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How creativity powers science
Going for a walk in the woods may lead to an aha! moment. Many people figure out creative, new ways to solve problems by allowing their minds to wander. Credit: Gavin Clarke Ask most people to identify a creative person, and they’ll probably describe an artist — Picasso, Shakespeare or even Lady Gaga. But what about a Nobel prize–winning chemist? Or a team of engineers that figures out how to make a car engine operate more efficiently? Cr…
Dancing with Robots
Sprague’s Sprockets, a team of two boys and two girls, waited nervously for its turn at the search-and-rescue station as the RoboCup Junior competition got under way. The students from Adelphi Academy in Brooklyn, N.Y., had checked the settings on their robot’s infrared sensors. They’d tweaked their computer program and loaded it into the robot. Soon, they would send the robot along a path with turns, obstacles, and even a ramp…
Young scientists come to Washington
The Broadcom MASTERS 2011 finalists on the steps of the Capitol Building. Credit: Broadcom Foundation On a chilly, rainy October morning in Washington, D.C., two middle school students from Hawaii sat shivering on a tour bus as they waited to depart for a photo shoot at the U.S. Capitol. “I don’t know how people live here,” said Jordan Kamimura, 14, of Hilo, Hawaii, through chattering teeth. But the temperatures proved no deterrent for the pa…
Science fair as a family affair
Daniel Feeney, first place winner in the Broadcom MASTERS 2011, with his mother Christina Feeny, at Public Day. Credit: Broadcom MASTERS/Robin Weiner Photography As temperatures drop and days grow shorter, middle and high school students across the country begin gearing up for science fair season. While these competitions typically take place in the spring, the qualifying projects can take several weeks or even months to plan, carry out and sum…
SSP Fellow Valdine McLean
Valdine Mclean working with students Valdine McLean, who was selected from a national pool of entrants as an SSP Fellow in 2009, recently established the Great Basin Coop Testing Laboratory. The laboratory will serve as both a community and education resource to residents of Northern Nevada, and Valdine is in the process of getting funding to support building the facility. The new lab will help students in the area, who currently have limited…
Young scientists make the cut
2011 Broadcom MASTERS finalist, Andrew Blonsky of Chapel Hill, N.C., shows off a model for his science project: an investigation into algae’s ability to remove carbon dioxide from car exhaust. Credit: Broadcom MASTERS, Robin Weiner Photography Forget the baking-soda volcano. With research ranging from the power of natural mosquito repellent to the adaptability of reef-building corals, a new crop of young science fair students are leaving old-sc…
Computers with Attitude
It’s been a long day at school. You’ve got a heavy evening of homework ahead. You switch on your computer to work on an assignment. An animated kid on your computer screen smiles and says, “Hey, it’s good to see you again. But you look tired. Are you doing OK?” You reply that you’re feeling pretty wiped out, but you’ve got a research project to do. You rub your eyes and yawn. “I know the feeling,&#…
Question Sheet: Einstein’s Skateboard
SCIENCE Before reading: Why would people create contests or competitions to help get kids interested in science? What does skateboarding have to do with physics? During reading: Why did this year’s Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge focus on Albert Einstein? When was the gravitational force greatest for skateboarders? What was the “trick” for succeeding in the laser obstacle course challenge? …
Pathways to research: Pursuing a passion
Laurie Rumker prepares the solutions she will use to grow her bacteria. Credit: Laurie Rumker While hanging out with friends, Michelle Hackman noticed that many of them texted each other instead of just chatting amongst themselves. That made her curious: Might cell phones be affecting our social interactions — and maybe even our brains? Before long, the teen was searching for studies that had probed the impact of cell phone use on behavior. She…
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