Now That’s a NYE Ball Drop!

Yay Science…

YouTube - Bouncy Ball New Year 2009!

Gold Aluminum, Black Platinum and Blue Silver

Not exactly alchemy, but still pretty cool:

Using a tabletop laser, University of Rochester optical scientists have turned pure aluminum, gold.

And blue. And gray. And many other colors. And it works for every metal tested, including platinum, titanium, tungsten, silver, and gold.

via Researchers Create Gold Aluminum, Black Platinum, Blue Silver : University of Rochester News.

I want a blue titanium toaster.

Best Class Edublog 2009 Results

Here are the results from the “Best Class Blog” award that GriffinScience was nominated for this year (scroll down to the bottom to see the full results):

The winners of the Best Class Edublog 2009….

Winner: Billings Middle School Tech Class Blog

First Runner Up: Mrs. Yollis’ Classroom Blog

Second Runner Up: English With Rosa

Scroll to the bottom of the page to see the results tally!

via Best Class Edublog 2009 – The Edublog Awards.

Thanks to the 46 folks who voted for us!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

The Known Universe: Amazing Video!

Just Wow:

YouTube
- The Known Universe by AMNH: “The Known Universe takes viewers from the Himalayas through our atmosphere and the inky black of space to the afterglow of the Big Bang. Every star, planet, and quasar seen in the film is possible because of the world’s most complete four-dimensional map of the universe, the Digital Universe Atlas that is maintained and updated by astrophysicists at the American Museum of Natural History. The new film, created by the Museum, is part of an exhibition, Visions of the Cosmos: From the Milky Ocean to an Evolving Universe, at the Rubin Museum of Art in Manhattan through May 2010. “

Has Dark Matter Finally Been Detected?

Possibly huge news!

Has dark matter finally been detected? The Guardian: “For 80 years, it has eluded the finest minds in science. But tonight it appeared that the hunt may be over for dark matter, the mysterious and invisible substance that accounts for three-quarters of the mass of the universe.

In a series of coordinated announcements at several US laboratories, researchers said they believed they had captured dark matter in a defunct iron ore mine half a mile underground. The claim, if confirmed next year, will rank as one the most spectacular discoveries in physics in the past century.”

We’ll be studying Dark Matter/Energy a great deal this Spring, so stay in the loop!

The 2009 Edublogs Awards Ceremony Tonight

Winners for the 2009 Edublogs Awards will be announced tonight at 7 P.M.

The 2009 Edublogs Awards Ceremony and Results… this week! – The Edublog Awards: “During the Ceremony we will be announcing the Winners and runner ups in each of the Award categories.

We’re hoping to invite the winners to speak and tell us more about their site/themselves — time permitting!”

I’ll let you know how it goes.

Regardless, thanks to all of the awesome SDS 8th graders for making this semester and this site so much fun and thought-provoking!

Classrooms in 2020?

Now that exams are over, here’s an interesting post about what a classroom in 2020 may look like (that I hope comes true!).

What do you think of the 21 items in the list?

TeachPaperless: 21 Things That Will Become Obsolete in Education by 2020: “Well, just for kicks, I put together my own list of ’21 Things That Will Become Obsolete in Education by 2020′.

1. Desks
The 21st century does not fit neatly into rows. Neither should your students. Allow the network-based concepts of flow, collaboration, and dynamism help you rearrange your room for authentic 21st century learning…”

Anything you would add or subtract to the list?

Earth and the Great Gamma Ray Attack of '04

Five years ago, something quite scientifically interesting happened.

We survived a deadly gamma ray burst. Remember our discussions of gamma rays and how they are a high frequency, high energy radiation far on one end of the electromagnetic spectrum (yes, that will help you on the exam)?

Fascinating:

December 27, 2004: The Day Earth Survived the Greatest Stellar Attack -Ever: “For a brief instant, a couple of tenths of a second, on December 27, 2004 an invisible burst of energy the equivalent of half a million years of sunlight shone on Earth. Many orbiting satellites electronics were zapped and the Earth’s upper atmosphere was amazingly ionized from a massive hit of gamma ray energy.”

Fantastic. Go read the rest of the article to see what else happened.

Yay science!

Congrats, Riley!

In the Herald-Journal this morning…

‘Best Christmas Pageant Ever’ mixes mischief with holiday spirit | GoUpstate.com | Spartanburg Herald-Journal | Spartanburg SC: “…She is joined in the cast by another stage veteran, 13-year-old Riley Dismore, an eighth-grader at Spartanburg Day School. Riley remembered reading the book when she was in third grade, saying she couldn’t wait for the chance to try out to play Imogene Herdman.

‘I didn’t want to get my hopes up, in case I didn’t get the part,’ Riley said. ‘When I found out I got it, I jumped out of the car, did a happy dance and turned a few cartwheels.’

Riley said she wanted the part because Imogene seems tough on the outside but has a soft side.

‘Imogene really takes it seriously when she plays Mary in the church play,’ Riley said. ‘She is a deeper character than the others. There is a lot going on with her.’”

Congrats, Riley!