Science of Roller Coasters

Hello World!
I apologize I have been slacking on the blog department lately, things have been quite busy... lots of fun science from diversity and culture to vision and STEM advocacy, even a little break for a theme park! Which brings me to today's topic- Roller Coasters! To me they are the definition of summer (almost over or almost beginning depending on where you are in the world). The speed, the thrill, the physics! The science of perception! What's not to love?

Picture I took at Universal

One of my favorite rides was advertised as a "psychological thriller" and involved cognitive elements of surprise, fear, falling, and more, in addition to the elements of speed, thrill of inversion, and surprise twists and turns. What is even cooler than the experience is the elements of STEM that go into it! Just think, you could design the ride, the safety measures, the lines that people must wait in, or the rides themselves. This woman didn't realize she was going to be a roller coaster professional, but she loves it!

http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2004_12_24/nodoi.4287329994723845200 Every think about the history of roller coasters? You can see that Granville T. Woods was a major force behind roller coaster (and many other!) designs.

Image from http://www.biography.com/people/granville-t-woods-9536481

Interested in designing your own coaster? Check out this link http://www.discoverengineering.org/
or this blog about roller coasters http://www.coasteroftheday.com/how-to-design-roller-coasters.html  it highlights the importance of passion and imagination in conjunction with science skills. Parents or teachers who wish to help your kids might find this link helpful http://faculty.education.ufl.edu/JonesG/articleCoasters.htm

Well, back to my roller coaster ride of life!
:)

Bling and your eyes

Hello World!

 In my last post, I spoke about celebrity news articles that speak of "cornea searing" rings. I thought it would be fun to examine this concept more closely. The cornea is the clear part of your eye, front and center, it provides shape, protection and refracting (bends light) power. It is kind of like gel. To speak of cornea searing rings refers to the exponential increase (10x) in brightness that occurs when light bounces off shiny, reflective objects such as bodies of water, snow, and maybe some rings but that would be a really big diamond! What you really need to worry about though is the damage you get from the UV light you don't even see. That is why it is so important to wear sunglasses! You can learn more about that here  http://www.visionweb.com/content/consumers/dev_consumerarticles.jsp?RID=52 

This picture from a rocket launch shows how bright light reflects off water, now that is some bling!

Have a super day!

:)

Bling in the night sky

Hello World, 

Do you like shiny sparkly things? I know I do! The best sparkle, I think, comes from our night sky. 

                    (Image from NASA)

But for those who prefer gemstones, stay tuned! Next time we will discuss the science & truth (or not) of recent news on celebrity "cornea searing" rings :) 

Hurray for GoldieBlox!

Hello World!
I was so pleased to see this article
http://www.nbcnews.com/business/no-more-ironing-boards-engineer-aims-reinvent-toys-girls-6C10629732
A female engineer has put together kits that encourage girls to build, design, and engineer their way through a story with GoldieBlox, the main character. This kit will be sold in major toy stores. This product is very important because socially girls do not grow up tinkering with engines or building things, which inhibits spatial skills needed in many STEM careers. Now girls can obtain those skills in a manner that speaks to them! Plus, not everyone has old cars or lives in a space that will allow for such tinkering. (For girls who did not get spatial skill development, there are training programs that will help you catch up (see prior post or AAUW report why so few?)).

GoldiBlox inventor Debbie Sterling. Picture from MSN news article and GoldieBlox

 

I didn't grow up looking at engines, but I do remember watching and helping my dad build barns, sheds, and all manner of things. I also remember trying to play with my brothers electronic set too (it was a boring gray color). I like that she based her product on research and watched the difference in play between boys and girls. She found a way to merge differences in styles and I appreciate that she doesn't just paint it pink, nor take away from "being a girl". I hope her future products feature characters that represent women from all cultures and stories. In any case, pretty awesome that you can be a women, an engineer, an entrepreneur, and a major positive social change agent! Love this!

How to Wash Your Hair in Space

Hello World!

I was just thinking it might be time for a fashion related entry... Thankfully I saw this article http://www.nbcnews.com/science/shampooing-outer-space-will-make-your-hair-stand-end-6C10597634
with great advice on how to wash your hair in space! 

It is far out, yes, but not impossible to think this may come in handy someday. STEM can take you pretty neat places you never expected to go. It has for me and I hope it will for you.

 :)

Moon illusion explained

Hello World!

I thought I'd finally share what makes the moon so pretty and big on the horizon but so normal overhead. 

We know the moon is not changing size as it travels, so why the difference? 

It is our eyes! And our brain. Most people can relate to pain as an external stimulus felt internally and subject to interpretation. Vision is the same! We have physical stimuli that is translated by our brain into the world we see- what we see is an interpretation of physical stimuli. This translation comes with rules learned over time for most, which can lead the brain to see things not as they are but as it believes it to be, which can be incorrect, as in the moon, but beautiful. For a more STEM specific explanation, check out the links below!

:)

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2008/16jun_moonillusion/

http://www.technologyreview.com/view/509966/moon-illusion-new-theory-reignites-debate-over-why-moon-appears-larger-near-the-horizon/

Scenes from an airport

Hello World!

I'm traveling again and learning all kinds of cool stuff meeting cool people learning about culture, STEM, and more- I have so much to share and not enough time! I did find this airport display STEM-tastic though, the power of drones for good- saving lives in disaster and more- you could be a drone designer, manufacture, pilot... lots of STEM possibilities!

:) next time I will explain the moon illusion... Time to fly!