Current Events | The Math Blaster Blog

Rare Unplanned Spacewalk for NASA

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Math Blaster

The work that NASA has accomplished throughout the years has given society incredible insight into the world around us. In addition to this, there is no doubt that all of NASA’s work has been characterized by methodology, regulations, and plans. This type of planning and preparation, however, was disrupted recently by an unplanned spacewalk on the international space station.

On Saturday, May 11, two astronauts made an unplanned spacewalk in order to find more information about ammonia snowflakes that were appearing in space over a span of two days.

It was found that the space station cooling system had sustained a leak. Over time, the damage caused by the leak increased, prompting this spacewalk. The leak resulted in a loss of ammonia coolant, causing one of the eight power systems that provide electricity to the space station to shut down.

Luckily, the space station and its crew were never in any danger. Also, the two astronauts that went on this spacewalk were two experienced spacewalkers who had actually worked on the damaged part of the station. The spacewalk was also significant because it was very unique and rare for NASA. Normally, NASA’s actions are planned out and deliberate, while this spacewalk was thought out in a quicker-than-usual manner.

During the five and a half-hour spacewalk, the two astronauts located the potential leak and replaced a pump in the station. More time is needed to ascertain whether or not this replacement pump fixed the leak in the space station. After the spacewalk mission was completed, the station took great care to make sure that no residual ammonia remained on the space suits. This is because the ammonia would have been toxic if it entered the station.

All of the aspects of this recent story from NASA could serve as a potential learning tool for your child. Ask your child questions, such as how they would approach fixing the issue at the space station, or even about what they think about the after-mission process the astronauts had to go through. Also, do not forget to incorporate their favorite science and math activities during these learning opportunities.

Filed under: Current Events, Newsletter, Parents and Kids, Science Facts, Technology and Kids, What's New | Tagged: International Space Station, NASA, science, unplanned spacewalk | 2 Comments »

A NASA Rover to Explore Greenland

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Math Blaster

The NASA organization has always been known for its monumental work in the field of science. With all of the exploration expeditions the organization initiates and all of the monumental discoveries it has made, there is no doubt that NASA is an innovator in the science world. In addition to this, NASA is perhaps most known for its great discoveries in outer space. However, NASA has begun a new scientific journey with a rover that will explore the highest, most frigid parts of Greenland.

Higher than normal temperatures in the summer of 2012 caused melting to around 97 percent of Greenland’s massive ice sheet region, garnering widespread attention to and worry about this area. In light of this, NASA is launching its “GROVER” rover, which is short for “Greenland Rover” and “Goddard Remotely Operated Vehicle for Exploration and Research.” This rover will be able to explore the extremely cold conditions in Greenland to collect data that can help scientists gain further knowledge about how Greenland’s massive ice sheet operates.

GROVER is a robot of multiple functionalities. To begin, the robot stands six feet tall. In addition to this, the GROVER is also friendly to the environment, as it gains all of its energy from solar panels. The genius behind the solar-powered nature of this machine is that the sun never travels below the horizon during the summer season in the Arctic, making it easy for GROVER to work throughout the day.

The GROVER will be using ground-penetrating radar during its time in Greenland. This will be used to test and study how snow accumulates on the ground. In the bigger picture, these studies will help scientists understand how layers and layers of ice form on the ice sheet over time. Moreover, GROVER presents a great innovation in scientific exploration of this region because it can replace the use of aircraft or satellites.

There are many exciting things going on in the world of science today. With so many new innovations and creative ways to explore the world around us, there are sure to be great new discoveries coming our way. Use these types of current events to your advantage by turning them into a teaching moment. Engage your child in conversation, and perhaps even challenge them with other science or math activities.

