I am thrilled to be returning to the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC) conference this year, happening next weekend in San Jose, California. It’s been a couple years since I’ve been to ASTC, one of my favorite science education conventions. And it’s great to have it in our backyard, just a few miles …
Park rangers are unsung naturalists and science educators. But they serve a critical, front-line role in facilitating public engagement and understanding of natural systems and phenomena. Plus, they get a killer uniform. This beautifully designed poster by Tyler Nordgren emphasizes how bad ass park rangers are. I’m putting a print of this up in my …
I really liked this piece in Slate magazine on citizen science: “Want to Help Shape the Future?” by Darlene Cavalier and Jason Lloyd. They really hit home the idea that not only is it important for science that people everywhere contribute and participate in it, it’s also important for society and the individuals involved. The key …
I seriously regret that I didn't have the opportunity to be a Girl Scout as a young person. They seem to get to much cooler stuff than their boy counterparts. According to their website, Girl Scouts has a strong emphasis on building STEM skills in young women: We introduce Girl Scouts of every age to …
On Saturday, I had the pleasure of going on a cool tour of the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant in San Francisco. Visiting a water treatment plant might not seem like the most fun thing to do on a weekend, but the tour was actually quite crowded with several couples, families, and interested individuals like …
The new PBS series "The Cloud and the Crowd" premieres today on public media stations around the country. A show about the global movement of citizen science, each episode will highlight how everyday citizens are making remarkable contributions to scientific research. Check the website for more info on where to watch the series.
Check out this neat infographic on the impact of museums in the United States and beyond. Some highlights: There are approximately 850 million visits each year to American museums, more than the attendance for all major league sporting events and theme parks combined (483 million in 2011). By 2006, museums already received an additional 524 …
I love this new video from the Field Museum of Chicago. It makes a simple assertion, that strangely needs repeating in this time: facts matter. That said, it's super messed up that the Field Museum even needs to make this video. See more at their website.
Guys, this is the most amazing arachnid ever , the Bird dropping spider (Cyrtarachne sp.). Apparently the pulsing is caused by contractions in the gut of the spider that contain pigmented cells. There is no consensus about the evolutionary advantage of this, but it presumably could be to mimic a predator or warn would-be predators. More pics …
Most young people can't distinguish between a fake news story and a legitimate source, a fake Twitter account and a real one, or an advertisement or the article it's contained within. This according to a new study released by Stanford University today. According to lead author Sam Wineburg and his co-researchers, youth across a wide range of …