The Vega Science Trust - Parabolic Light Collectors Video recorded in 2008. Parabolic surfaces can be used to concentrate energy for example to focus sunlight to heat things. Using an old World War II spot light mirror we demonstrate how easy it it is to concentrate enough energy to cause combustion.
Synthetic Biology "Synthetic biology" is an umbrella term that refers to a new set of powerful techniques for manipulating the fundamental molecular structures of life, including genes, genomes, cells and proteins. Techniques being developed under the "synthetic biology" rubric include the modification of existing bacteria to produce useful substances or perform new functions, the creation of novel artificial organisms from "scratch," and — less noted to date — the modification of animal and human genes. Synthetic biologists foresee a host of human applications, including new methods to produce drugs, biofuels and vaccines; to diagnose, prevent and cure disease; and — far more controversially — to screen, select, and modify genes for specified traits in embryos, children, and adults. Nonetheless, the field remains in its early days, and separating hype from real potential remains difficult.
Social Media for Administrators As I have done a lot of work with school administrators on why they should be using social media and some practical ways to use it within their schools, I wanted to compile some articles together that will help schools/organizations move forward. They will be listed under two categories; the why and the how. The articles are listed below: The Why The Need for Courageous Leadership – If new ideas are going to happen and we are going to encourage risks, we need to take risks as well. The Creative Science Centre - by Dr Jonathan P. Hare (Note: this article has been published: J. P. Hare, Phys. Educ. 42 (2007) 267-270 and is here reproduced by permission of IOP) Click here for a parabola mini film Note: for details of talks and workshops on this topic click here:talks and workshops
3quarksdaily aggregator & magazine Violence is an unavoidable part of being human Rowan Williams in the New Statesman: It would help if we had a single, clear story we could believe about violence – it’s getting worse because of this or that factor in our world, so we know whom to blame; it’s getting better as we all become more educated and secular, so we don’t have to worry in the long term. But the evidence is profoundly confusing. Ten Websites for Science Teachers We all know that the web is full of excellent web resources for science teachers and students. However, unless you live on the web, finding the best websites can become quite a challenge. This isn't a "Top Ten" list -- instead, it is a list of websites that I either use on a regular basis or just find interesting. From teaching resources for the nature of science and authentic field journals to wacky videos about numbers, I am sure that you will find something in the following list the works for you! Please share your favorite science web resources in the comment section!
Genetics Genetics includes the study of heredity, or how traits are passed from parents to offspring. The topics of genetics vary and are constantly changing as we learn more about the genome and how we are influenced by our genes. Inheritance Mendel & Inheritance – powerpoint presentation covering basics of genetics Eugenics Archive . Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory's The Eugenics Archive utilizes Flash for enhanced search features, cross referencing, and interactive images created with Zoomifyer. Get the Flash plugin at Adobe.com. The Eugenics Archive will open in a new window. I prefer the original, HTML-only Eugenics Archive site, take me there. Eugenics Archive Blog
How Virtual Reality Meets Real Life Learning With Mobile Games Participatory games let students see archival footage of events that happened in the places where they stand. (Rosenfeld Media/Flickr) The buzz around games and learning has mostly focused on how educators can learn from game structure to create engaging learning experiences. Or else, educators are experimenting with video games meant to help students practice academic skills.
From E-Learning to We-Learning The corporate training industry is undergoing some major changes. Over last few months we have been involved in many discussions with organizations about the tremendous needs to build, manage, and formalize their social and collaborative learning programs. This is being driven by many factors: the slowing economy, the "always-connected" nature of the workforce, and the explosion of social software tools and platforms now available. In many ways, this transition is very similar to the last "big thing" to hit corporate training - the "e-learning" era. The word "e-learning" started in 1998 and we went through a radical change in thinking about training over the next 10 years. I think today's transformation is very similar and we have much we can learn from that history.
Top 10 Universities With Free Courses Online #1 UC Berkeley Ranked as the #1 public school in the United States, Berkeley offers podcasts and webcasts of amazing professors lecturing. Each course has an RSS feed so you can track each new lecture. For printable assignments and notes you can check the professors homepage, which is usually given in the first lecture or google his name. Even though the notes, homework and tests are not directly printed in the berkeley website, as they are in MIT and other courseware sites, it's not a problem to find them.
Microbial Life - Educational Resources Teaching and learning about the diversity, ecology and evolution of the microbial world; discover the connections between microbial life, the history of the earth and our dependence on micro-organisms. The expansive Sunset Lake of the Black Sand Basin is one of the largest thermal bodies of water in Yellowstone National Park. Details This site contains a variety of educational and supporting materials for students and teachers of microbiology. You will find information about microorganisms, extremophiles and extreme habitats, as well as links to online provides information about the ecology, diversity and evolution of micro-organisms for students, K-12 teachers, university faculty, and the general public. Microbial Life in Extreme Environments:
Teen Gamers Better At Virtual Surgery Than Medical Residents Here’s some interesting news to tell Mom next time she reminds you to turn off your video game and start your homework: Scientists at University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston pitted high school sophomore gamers, college gamers, and medical residents against each other to see which group would perform better using virtual surgery tools. High school students slightly outperformed both groups. In the video above, Dr. Sami Kilic, Director of Texas Robotic Gynecology for UTMB, explains how the experiment worked.