An inspiring scientist - Templeton Prize & Nobel Prize winner, Frank Wilczek

 The Templeton Prize is given to inspirational people, in any field, who has helped humanity with big, fundamental questions and has inspired generations to improve the human condition. This year's winner is Frank Wilczek, a Nobel Prize winning physicist who thinks deeply about 'what it all means.' Get inspired in a few minutes of watching this announcement: 

NASA's Basics of Space Flight

  NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, JPL, is the nerve center for all space missions throughout the solar system. If you are interested in astronomy, aerospace or aeronautical engineering, space mechanics and dynamics, or just think it's a cool topic, their site for the basics of space flight is good and understandable to a high school student. Check it out! 

EARTH DAY - If only we could get everyone on the planet to watch this classic TED talk...

  If you can watch this video and still deny something weird is not going on with our planet, then I will not be able to understand what other evidence is needed (unless one has other agendas they're after, and the evidence is inconvenient). A wonderful classic TED talk by James Balog, showing what is happening to the world's glaciers and ice sheets through time-lapse photography. Check it out. It is pretty convincing. Happy Earth Day, and let's never stop trying to make change for the health of our planet and future generations...

What is Quantum Science & Why Should we Care in K-12 Education?

 I was honored to be asked to be on this panel and state webinar to discuss the importance of including more quantum science (QS) into K-12 education, especially in HS, if for any other reason to increase the exposure of students to QS. Keep in mind that the quantum revolution began 120 years ago!! This is NOT new material, and there is a lot we can do to improve awareness and some basic level of knowledge to young students so they have opportunities to participate and work in countless fields and industries that rely on QS. This is projected to be a trillion $ sector of the global economy in the near future, and we are already short on the workforce. 

The webinar was recorded on World Quantum Day, April 14, and run by the Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology - thank you for the invitation! Here's a quick quantum introduction! 

Earth Day 2022 is April 22

 Earth Day is on Friday, April 22. Consider the U.N. SDGs again - are there little things you can do this week, and then perhaps every week, to help? Reducing time in the shower. Recycling. Turning lights and other electrical devices/appliances off. Composting food waste. Buying food you need, and reducing food waste and excess. Put some plants in the ground. Pick up litter in the neighborhood. Donate to and/or volunteer at a favorite organization doing good work. Post these types of actions on your social media platforms, encourage others to do the same (remember the multiplier effect on impact!). Be kind, compassionate and empathetic to others, while being grateful and respectful for what we have in our lives compared to most on the planet. 

Thanks for considering!! This is the only home we have, let's respect it and take care of it, always. 

Congratulations to 2022 Regeneron STS Finalists and Winners!

 If interested in seeing what the Top 40 Finalists in the Science Talent Search did for the 2022 competition, check it out! These are some of the best and most promising young scientists in the country. 

Interesting Fluids studies - droplets on windshields

 One of the Fluid Dynamics options listed in CABS has to do with studying drops of water (or other liquids) on windshields of cars, or at least simulating this in a lab. Fluids offer a nearly endless range of possibilities of phenomena and situations to study, and in many cases to do so fairly easily, at least for high school level research. This type of work can be done in a school lab or even at home, perhaps in one's basement! 

To hopefully convince you that this can provide original work, a formal study on droplets on windshields was just published in a professional peer-reviewed journal. And when one thinks about variations on a theme, many more possible studies develop from the original (good research typically creates more questions than answers, and keeps that research stream alive for many years). Keep observing, keep questioning, and keep doing interesting science!