Posted by Allegro on Jan 18, 2012 in
Uncategorized Space tourism has caught the eye of many people throughout the world. But the most interesting yet would be entertainers. The sources with a popular music label have indicated that Jay-Z and Beyoncé may be the first artists to film a music video in space.
As passengers of Virgin Galactic, the artists would be traveling 70,000 feet into Earth’s atmosphere. The ticket costs over one million dollars, but the video resulting from it would be revolutionary. The trip would be strictly business, as the flight only offers six minutes of weightlessness.
Interested in teaching your students more about space science? Check out SSR’s Vol 41 DVD, episode Space Science – Everyday Astronauts. If your school would like to receive this free resource, visit http://www.ssrvideo.com/nhcmsp.html.
Interested in speaking to students about space science? E-mail Fallon@ssrvideo.com
Source:
http://popcrush.com/beyonce-jay-z-music-video-space/
Posted by Allegro on Jan 16, 2012 in
Science News If you will be in the Washington DC area the weekend of April 28 and 29th, stop by the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The 2nd annual USA Science and Engineering Festival is a free event aimed at cultivating an interest in the sciences for students of all ages and backgrounds. This is the nation’s biggest celebration of science and engineering.
The festival will help provide inspiration for students who are undecided about their career path in the sciences. As an event sponsor, SCIENCE SCREEN REPORT will be participating in the festival. Visit the website below to learn more about the 2nd annual USA Science & Engineering Festival.
http://www.usasciencefestival.org/
Posted by Allegro on Jan 12, 2012 in
Science News Land O’ Lakes High School IB graduate, Kevin Temmer has applied his passion for animation to the world of science. As part of his IB program’s Creativity Action Service requirement, Temmer’s video helps kids understand the process of making a science project for a science fair.
The video can be viewed at the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e5XU0HKFLA
The video has been featured in an article on NASA’s “For Educators” blog. Temmer’s 15 minute video is hailed as creatively explaining the process of a science fair project. Websites such as National Geographic Kids, the National Science Foundation Knowledge Network, and AOL Kids have featured Temmer’s video.
Source:
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/science-fair-is-a-winner.html
Posted by Allegro on Jan 11, 2012 in
Energy Researchers have found a solution for CO2 in the air. Raising levels of CO2 is to blame for climate change. Researchers at the University of Southern California have found a method for producing a cheap plastic capable of drawing CO2 out of the air. USC researcher, George Olah suggests then combining the absorbed CO2, combining it with hydrogen molecules stripped from water, and generating methanol to serve as a harvested fuel.
Researchers found, after placing the absorbent plastic in a humid environment, each gram of the material absorbed an average of 1.72 nanomoles of CO2; this is 1.44 nanomoles above competitive materials. The polymer would be best put to use in mass concentrations, in the form of artificial trees on farms.
Interested in teaching your students more about energy? Check out SSR’s Vol 41 DVD, episodes Energy – Understanding Hydroelectric Power, Energy – Transforming Renewable Resources Part I & II. If your school would like to receive this free resource, visit http://www.ssrvideo.com/nhcmsp.html.
Interested in speaking to students about energy? E-mail Fallon@ssrvideo.com
Source:
http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2012/01/new-co2-sucker-could-help-clear-.html?ref=em&elq=2ace7d1ec0a14a60a3f73b36d9398392
Posted by Allegro on Jan 9, 2012 in
Bridges With an anticipated completion date anticipated in 2012, El Puente Baluarte Bridge (the Baluarte River Bridge) stands at a towering 1,321ft; so high, the Eiffel Tower could easily fit underneath it. El Puente Baluarte will relieve drivers of a lengthy drive through the jagged peaks of the Sierra Madre Mountains. The bridge spans a deep ravine through the mountain chain, and sits on the border between two states in Mexico: Sinaloa and Durango.
The excitement behind El Puente Baluarte Bridge is that it is the greatest bridge and tunnel highway project to ever take place in North America. It will be a part of the Durango-Mazatlán highway. The bridge will provide a safer, more direct route through the mountainous chain, and is expected to promote trade and tourism.
Interested in teaching your students more about engineering? Check out SSR’s Vol 41 DVD, episode Engineering – Bridges by Design. If your school would like to receive this free resource, visit http://www.ssrvideo.com/nhcmsp.html.
Interested in speaking to students about engineering? E-mail Fallon@ssrvideo.com
Source:
http://highestbridges.com/wiki/index.php?title=Baluarte_Bridge
Posted by Allegro on Dec 15, 2011 in
Uncategorized NASA announced a target launch date of Space Exploration Technology’s (SpaceX) Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) for February 7, 2012. This demonstration flight is dependent on the completion of final safety reviews. SpaceX will send its Dragon spacecraft to conduct a fly-by of the International Space Station, to ensure Dragon’s sensors and flight systems are in correct operation for a rendezvous.
Once all operations are confirmed, Dragon will dock with the ISS. Dragon will then detach and prepare for its splashdown in the Pacific Ocean. If deemed successful, this will be a step in the direction of government and private industry working together for space exploration.
