Good example of the science process in action: Large black hole

Astronomers have recently discovered a really large stellar black hole (meaning a star died and turned into a black hole). This black hole has a mass some 70 times the mass of the sun. The trouble is, according to current theories of star formation and deaths, a stellar black hole of this type should not exist - it is too massive according to our best understanding of stars.

So, either our best understanding is not good enough yet since we have something that does exist that is outside those theories, or perhaps the measurements are wrong and we are calculating too big a value for the mass. Or there could even be a little bit of an issue with both the theories and measurements, although this is the least likely possibility.

Whatever the case, this is a wonderful example of how science works! Nature often throws us curveballs that are outside of our best models and theories, and scientists need to sit back, rethink things, and figure out what is wrong with the theoretical understanding of the topic or what new information needs to be added to a model or theory. Scientists must be humble enough to accept we do not know everything, but the whole point of what we do is to learn and grow and gain better understanding of our crazy, fascinating universe! Below is the now famous first photo taken of any type of black hole (this is a supermassive type, at the center of a galaxy)!

Online course, ideas, and summer program for Space Biology

Carthage College in Wisconsin has put a course for space biology online for anyone to use. This is a rare chance for high school students and teachers to begin learning about this exciting, relatively new field, and also get ideas for experiments and techniques used in the field. Check it out if interested!

Also, there is a high school summer camp (4 weeks in California) some may be interested so they can learn about space biology and other aspects of that work NASA is involved in.

If interested in plants and botany, get some ideas from this: improving photosynthesis

We face many challenges in the future when one considers population growth, human migrations from coastal regions, and climate change. It is estimated we will need to produce about 60% more food by 2050 to feed the 10 billion people who will be living on earth.

Photosynthesis turns out to be inefficient, and if scientists can figure out how to make plants better at producing more food per plant, that will literally help to feed the world. Check out what some scientists are doing to improve the photosynthetic process of plants. Can you get any ideas of things you can try to improve the food yield of certain plants? New ways of growing and farming plants? Be creative, get inspiration and motivation from what some of the professional scientists are doing, and try your ideas! In science, one never knows what the 'right' idea is until it is tried and tested - just talk with a teacher or other adviser and go for it!!

Scientists to try and solve 'the last great problem of classical physics' - Turbulence

Turbulence in fluid flow is everywhere, from the little whirlpools you see when you put your hand into a sink full of water, to the curling motions of water when a wave crashes on the shore, or the craziness of the air during storms, to the bumpy ride you may have experienced when a plane goes through regions of turbulence in the atmosphere. Turbulence has been studied for centuries, and yet there is still no mathematical law or rules that allows us to fully understand the nonlinear nature of this phenomenon. Fluid dynamics is a challenging area of research.

An international group of world-renowned scientists just received a $4 million grant to take on this challenge, using very sophisticated statistical physics techniques to try and better understand this behavior. If successful, computer models may be able to do things like help develop better designs to minimize the energy-sapping process of turbulence on motion of cars and planes through the air, perhaps saving billions of dollars in energy costs. Or improving the flow of water in the water systems of cities or directing water to where people need it.

For a high school student, check out a variety of fluid flow experiments you can set up to investigate turbulence in different situations, and see if you can make an experimental contribution to our understanding of this fascinating topic! One idea is to take different shaped objects, place them in the flow of water, and try to find shapes that minimize turbulent flow around that object. This is an example of looking at aerodynamics/hydrodynamics...if you can come up with shapes that have not been studied before, guess what, you are doing original research and should pursue it and share it!