Super-Earths are Bigger, More Common and More Habitable Than Earth Itself
Chris Impey, University of Arizona Astronomers now routinely discover planets orbiting stars outside of the solar system – they’re called exoplanets. But in summer 2022, teams working on NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite found a few particularly interesting planets orbiting in the habitable zones of their parent...
Micromilling of Uniform Nanoparticles for Space Applications
Fritsch micromills have enhanced one NASA lab’s ability to develop optimized ceramic nanoparticulate materials for demanding research projects, including energy storage and thermoelectric device applications Our laboratory, at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, develops materials and processes for NASA’s...
Tech Companies — Your Best Investment is K-12 STEM Education
By Dean Zerbe, National Managing Director, alliantgroup The United States is facing an unprecedented teacher shortage, with almost half (44%) of public schools reporting teacher vacancies this year. With fewer teachers renewing their contracts and resources slimming for students, US public schools’ ability to provide STEM...
Mandela Effect Test: Which of These Images is Correct?
By Sarah Steimer for University of Chicago via Futurity If you had to describe Rich Uncle Pennybags — the Monopoly mascot — would you mention his top hat? His mustache? How about his monocle? The face of the famous board game has, in reality, never worn a monocle. Yet, many people confidently list the accessory when recalling...
Astronomers Have Found an Especially Sneaky Black Hole
Discovery sheds light on star death, black hole formation and gravitational waves Idan Ginsburg, Georgia State University There is always something new and exciting happening in the field of black hole research. Albert Einstein first published his book explaining the theory of general relativity – which postulated black...
7 Amazing Ways Technology Is Changing Higher Education for the Better
As society has stepped decidedly into the digital age, there’s been a lot of debate about how technology is changing higher education. Some people believe there are benefits of technology in education, while others are concerned about tech’s impact on learning and motivation. Technology in higher education can be a major distraction...
DoD and STEM — The Partnership Creating Tomorrow’s Workforce
One of the least known bipartisan initiatives under the Trump Administration is proving to be one of the best government-private sector-public school partnerships to educate, empower, and create tomorrow’s sophisticated STEM workforce. DSEC Formally known as the Defense Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics...
Wealthy Nations are Carving up Space and its Riches — and Leaving Other Countries Behind
Theodora Ogden, Arizona State University Satellites help run the internet and television and are central to the Global Positioning System. They enable modern weather forecasting, help scientists track environmental degradation and play a huge role in modern military technology. Nations that don’t have their own satellites...
Astronomy’s 10-Year Wish List: Big Money, Bigger Telescopes and the Biggest Questions in Science
Chris Impey, University of Arizona It takes expensive tools to learn about the universe, but projects like the Very Large Array for radio astronomy in New Mexico and the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which orbits Earth, have pushed scientific knowledge forward in ways that would not have been possible without these instruments. Every 10...
How To Learn To Code: A Beginner's Guide
Coding can be a fulfilling hobby or a full-blown career, and people of all ages have the opportunity to learn the skills it requires, and to get to grips with the tools needed to master it. If you are a complete novice, it helps to learn a little about the ins and outs of coding so you can decide how to take the next steps down the...
Turning Girls Loose to Build in STEM
The 2021 version of Rosie Riveters, named for the iconic World War II poster, allows school girls to build, create and practice critical STEM life skills. It’s a typical Pre-COVID Saturday morning. We’re starting a Rosie Riveters four-week STEM program and after a quick, interactive lesson on a scientific concept, our new cohort...
Science, Science Wherever You Go: SciFest All Access
The second running of the virtual SciFest All Access was a spectacular success, featuring the laughs, hands-on programs, personalities and diversity of programs that said one thing: ‘This is your future. And it’s going to be both very important and fun.’ Imagine waking up one morning knowing you’re going to play all day, and...
Fanara and Robertson Combine Superpowers to Empower STEM Students
Tracy Fanara remembers the day she knew what she wanted to do with her life. An elementary teacher was talking about the 1978 Love Canal disaster, in which barrels of chemicals from a toxic landfill dislodged and bled into the Niagara Falls, New York water table, and leached into backyards, basements and a schoolyard. The disaster...
Why the Volcanic Eruption in Tonga Was So Violent, and What to Expect Next
The Kingdom of Tonga doesn’t often attract global attention, but a violent eruption of an underwater volcano on January 15 has spread shock waves, quite literally, around half the world. The volcano is usually not much to look at. It consists of two small uninhabited islands, Hunga-Ha’apai and Hunga-Tonga, poking about 100m above...
How the Earth’s Tilt Creates Short, Cold January Days
Deanna Hence, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Above the equator, winter officially begins in December. But in many areas, January is when it really takes hold. Atmospheric scientist Deanna Hence explains the weather and climate factors that combine to produce wintry conditions at the turn of the year. How does the...
Why Can’t We Throw All Our Trash Into a Volcano and Burn It Up?
Emily Johnson, US Geological Survey Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com. Why can’t we throw all our trash into a volcano and burn it up? – Georgine T. It’s true that lava is hot enough to burn...
Sports Card Explosion Holds Promise for Keeping Kids Engaged in Math
John Holden, Oklahoma State University When it comes to collecting sports cards, people often focus on the cards’ financial worth. And understandably so. After all, when a small piece of cardboard that originally cost just dollars or even cents is suddenly worth more than a million bucks after the featured player rises to fame,...
Both the Public and Private Sectors are Scrambling for STEM Workers
Each week we see concerning reports about the STEM skills gap continuing to widen in the United States. The good news is Congress and the Biden Administration have a unique chance to help move things in the right direction. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, there were 1.4 million open tech vacancies in 2020 and only 400,000...