Check out our newsletters to see what's going on at STARBASE Hill!
We have pictures of the kids, cool science facts, experiments to try at home, and more!
We have pictures of the kids, cool science facts, experiments to try at home, and more!
STARBASE Hill Newsletter
Volume 4 issue 1
May 1, 2020
In this issue you will find:
What is May Day all about - By Mr. E
A boat made of Mushroom - Sunshine found this article
Nano Technology- By Skyfire
Kid Inventions - By Peppermint Patty
The Wizard of Paws - By Magic
Woman in Science - By Ariel
Armed Forces See STEM As Ensuring A Bright Future - Solo found this article
Volume 4 issue 1
May 1, 2020
In this issue you will find:
What is May Day all about - By Mr. E
A boat made of Mushroom - Sunshine found this article
Nano Technology- By Skyfire
Kid Inventions - By Peppermint Patty
The Wizard of Paws - By Magic
Woman in Science - By Ariel
Armed Forces See STEM As Ensuring A Bright Future - Solo found this article
Happy May Day! By: Mr. E May 1, 2020
But what exactly is May Day and what does it celebrate?
Anciently, the world depended largely on farmers who needed to know when to plant their crops. It was important to plant them in the right season so they wouldn’t freeze or dry up but how could they tell when to plant? They marked the seasons on their calendars but how are those set up?
The Celts figured out that there was a dark half of the year (Winter) and a light half (Summer). These dates correspond to the longest night and the longest day of the year. These happen when the 23 ½ ⁰ tilt of the Earth leans the farthest from and the closest to the Sun between December 20-23 and June 20-22. (The exact date depends on when a leap year falls which postpones it a day every 4 years to keep seasons the same but that’s a different story.) Those dates are called the Summer and Winter Solstices (meaning when the sun “stands still”) and they divide the year in half.
The dates half-way between them, when the sun is directly overhead at noon, are called equinoxes meaning “equal nights” since on those days and nights are equal length. The first day of Spring is March 20-21 or the Spring Equinox, while the beginning of Fall is on either September 22-23 which is call the Vernal or Autumnal Equinox. Those four dates are the beginnings of our 4 seasons or quarters of the year, each 3 months long.
And then what? Well, the Celts also decided to divide each quarter in half, celebrating the middle of each season or quarter, creating cross-quarter dates.
The middle day of Winter fell on Candlemas, March 2, when farmers were wondering whether or not it was too early to plant or whether there could be another 6 weeks of frost. This is where we got Ground Hog’s Day!
The middle day of Spring, halfway between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice is May 1st. It was called Beltane, we call it May Day, and was a time to celebrate that crops were sprouting and growing well. Also, young people got engaged then to give themselves 6 weeks to get ready to get married on Midsummer’s Day which was the Summer Solstice! Thus, our tradition for June weddings.
The middle of summer, the time to bring in the first wheat fell on Lammas, “Bread Day” or August 1st. We really don’t celebrate that day in America, but it is the cross-quarter date between the Summer Solstice and the Vernal Equinox.
Samhain (“summer’s end”) marked the end of the Celtic year in the middle of Autumn on October 31stby when all the crops were to be brought in. They also brought in their cattle from pastures. Some were slaughtered to provide meat during the winter months. Thus, the year died in prosperity. We remember these deaths with ghosts on “All Hallows Eve” or Halloween.
And now you know where we got
these 8 seasonal holidays
including May Day! Enjoy it!
But what exactly is May Day and what does it celebrate?
Anciently, the world depended largely on farmers who needed to know when to plant their crops. It was important to plant them in the right season so they wouldn’t freeze or dry up but how could they tell when to plant? They marked the seasons on their calendars but how are those set up?
The Celts figured out that there was a dark half of the year (Winter) and a light half (Summer). These dates correspond to the longest night and the longest day of the year. These happen when the 23 ½ ⁰ tilt of the Earth leans the farthest from and the closest to the Sun between December 20-23 and June 20-22. (The exact date depends on when a leap year falls which postpones it a day every 4 years to keep seasons the same but that’s a different story.) Those dates are called the Summer and Winter Solstices (meaning when the sun “stands still”) and they divide the year in half.
The dates half-way between them, when the sun is directly overhead at noon, are called equinoxes meaning “equal nights” since on those days and nights are equal length. The first day of Spring is March 20-21 or the Spring Equinox, while the beginning of Fall is on either September 22-23 which is call the Vernal or Autumnal Equinox. Those four dates are the beginnings of our 4 seasons or quarters of the year, each 3 months long.
And then what? Well, the Celts also decided to divide each quarter in half, celebrating the middle of each season or quarter, creating cross-quarter dates.
The middle day of Winter fell on Candlemas, March 2, when farmers were wondering whether or not it was too early to plant or whether there could be another 6 weeks of frost. This is where we got Ground Hog’s Day!
The middle day of Spring, halfway between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice is May 1st. It was called Beltane, we call it May Day, and was a time to celebrate that crops were sprouting and growing well. Also, young people got engaged then to give themselves 6 weeks to get ready to get married on Midsummer’s Day which was the Summer Solstice! Thus, our tradition for June weddings.
The middle of summer, the time to bring in the first wheat fell on Lammas, “Bread Day” or August 1st. We really don’t celebrate that day in America, but it is the cross-quarter date between the Summer Solstice and the Vernal Equinox.
Samhain (“summer’s end”) marked the end of the Celtic year in the middle of Autumn on October 31stby when all the crops were to be brought in. They also brought in their cattle from pastures. Some were slaughtered to provide meat during the winter months. Thus, the year died in prosperity. We remember these deaths with ghosts on “All Hallows Eve” or Halloween.
