters in Music, and now she works as both a scientist and a soprano opera singer. Currently, you can find her teaching a variety of science courses at the University of San Francisco, as well as courses in music and memory at San Francisco’s Conservatory of Music. Outside of the classroom, Dr. Viskontas routinely performs with a number of opera groups, specializing in contemporary opera.
Dr. Viskontas started her music career early on, following the example of her mother, a composer. She realized she was usually the loudest singer in the room, and with some training, she landed her first professional performance at the age of 11. In high school, she discovered that although she loved music, she also had a love for biology and chemistry. After reading books by the renowned neurologist and author Oliver Sacks, Indre realized that she also had a calling for cognitive neuroscience.
After earning Bachelor’s of Science degrees in psychology and French literature from the University of Toronto, Dr. Viskontas decided to focus on her opera career. She spent a year in France trying to find work as a singer, but her fascination with science persisted. She left France for California, where she received her PhD in cognitive neuroscience from the University of California – Los Angeles, studying memory. Never content to stick to just one thing, she also received her Masters of Music in voice from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Dr. Viskontas could not and would not choose one career over the other, so she didn’t. Instead, she used her training and knowledge in both science and music to craft her own, unique career trajectory.
If you would like to learn more about Dr. Indre Viskontas, you can visit her websitehere.
