Search Results for: creativity
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Blending in
Can you spot the cuttlefish? A common European cuttlefish camouflages itself on the seafloor. Credit: Justine Allen What if you could build a device that could mimic the way undersea creatures escape predators? It could be used as an artificial skin that changes its appearance to hide something (even submarines). As an electronic wallpaper, it could thwart thieves by catching them on a hidden camera. Or the new system could turn an entire wall…
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…
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…
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…
Meat from scratch
Biologist Mark Post holds a sample of the engineered meat he’s growing in his Dutch lab. Credit: Reuters If all goes according to Mark Post’s plan, he will appear on television in October and devour a hamburger that costs about twice as much as most houses do in the United States. Yes, as Charlotte the spider might have written, that’s some burger. “It’s not something you’d flip every day on the barbecue,” admits Post, a biologist at Maastricht…
Science at the White House
Taylor Wilson, 17, an Intel International Science and Engineering Fair 2011 finalist, explains his project to the president. Credit: White House This week, the president of the United States invited some big winners to the White House. And no, they don’t play football. February 7 marked the second ever White House Science Fair. About 100 middle school, high school and college students from across the country got a special invitation to spend th…
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…
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? …
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…
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