Weather trends over the last century - CODAP

 I came across a platform for looking at NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) data dating back to the 1890s, developed for students at the Concord Consortium. Their CODAP platform is able to allow you to analyze weather data in a variety of ways, so check it out if you have an interest in what the trends are, using weather stations around the world. 

Agent-based programming and research: Netlogo

 Northwestern University researchers created a programming platform called Netlogo some years ago, and it's likely a million students, graduate students and even professors have used this to learn how to program, run its hundreds of prewritten simulations in just about every STEM field for assignments, or used it for actual, high-level research that is agent-based. 

By agents, we mean individual objects or even organisms. Netlogo is designed to, as easily as can be done, develop programs and simulations where individual entities interact with each other by some set of rules or mathematical law. You can do orbits, for example, since this is just individual objects interacting through Newton's law of gravity. You can do growth of bacteria, since those are individual organisms that follow some statistical rule for reproduction. You can simulate forest fires since each tree is an individual organism (an agent), and the spread of fire follows a relatively simple rule (if a neighboring tree catches fire, those trees next to it will catch on fire). 

It is worthwhile to check this out. You can download it, or run it on the Web, so even ChromeBooks can use Netlogo. There is a library with hundreds of examples, and you are free to modify the code for any of them to learn the language and create your own versions of the original simulation! 

Have a good, fun summer by doing some research, at home if you wish!!

 The purpose of this site is to provide numerous ideas for real, original science research opportunities that do NOT require expensive equipment or professional labs - do these in a typical high school science lab or at home! Hundreds of ideas exist, just look through the pages to the right, and get ideas that you can take as is, or be creative and expand on them in any way you wish. The summer is a great time for any curious teen out there to give it a try! Have fun with following your curiosities, and discovering answers to unsolved questions! 

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!