And now you know where we got
these 8 seasonal holidays
including May Day! Enjoy it!
|
|
A boat made of mushrooms: CCC student to present her fungal
creation at state fair, test the waters on the Platte River
Tiffany Stoiber, Kearney Hub)
KEARNEY — Next month, Katy Ayers plans to take a six-hour float down the Platte River in a boat she grew herself — from mushrooms.
More specifically, mushroom mycelium.
However, she isn’t planning to take out the fungal vessel until she’s shown it off at the Nebraska State Fair, and proven to the crowds there that mushrooms are the future.
“Mushrooms are the natural recycler of our world,” said Ayers, 27, of Kearney. Material made from mushrooms, whether replacing plastic foam packaging or wood for a boat, is naturally biodegradable and actually will help break down other materials into their elemental form. If you put mushroom material into a landfill, she said, it will help make the landfill smaller.
If the world is looking for a more sustainable future with less plastic and fewer landfills, the answer, according to Ayers, is mushrooms.
(Picture to the side with the flower growing on top of the mushroom-The traditional mushroom sprout that humans might saute for dinner are actually the fruit of the mushroom, Ayers explained. The base is the mycelium. Nebraska Mushroom LLC, located near the Grand Island airport, grows a variety of mushrooms for local farmers markets and food service providers.
Tiffany Stoiber, Kearney Hub)
A boat made of mushrooms: CCC student to present her fungal
creation at state fair, test the waters on the Platte River
- By TIFFANY STOIBER
Digital Editor - Aug 9, 2019
Tiffany Stoiber, Kearney Hub)
KEARNEY — Next month, Katy Ayers plans to take a six-hour float down the Platte River in a boat she grew herself — from mushrooms.
More specifically, mushroom mycelium.
However, she isn’t planning to take out the fungal vessel until she’s shown it off at the Nebraska State Fair, and proven to the crowds there that mushrooms are the future.
“Mushrooms are the natural recycler of our world,” said Ayers, 27, of Kearney. Material made from mushrooms, whether replacing plastic foam packaging or wood for a boat, is naturally biodegradable and actually will help break down other materials into their elemental form. If you put mushroom material into a landfill, she said, it will help make the landfill smaller.
If the world is looking for a more sustainable future with less plastic and fewer landfills, the answer, according to Ayers, is mushrooms.
(Picture to the side with the flower growing on top of the mushroom-The traditional mushroom sprout that humans might saute for dinner are actually the fruit of the mushroom, Ayers explained. The base is the mycelium. Nebraska Mushroom LLC, located near the Grand Island airport, grows a variety of mushrooms for local farmers markets and food service providers.
Tiffany Stoiber, Kearney Hub)
Passion spawns
The Central Community College-Kearney student’s “obsession” with mushrooms actually only started in the last year, and it has since guided her life.
Ayers is pursuing an associate of science degree, but she said a year ago she had no real plan for what area she specifically wanted to pursue. It wasn’t until she was assigned to watch a documentary for a class that her passion began to spawn.
“The more I found out, the deeper I got,” she said.
The documentary, “Super Fungi,” showcased the various ways mushrooms are utilized in today’s world. Currently, mushrooms are being engineered into everything from cleaning products to cancer medications, and someday, Ayers hypothesized, they could even replace plastic.
“NASA built a drone out of it,” Ayers added. “So, when it crashes, nobody knows that we’re spying on them because it disintegrates.” According to the Washington Post, a team of college students led by one of NASA’s synthetic biology experts completed a successful test flight in 2014.
Specifically, these solid objects, including the drone and Ayers’ boat, are made from mycelium, the mulch-like substance that stays under the ground. The mushrooms that pop up in one’s yard or are used to fill ravioli are actually the fruit of the mushroom mycelium.
After learning about everything that could be made out of mycelium, Ayers wanted to try it herself.
To grow a boat
Ayers sent Ash Gordon, the owner of Nebraska Mushroom LLC in Grand Island, an email hoping to buy some materials for the boat and see if he had any advice. Instead, he offered her a job.
“I offered to help for free because I just wanted to be around it, but naturally, he wanted to pay me,” Ayers said.
Funding for the boat also came from a Central Community College mini-grant.
(Picture to the side - To grow the boat, Katy Ayers constructed a “boat hammock” that suspended the mushroom mycelium inside the mold, created out of papier-mache using old issues of the Kearney Hub and Grand Island Independent.
Katy Ayers, courtesy)
Initially, Ayers had plans to build a fort out of mycelium because of its insulating qualities. But then she realized that since mycelium is both buoyant and waterproof, she’d try to showcase that through a boat.
To start, Ayers made her own “steam table” using a $70 wood steamer and a downspout, which she used to steam the base wood and craft it into a boat shape. Then, she made a top and bottom mold out of papier-mache, using old copies of the Kearney Hub and Grand Island Independent.
However, she then realized the papier-mache wouldn’t be strong enough to hold all of the materials. So she built what she calls a “canoe hammock” to suspend the boat materials as the mycelium grew.
She stuffed mycelium into the mold, watched and waited.
The process of growing the boat only took 14 days. On Tuesday, the boat was sitting outside the Grand Island mushroom farm building to dry and stop the growth.
In the end, the mycelium ended up eating through the top papier-mache mold, even though Ayers said it had been covered with five coats of clear paint.
Ayers is confident that the finished boat should be able to sustain a trip down the river.
She anticipates taking the Platte River journey about a week after the state fair. Though she’s confident her creation should hold together all the way to Bassway Strip State Wildlife Management Area, she’s taking two friends in canoes with her and wearing a life jacket.
Though fun, the trip still will be an experiment. She’s planning to weigh the boat before and after the trip, to see if it absorbs any water, confirming how successful the mycelium was as a material.
