Science Buddies Blog (1,153 results)

A headline today from New Scientist asks what the sun will look like as a planetary nebula when it begins to die--in about 5 billion years. Questions that involve billions of years from now can be mind-boggling, but considering what happens in the span of a few hours or through the course of a night is something students of all ages can tackle. When younger children look up at the sky, both shifts in the appearance of the moon as well as differences in what and how many stars are… Read more

I don't know what was being talked about, but as I cleaned up in the kitchen, I heard a conversation with an 8-year old that resulted in questions about water and electricity and whether or not water can conduct electricity. I think the question had come up as he relayed some cool feature of a character in a game and was challenged about whether or not such a power was possible. Of course, as adults, we think of things like fallen power lines and rain puddles or the risk of a hair dryer… Read more

If you're ready to tackle something related to energy, power, and the environment but want to push the envelope a bit farther than the cool (but maybe not quite cutting-edge-enough-for-you and just a bit ubiquitous) Veggie-Powered Batteries, pull on your rubber gloves, grab a nose-plug (totally optional), and check out the ins and outs of biomass and biogas. From Trash to Gas: Biomass Energy (grades 6-8) has you roll up your sleeves, fill up some soda bodies, and monitor differences in… Read more