3/14 is Pi Day!
Thursday, March 13th, 2008March 14th (3/14) is Pi Day. Whether you celebrate by eating pie, throwing a pie or just by reading this post, it’s a worthwhile activity to reflect on this remarkable number!
The diameter of the the above circle is 1 so its circumference = Pi
Pi is one of the most important mathematical constants. Approximately [...]
Fashions in Foil
Wednesday, March 12th, 2008I am endlessly amused by what yesteryear imagined that the world of tomorrow would look like. Why do you suppose they thought we’d be wearing so much aluminum foil in the future - especially in the form of jumpsuits? Elevated radiation levels perhaps?
With that I give you an assortment of funky and fabulous futuristic fashions [...]
An indispensable bathroom accessory
Tuesday, March 11th, 2008For otherwise wasted time…
Find out just how entertaining the universe we live in can be! “Uncle John Plunges Into The Universe“>Uncle John Plunges Into the Universe” is an antidote to every textbook that has ever made science seem boring. In Life Sciences he explores the weird solutions that different organisms have devised for their [...]
Become a Bubbleologist
Monday, March 10th, 2008Ok, so there’s not really a science called bubbleology but that’s not to say that there isn’t a lot of science to be learned from bubbles. At Exploratorium, Ron Hipschman does a fabulous job of explaining the elemental forces at work in a soap bubble.
Mix yourself up a batch of bubble solution at home using [...]
Lessons in Leverage
Sunday, March 9th, 2008A “simple machine” is a device for overcoming resistance at one point by applying force at some other point. Simple machines are generally classified into six basic categories:
Levers
Wheel and Axle
Pulleys (Block and Tackle)
Inclined Planes
Wedges
Screws
One or more simple machines are usually found at the heart of all modern machinery.
The following illustration demonstrates one of several ways that a lever can be used to effectively reduce [...]
Party Science
Saturday, March 8th, 2008
We just had a great science-themed birthday party for our 10-year-old science junkie. See the details and how-tos on the party page. The Mad Scientist on our cake is the Science Junkies mascot, Dexter.
In the above picture Dexter has a horror movie moment and we get a glimpse into his innermost thoughts.
Every bit of this cake’s [...]
Daylight Savings Time
Saturday, March 8th, 2008
This Sunday morning (03/09/08) at 2:00 a.m., most of us in the Continental United States will move our clocks forward one hour to 3:00 a.m.. This twice-a-year practice of shifting between “standard time” and “daylight time” began for most of the U.S. and Europe during World War I as a means of fuel conservation.
Germany and [...]
Apocalyptic Fun for Everyone!
Saturday, March 8th, 2008What’s 7 feet long, seats 2 children and has enough nuclear payload to to take out most of the Eastern Seaboard?
A. It’s the Polaris Nuclear Sub! Get yours today!
This reminds me of an earlier post I made about another great vintage doomsday toy; The Atomic Energy Lab.
My Kitty ate my Gyroscope
Friday, March 7th, 2008
My Kitty ate my Gyroscope
A Poem by Science Junkies
I’m just about to give up hope
My kitty ate my gyroscope!
Like a dervish he does spin
across the room and back again
Whirling, twirling like a top
I don’t think he will ever stop!
Gimbal, axis, rotor, string
Not a very tasty thing
Just what possessed my crazy cat
to swallow such a thing [...]
Celebrating Silly Science Since 1991
Thursday, March 6th, 2008
The whole world is already familiar with the Nobel Prize. This post highlights a lesser known, but in my view much more entertaining accolade; the Ig Nobel Prize. The Igs are awarded based on the silliness of their recipient’s scientific achievements more than anything else. The real aim being to first make people laugh, and then make them think.
Reminescent of the [...]