(Picture below - Tuesday, Katy Ayers’ mushroom mycelium boat was sitting outside Nebraska Mushroom LLC’s building to dry. Drying, Ayers said, stops the growth of the mushrooms and finishes the material so it’s resistant to water.
Tiffany Stoiber, Kearney Hub)
The Central Community College-Kearney student’s “obsession” with mushrooms actually only started in the last year, and it has since guided her life.
Ayers is pursuing an associate of science degree, but she said a year ago she had no real plan for what area she specifically wanted to pursue. It wasn’t until she was assigned to watch a documentary for a class that her passion began to spawn.
“The more I found out, the deeper I got,” she said.
The documentary, “Super Fungi,” showcased the various ways mushrooms are utilized in today’s world. Currently, mushrooms are being engineered into everything from cleaning products to cancer medications, and someday, Ayers hypothesized, they could even replace plastic.
“NASA built a drone out of it,” Ayers added. “So, when it crashes, nobody knows that we’re spying on them because it disintegrates.” According to the Washington Post, a team of college students led by one of NASA’s synthetic biology experts completed a successful test flight in 2014.
Specifically, these solid objects, including the drone and Ayers’ boat, are made from mycelium, the mulch-like substance that stays under the ground. The mushrooms that pop up in one’s yard or are used to fill ravioli are actually the fruit of the mushroom mycelium.
After learning about everything that could be made out of mycelium, Ayers wanted to try it herself.
To grow a boat
Ayers sent Ash Gordon, the owner of Nebraska Mushroom LLC in Grand Island, an email hoping to buy some materials for the boat and see if he had any advice. Instead, he offered her a job.
“I offered to help for free because I just wanted to be around it, but naturally, he wanted to pay me,” Ayers said.
Funding for the boat also came from a Central Community College mini-grant.
(Picture to the side - To grow the boat, Katy Ayers constructed a “boat hammock” that suspended the mushroom mycelium inside the mold, created out of papier-mache using old issues of the Kearney Hub and Grand Island Independent.
Katy Ayers, courtesy)
Initially, Ayers had plans to build a fort out of mycelium because of its insulating qualities. But then she realized that since mycelium is both buoyant and waterproof, she’d try to showcase that through a boat.
To start, Ayers made her own “steam table” using a $70 wood steamer and a downspout, which she used to steam the base wood and craft it into a boat shape. Then, she made a top and bottom mold out of papier-mache, using old copies of the Kearney Hub and Grand Island Independent.
However, she then realized the papier-mache wouldn’t be strong enough to hold all of the materials. So she built what she calls a “canoe hammock” to suspend the boat materials as the mycelium grew.
She stuffed mycelium into the mold, watched and waited.
The process of growing the boat only took 14 days. On Tuesday, the boat was sitting outside the Grand Island mushroom farm building to dry and stop the growth.
In the end, the mycelium ended up eating through the top papier-mache mold, even though Ayers said it had been covered with five coats of clear paint.
Ayers is confident that the finished boat should be able to sustain a trip down the river.
She anticipates taking the Platte River journey about a week after the state fair. Though she’s confident her creation should hold together all the way to Bassway Strip State Wildlife Management Area, she’s taking two friends in canoes with her and wearing a life jacket.
Though fun, the trip still will be an experiment. She’s planning to weigh the boat before and after the trip, to see if it absorbs any water, confirming how successful the mycelium was as a material.
(Picture below - Tuesday, Katy Ayers’ mushroom mycelium boat was sitting outside Nebraska Mushroom LLC’s building to dry. Drying, Ayers said, stops the growth of the mushrooms and finishes the material so it’s resistant to water.
Tiffany Stoiber, Kearney Hub)
‘Showboating’ her creation
Before Ayers takes her experiment to test the waters, though, she’s going to show it off at the state fair.
The canoe will be on display at the fair’s Sustainability Pavilion for attendees to see. Ayers and Gordon also will give a presentation about the process of growing a boat from 1-1:30 p.m. Aug. 24.
Ayers’ goal is to inspire the same enthusiasm she discovered for fungi.
“I want to get people excited about mushrooms,” she said. “There’s so much to be excited for and so many different areas to go into.”
She added that the world of mushrooms is fairly unexplored, with few scientists holding doctorates in mycology — the study of mushrooms — and millions of species of fungi left to identify.
She also hopes to show the audience how easy it is to grow mushrooms and create their own unique structures.
More and more mushrooms
Ayers and Gordon actually found themselves unable to stop after just growing a boat, and now they’re growing even more objects out of mycelium at the farm.
In addition to the finished boat, the two currently have a few pavers grown and drying, and they have an armchair growing in one of the greenhouses.
(Picture to the side - Enthused with the successful boat creation, Katy Ayers and Nebraska Mushroom LLC owner Ash Gordon started growing even more objects from mushroom mycelium, such as this chair. Tiffany Stoiber, Kearney Hub)
Ayers hopes to get even more ideas of items to grow through a suggestion box at the fair and soon start her own business growing things out of mushrooms.
Her endeavors with the boat, though, already have paid off.
“The fungus got me a scholarship to CCC (in Columbus) doing research that’s fully funded by the National Science Foundation. And it’s a full-ride scholarship, so food, books, everything is paid for, and I have to do research. But really, I get to do research,” she explained.
From there, Ayers plans to get a bachelor’s degree in science and sustainability, then a Ph.D. in mycology. “Then hopefully identify all of the Nebraska mushrooms that get kind of pushed under the rug.”
Already, she said she’s found mushrooms in the state that aren’t in any guidebooks, and sees mushrooms being used in endless ways all over Nebraska. For example, she says mushrooms could someday be used instead of septic tanks with beds grown near lots to catch runoff.
And that’s just the beginning.
