Dream Chaser

Sierra Nevada Space Systems recently announced its receipt of $26.6 million from NASA for its Commercial Crew Development Program.  This adds to the already $80 million NASA has invested in Sierra Nevada Space Systems.  Why all the investment from NASA? 

Sierra Nevada Space Systems has developed a vehicle called “Dream Chaser.”  Dream Chaser is intended to replace the former space shuttle program, with a purpose of “shuttling” astronauts back and forth to the International Space Station.  Currently, NASA pays $63 million dollars per seat to transport astronauts via the Russian Soyuz.

Interested in teaching your students more about Space Travel? Check out SSR's Vol 41 DVD, episode Space Science – Everyday Astronauts.  If your school would like to receive this free resource, visit http://www.ssrvideo.com/nhcmsp.html.   

Source:

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/science-scope/q-a-mark-sirangelo-on-dream-chaser-and-the-future-of-space-travel/10926?tag=nl.e660

Duke Energy Improving Bat Safety

Duke Energy Corporation, in Blair and Cambria counties, Pennsylvania, has taken steps to ensure its windmills are safer for bats.  In September, the US Fish and Wildlife Service was contacted by Duke Energy’s North Allegheny Wind facility to report that a dead Indiana bat (an endangered species) was found among the 35 wind turbines.  Duke Energy has been voluntarily monitoring its facility to help protect indigenous bat species. 

To protect the bats from further mortalities, Duke Energy stopped its night-time wind farm operations during the duration of the Indiana bat’s migration.   Turbines resume 24 hour operation beginning in mid-November to April 1, which is when bats are in hibernation.  During the rest of the year, the turbines are turned off 30 minutes before sunset, and 30 minutes after sunrise. 

Interested in teaching your students more about Ecology? Check out SSR's Vol 41 DVD, episode Ecology – Bats: Creatures of the Night.  If your school would like to receive this free resource, visit http://www.ssrvideo.com/nhcmsp.html.   

Interested in speaking to students about Ecology? E-mail Fallon@ssrvideo.com

Source:

http://www.renewablesbiz.com/article/11/10/bat-fatalities-wind-farms

Chem-tastic Halloween Party

Science experiments can bring life to a Halloween party by using chemistry.  A mad scientist party can easily be set up using a black light to illuminate foods such as Jell-o, which are easily made to glow-in-the-dark by using tonic water instead of regular water.  You can print MSDS pages for chemical structures such as sucrose, and use helium balloons to illustrate density by changing your voice.

You can add spookiness to a party by pouring water over dry ice, which creates a thick fog.  You can set a green fire in a jack-o'-lantern by using a combination of boric acid, methanol, aluminum foil, and a long handled lighter.   Take a look at the link below for more ways to incorporate chemistry into your Halloween party.  Take caution with all your experiments for a fun, safe holiday party.

Source:

http://chemistry.about.com/od/halloweenchemistry/a/halloweensci.htm

Spook-tacular Garden Critters

Helpful garden critters, such as owls, spiders, toads, snakes, and bats get a bad reputation for being “spooky” around the Halloween season.  However, the National Wildlife Federation is working to give these animals the good reputation they deserve, by highlighting their usefulness for people.    

Owls provide rodent control by eating small rodent, such as mice.  Spiders provide insect control by eating insects that land in their webs.  Toads are beneficial because they eat up to 10,000 insects over the course a summer.   Snakes, which tend to hide in cool dark places, feed on insects such as slugs, and small rodents.  Bats are useful for insect population control, and even pollination of plants.

Interested in teaching your students more about Ecology? Check out SSR's Vol 41 DVD, Ecology – Bats: Creatures of the Night. If your school would like to receive this free resource, visit http://www.ssrvideo.com/nhcmsp.html.

Source:

http://blog.nwf.org/wildlifepromise/2011/10/5-spook-tacular-animals-to-welcome-to-your-garden-this-halloween/

University of Florida's Bat Houses

This Halloween many will decorate their homes, workspace, and schools with “spooky” images, to include bats.  But the University of Florida has the real deal, and they’re letting you share in the observation.  Monday, October 24^th, UF began streaming 24 hour videos of their campus bat colony. 

What is so special about bats at UF?   UF has the world’s largest continuously occupied bat houses.  Three bat-cams, located in and around the bat houses, feature zoom, tilt, and pan features, operated remotely by UF museum technicians.  The footage can be viewed at www.flmnh.ufl.edu/bats. 

Interested in teaching your students more about Ecology? Check out SSR's Vol 41 DVD, Ecology – Bats: Creatures of the Night.  If your school would like to receive this free resource, visit http://www.ssrvideo.com/nhcmsp.html.   

Interested in speaking to students about Ecology? E-mail Fallon@ssrvideo.com

Source:

http://news.ufl.edu/2011/10/24/bat-cam/

Bridge to Tempe

Tempe, Arizona has a new pedestrian bridge that utilizes contemporary design, in conjunction with functionality, to provide Tempe Town Lake residents a beautiful pathway.  The bridge serves dual functionality.  While its foundation is rooted in the dam, it also shades the Tempe dam’s bladders to prevent them from bursting due to being overheated.  The bridge also features sprinklers underneath the walkway that will cool the dam’s bladders.

The bridge is 12ft wide, 34ft tall, and is suspended by 128 1.375” steel cables that criss-cross each other, contributing to the bridge’s design.  The walkway is shaded with high-tensioned fabric, resembling the sails from a sailboat.  The bridge was also designed to enhance the appearance of the Center for the Arts building.    

Interested in teaching your students more about Engineering? Check out SSR's Vol 41 DVD, Engineering – Bridges by Design.  If your school would like to receive this free resource, visit http://www.ssrvideo.com/nhcmsp.html.   

Source:

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/now-open-new-iconic-pedestrian-bridge-over-tempe-town-lake-2011-10-21