Get Your Science (and STEM) On!

I believe that scientists and engineers are very creative people. There is logic involved in the scientific method, but that creative spark or "aha!" moment often sets someone down a path of amazing discovery and innovation. 

So, to honor my creative/science self and have a ton of fun too, I created an Amazon Merch account for STEM t-shirts. Amazon lets you search by  key words. Some of mine are: science, Semper Sci, engineering, Latin, Carpe ipsum, physics, nature, inventor, and earth. 

I also created a science t-shirt Pinterest board. If you are looking to celebrate science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), as well as famous scientists, inventors, Earth Day, the Physics of Love, and more, check it out!

For March, I created a St. Patrick's Day t-shirt celebrating, Samuel O'Reilly, Irish Inventor who created the first electric tattoo machine. Who knew?!  In the future, I hope to highlight inventors from lots of different countries around the world. Go science!

Arkansas Science Festival

Since I love science and technology, some of you have probably heard me say, "All science, all the time" when asked about my interests and this blog. Well, here is another chance to share science research and discoveries. On October 6th, 2014, I will be hosting a Science Cafe at Godfrey's in Jonesboro, AR, starting at 6:30 p.m. as part of the Arkansas Science Festival.

The topic is: Rocket Science - Motors, Models, and Microorganisms in Space Exploration. My panelists will be David Thomas, Ph.D., Prof. of Biology, Lyon College, Ed Wilson, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry, Harding University, and Tillman Kennon, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Science Education, Arkansas State University. Each of these folks do research in various aspects of space exploration. It will be a fun and relaxed evening with each panelist speaking for a few minutes about his work and then the event opened up for Q&A.

I may also be persuaded to provide a few stories from my 13 years at NASA- Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX and will have a some of my science books available for purchase afterwards. I look forward to seeing you there! Go science!

Interstellar Stardust and Its Absence

An international team of 23 scientists, has created maps (using data from 500,000 stars over a ten year period) of space materials located between the stars of the Milky Way. This material includes atoms and molecules left behind when a star dies, as well as building blocks for new stars and planets. The results published in the Aug. 15, 2014 issue of the journal Science may help astronomers solve a stardust puzzle that was first seen in 1922 in a graduate student's photographs of distant stars.

The research team focused on a strange feature in the light from stars; diffuse interstellar bands or "DIBs" (i.e., dark lines in the grad student's photographs). These visual and near-infrared spectra absorption lines seemed to show missing starlight as if something in the interstellar medium between Earth and the star was sucking up (not a technical term) the light. In fact, scientists have spotted more than 400 interstellar bands, but why the bands appear and their exact location are a mystery. 

Rosemary Wyse, a Johns Hopkins professor of physics and astronomy who played a major role in the research reports, "But we still don't know why stars form where they do. This study is giving us new clues about the interstellar medium out of which the stars form."

Finding the cause will allow researchers to better understand the physical conditions and chemistry of the space between stars and more on how stars and galaxies form. Go science!

Science in the Wild West

Summertime offers time to visit family, friends and places you might have only read about. Recently I ran across a PBS series hosted by Alan Alda on science of the western United States. 

In "The Wild West," Alda rounds up science stories with a distinctly western flair, including scorpions and rattlesnakes, tales told by bones, a search for diamonds, a cowgirl's use of physics to throw a better lasso and a visit to Biosphere 2 (Arizona) to learn about the seven biomes.

The best thing about the series is that they include classroom curriculum tie-ins and resources. It offers a treasure trove of history, science, and social studies activities. 

Not only is the series fun and entertaining, but you get to learn a lot about my part of the country. Go science! 

Physics - Up Close & Personal at Discovery Museum

If you're like me, it's a lot more fun to hear about science directly from folks actually doing science than just reading about it. So, I wanted to give you a heads up about an free public event tomorrow night, June 7, 2014, 6:00 p.m. at the Museum of Discovery. 

James L. Merz, PhD, Professor of Physics at the University of Notre Dame will share what sparked his passion for engineering and physics. The talk will be followed by a reception and a tour of the museum's latest travelling exhibit, Mystery of the Mayan Medallion. It sounds like a lot of fun. Go Science!

Kinematics - The Science of Football

I'll bet you never thought to see a post about football on a science blog. Actually, there is huge amount of math, physics, and materials science in most sports including football. There have even been books written about the subject.

Today I watched a National Science Foundation video on the Science of Football: Kinematics. 

Give it a look. The breakdown of speed, velocity, direction and how they all work together is explained simply and is easy to understand. A running back was videotaped so trainers and scientists could see how top velocity might be reached faster. Successful running backs study acceleration, velocity, size, and other parameters to compete more successfully and reach the end zone ahead of the competition.  

You might also like to check out Carla McClafferty's new book on football, head injuries, and all the research going into the health aspects of the sport for young athletes and adults.

There is a lot more to playing football than stadium dogs, snow cones and peanuts. Go science!

The Physics of Surfing

Have you ever thought about the physics of ocean movement? Lots of variables play into a wave's size and speed. Imagine studying physics at the University of Hawaii and doing homework on a surfboard. Some people have all the fun! 

Watch this video where Assaf Azouri, a graduate student in physical oceanography at the Univ. of Hawaii Manoa teaches Jorge Cham, PhD, physicist and creator of PhD Comics, about the physics of surfing.

Symphony of Science

Have you seen the Symphony of Science website? It is awesome! Science and music combine to offer scientific knowledge in a novel way via music clips and re-mixed scientists.

My favorite so far is We Are Star Dust. The tune is catchy. I'm humming it now. It's also a great tool for teachers to jazz up chemistry, biology and physics lessons.

In addition, the Symphony of Science project offers presentations on dinosaurs, Mars, space, reality, ancient/native peoples, and the environment among others.

NOVA Science Now

NOVA is sponsoring themed science cafe materials. Looks for cool physics topics coming soon to a cafe near you. http://www.sciencecafes.org/theme/