“In 100 years, I think people will be growing their laptops out of it, and phone cases,” Ayers said. “It’ll take awhile, but it’ll get there.”
tiffany.stoiber@kearneyhub.com
@TiffanyStoiber
Before Ayers takes her experiment to test the waters, though, she’s going to show it off at the state fair.
The canoe will be on display at the fair’s Sustainability Pavilion for attendees to see. Ayers and Gordon also will give a presentation about the process of growing a boat from 1-1:30 p.m. Aug. 24.
Ayers’ goal is to inspire the same enthusiasm she discovered for fungi.
“I want to get people excited about mushrooms,” she said. “There’s so much to be excited for and so many different areas to go into.”
She added that the world of mushrooms is fairly unexplored, with few scientists holding doctorates in mycology — the study of mushrooms — and millions of species of fungi left to identify.
She also hopes to show the audience how easy it is to grow mushrooms and create their own unique structures.
More and more mushrooms
Ayers and Gordon actually found themselves unable to stop after just growing a boat, and now they’re growing even more objects out of mycelium at the farm.
In addition to the finished boat, the two currently have a few pavers grown and drying, and they have an armchair growing in one of the greenhouses.
(Picture to the side - Enthused with the successful boat creation, Katy Ayers and Nebraska Mushroom LLC owner Ash Gordon started growing even more objects from mushroom mycelium, such as this chair. Tiffany Stoiber, Kearney Hub)
Ayers hopes to get even more ideas of items to grow through a suggestion box at the fair and soon start her own business growing things out of mushrooms.
Her endeavors with the boat, though, already have paid off.
“The fungus got me a scholarship to CCC (in Columbus) doing research that’s fully funded by the National Science Foundation. And it’s a full-ride scholarship, so food, books, everything is paid for, and I have to do research. But really, I get to do research,” she explained.
From there, Ayers plans to get a bachelor’s degree in science and sustainability, then a Ph.D. in mycology. “Then hopefully identify all of the Nebraska mushrooms that get kind of pushed under the rug.”
Already, she said she’s found mushrooms in the state that aren’t in any guidebooks, and sees mushrooms being used in endless ways all over Nebraska. For example, she says mushrooms could someday be used instead of septic tanks with beds grown near lots to catch runoff.
And that’s just the beginning.
“In 100 years, I think people will be growing their laptops out of it, and phone cases,” Ayers said. “It’ll take awhile, but it’ll get there.”
tiffany.stoiber@kearneyhub.com
@TiffanyStoiber
What Do You Mean
by Small? By Skyfire Have you ever been interested in things that are very small? You have to admit, it's hard to look away from this mini pizza. 
This mini panda is adorable. Are you thinking about leaving this article to google "small food" or "tiny toilet paper"? Don't leave yet! Many universities across the United States are looking for students just like you that are ready to change the world working with very, very, very small things. In fact, small is a very BIG deal. The word 'nano' means 'small'. Nanoscience is the study of matter on the atomic level. Things on the atomic level are much smaller than our mini pizza and mini panda. If you have been to our Nano class at STARBASE you might remember that one nanometer is one BILLIONTH of a meter. Scientists use a special electron scanning microscopes ti see objects this small because it is impossible to see them with your eyes. Nano scientists work with atoms on the molecular level where it is easier to manipulate the way they behave. Sometimes our clothes use nanoparticles to make materials lighter, stronger, more resistant, hydrophobic, and more durable. 
|
Sunscreen has nanoparticles of zinc oxide and titanium oxide to help protect our skin from the sun's harmful rays.
That's not all! Nano Scientists have been able to: 1. Detoxify hazardous waste 2. Make brighter colors 3. Create richer flavors in food 4. Lessen spoilage in food 5. Find ways to enter the bloodstream to fix damaged cells 6. Make our body organs glow to help doctors find tumors 7. Store data 8. Create shirts that can charge your cell phone as you walk You can learn more information about nanotechnology at: https://safeYouTube.net/w/Ot9A Did you know that the University of Utah has a Nano Institute? https://nanoinstitute.utah.edu/ Need a website about Nano Science written just for kids? It's called nanooze (clever). http://www.nanooze.org/ If you learn one thing from this article, I hope you learn that YOU can be the next generation of Nano Scientists and Nano Engineers. |
Television. Swim fins. Water skis. Hand held
Electrocardiograms. The Popsicle.
What do they have in common?
All were invented by kids!
There is no age requirement for having a good idea to solve a problem or make life better in some way. When I was your age my mom always told me, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” This meant, “Peppermint Pattie, go find a creative solution for your problem.” So I did. After my many attempts, I can really appreciate the kid inventors I am about to introduce to you. Just like Benjamin Franklin (who invented the first swim fins at age 12) we all have creative brains to help us invent solutions to problems!
Catherine Wong - There are countless places in the world where it is very difficult to get healthcare or fully equipped hospitals, but they do have mobile phones. Catherine Wong, a teenager from New Jersey, invented a tiny device that displays a patient’s heartbeat right on the screen of their phone. Using the device, they are able to undertake an electrocardiogram to check for any problems. The invention could potentially improve medical care for millions of lives.
Electrocardiograms. The Popsicle.
What do they have in common?
All were invented by kids!
There is no age requirement for having a good idea to solve a problem or make life better in some way. When I was your age my mom always told me, “Necessity is the mother of invention.” This meant, “Peppermint Pattie, go find a creative solution for your problem.” So I did. After my many attempts, I can really appreciate the kid inventors I am about to introduce to you. Just like Benjamin Franklin (who invented the first swim fins at age 12) we all have creative brains to help us invent solutions to problems!
Catherine Wong - There are countless places in the world where it is very difficult to get healthcare or fully equipped hospitals, but they do have mobile phones. Catherine Wong, a teenager from New Jersey, invented a tiny device that displays a patient’s heartbeat right on the screen of their phone. Using the device, they are able to undertake an electrocardiogram to check for any problems. The invention could potentially improve medical care for millions of lives.
