Spud Launchers: 3 Girls, Their Potatoes and the International Space Station
For three young women in Buffalo, a trip to the movies ultimately led to meeting an astronaut and sending an experiment into space
Stories by Amanda Baker
When I Grow Up: 5 Lessons Scientists Would Share with Their Younger Selves
What sparked their curiosity, and what experiences threatened to put out that flame? The answers might be somewhat unexpected
The Toughest Audience: Presenting Your Research to a Panel of Kids
Frontiers for Young Minds hosted its first live review event at the Chabot Space and Science Center as part of the Bay Area Science Festival. Researchers presented their work in 5-minute presentations, and then were questioned by a panel of Young Reviewers – ages 9-17 – in front of a live audience.
Students Get Creative When Competing to Study Genes in Space
Creativity may not be a term that the average person would associate with DNA research or space exploration, but the youth science competition Genes in Space is showing students and teachers that the concepts actually go hand-in-hand. The competition introduces students to cutting-edge technology, asks them to propose real-world questions about the effects of space travel on living organisms, teams students up with science experts, and then performs the winning experiment on the International Space Station.
No Wonder My Ears Hurt When Flying
A recent flight with an empty water bottle gave me a new appreciation for the pressures that my ear drums deal with each time I fly.
Never Perfect: Making Research Decisions about Close Enough for Now
Imagine you have been plopped in the middle of a desert and asked to make a geologic map of the surrounding square mile over the next seven hours. What would you do? How would you start? Making decisions in this kind of setting depends on interpreting your surroundings enough to create working hypotheses that will help you decide where to go, when and what to look for once you get there
Trying for Fun, and Ending Up with a Textbook Instead
In the process of trying to design an article that did not feel like a textbook, we created an article that reminded kids of just that. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that knowing about your audience is the same as knowing what they actually like
Being Lactose Intolerant in the Land of Cheese and Chocolate
Considering that ~65% of humans have trouble digesting lactose, one would think that the standard method for figuring out which products will or won't cause you days of pain would be more sophisticated than "give it a try."
Don't Explain So Much at Once, and Other Advice from Young Science Readers
Though scientists are often motivated to explain their research to the public, many find themselves floundering with how best to communicate what they do for those with little or no experience in their field of study.
Remembering the Human Component in Natural Hazards Research
When news hit about the catastrophic floods in Chile last month, I was immediately brought back to my field seasons in the Atacama studying earthquakes.
Boots or Heels: My Wardrobe Paradox as a Woman in STEM
A couple of weeks ago a wonderful hashtag was making its way around Twitter, with female scientists all over the world sharing photos of their feet to show a day #InMyShoes.
Even Scientists Play With Their Food
Have you ever been told not to play with your food? Perhaps been told that it isn’t polite or disrespects the other people at the table?
How Quickly Can (and Should) You Judge a Face?
The internet is filled with claims about how we form initial assessments of other people within the first ten minutes - or even the first ten seconds - of meeting them.
Seven Reasons Space Scientists Are Tougher Than You Think
Whether it is waiting to hear about draft picks or the next release by Apple, there are many things that make enthusiasts hold their breath.
Do You Only Trust WALL-E Because He’s Cute?
Each year it seems a little less like science fiction to ask your phone for advice about local chinese food or trust your car to get you to a new location.
Not Your Grandma's Science Competition - Part 3
This post is the third in a three-part series highlighting youth science competitions that task young people with the real challenges and rewards of a life in research.
Not Your Grandma’s Science Competition – Part 2
This post is the second in a three-part series highlighting youth science competitions that task young people with the real challenges and rewards of a life in research.
Not Your Grandma’s Science Competition: Part 1
This post is the first in a three-part series highlighting youth science competitions that task young people with the real challenges and rewards of a life in research.
Teens These Days, Always Changing Their Gray Matter
While we all may vary on just how much time we like spending with other people, humans are overall very social beings. Scientists have already found this to be reflected in our health and well-being - with social isolation being associated with more depression, worse health, and a shorter life.
Aiming Too High (Or Too Low) When Communicating Science
I recently had the opportunity to take part in a workshop for researchers about communicating science to the public. At one point the speaker suggested that the first step for anyone would be to learn how to translate scientific concepts so that a child would be able to understand them.
