en-us Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000 ]]> http://www.mos.org/web_media/rss_logo.gif http://www.mos.org 122 21 What were the top science stories in 2011? The Museum's Current Science & Technology staff have compiled their list of the ten best, based on the relevance of the story to the intersection of science and society. 1. Japan's Triple Tragedy On March 11, Japan was rocked by its largest recorded earthquake. The offshore, magnitude 9.0 quake moved parts of the island of Honshu up to 13 feet east and spawned a massive and deadly tsunami with 40-foot waves that hit Japan minutes after the earthquake and reached all the way to the west coast of the United States and South America. The tsunami broached many safeguards and crippled the nuclear reactors at Fukushima Daiichi power plant, which led to hydrogen explosions and partial meltdowns of three of the reactors. The remaining cleanup and contamination will take decades to contend with. 2. From Shuttles to Rovers NASA officially ended its Space Shuttle program this past August. First launched in 1981, the space shuttle is the only winged manned spacecraft to have achieved orbit and land, and the only reusable space vehicle that has ever made multiple flights into orbit. However, the US space program continues its exploration with an eye towards Mars. The Mars Science Laboratory, a rover nicknamed Curiosity, launched on November 26 and is scheduled to land in Gale Crater in August 2012. Curiosity's primary mission is to search the surface of Mars for evidence of biological building blocks such as amino acids and proteins. 3. Devastating Tornadoes When it comes to tornadoes, 2011 is certainly a year that will go down in the record books. Including the largest tornado outbreak on record occurring late in the month, April also set a new record for the most tornadoes occurring in any month, with 748. The costliest and deadliest tornado in modern US history struck Joplin, Missouri in May. In June, a rare, large, long-track tornado struck Massachusetts, carving a path 39 miles long and up to one half-mile wide. Tragically, more than 550 people lost their lives in tornadoes this year, making 2011 the second deadliest year in US history. 4. Steve Jobs Apple cofounder Steve Jobs passed away in October, after spending more than 30 years designing high-tech consumer products that had a significant impact on the personal computer as an integral part of our everyday lives. Today, Apple is a brand that empowers the everyday consumer with easy-to-use, aesthetically pleasing technology. Thanks to products like the iPhone, we now take it for granted that we can comfortably carry communication devices with massive computing abilities in our pockets. We now consider it commonplace to have one device that can make phone calls, send emails, surf the Web, take pictures, and play music. 5. The Fuss About Fracking Fracking, short for hydraulic fracturing, is a method for extracting natural gas by forcing fluid at high pressure into long horizontal wells drilled through deep layers of rock. The fossil fuel industry claims that fracking is safe and will provide abundant, cheap, and relatively "clean" natural gas to meet our energy demands. But fracking requires huge amounts of resources (millions of gallons of fresh water per well), creates permanent networks of underground fractures that are not fully understood, produces large amounts of waste fluid containing dissolved toxins, and may be responsible for contamination of private water wells in some areas. 6. Tiny Tattoo Technology Researchers are finding new ways to use tiny nanoparticles in the field of medicine. One unique technology could help diabetics track blood glucose, athletes track sodium levels, or anemic patients track blood oxygen levels. It uses an injection of nanoparticles to form an invisible "tattoo" just under the skin. These nanoparticles fluoresce (emit light) when exposed to the target molecule (for example glucose or sodium). A modified iPhone may be all you need to detect and track the fluorescence indicating how much glucose or sodium is present. 7. Puzzle of the Bones Australopithecus sediba is a possible human ancestor found in southern Africa. The bones from these two-million-year-old fossils offer some insight into what these animals were like and how they may be related to modern humans. Did they walk on two legs? The hip, knee, ankle, and foot bones suggest contradictory possibilities. How intelligent were they? The brain was probably the size of a modern chimpanzee's, yet it may have been more complex. Many bones continue to be unearthed, which may help to answer more of these questions. 8. Smaller, Faster Computers On the Way Transistors are the tiny switches that allow computers to do calculations; a typical microprocessor contains about a billion transistors. This year Intel started manufacturing a new 3-D transistor that improves on previous planar designs in both efficiency and size. This will allow even more transistors to be packed onto microchips, yielding the next generation of smaller, faster electronic devices. 