Think About It Thursday: Why Do We “Spring Ahead” and “Fall Back”?

 

Image Source: Pixabay.com

As you may already know the end of Daylight Savings Time is up-coming this Sunday, November 1 2014. But what does the ending of DST really mean? Well you may have heard the expression “Spring ahead — Fall back” over the course of your lifetime.

In the Spring, Daylight Savings Time starts, when we set our clocks AHEAD 1 hour. This allows us to get up earlier so that we may enjoy longer amounts of daylight at the end of the day! There are a ton of added benefits to having more daylight in one day including retail stores staying open later, time for sporting events after school, and more time for activities when getting out of work at 5pm.

In Autumn, we “Fall back”. This “Standard Time” is when we set our clocks back 1 hour. It is said that inventor, Benjamin Franklin, is often credited for being the one to first come up with Daylight Savings Time. “He had proposed to economize the use of candles by getting people out of bed earlier in the morning, making use of the natural morning light instead.” (1)

In the U.S., clocks change at 2:00 a.m. local time. In spring, clocks spring forward from 1:59 a.m. to 3:00 a.m.; in fall, clocks fall back from 1:59 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.

“2:00 a.m. was originally chosen as the changeover time because it was practical and minimized disruption. Most people were at home and this was the time when the fewest trains were running. It is late enough to minimally affect bars and restaurants, and it prevents the day from switching to yesterday, which would be confusing. It is early enough that the entire continental U.S. switches by daybreak, and the changeover occurs before most early shift workers and early churchgoers are affected.” (3)

Daylight Savings Time Changes 2010-2017

For more information about Daylight Savings Time please visit these resources below.

Resources: (1) http://www.timeanddate.com/time/dst/history.html

(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time

(3) http://www.webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/b2.html

Think About It Thursday: Where Does Sea Glass Come From?

 

Image Source: Pixabay.com

First off, if you are not sure what sea glass is, it is glass from bottles or other objects that the salt water has physically and chemically weathered over a certain period of time. This weathering gives the glass smooth edges and a “frosted” look to it. Typically it can take 1-2 years for sea glass to acquire its characteristic texture!

Genuine sea glass originates as pieces of glass from broken bottles, broken tableware, or even shipwrecks, which are rolled and tumbled in the ocean for years until all of their edges are rounded off, and the slickness of the glass has been worn.

Sea glass can be found in all sorts of colors, BUT some are more rare than others! To see all the types of sea glass that can be found please follow this link: http://www.bytheseajewelry.com/theglass/color.php

Holiday 2014 E-News!

Put the FUN back into your holiday function with hands-on science!

From Halloween to New Years, High Touch High Tech is the perfect way to add excitement to your holiday celebration! Whether it’s a class party, corporate function or birthday extravaganza – you can make this holiday season one to remember with FUN, hands-on science that comes to you!


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There’s no trick here! Have FUN as we treat you to some hands-on, spooky science! Come face to face with our creepy crawly Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, spark excitement as you touch lightening, weave a web of suspense as we investigate some incredible spiders & much, much more! Call or email us today for more information about booking a Frankenstein’s Freaky Laboratory party today!


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From falling leaves to falling temperatures, get ready to fall in love with science all over again! Uncover the science behind Mother Nature’s Autumn fashion show as we make our own leaves change color using a cool chemical extraction! Have you ever wondered why we have 4 different seasons? We’ll investigate the reason for the season as we learn about the Earth’s wobble. Have FUN as we experiment with one of our favorite times of year, make your own pilgrim putty to keep & much more! Call or email us today for more information about booking a Fall Festival of Science party today!


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Discover why science is so cool as we take you on a journey through our scientific winter wonderland! First stop, we’ll go on a chilly fishing expedition where you’ll get to go ice cube fishing. Next, grab your skis as we make our very own snow! We’ll mix things up a bit as we learn about some crazy chemical reactions and make your very own Polar Bear Putty to keep! These experiments & more are all included in this magical, winter wonderland experience!


Hosting a holiday party has never been easier – we bring the FUN to you!
Let us transform your special event from ordinary to extraordinary
with exciting, hands-on science!
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Think About It Thursday: Why are Tears Salty?

Image Source: Pixabay.com

Almost every food item that we consume has some sort of salt in it. The sodium chloride (salt) gets dissolved by the body and ends up in your blood stream and tears!  Your blood contains a little less than 1 percent sodium chloride and your tears probably contain almost that much. Just for comparison, seawater contains about 3 percent sodium chloride. An adult body contains as much as 1 cup of salt at one time!

Rare Blood Moon Event

Image Source: Pixabay.com

Look to the sky’s early morning on Wednesday, October 8, 2014 for a rare lunar event! We are in store for a total lunar eclipse. The last one we had before 2014 was dated back to December 2011. The total lunar eclipse that is taking place early morning on October 8, 2014 is the second of two total lunar eclipses in 2014, and the second in a tetrad (four total lunar eclipses in series). Other eclipses in the tetrad are those of April 15, 2014, April 4, 2015, and September 28, 2015.

Not only are we going to be able to experience a total lunar eclipse, but it is said that the moon will glow a reddish hue, which is were the name “blood moon” comes from. The moon will be turning this red color because of sunlight that is scattered throughout the earth’s atmosphere.

If you are in for cloudy skies this evening, don’t worry, you can watch the lunar event live online. Just follow this link to the The Slooh Community Observatory and NASA: http://live.slooh.com/stadium/live/slooh-covers-the-total-lunar-eclipse-of-october-2014-as-it-slides-across-the-pacific-ocean 

Here are a list of times to start watching!

Wednesday’s eclipse times:

Partial eclipse begins: 4:15 a.m. CDT

Total eclipse begins: 5:25 a.m. CDT

Moment of full moon: 5:51 a.m. CDT

Greatest eclipse: 5:55 a.m. CDT

Total eclipse ends: 6:24 a.m. CDT

Moonset: 6:45-7 a.m. CDT in Alabama

Partial eclipse ends: 7:34 a.m. CDT

Eastern times are one hour later, so be on the lookout starting around 5am if you are on the east coast!