Fission vs. Fusion
Tuesday, April 7th, 2009As is the norm, my 11-year-old Science Junkie poses a question that requires some work on my part to answer correctly and succinctly…
What is the difference between nuclear fission and nuclear fusion?
Nuclear Fission
The word fission means to split apart. When the nucleus of an atom is split apart, a tremendous amount of energy is released. [...]
Topps in 3-D Technology
Tuesday, March 10th, 2009Check this out!
Topp’s has launched a line of collector’s baseball cards that work with your webcam to bring players to life. The action unfolds right on your desktop!
The cards, called Topps 3-D Live, are built with technology created by augmented reality company Total Immersion. The images are not holograms. They are actually a digital overlay on the video [...]
Mr. Zip Knows All…
Thursday, December 25th, 2008Check out how much information is available about the demographics of your community just by entering your zip code at ZipSkinny I learned lots of census based information about my neighborhood including median income, educational achievement, residency stability and lots more.
To see just how much Mr. Zippy knows about you and your neighbors CLICK HERE
VERY Unusual Gifts
Wednesday, December 17th, 2008By this time, the people left on your holiday gift list are the hardest to buy for. How about one of these unusual items? I guarantee they won’t receive duplicates!
ZAKY INFANT PILLOW
The Zaky is an ergonomic infant pillow designed by a Mom to mimic the size, weight, touch, and feel of her hand and [...]
Here comes Santa Claus, Here comes Santa Claus
Thursday, December 4th, 2008Yes, I know that they’re supposed to be nestled all snug in their beds with visions of sugar plums bla bla bla… But it’s even more fun to let your little Science Junkies track Santa’s realtime progress on Christmas Eve via state-of-the-art military technology courtesy of NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command)!
The tradition began In 1955 [...]
The Perfect Face
Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008My 10-year-old science loving son just LOVES a movie called “The Librarian“. As far as movies go, it’s a pretty fair action-adventure flick with some supernatural elements mixed into the storyline. The movie stars Noah Wyle as an introverted professional student that one fateful day interviews for the position of Librarian at a impressive looking institution. The interview [...]
Say it with Showers
Monday, December 1st, 2008The first time I went to Disneyworld, I was mesmerized by (among many things) the “leapfrog” water fountain located near “Journey into Imagination” at Epcot. Like living crystal serpents, arcs of water leapt from one landing spot to the next at perfectly timed intervals. Much more recently, my own children were just as captivated by this amazing [...]
Instant Ice
Saturday, November 22nd, 2008Here is another great YouTube video, this one demontrating how to make “Instant Ice”.
If you’ve ever used an instant hand warmer or a reusable heat pack, you’ve already seen and felt the same chemical process at work.
What’s going on?
Sodium acetate trihydrate crystals have a melting point of 58°C (136°F). When they are placed in water [...]
Solid Smoke
Friday, November 21st, 2008While killing some time before a star show at the Science Center recently, I saw something very interesting at the space exhibit. When I spotted it, I thought it was a hologram. I later learned that people often describe it that way. What it turned out to be was a really remarkable substance called an [...]
All That Glitters
Friday, November 7th, 2008My young Science Junkie is fascinated with precious metals and gems. When we visited the Smithsonian this last summer, his favorite exhibit was the hall of gems. He was particularly awed by the Hope Diamond. Well, who wouldn’t be?
Over time he has asked me many questions about gold. Some I could answer off the cuff, others I [...]
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