When Louis Braille was three years old, a tragic accident caused the loss of his sight. As a teenager studying at The National Institute for Blind Youth in Paris, he found that the school’s specially embossed books were unwieldy and difficult to read. After a visit from French soldier Charles Barbier in 1821, fifteen year old Braille was inspired to adapt Barbier’s code language ‘sonography’ - a system of feeling raised dots that allowed soldiers to communicate in the dark - into his famous system for visually impaired reading that is still used the world over.
The last inventors I’d like to write about today were seventh and eighth graders from Florida who set out to develop a use for the build up of chip snack bags found in our landfills. These bags aren’t recyclable because they contain plastic. In 2016 these kids came up with Chipsulation, a new material made from the shredded and sanitized chip bags. It is often more effective as an insulator than commonly used insulation materials. It has won several awards. I’m excited to see what they invent next, aren’t you?
The last inventors I’d like to write about today were seventh and eighth graders from Florida who set out to develop a use for the build up of chip snack bags found in our landfills. These bags aren’t recyclable because they contain plastic. In 2016 these kids came up with Chipsulation, a new material made from the shredded and sanitized chip bags. It is often more effective as an insulator than commonly used insulation materials. It has won several awards. I’m excited to see what they invent next, aren’t you?
These are just a few of our awesome kid inventors. We would love to hear about YOUR creative problem solving and inventions! Please share them with us on our website: www.starbasehill.org STEM ROCKS!
Peppermint Pattie
“Energy and persistence conquer all things.”- Benjamin Franklin
Peppermint Pattie
“Energy and persistence conquer all things.”- Benjamin Franklin
One of the STEM careers that is still growing a lot is in Prosthetics. The first prosthetics date back to the ancient Egyptians. They found two artificial toes that were created between 950 to 710 B.C. Since then they have found other prosthetics that were created especially to help those who were warriors.
Today, prosthetics continues to advance. One person, Easton LaChappelle, first created a robotic arm from a 3D printer as a teenager. He continued to work with it and was able to connect it to a device which read brainwaves to control the arm. He started a business called Unlimited Tomorrow in 2014 after getting encouragement and backing from Tony Robbins. The mission of his company is to "deliver prosthetics globally to enhance the quality of lives of amputees". As a company they are trying to provide their prosthetics for 25% of the cost of other companies.
Prosthetics have advanced enough that they are even being made for animals as well. Derrick Campana has helped over 25,000 animals. He is currently doing a show on BYU TV called the Wizard of Paws which shows the process he goes through to give prosthetics to an animal. The show can be watched on the BYU TV station on Wednesdays at 7 pm, Saturdays at 5 pm, or Sundays at 4:30 pm or you can watch it online.
By: Magic
Today, prosthetics continues to advance. One person, Easton LaChappelle, first created a robotic arm from a 3D printer as a teenager. He continued to work with it and was able to connect it to a device which read brainwaves to control the arm. He started a business called Unlimited Tomorrow in 2014 after getting encouragement and backing from Tony Robbins. The mission of his company is to "deliver prosthetics globally to enhance the quality of lives of amputees". As a company they are trying to provide their prosthetics for 25% of the cost of other companies.
Prosthetics have advanced enough that they are even being made for animals as well. Derrick Campana has helped over 25,000 animals. He is currently doing a show on BYU TV called the Wizard of Paws which shows the process he goes through to give prosthetics to an animal. The show can be watched on the BYU TV station on Wednesdays at 7 pm, Saturdays at 5 pm, or Sundays at 4:30 pm or you can watch it online.
By: Magic
Women in Science
By Ariel
With all the talk about the coronavirus, we might wonder what is a virus? When viruses, like the coronavirus, infect us, they can embed small chunks of their genetic material in our DNA and can make us sick. Most often, our bodies then fight to overcome the virus and correct these faulty chunks of genetic material. Vaccines, which can be developed by scientists, give our bodies an even better way to fight the virus code. It is nice to know we have scientists from around the world working hard on a vaccine, understanding how the coronavirus works and creating better treatments for the virus.
By Ariel
With all the talk about the coronavirus, we might wonder what is a virus? When viruses, like the coronavirus, infect us, they can embed small chunks of their genetic material in our DNA and can make us sick. Most often, our bodies then fight to overcome the virus and correct these faulty chunks of genetic material. Vaccines, which can be developed by scientists, give our bodies an even better way to fight the virus code. It is nice to know we have scientists from around the world working hard on a vaccine, understanding how the coronavirus works and creating better treatments for the virus.
One of our premier scientists in this field was Barbara McClintock, born in 1902. Barbara spent her entire career in the study of genetics. Through her study of maize (corn), she was able to create a way to “stain” the different chromosomes within its DNA. How does studying corn help us? She learned that some genes (sequences of DNA) “jump” to change their order. When this happens, how the DNA behaves also changes. Because of Barbara McClintock’s discoveries, scientists have been able to map the human genome and create genetic tools, such as the CRISPR, that aid scientists. Simply put, Barbara and her study of genetics are at the foundation of what we know today about genomes. She was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her work.
Sometimes it is hard to see that becoming a scientist is something YOU could do! You CAN!! Becoming a scientist isn’t anything magical. It is mostly about finding something you are curious about and then learning more about it. For example, if you think it is cool that we can make robotic arms to help others, then spend some time playing in CREO (like we learned at Starbase). Then, take a class in graphic design or robotics. What do you think is cool? How could you learn more about this?
How do I know that this is how you become a scientist? Our oldest daughter, Sidney, is one of the women working on solving the coronavirus puzzle. How did she get there? Well, when she was your age, she loved computers and computer games. She loved computer games so much, she wanted to learn more about how to create them herself on the computer.
