Category: E-News HTHT

September E-News: Elephantastic Science!

Elephants are the largest land animals on Earth! These friendly beasts can be found in both Africa and Asia and are vital to maintaining the rich biodiversity of the ecosystems that they share with other species. Only 35,000 to 50,000 Asian elephants survive in the world, and of those, 15,000 are in human care.

You can find an elephant at almost any zoo & most likely you’ve assumed that all elephants are basically the same. But, Asian elephants are actually more closely related to mammoths than their modern-day African brethren. However, their genealogy is just the tip of the iceberg for the many differences found among Asian & African Elephants.

Just in time to prepare you for the upcoming Elephant Appreciation Day on August 22nd, here are our top 10 things that you probably didn’t know about these incredible giants of the wild!  

  1. The elephant’s closest living relative is the Rock Hyrax, a small furry mammal that lives in rocky landscapes across sub-Saharan Africa and along the coast of the Arabian Peninsula.
  2. African elephants are the largest land mammals on the planet, and the females of this species undergo the longest pregnancy—22 months.
  3. Despite their size, elephants can be turned off by the smallest of critters. One study found that they avoid eating a type of acacia tree that is home to ants. Underfoot, ants can be crushed, but an elephant wants to avoid getting the ants inside its trunk, which is full of sensitive nerve endings. 
  4. Elephants don’t like peanuts. They don’t eat them in the wild, and zoos don’t feed them to their captive elephants. Peanut-loving elephants are a myth. Elephants, Asian or otherwise, don’t eat peanuts in the wild, nor are peanuts a typical diet for captive elephants. In fact, most elephants don’t even appear to like them very much.
  5. The height of an Asian or African elephant at the shoulder is roughly equivalent to the circumference of their front foot multiplied by two.
  6. An African elephant can detect seismic signals to sensory cells in its feet and also “hear” these deep-pitched sounds when ground vibrations travel from the animal’s front feet, up its leg and shoulder bones, and into its middle ear. By comparing the timing of signals received by each of its front feet, the elephant can determine the sound’s direction.
  7. Elephants are one of only nine species that can recognize themselves in a mirror. Others include bottlenose dolphins, magpies, gorillas, chimpanzees and, of course, humans, but not until they’re a few months old.
  8. Elephants can get sunburned, so they take care to protect themselves. Elephants will throw sand on their backs and on their head to prevent them from getting sunburned & to keep the bugs off. To protect their young, adult elephants will douse them in sand and stand over the little ones as they sleep.
  9. Elephants have evolved a sixth toe, which starts off as cartilage attached to the animal’s big toe but is converted to bone as the elephant ages.
  10. Elephants are either left-tusked or right-tusked! The dominant tusk is generally smaller because of wear and tear from frequent use. Elephant tusks are ivory teeth that continually grow throughout the animals’ lives.

Want to learn more? The fun doesn’t stop here! Check out the links below to get a load of the world’s largest land mammal & discover more fun science behind what makes these mammoth mammals tick!  

Elephant Conservation:

Elephants have long played an important role in the cultural, artistic, and religious heritage of many cultures across the world  – especially in Asia.  For centuries, they have been revered in Thailand, India, China, and Cambodia.  Elephant Conservation works to increase appreciation, amazement, and wonder for these great animals and to familiarize the public with the challenges elephants face in the wild, including their shrinking natural habitat. You can learn more about how to help save the Elephants by visiting the links below!

 

September E-News: Squishy Science – Celebrate National Play-Doh Day!

Do you love Play-Doh®? Who doesn’t, right? We can still remember the first thing we ever made with Play-Doh®. Can you guess what it was? If you guessed a snake, you’re correct!

Play-Doh® comes in a variety of bright and bold colors. There are also a series of related products and toys that make use of Play-Doh®. Since its “invention,” over 700 million pounds of Play-Doh® have been sold around the world! Most people have a childhood memory linked to this colorful putty which could be why, in 2003, it was added to the International Toy Industry Association’s “Century of Toys” List. A ‘Who’s Who’ of toys, the list contains the 100 most memorable & creative toys of the past century. 

But, have you ever wondered the origins behind this squishy childhood sidekick? In one form or another (pun intended!) Play-Doh® has helped teach us about science, architecture & inspired free play for millions of children including ourselves. So, this month we invite you to join us for some squishy & surprising science as we celebrate National Play-Doh® Day!