Filed under: Current Events, Just for Fun, Newsletter, Science Facts, Technology and Kids, What's New | Tagged: Greenland Rover, GROVER, Math Blaster, NASA, science | Leave a Comment »

Latest Outer Space Discoveries

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Math Blaster

Earth is one planet in an 8-planet solar system, and all these planets orbit the sun. In addition to this, we know there are endless numbers of celestial bodies in space, with thousands of different systems, stars and galaxies. Recently, however, NASA’S Kepler space telescope made some monumental discoveries — there are three super-Earth-size planets in the Milky Way galaxy that lie in a “habitable zone.”

The reason why this specific Kepler spacecraft discovery is so important is because it signifies that scientists are closer than ever before to finding other Earth-like planets. These recently discovered planets are rocky in composition, and have a size relatively similar to Earth’s. Also, these planets orbit around a star in a “habitable zone.” By this, scientists mean that the planets orbit far away enough from its central star to have a lower surface temperature. This could even mean that water may be found on the planets’ surfaces.

There are a variety of ways to get your child’s imagination engaged in these current events. As scientists draw closer and closer to finding out more about the intricacies of the depths of space, what types of questions is your child asking?

During these times, perhaps you could take the opportunity to have your child express their imagination through creative means such as drawings and paintings. Pose hypothetical questions to them, such as “If there was a new planet just like Earth, what would it look like?” Have your child draw out a creative design, and engage them in conversations about these recent, exciting scientific discoveries.

Also, as you discuss these recent scientific breakthroughs, you can also challenge your child to extend their critical thinking with different activities. Continue to stay on the lookout for the latest and greatest science and Math Blaster updates here.

Filed under: Current Events, Family Fun, Just for Fun, Newsletter, Parents and Kids, Science Facts, Technology and Kids, Uncategorized, What's New | Tagged: NASA, NASA Kepler, Science discovery, Science News | Leave a Comment »

Newly Discovered Fossils related to the Movement of Early Humans

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Math Blaster

Researchers have recently found that Australopithecus ancestors may have used different ways of mobilization to walk around on two feet. This particular research is one of six studies to have been published last week in science that portrays the gathering of more than four years of research into the anatomy of Australopithecus sediba.

Discovered in the Malapa cave in South Africa, the two million year-old fossils are considered to be some of the most complete early human ancestral remains to have ever been discovered. This most recent study was published by Boston University assistant Professor of Anthropology, Jeremy DeSilva and Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy, Kenneth Holt. With their findings, DeSilva and Holt first hypothesized that this particular species walked like a human with a fully extended leg. They also believed that this species had an ape-like walk with an inverted foot, which produced hyperpronation of the foot and excessive rotation of the knee and hip during bipedal walking. As a result, these findings indicated to the rest of the science world that there could have possibly been different types of bipedalism throughout the human evolution.

According to Professor Jeremy DeSilva:

“As others have suggested, there were different kinematic solutions for being a bipedal hominine in the Plio-Pleistocene (The recent discovery of an Ardipithecus-like foot from 3.4 million-year-old deposits at Burtele). The mode of locomotion suggested by the Malapa skeletons indicates a compromise between an animal that is adapted for extended knee bipedalism and one that either still had an arboreal component or had re-evolved a more arboreal lifestyle from a more terrestrial ancestor.”

According to several other published works, the Australopithecus sediba were known to have a combination of unique features in the hand, upper limb, thorax, spine and foot. The foot, in particular, possessed an anatomical mosaic, which further supports the theory today that there were multiple forms of bipedal locomotion in the Plio-Pleistocene.

Filed under: Current Events, Just for Fun, Newsletter, Parents and Kids, Science Facts, Technology and Kids, What's New | Tagged: Evolution, Fossils, Science facts | 2 Comments »

Sea Lions Move to the Beat

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Math Blaster

Scientists have found that humans are not the only mammals that can keep a beat. Studies have been conducted at the University of California, Santa Cruz by researchers and have discovered that sea lions possess the capability to conduct certain actions that were quite unexpected.

The University of California, Santa Cruz Cognition and Sensory Systems Laboratory team have been particularly studying one sea lion named Ronan. Ronan was born in the wild in 2008 and was discovered to not be capable of living in the wild. Rescuers had to save this animal from being stranded three times and was finally taken into captivity after its third. In 2010, Ronan joined the UC Santa Cruz’s Cognition and Sensory Systems Laboratory and was used for control studies that focused on the effects of a natural neurotoxin produced by algae on the California coast.