She also loved her biology class. When she was in school, starting in Jr high, she started taking classes about these things. Once she was in college, she continued taking classes like these. When she got ready for her final years in college, she chose to do both! Computational biology. She uses computers to study viruses.
Sometimes it is hard to see that becoming a scientist is something YOU could do! You CAN!! Becoming a scientist isn’t anything magical. It is mostly about finding something you are curious about and then learning more about it. For example, if you think it is cool that we can make robotic arms to help others, then spend some time playing in CREO (like we learned at Starbase). Then, take a class in graphic design or robotics. What do you think is cool? How could you learn more about this?
How do I know that this is how you become a scientist? Our oldest daughter, Sidney, is one of the women working on solving the coronavirus puzzle. How did she get there? Well, when she was your age, she loved computers and computer games. She loved computer games so much, she wanted to learn more about how to create them herself on the computer.
She also loved her biology class. When she was in school, starting in Jr high, she started taking classes about these things. Once she was in college, she continued taking classes like these. When she got ready for her final years in college, she chose to do both! Computational biology. She uses computers to study viruses.
What does Sidney say about the virus? She and her team discovered that the coronavirus doesn’t mutate (change) very quickly. This means, when we DO discover a vaccine, that vaccine will most likely work for a long time.
Coronavirus is in the news everywhere. We even have funny TikToks about it. Just remember that this virus is like a puzzle and there are many scientists working on solving that puzzle. Can’t wait to see the new TikTok dances when we solve it!
Coronavirus is in the news everywhere. We even have funny TikToks about it. Just remember that this virus is like a puzzle and there are many scientists working on solving that puzzle. Can’t wait to see the new TikTok dances when we solve it!
Armed Forces See STEM Education As Ensuring A Bright Future
Article Provided By Solo
Employers in fields that utilize science, technology, engineering and mathematics have consistently sounded a warning bell about the future of STEM in the United States, cautioning that there is a coming gap in qualified applicants for employers.
The rates of STEM graduates are not keeping up with the amount of job openings in related fields, and the issue could worsen, as the U.S. will add about one million new STEM jobs by 2020. Data from nonprofit code.org showed 607,708 open computing jobs in the country last year, though only 42,969 students with that expertise and background entered into the workforce in the year before. Further research in 2015 indicated that the gaps are even more pronounced between genders and ethnicities, and while STEM jobs and degrees have steadily increased since 2000, the STEM workforce was no more diverse than it was 14 years prior.
The U.S. Armed Forces, including the Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP), have responded to the gap by leveraging their civilian scientists, engineers and laboratories. The branches host learning sessions and competitions and promote mentorships between students and employees with jobs pertaining to STEM throughout the country.
The AEOP has been supporting STEM education for more than 50 years, according to Louie Lopez, the chief of human capital and STEM outreach at U.S. Army Research, Development Engineering Command. He said the programs leverage the Army’s research laboratories and staff in the hope of instilling STEM literacy in students, and they also hope to introduce students to potential STEM tracks inside and outside of the Army.
“We want to lay a foundation so the Army and the Department of Defense will have enduring access to the best and the brightest now and in the future for whatever challenges we may have that have yet to be identified,” he said. “We need to develop this talent pool, so that our partners in academia and in industry have access to this talent to tackle the most complex problems.”
The Army is not the only branch of the Armed Forces partnering with students and teachers. The Air Force promotesSTEM education at more than 30 locations every year. Military and civilian Air Force members volunteer as mentors and guest speakers, while the Air Force itself partners with outside STEM programs to reach nearly 200,000 students each year, offering fellowship, internship and apprenticeship opportunities.
Opportunities in the Navy include programs like the Navy Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate Program, for incoming college students interested in pursuing majors in math, engineering, physics or chemistry, or the Civil Engineer Collegiate Program, which offers opportunities for college students interested in civil, mechanical, or electrical engineering.
The Office of Naval Research helps sponsor the Naval Science Awards Program, which recognizes projects in science and engineering fairs throughout the country. The ONR also helps student connect to the Science and Engineering Apprentice Program, which places high school students interested in STEM into eight-week stints at Department of Defense laboratories. More than 35 Navy and Army labs participate, according to the ONR.
STEM employees in the Armed Forces face a wide array of challenges, from the prevention of cyber attacks to developing new nanotechnology. Lopez said there were more than 13,000 civilian scientists and engineers dedicated to STEM-related work in the Army, not including additional military or contract support. The sheer amount of resources in terms of manpower and facilities that the Army has at its disposal make it a powerful resource for STEM learning, particularly for schools or students who usually lack access to such opportunities, Lopez said.
“While it’s great to build this talent pool of STEM degree holders, our mission goes beyond and much broader, because we believe it’s to the nation’s best interest to have a much more STEM-literate citizenry,” he said.
Employers in fields that utilize science, technology, engineering and mathematics have consistently sounded a warning bell about the future of STEM in the United States, cautioning that there is a coming gap in qualified applicants for employers.
The rates of STEM graduates are not keeping up with the amount of job openings in related fields, and the issue could worsen, as the U.S. will add about one million new STEM jobs by 2020. Data from nonprofit code.org showed 607,708 open computing jobs in the country last year, though only 42,969 students with that expertise and background entered into the workforce in the year before. Further research in 2015 indicated that the gaps are even more pronounced between genders and ethnicities, and while STEM jobs and degrees have steadily increased since 2000, the STEM workforce was no more diverse than it was 14 years prior.
The U.S. Armed Forces, including the Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP), have responded to the gap by leveraging their civilian scientists, engineers and laboratories. The branches host learning sessions and competitions and promote mentorships between students and employees with jobs pertaining to STEM throughout the country.
