HA! Funny STEM

Hello World!

The other night I had the fun of funny! I was fortunate to hang out with some comedians Including this funny lady Maryellen Hooper, www.maryellenhooper.com and www.stinkyflowers.wordpress.com 

I think it is pretty cool that she is not afraid to be funny and to share her talents with others because I just love to laugh! Did you know that there is an entire field of STEM devoted to the Science of funny? It is how we know that laughter heals and is so good for you, or that we are not the only ones who blush! If you would like to learn more, check out 

http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/formula-for-funny.htm and to get involved with others who study funny check out 

The international humor society

http://www.hnu.edu/ishs/ 

I could not end this post without a little STEM fun, so have a laugh and a great day!

:D

Rockets Rock!

Hello World!

So tonight I saw a rocket launch. I just love seeing them, they are such a work of art and engineering. 

A symphony of diverse parts, pieces, and people coming together at the right time and place to achieve something grand. Whether they launch supplies, satellites, or people- rockets are needed to keep our life as we know it going. How amazing to be a part of that! 

One of my really cool rocket scientist colleagues has a great non profit program for teens to engage in high altitude launches, you can check it out here http://www.rocketmavericks.com

Or you might be interested in reading the fascinating story of the first female rocket scientist, shown below 

There are still women making history, such as Abrille, a rocket scientist you can read more about here http://www.usasciencefestival.org/schoolprograms/niftyfifty/525-dr-aprille.html

I hope you will launch into STEM whoever you are and whatever you do, because rockets rock! 

:)

Civil Rights STEM

Hello World!

Today is Martin Luther King Day for many people. I have always been told it is a day on, not a day off. It is a day for service. I am very grateful to live in a diverse world and I could not imagine a world without diversity. His message and means are significant and impactful in all areas of life, STEM too. I think it is important to reflect on the beauty of our world, connect on our similarities and to celebrate our differences. There are many ways to reflect, such as reading his words or participating in a local march, as for me, I turn to STEM. Here is a great website with lesson plans and information 

http://sciencenetlinks.com/collections/martin-luther-king-day-teaching-resources/

I believe it is important to educate people about civil rights as well as to do everything we can individually to create a world where we all belong. I am thankful for STEM as a tool today and individuals such as Martin Luther King who paved the way in our past. 

:)

STEM Resolutions

Hello World!

How are your New Years Resolutions going? Perhaps you were not sure what you wanted to resolve.... 

I can give you some ideas, one idea is to support STEM, another is taken from a neat website I found. Let's get started.... How can you support STEM? There are so many ways!! But here are my top 5 for a List of STEM resolutions:

1. Support your local STEM council or STEM advocate groups: financially, with time, your voice, or with your talents. The lead person in my council is a politician and a great STEM advocate. Even if you don't have traditional STEM skills you still have something to offer STEM!

2. Be mindful of what you say to people: simple words can have a huge impact. When you say "I hate math" or "wouldn't you rather play sports?" to kids interested in STEM you may be discouraging or shut them down without realizing it. Conversely, simple words can go a very long way. I remember exactly key moments from my younger days that led me to where I am today.

3. If you do have STEM talents or literacy, share them!! You can attend a local school's career day, tutor kids who need help, write STEM lessons, support a STEM activity or lead a STEM team, mentor a student, teach parents, assist teachers, and more! Whether you have 5 minutes or 50 years, you can give to STEM in a way that meets your needs.

4. Take a class! There is always something STEM and fun to learn. From sea turtle biology to astronaut for a day to candy making- make your next date night or family outing STEM related!

5. Vote for STEM! Be sure to support pro STEM legislation. Policy can have a big impact and it will be implemented only with your support. Tell everyone you know how important STEM is and check out your local, state, national, and international political institutions for STEM related actions to support.

For those who are STEM professionals I found this neat link on resolutions 

http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2014_01_01/caredit.a1400001

Remember, it is never to late to begin your resolutions! I hope your New Year is well and your resolve stays steady.

:)

Happy New Year! Resolve to have Resolution Success

Hello World!

It is that time of year, when we resolve to do all sorts of things better, more, less, etc. I personally love New Years Resolutions, it reminds me how far I've come and how far I still need to go (this blog was one of last year's resolutions). What is your opinion on the resolution? Do you have one? Do you have any for the blog? The next few posts are going to be all about the Resolution. 

In most people's experience, their resolutions don't last more than a few days. Why is this? Can anything be done to change that? Yes! Thanks to STEM :) 

The articles listed below all note that 88% of resolutions fail. It is human nature to stick with routine behavior, which makes change difficult. Additionally our prefrontal cortex can only handle so much, it engages so many of our daily tasks that adding one more creates a higher chance of failure in other tasks. So what are we to do?

With regard to willpower, it, like other skills, can be practiced and approved upon. One of the best ways to strengthen willpower is through distraction! When a cookie calls your name for example (they do for me at least) try turning up the radio and shifting your attention elsewhere. Another technique is to bypass your prefrontal cortex slightly, enabling the "hard wire" areas to work for you. This is done via 

visualizing past successes, modeling someone else's behavior and vicarious learning. The best analogy for visualization that I can think of is tracks in a road. Over time, those tracks become set and unbreakable. When we visualize, we are laying down tracks that over time become the go to place when it comes time for actual behavior. I think the other techniques can provide that similar input without the overthinking that comes in our prefrontal cortex. When we do think, it should be positive, because this creates better conditions for success! Another way to improve your resolution chances comes from the field of organizational development, and that is tracking your behavior. When you listed it out, it is a reminder and visual display of what you've accomplished. You can use apps or plain old paper, as long as you are consistent. Well, I hope this helps your resolutions! Please feel free to share Your tips, tricks, etc and next time, we will look at resolutions For STEM :)

For more information check out these articles 

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748703478704574612052322122442

http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-living/ci_24817826/new-years-resolutions-tips-from-science-make-them

Have a great diverse STEM day!

:)