Currently, Ronan is being used for another study. This particular project is run by Peter Cook, a graduate student in psychology at University of California, Santa Cruz. Initially, this study was noted as a simple side project and was not to be highly publicized. However, the findings proved otherwise. Researchers on the team spent several months training Ronan to listen to musical beats.

According to the NBC news article “This Sea Lion Grooves to a Disco Beat”, Cook and the team started out with a simple rhythm track and used food as a reward for Ronan to follow through with the proper head-bobbing behavior. Eventually, Ronan was able to bob her head in time with a variety of tunes, including some that she was hearing for the first time. After observing that Ronan was capable of doing such a task, researchers’ now believe that other mammals out in the wild are also capable of performing at the same level as Ronan.

According to Cook, this study challenges scientists’ previous assumption that “the ability to move in time with a beat was connected to the ability for vocal learning and vocal mimicry.” Before this study, these skills seemed only possible by humans, cockatoos, parrots and budgies. This recent study has placed a new beginning for further studies on comparative psychology.

Filed under: Current Events, Family Fun, Just for Fun, learning resources, Newsletter, Parents and Kids, Science Facts, Technology and Kids, What's New | Tagged: current news, science, Science News | Leave a Comment »

A Recent Star Breakthrough

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Math Blaster

On Tuesday, March 19, the Herschel Space Observatory discovered some of the youngest stars scientists had ever witnessed. Thanks to NASA JPL’s Herschel Project Office, a European Space Agency mission, astronomers were able to view one of the largest sets of stars in a single-star forming region. Because of these results, scientists are now one step closer to discovering the formation of a star in its initial phase.

Scientists utilized the Herschel Photo detector Array Camera and Spectrometer instrument to collect infrared light at 70 and 160 micrometers in wavelength. This allowed them to compare precious scans of the star-forming in Orion. According to NASA JPL:

“Herschel spied the protostars in far-infrared, or long-wavelength, light, which can shine through the dense clouds around burgeoning stars that block out higher-energy, shorter wavelengths, including the light our eyes see.”

These observations made recently are able to provide a one of a kind observation that will provide scientists to build on from previous observations. Their discoveries on Tuesday included things no other space agency had ever seen. These gas-like, dust particles that surrounded the stars always challenged scientists from the beginning. Previous studies were not able to detect these protostars due to its cold and dense environment. Therefore, it had been difficult to observe some of the earlier star formations due to its physical conditions. However, these newly observed protostars came as a shock and turned out to be the initial starting point of star formations near the constellation, Orion. Now, scientists are able to dig deep into the earlier phases of star formation.

Among the 15 newly discovered protostars, 11 are colored red. What this means is that their light output trends toward the low-energy end of the electromagnetic spectrum. These stars are considered to be at a very young stage in life; something scientists have not been able to observe until this recent discovery.

With this new finding, researchers are now aiming to record every stage of a star’s development. If your child is interested in science, have them check out some of our math activities. Encourage your children to exercise their scientific and mathematical minds every day.

Filed under: Current Events, Family Fun, Just for Fun, Newsletter, Parents and Kids, Science Facts, Technology and Kids, Uncategorized, What's New | Leave a Comment »

Monarch Butterfly Curiosities and Crafts

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Math Blaster

Over the years, your child has probably seen butterflies fluttering through the air, or they might have even raised them in their classrooms for a short while. However, did you know that monarchs, just like birds and other animals, migrate to a different region of the world for the winter season?

The Monarch butterfly, a butterfly characterized by its black and orange colors, migrates from the United States and Canada to Mexico for the winter season. This year, however, the number of Monarch butterflies migrated to Mexico decreased by 59 percent, making this year’s number the lowest levels the Monarch butterfly population has seen in 20 years. There are a variety of factors that could be contributing to this steady decline in the Monarch butterfly population, but there is no certainty as of yet.