Interested in teaching your students more about space science? Check out SSR’s Vol 41 DVD, episode Space Science – Everyday Astronauts. If your school would like to receive this free resource, visit http://www.ssrvideo.com/nhcmsp.html.
Interested in speaking to students about space science? E-mail Fallon@ssrvideo.com
Source:
http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2011/dec/HQ_11-413_SpaceX_ISS_Flight.html
Posted by Allegro on Dec 15, 2011 in
Uncategorized Space tourists now have an ultimate destination point: Kepler-22b. Announced yesterday, as being the first confirmed planet in a “habitable zone,” Kepler-22b is an appropriate enough distance from its star that is conducive to water being present. Kepler-22b’s discovery was made by NASA’s Kepler mission. Keppler-22b is the first of 54 potential habitable planet candidates to be reported by the Kepler mission. 48 potential planets remain to be confirmed, as the others were found to not be habitable.
Kepler-22b’s radius is 2.4 times the size of Earth’s, and it is located 600 light years away from Earth. Kepler-22b’s year is 290 days long. It is 15% closer to its star than we are to the Sun, but Kepler-22b’s star is dimmer, which results in a surface temperature that likely averages 72 Fahrenheit, assuming greenhouse conditions are similar as Earth’s.
Interested in teaching your students more about space science? Check out SSR’s Vol 41 DVD, episode Space Science – Everyday Astronauts. If your school would like to receive this free resource, visit http://www.ssrvideo.com/nhcmsp.html.
Interested in speaking to students about space science? E-mail Fallon@ssrvideo.com
Source:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/05/us/kepler-nasa-planet/index.html?iref=allsearch
Posted by Allegro on Dec 15, 2011 in
Uncategorized The New River Gorge Bridge has been dubbed an engineering masterpiece. With a 3,030ft long, fou8r lane road spanning the distance of it, the bridge opened to traffic October 22, 1977. When it opened, its towering height of 876ft was recorded as being the highest vehicular bridge in the world, and it maintained that record for over 25 years.
A drive to cross the gorge, through the Appalachian Mountains, used to take 45 minutes. The bridge reduced that drive to 45 seconds, completing the US Route 19 highway corridor. 16,000 vehicles a day take advantage of the convenience the bridge now affords, creating a vibration that can be felt throughout the base of the overpass. The bridge recently opened a pathway, year-round, to allow pedestrians to cross the 2ft wide maintenance catwalk, located 20ft underneath the center of the highway.
Interested in teaching your students more about engineering? Check out SSR’s Vol 41 DVD, episode Engineering – Bridges by Design. If your school would like to receive this free resource, visit http://www.ssrvideo.com/nhcmsp.html.
Interested in speaking to students about engineering? E-mail Fallon@ssrvideo.com
Source:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11331/1192391-37.stm
Posted by Allegro on Dec 15, 2011 in
Uncategorized 2004 started a new era in which space travelers were not just traveling for science. Space tourism is a growing industry throughout the world. On October 4,2004, SpaceShipOne became the first privately piloted spacecraft to soar over 328,000ft twice in 14 days. This was prompted by Microsoft’s Ansari X-Prize with a $10 million reward. Additionally, Virgin Galactic has been leading the pack in sales of space tourism flights to space.
In addition to suborbital flights, companies, such as Bigelow Aerospace, are exploring the idea of space hotels in orbit similar to the International Space Station. Google’s Lunar X-Prize is offering a $30 million prize for the private team that can build a lunar rover and land it on the moon.
Interested in teaching your students more about space science? Check out SSR’s Vol 41 DVD, episode Space Science – Everyday Astronauts. If your school would like to receive this free resource, visit http://www.ssrvideo.com/nhcmsp.html.
Interested in speaking to students about space science? E-mail Fallon@ssrvideo.com
Source:
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-11-27/news/30444743_1_spaceshiptwo-bigelow-aerospace-space-tourists
Posted by Allegro on Dec 15, 2011 in
Uncategorized The results of echolocation help bats navigate the night skies. It makes perfect sense that bats would need an extra ability to have the best hearing possible. Since their ultrasonic pulses bounce off many different objects around them, bats need an ability to pick these sounds up from multiple areas.
To do this, bats can change the outer structure of their ears within 1/10th of a second; the blink of a human eye takes twice as long. This was discovered by researchers at Virginia Tech with the ability of computer analysis. The change improves the qualitative hearing of the bat, creating different “spotlights” which allow the bat to know much more about its surrounding area.
Interested in teaching your students more about ecology? Check out SSR’s Vol 41 DVD, episode Ecology – Bats: Creatures of the Night. If your school would like to receive this free resource, visit http://www.ssrvideo.com/nhcmsp.html.
Interested in speaking to students about ecology? E-mail Fallon@ssrvideo.com
Source:
http://io9.com/5859780/bats-can-instantly-change-the-shape-of-their-ears-just-to-hear-better