Category: Tag: space
The High-Adventure Science modules, first written in 2011-2013, are each based on a big unanswered question in Earth/environmental science. These six modules include interactive computer-based systems models and real-world data that students use for evidence as they develop scientific arguments. The modules incorporate real-world data from the National Aeronautic and Space Administration, National Oceanic and […]
When you’re looking up at the solar eclipse on August 21 (wearing appropriate eye protection, of course), you might also be wondering: What else is out there? Black holes, dark energy, life forms? Are we really alone in the universe? This is one of the great unanswered questions for scientists, which is why it’s in […]
We’re bringing the excitement of scientific discovery to students by letting them explore pressing unanswered questions in Earth, space, and environmental science using the same methods that practicing scientists use.
What was Earth like 2.8 billion years ago? The first life was emerging on the planet. The Sun was weaker than it is today, but geologic evidence shows that the climate was as warm (or warmer) than it is today. Was Earth colder because of the weak Sun, or warmer, as geologic evidence suggests? How […]
A team of astronomers led by scientists at the California Institute of Technology have found 18 planets orbiting stars more massive than our Sun. Finding planets is becoming more and more routine with the Kepler telescope, but these planetary discoveries help to answer questions about planetary formation–and raise other questions about planetary orbits. The scientists […]
NASA technology is being used to find fossil aquifers underneath Earth’s driest deserts. This technology was developed to explore underneath the surface of Mars, to help determine if there might be water on the red planet. Water is a sign that life might be possible. Why are they using this technology on Earth? We know […]
Pumice, a type of volcanic rock, is so porous that it floats on water. Now researchers from Oxford University and the University of Western Australia are suggesting that life on Earth could have formed on floating rafts of pumice. The researchers argue that pumice has a unique set of properties which would have made it […]
On September 12, 2011, a team of scientists announced that the HARPS telescope has identified more than 50 new planets; this is the largest number of planets ever announced at once. The HARPS telescope works by detecting the movement of stars. A star with an orbiting planet will be pulled towards the planet as it […]
Astronomers at the California Institute of Technology have discovered that “Snow White,” a dwarf planet officially named 2007 OR10, is actually red. Time to come up with another name! But why was it called Snow White to begin with? It was originally called Snow White because Mike Brown, a professor of planetary astronomy at Caltech, […]
Formaldehyde has many industrial uses–in particle board, plywood, carpet, and adhesives, to name just a few. Formaldehyde is toxic to life–the reason that it’s used as a disinfectant–and the reason that many countries have banned the use of formaldehyde in furniture and housing materials and promote the styles you can find in Archute catalog. But […]