You can tie in this specific current event with a special craft for your children. Here are some basic instructions:

Materials You Will Need:

Construction paper
Marker
Paint
Scissors

Directions:

Draw a butterfly shape on the construction paper
Fold the paper in half so that the butterfly is folded down the middle, with two identical halves
Drizzle paint on only one side of the butterfly.
Fold the paper in half, and pat the sides together.
Open up the paper and let the paint dry.
Cut out the butterfly shape, and post these shapes as decorations.

Monarch Butterfly - Process

Monarch Butterfly - Product

Please refer to the images above for demonstrations on the Monarch Butterfly craft. Encourage your child to use their imagination; use different colored paints and construction paper, and perhaps you can even make creative shapes. You might even want to relate this craft to a fun worksheet that helps your child learn how to categorize and differentiate between different items.

Filed under: Crafts, Current Events, Newsletter, Parents and Kids, Science Facts, Uncategorized, What's New | Tagged: Butterfly Craft, Crafts, Kids crafts, Monarch Butterfly, Monarch Butterfly migrate | Leave a Comment »

Siberian Dog Fossil Discoveries

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Math Blaster

In 1975, fossilized canine remains were found in the Altai Mountains of Siberia. Although these fossils were discovered many years ago, recent research through DNA examination of one of the fossilized teeth has revealed that this canine is perhaps the ancestor of the modern-day domesticated dog. Millions of people around the world care for dogs as their pets, but have you ever given any thought to where these dogs originated from?

The advent of ancient agricultural practices are most likely what catalyzed the domestication of various animals, but scientists hypothesize that humans began domesticating dogs before developments in agriculture. To clarify, to “domesticate” an animal is to “tame” it — in other words, domesticating an animal will help humans keep one as a pet or farm animal.

Sequences of DNA were studied in this new research in order to compare the Siberian fossil to modern-day dogs and wolves. A relationship between dogs and wolves has always existed, but scientists have yet to determine when dogs started to become differentiated from the wolf species.

The fossil was named the “Altai dog” because it was discovered in Siberia’s Altai Mountains. Moreover, researchers have noticed that the Altai dog is more similar to prehistoric dog species found on the American continents than it is to wolves.

These interesting findings only represent the beginning of some of the major discoveries to come. With scientific work at its height in this modern age, the world will continue to learn more about itself and its inhabitants. Is your child interested in science? Perhaps they also enjoy doing various math activities when they are at home. Encourage your children to exercise their scientific and mathematical minds every day.

Filed under: Current Events, Just for Fun, Learning Tips, Newsletter, Parents and Kids, Science Facts, What's New | Tagged: Altai Dog, Math Blaster, Science facts, Science News, Siberian fossil | Leave a Comment »

Landsat 5 Satellite Sets World Record

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Math Blaster

Decades after Sputnik was launched by the Soviet Union, there are still records being set by satellites in outer space. For example, the Landsat 5, a satellite launched by NASA on March 1, 1984, has just recently set a world record for being the longest orbiting satellite in history.

Landsat 5 was initially launched as a cooperative effort between NASA and USGS (United States Geological Survey) to take satellite photographs of the Earth using a multi-spectral scanner system and a thematic mapper. The photographs the Landsat 5 has taken over the years show how the world has been changing from shrinking glaciers and forests to wildfires and volcanoes. Through the years, these photos have helped scientists understand how the world is changing and how people are changing it.

It is hard to believe that the Landsat 5 has survived in space for almost 29 years. When it had first launched into space, Ronald Reagan was president and the country was gearing up for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, which seems like ages ago.

The Landsat 5 has orbited the Earth more than 150,000 times, which means that it has traveled over four billion miles in space. Not bad for a satellite that was only supposed to last for three years.

Filed under: Current Events, Parents and Kids, Science Facts, Technology and Kids | Tagged: current news, NASA, satellite, space, technology, world record | 2 Comments »

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