The AEOP has been supporting STEM education for more than 50 years, according to Louie Lopez, the chief of human capital and STEM outreach at U.S. Army Research, Development Engineering Command. He said the programs leverage the Army’s research laboratories and staff in the hope of instilling STEM literacy in students, and they also hope to introduce students to potential STEM tracks inside and outside of the Army.
“We want to lay a foundation so the Army and the Department of Defense will have enduring access to the best and the brightest now and in the future for whatever challenges we may have that have yet to be identified,” he said. “We need to develop this talent pool, so that our partners in academia and in industry have access to this talent to tackle the most complex problems.”
The Army is not the only branch of the Armed Forces partnering with students and teachers. The Air Force promotes STEM education at more than 30 locations every year. Military and civilian Air Force members volunteer as mentors and guest speakers, while the Air Force itself partners with outside STEM programs to reach nearly 200,000 students each year, offering fellowship, internship and apprenticeship opportunities.
Opportunities in the Navy include programs like the Navy Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate Program, for incoming college students interested in pursuing majors in math, engineering, physics or chemistry, or the Civil Engineer Collegiate Program, which offers opportunities for college students interested in civil, mechanical, or electrical engineering.
The Office of Naval Research helps sponsor the Naval Science Awards Program, which recognizes projects in science and engineering fairs throughout the country. The ONR also helps student connect to the Science and Engineering Apprentice Program, which places high school students interested in STEM into eight-week stints at Department of Defense laboratories. More than 35 Navy and Army labs participate, according to the ONR.
STEM employees in the Armed Forces face a wide array of challenges, from the prevention of cyber attacks to developing new nanotechnology. Lopez said there were more than 13,000 civilian scientists and engineers dedicated to STEM-related work in the Army, not including additional military or contract support. The sheer amount of resources in terms of manpower and facilities that the Army has at its disposal make it a powerful resource for STEM learning, particularly for schools or students who usually lack access to such opportunities, Lopez said.
“While it’s great to build this talent pool of STEM degree holders, our mission goes beyond and much broader, because we believe it’s to the nation’s best interest to have a much more STEM-literate citizenry,” he said.
Janet Ruiz, a middle school teacher in San Antonio, teaches for Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science (GEMS), an AEOP STEM enrichment program. She said the summer program is revelatory for middle school students who attend. The program is experiential and offers a different understanding of the Army than what teenagers tend to know.
“The truth is it’s a very vast field with a lot of opportunities. And we try to expose them to these opportunities,” she said, noting they have STEM professionals speak to students during lunch. “They see young women who are scientists. They are exposed to a more diverse group of scientists and doctors in many different fields.”
Lopez pointed out that STEM strength in the defense industry could benefit civilians, as many innovations begin as government/defense projects. He pointed to GPS as an example.
Tackling the diversity gap
For the past several years, the AEOP has partnered with universities, including Purdue, to evaluate the programs the AEOP offers. The organization is also working to close the persistent racial and gender gaps in STEM employment. A Purdue study on AEOP’s efficiency in FY 2016 found that female participation increased in some programs from FY15 to FY16, while participation grew in almost every program among students who identified as a racial or ethnic minority.
“Having a diverse, agile workforce is important at tackling really complex problems,” Lopez said. “That’s one of the challenges, and a lot of folks are in that space, and want to reach out to more underserved and underrepresented students, because they don’t have as much resources to access the kind of access we can offer.”
Ruiz was happy her program worked primarily with Title I students, who she said were all incredibly smart but often lacked the availability of resources more affluent students might enjoy. She hoped the program could be expanded and perhaps be taken off of Brooks Army Medical Center, where the summer classes were held, and into local classrooms.
"If we can take it into the schools and make it not just for exceptional students ... we can always bring the spark of one to learn and contribute to humanity, we can bring that to the school," she said. "This program is amazing."
Article Provided By Solo
Employers in fields that utilize science, technology, engineering and mathematics have consistently sounded a warning bell about the future of STEM in the United States, cautioning that there is a coming gap in qualified applicants for employers.
The rates of STEM graduates are not keeping up with the amount of job openings in related fields, and the issue could worsen, as the U.S. will add about one million new STEM jobs by 2020. Data from nonprofit code.org showed 607,708 open computing jobs in the country last year, though only 42,969 students with that expertise and background entered into the workforce in the year before. Further research in 2015 indicated that the gaps are even more pronounced between genders and ethnicities, and while STEM jobs and degrees have steadily increased since 2000, the STEM workforce was no more diverse than it was 14 years prior.
The U.S. Armed Forces, including the Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP), have responded to the gap by leveraging their civilian scientists, engineers and laboratories. The branches host learning sessions and competitions and promote mentorships between students and employees with jobs pertaining to STEM throughout the country.
The AEOP has been supporting STEM education for more than 50 years, according to Louie Lopez, the chief of human capital and STEM outreach at U.S. Army Research, Development Engineering Command. He said the programs leverage the Army’s research laboratories and staff in the hope of instilling STEM literacy in students, and they also hope to introduce students to potential STEM tracks inside and outside of the Army.
“We want to lay a foundation so the Army and the Department of Defense will have enduring access to the best and the brightest now and in the future for whatever challenges we may have that have yet to be identified,” he said. “We need to develop this talent pool, so that our partners in academia and in industry have access to this talent to tackle the most complex problems.”
The Army is not the only branch of the Armed Forces partnering with students and teachers. The Air Force promotesSTEM education at more than 30 locations every year. Military and civilian Air Force members volunteer as mentors and guest speakers, while the Air Force itself partners with outside STEM programs to reach nearly 200,000 students each year, offering fellowship, internship and apprenticeship opportunities.
Opportunities in the Navy include programs like the Navy Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate Program, for incoming college students interested in pursuing majors in math, engineering, physics or chemistry, or the Civil Engineer Collegiate Program, which offers opportunities for college students interested in civil, mechanical, or electrical engineering.