9. The Race for Rare Earth Elements The seventeen rare earth elements are critical components of many technologies, from cell phones to hybrid car batteries and more. However, more than 95% of the world's supply of rare earths comes from China. With supply diminishing and prices rising, the race is on to find new sources. A new deposit of these minerals was found at a California mine this year, along with large deposits in Pacific Ocean mud. 10. Artificial Trachea In July, a man from Iceland with untreatable tracheal cancer received a first-of-its-kind treatment. Doctors and researchers worked together to create an artificial trachea scaffold made of a porous, nanocomposite material, then seeded this scaffold with stem cells from the patient. The cells grew on the artificial trachea, which was then transplanted into the patient. The surgery was a success with no major complications. The artificial trachea continues to function and has been accepted as normal human tissue in the man's body. Image © nasa.gov Information@mos.org News Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000 top,ten,stories,,news,,top,stories,,top,10,list,,behind,the,headline,,headlines,,best,science,stories,,science,stories The Museum is planning a new gallery experience: one that is built by you! In the new Hall of Human Life, your participation will be key to the exhibit's message on human health and biology. This exciting new space takes a closer look at how the forces in our environment change us — and how we change them. As we continue to build the Hall of Human Life, we've launched "Your World, Our Story," offering a sneak peek, right now, in the Museum's Green Wing and online. Our first area of focus is food — exploring our eating habits, the changing food landscape, our varied cooking methods, and more. Have you traveled recently to a place where you noticed the different ways that food impacts the local population? Have you witnessed how your own food environment has changed over time (or changed you)? What about the consequences associated with your food purchases? We want to hear all about it! Send us your photos and videos and a brief description explaining how your submission demonstrates the criteria we've described here. Your media could appear in a kiosk on view at the Museum in the Human Body Connection, Green Wing, Level 2. To get started: mos.org/create. Photo: "The French Paradox" from user LucyK, who writes, These pastries, for sale in a Parisian bakery inspire curiosity about the "French Paradox", the surprising finding that while the French eat four times as much butter as the average American the rates of death from coronary heart disease are lower in France than in America. Is there something about their food environment that makes that difference? Information@mos.org News Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0000 food,,hall,of,human,life,,create,,user,submission,,submit,a,story,,submit,a,photo,,upload,a,video,,well,then,,wellness,,biology,,human,biology,,new,exhibit,,participate,in,exhibit,,contribute,,contribute,to,exhibit,,new,museum,of,science,exhibit,,health,,human,health,,agents,of,change Science isn't static, and neither is the Museum of Science! Constantly evolving, the Museum has added new exhibits and enhanced others. Take a look around to see what's new. It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's a...Pterosaur? Actually, make that two pterosaurs! Last September, Dinosaurs: Modeling the Mesozoic (Blue Wing, Lower Level) welcomed a pair of flying reptiles. A male Nyctosaurus (a mid-size pterosaur) is now suspended above the Tyrannosaurus rex model, while his female counterpart is perched on a cliff in front of a large mural. While the Nyctosaurus is a flying reptile — not a dinosaur — this large-crested aerial animal did live during the Late Cretaceous period along with Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops. Super-Small Science Explore the science of the super small in the Nanotechnology exhibit (Blue Wing, Lower Level). Watch a video overview and find out how scientists can manipulate matter on a very tiny scale to build materials and devices used in computing, engineering, medicine, and other fields. Investigate further at several interactive stations. Did you know that carbon nanotubes are ten times stronger than steel, or that a new device using nanotechnology (the "GreeneChip") can detect almost 2,000 pathogens? You will! To see the concepts behind nanotechnology in action, check out The Amazing Nano Brothers Juggling Show, a 40-minute live presentation featuring actors Dan Foley and Joel Harris. For upcoming show schedules: mos.org/shows. To the Moon In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the first manned Moon landing, the Museum renovated the life-size "Apollo Command Module" and expanded the surrounding area last year. To the Moon (Blue Wing, Level 1) now features a graphic timeline documenting this key era in human space xploration. Read about the Apollo program, which sent 20 people into space; compare full-size models of the Mercury and Apollo capsules; and even watch the Moon landing from the Lunar Module cockpit. Intelligent Additions Cahners ComputerPlace (Blue Wing, Level 1) is your portal into the digital world, allowing you to explore the robotics, computers, and communication systems that enhance our lives. Tinker, the world's first virtual, social, and interactive visitors' guide, has