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The Biggest Comet Ever!

The biggest comet ever discovered, the lecturing astronomer told us, is speeding toward the sun at 22,000 miles per hour. I sat up straighter, as I’d guess did most of us in this Zoom class. We were here to learn why Pluto is no longer a planet and this was news. But, he continued, we… Continue reading The Biggest Comet Ever!

Can Brain Games Make You Smarter?

Game Therapy? Imagine yourself immersed in a virtual reality game, traveling through a digital universe, slaying monsters, racing cars, climbing mountains. As you race through this universe, your pulse quickens, and your senses sharpen. Now imagine when you finish, a quick brain scan finds you boosted your brain’s capabilities. This game trains your brain just… Continue reading Can Brain Games Make You Smarter?

Book Review: A Young Innovator’s Guide to STEM

How do some people accomplish so much? TIME magazine’s first-ever Kid of the Year, Gitanjali Rao, gives us a glimpse of her techniques in A Young Innovator’s Guide to STEM: 5 Steps to Problem Solving for Students, Educators, and Parents. As with everything she does, Gitanjali Rao delivers a great guide to the innovation process. … Continue reading Book Review: A Young Innovator’s Guide to STEM

Kate the Chemist

Kate the Chemist ignites a series of colorful explosions of brilliant red, bright yellow, and vivid green on the Stephen Colbert TV show. The half dozen balloons filled with hydrogen gas and fireworks chemicals made a rainbow of fireballs. “Now, let’s do something exciting!” says the self-described pyromaniac. She then spews a mouthful of cornstarch… Continue reading Kate the Chemist

Is COVID-19…

Is COVID-19 the Worst Pandemic Ever? COVID-19 has changed life for everyone since it blasted into our news and our consciousness in the spring of 2020. The US and much of the world shut down for weeks and months. COVID-19 has caused enormous pain, suffering, and debilitation, and the death toll is devastating. The magazine,… Continue reading Is COVID-19…

Dasia Taylor and Her Color Changing Sutures

Why did Dasia Taylor spend hours after school in the chemistry lab juicing beets? The high school junior was inventing a way to reduce the infections that often result from surgery in developing countries. In low- and middle-income countries, about 11% of surgical wounds develop an infection, according to the World Health Organization. This infection… Continue reading Dasia Taylor and Her Color Changing Sutures

Hello World

Explore the world. Nearly everything is interesting if you go into it deeply enough. –Richard Feynman Welcome! Welcome to my Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) blog! If you’re interested in what is going on in STEM, this blog may be a place for you. I’m a science teacher writing on what I learn about… Continue reading Hello World