The Office of Naval Research helps sponsor the Naval Science Awards Program, which recognizes projects in science and engineering fairs throughout the country. The ONR also helps student connect to the Science and Engineering Apprentice Program, which places high school students interested in STEM into eight-week stints at Department of Defense laboratories. More than 35 Navy and Army labs participate, according to the ONR.
STEM employees in the Armed Forces face a wide array of challenges, from the prevention of cyber attacks to developing new nanotechnology. Lopez said there were more than 13,000 civilian scientists and engineers dedicated to STEM-related work in the Army, not including additional military or contract support. The sheer amount of resources in terms of manpower and facilities that the Army has at its disposal make it a powerful resource for STEM learning, particularly for schools or students who usually lack access to such opportunities, Lopez said.
“While it’s great to build this talent pool of STEM degree holders, our mission goes beyond and much broader, because we believe it’s to the nation’s best interest to have a much more STEM-literate citizenry,” he said.
Employers in fields that utilize science, technology, engineering and mathematics have consistently sounded a warning bell about the future of STEM in the United States, cautioning that there is a coming gap in qualified applicants for employers.
The rates of STEM graduates are not keeping up with the amount of job openings in related fields, and the issue could worsen, as the U.S. will add about one million new STEM jobs by 2020. Data from nonprofit code.org showed 607,708 open computing jobs in the country last year, though only 42,969 students with that expertise and background entered into the workforce in the year before. Further research in 2015 indicated that the gaps are even more pronounced between genders and ethnicities, and while STEM jobs and degrees have steadily increased since 2000, the STEM workforce was no more diverse than it was 14 years prior.
The U.S. Armed Forces, including the Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP), have responded to the gap by leveraging their civilian scientists, engineers and laboratories. The branches host learning sessions and competitions and promote mentorships between students and employees with jobs pertaining to STEM throughout the country.
The AEOP has been supporting STEM education for more than 50 years, according to Louie Lopez, the chief of human capital and STEM outreach at U.S. Army Research, Development Engineering Command. He said the programs leverage the Army’s research laboratories and staff in the hope of instilling STEM literacy in students, and they also hope to introduce students to potential STEM tracks inside and outside of the Army.
“We want to lay a foundation so the Army and the Department of Defense will have enduring access to the best and the brightest now and in the future for whatever challenges we may have that have yet to be identified,” he said. “We need to develop this talent pool, so that our partners in academia and in industry have access to this talent to tackle the most complex problems.”
The Army is not the only branch of the Armed Forces partnering with students and teachers. The Air Force promotes STEM education at more than 30 locations every year. Military and civilian Air Force members volunteer as mentors and guest speakers, while the Air Force itself partners with outside STEM programs to reach nearly 200,000 students each year, offering fellowship, internship and apprenticeship opportunities.
Opportunities in the Navy include programs like the Navy Nuclear Propulsion Officer Candidate Program, for incoming college students interested in pursuing majors in math, engineering, physics or chemistry, or the Civil Engineer Collegiate Program, which offers opportunities for college students interested in civil, mechanical, or electrical engineering.
The Office of Naval Research helps sponsor the Naval Science Awards Program, which recognizes projects in science and engineering fairs throughout the country. The ONR also helps student connect to the Science and Engineering Apprentice Program, which places high school students interested in STEM into eight-week stints at Department of Defense laboratories. More than 35 Navy and Army labs participate, according to the ONR.
STEM employees in the Armed Forces face a wide array of challenges, from the prevention of cyber attacks to developing new nanotechnology. Lopez said there were more than 13,000 civilian scientists and engineers dedicated to STEM-related work in the Army, not including additional military or contract support. The sheer amount of resources in terms of manpower and facilities that the Army has at its disposal make it a powerful resource for STEM learning, particularly for schools or students who usually lack access to such opportunities, Lopez said.
“While it’s great to build this talent pool of STEM degree holders, our mission goes beyond and much broader, because we believe it’s to the nation’s best interest to have a much more STEM-literate citizenry,” he said.
Janet Ruiz, a middle school teacher in San Antonio, teaches for Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science (GEMS), an AEOP STEM enrichment program. She said the summer program is revelatory for middle school students who attend. The program is experiential and offers a different understanding of the Army than what teenagers tend to know.
“The truth is it’s a very vast field with a lot of opportunities. And we try to expose them to these opportunities,” she said, noting they have STEM professionals speak to students during lunch. “They see young women who are scientists. They are exposed to a more diverse group of scientists and doctors in many different fields.”
Lopez pointed out that STEM strength in the defense industry could benefit civilians, as many innovations begin as government/defense projects. He pointed to GPS as an example.
Tackling the diversity gap
For the past several years, the AEOP has partnered with universities, including Purdue, to evaluate the programs the AEOP offers. The organization is also working to close the persistent racial and gender gaps in STEM employment. A Purdue study on AEOP’s efficiency in FY 2016 found that female participation increased in some programs from FY15 to FY16, while participation grew in almost every program among students who identified as a racial or ethnic minority.
“Having a diverse, agile workforce is important at tackling really complex problems,” Lopez said. “That’s one of the challenges, and a lot of folks are in that space, and want to reach out to more underserved and underrepresented students, because they don’t have as much resources to access the kind of access we can offer.”
Ruiz was happy her program worked primarily with Title I students, who she said were all incredibly smart but often lacked the availability of resources more affluent students might enjoy. She hoped the program could be expanded and perhaps be taken off of Brooks Army Medical Center, where the summer classes were held, and into local classrooms.
"If we can take it into the schools and make it not just for exceptional students ... we can always bring the spark of one to learn and contribute to humanity, we can bring that to the school," she said. "This program is amazing."