been greeting guests at the exhibit entrance for over a year. Now, meet Ada and Grace, computer-generated human twins. Part of the new "InterFaces" exhibit area within Cahners ComputerPlace, these sisters serve as guides who help you connect with areas that match your interests. Learn more at mos.org/interfaces. Playing House Investigate! (Blue Wing, Level 2) has been "housed" at the Museum for over ten years, and now, the perennial favorite is undergoing a complete renovation to resemble an actual house. The idea behind the exhibit, and its reconstruction, is that you can "do" science anywhere, including your living room, garage, or yard. Capitalizing on its fresh, new look, Investigate! encourages you to use the scientific method to answer questions that you hypothesize yourself, and provides opportunities to ask questions, test theories, and draw conclusions. Celebrating an Icon Experience the legacy left by Museum founding director and legendary mountaineer Brad Washburn. Be sure to stop by Brad Washburn (1910 - 2007) in the Green Wing, Level 3 to learn more about the man's considerable achievements as aerial photographer, cartographer, mountain climber, and Museum visionary. Funded by the National Science Foundation, "InterFaces" is a collaboration between the Museum and the Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT) at the University of Southern California. The Nanotechnology exhibit was developed by the Museum-led Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network (NISE Net), which is supported by the National Science Foundation. This article appears in the April - May 2010 issue of Sparks!, a newsletter for members and friends of the Museum. Information@mos.org News Wed, 28 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0000 new,exhibits,,what's,new,,new,,exhibits,,moon,,to,the,moon,,nano,,nanotech,,nanotechnology,,washburn,,brad,washburn,,dinosaurs,,dinos,,dinosaur,exhibit,,t,rex,,t-rex,,triceratops Today is the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, and in a recent Washington Times op-ed, Museum President Ioannis Miaoulis finds renewed inspiration in one of our country's greatest achievements. "[W]hen Neil Armstrong first stepped onto the dusty lunar surface, the United States reached a pinnacle of scientific exploration enabled by engineering ingenuity," he writes. "But times have changed. Teachers no longer usher students into auditoriums to watch wide-eyed as the space shuttle takes flight... Perhaps we need to take a look back in order to move forward... "I believe that molding the explorers and inventors of tomorrow hinges on engaging children today in science, technology and engineering -- igniting and then fostering their natural curiosity about how things work." To read the full piece, follow the link below. Information@mos.org News Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0000 moon,,Miaoulis,,yannis,,lunar,landing,,NCTL,,lunar,,moon,landing,,NASA Ah, to be young in Boston. The Museum runs programs for young people that adults can only envy. From overnights to courses to paid internships, teens can discover great science perks at Science Park. Hands-On Fun at the Clubhouse Would you like to create an animated cartoon, a video game, or your own Web page? The Museum's flagship Computer Clubhouse is a unique drop-in center for city youth ages 10 to 18, featuring Girls' Day every Monday and open after school and on weekends. For 15 years the Clubhouse has provided a safe environment where young people gather to create animation, movies, music, video games, and Web pages. Many computers are configured for youth with disabilities. Explore your own ideas, pick up some new skills from adult mentors, and connect with other Clubhouse members around the world. Best of all, it's free. A Treasure Trove of Opportunities The Museum offers an array of other options for youth, from kindergartners to high schoolers. Overnights are the ultimate pajama party — fun for both young campers and the teens who volunteer to lead hands-on activities. Plus, summer courses are a great way for Museum members to delve deeper into fascinating science, technology, engineering, and math topics: experiment with real robots, uncover the chemistry of candy, or become a science sleuth! (Course registration is exclusive to members and scholarships are available.) Youth ages 14 and older can volunteer both behind the scenes and front and center in the Exhibit Halls, or teens can apply for a job in the visitor services department starting at age 16. So, What Are You Waiting For? Take advantage of these programs now! After all, says Maria Cabrera, the Museum's community relations program manager, "Where else can a young person learn by having fun, build a résumé, and become a better informed citizen for the present and future, on matters of science, technology, engineering, and math?" To get involved, call 617-589-0315 or 617-589-0417 (TTY), or visit mos.org/support and click on "MOS in the Community." This article appears in the April - May 2009 issue of Sparks! , a newsletter for members and friends of the Museum. Information@mos.org News Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0000 teens,,kids,,teenagers,,overnight,,fun,,computer,,clubhouse,,kids,club,,sparks