While reminiscing on the shuttle program here on GeekMom, it was hard not to think about where we were and what we were doing when Challenger exploded. Helene McLaughlin (Me) I was only three and a half when it happened, so I have no memory of the actual event. However, I remember being very young […]
Continue ReadingSure, some of you scientific GeekMoms out there may quibble with the science (what, in fact, did happen with that “wimpy” sweet potato?) but this little girl’s science experiment – and her exchange with the produce clerk – has certainly made her aware of the concerns many people have about the safety of the food […]
Continue ReadingToday marks 10 days until the final launch of a NASA Space Shuttle into space. What a ride it has been! GeekMom will be paying tribute to the shuttle program over the next 10 days in preparation of Atlantis’s final “Blast Off!” with STS-135. The last 30 years of the shuttle program have provided so […]
Continue ReadingScientists at the University of Manchester in England have, for the first time, monitored the brain as it slips into unconsciousness. Through new imaging methods they have been watching as the human brain “talks” to itself in an ongoing study. It is hoped that this work will help in understanding stroke victims and others suffering […]
Continue ReadingSo I was walking down the internet one day (doo-dah, doo-dah) and I found something small but significant to me as a woman and a science-lover. It sounds a bit dull at face value. After all, it’s a very brief video of several chemists telling the tales of how, as children, they first became interested […]
Continue Reading“Mom, is Santa Claus real?” No, it’s just a fun thing to pretend. “Good.” Soon: “Mom, magic isn’t real, right?” Right. “Just checking.” Later: “Mom, what’s a god?” Something like an imaginary friend who hogs all the good stuff and bosses you around, then gets mad whenever you do something they don’t like. “Why would […]
Continue ReadingTo my mind, there are two great ways to spend rainy days with kids: tucked away indoors with an excess of books and quilts, or navigating the drippy wilderness looking for foul-weather creatures. My family’s wilderness happens to be an urban landscape, but if one looks closely, there’s still a wealth of wildlife to be […]
Continue ReadingThe imaginary allure of traveling by airship comes to life for fans of steampunk through books like Leviathan and Boneshaker. Oh, the thrill of floating gracefully, quietly, through the clouds with the earth far below! The idea of traveling – or at least transporting goods – via airship may not be so far-fetched, according to […]
Continue ReadingWhat do you get if you add together an internationally respected physicist, several stand up comedians, a doctor slash journalist hell-bent on uncovering scientific inaccuracies in the press and an author most famous for his involvement in a contentious libel case, put them all together in a room filled with 2,400 geeks and see what […]
Continue ReadingThe ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center on the Big Island of Hawai’i blends past and present with a focus on the night sky. Part of the University of Hawaii at Hilo, the center is a kid-friendly, hands-on sort of place where families can roam through various exhibit areas or enjoy a show in the planetarium. My husband […]
Continue ReadingAn environmental disaster has taken place on Planet Earth and we need your help. The Smithsonian Institution and the MIT Education Arcade invite all scientists-in-training ages 10½ to 14 to log onto VANISHED and help decipher clues that unravel one of the world’s biggest mysteries. An online/offline interactive event, VANISHED is an eight-week episodic quest that […]
Continue ReadingThe Big Island of Hawai’i is putting on a show! Pu’u O’o Crater collapsed on Saturday and almost simultaneously, a fissure eruption near Napau Crater sent fiery hot lava up to 80′ in the air. What a show! For true geology geeks, the USGS Hawai’i Volcanoes Observatory has several live webcams and lots of images […]
Continue ReadingSeven smart and unusual ways to spend time indoors with kids.
Continue ReadingRecently at the grocery store, I asked my oldest son what kind of snacks he might want, and his answer was “funnel cakes like at the ball park.” Sigh. I was expecting an answer like “tortilla chips” or “Nutter Butter cookies” or something more normal like that. But in typical overachiever fashion, I said, “Okay!” […]
Continue ReadingGather up the kiddies because it’s storytime! Meet Wind, a lonely triangle living on a flat, yet mysterious world. Watch as curiosity compels her to unravel those mysteries and change her world forever… (Warning: Spoilers below the clip!) “Wind and Mr. Ug ” is a shining example of education by stealth. It makes Möbius strips […]
Continue ReadingWhen I was a newlywed GeekGirl, I hated to cook. It was boring and I didn’t like planning out menus or looking for recipes. Those were the pre-Internet days (gasp!) and pre children days. Back then when I got home from school exhausted we went out for meals. However, as I got older I began to enjoy […]
Continue ReadingFabrice Jouvenot, scientific explainer at the French science museum La Cité des Sciences, drives his cycle in Paris’ streets and show “the magic of soap bubbles”. The video, directed by Roland Cros, is provided by Universcience.tv, the scientific web-tv of the Cité des Sciences and the Palais de la Découverte in Paris. Universcience.tv is […]
Continue ReadingWe’ve had some pretty brutal temperatures in the Northeast this winter. But we’re not the only ones shivering. I have family members all over the U.S. who have reported some pretty miserable temps themselves. It’s all relative. When my sister in Georgia sees 30 degrees on her thermometer, she shivers like I do when I […]
Continue ReadingGet busy with snow-related science, art, history, and silliness.
Continue ReadingEver wondered how filmmakers create the sound effects for movies? I mean, those zombies can’t really be ripping out someone’s stomach, right? Film sound designer Tim Prebble demonstrates some techniques in this completely G-rated video. I just hope he composts all of his “victims.” Via Good
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