The invention of Play-Doh® was actually a fortunate accident. Way back in the 1930s, Noah McVicker created a substance that looked like putty out of flour, water, salt, boric acid and mineral oil. His family’s soap company — Kutol Products — in Cincinnati,Ohio, marketed his creation as wallpaper cleaner! McVicker’s special putty-like substance was an excellent wallpaper cleaner, because it didn’t contain any toxic chemicals, could be reused and would not stain the wallpaper. Eventually, teachers learned that the wallpaper cleaner could be used as a modeling compound to make art and craft projects at school.

It wasn’t until after World War II that Noah McVicker’s nephew, Joseph McVicker, joined the company and learned that their wallpaper cleaner was being used for arts and crafts in schools. Joseph thought it would be a good idea to give the product a new name — Play-Doh®— and market it to schools, teachers and department stores.

The new product was an immediate success. In 1956, the McVickers started the Rainbow Crafts Company to make and sell Play-Doh®. Macy’s in New York and Marshall Field’s in Chicago began selling the product. The new company also began to advertise the product on popular children’s television shows, such as Captain Kangaroo. Within one year, its sales had already reached almost $3 million! Over time, the exact ingredients in Play-Doh® have changed. As technology has improved, so has Play–Doh®. Although the exact recipe is a secret, Play-Doh® remains a popular modeling compound for art and craft projects, because it is still nontoxic, easy to use and simple to clean up. 

Today, Play-Doh® is owned by a company named Hasbro that continues to make and sell the product through its Playskool line. In 2003, the Toy Industry Association added Play-Doh® to its “Century of Toys List,” which contains the 100 most memorable and creative toys of the last 100 years. Play-Doh® comes in a variety of bright and bold colors. There are also a series of related products and toys that make use of Play-Doh®. Since its “invention,” over 700 million pounds of Play-Doh® have been sold around the world!

Try it out!

Did you know you can make your own Play-Doh®?  It’s true! There are different recipes and lots of fun ways you can make a batch of Play-Doh® at home! Check out the Play-Doh® recipes below and pick one to try. If you don’t have all the ingredients on hand, you may need to head to the store first. Have fun!

Think About it Some More!

Visit the National Science Teachers Association for a guide to Play-Doh® science experiments! 

Do you have Play-Doh® memories as a child or with your students? Share your favorite Play-Doh® memories in the comments section below!

High Touch High Tech is the leader in innovative hands-on science and nature experiences for children, serving over 4 million children annually with 27 franchise locations across the United States, Canada, Turkey, Singapore and South Korea.

To learn more about franchise opportunities with High Touch High Tech, visit us online at ScienceMadeFunFranchise.net.

August 2013 E-News: Science of the Southpaw!


There’s no denying it. Left-handers are the odd men out.

Sure, lefties make up about 10 percent of the population — but, frankly, it seems like society has forgotten about them. Right-handed gadgets, awkwardly designed desks, cooking tools that fit comfortably in your right hand make the modern day conveniences not so convenient for those that are left-hand dominant.

What causes someone to become left-handed or often referred to as a southpaw? Scientists aren’t exactly sure, but research points to a complex collaboration between genes and environment. While no exact set of “leftie genes” have been discovered, people who dominantly use their left hands do have more left-handed family members. And researchers have found different brain wirings in righties vs. lefties. But no matter what it is that drives someone to be ambilevous, science has also uncovered a particular set of personality traits that left-handed people tend to have. 

So for all of you lefties, leftie-loving righties and ambidextrous folks out there — it’s time to brush up on your left-handed knowledge and help put an end to leftie discrimination once and for all. This month we say… let’s hear it for the Lefties!

1. Loud & Clear: Lefties hear speeches differently. 

 

People who are using their left hands when listening may more easily hear rapidly changing sounds than those who are using their right hands. Georgetown University researchers who conducted the study found that the left and right hemispheres of the brain specialize in different kinds of sounds — the left hemisphere, which controls the right hand, likes rapidly changing sounds like consonants, while the right hemisphere, which controls the left hand, likes slowly changing sounds, like syllables or intonation.

According to their study, if you’re waving an American flag while listening to a presidential candidate, the speech will sound slightly different to you depending on whether you’re holding the flag in your left or right hand. The research could ultimately result in better treatment for stroke and language disorders.

2. How You Handle Your Health: Does hand dominance determine your health?

 

Only about 10 percent of the population is left-handed. Now, here’s some food for thought: About 20 percent of people with schizophrenia dominantly use their left hands. Coincidence? Probably not, say scientists, who have also found an increased risk for dyslexia, ADHD, and certain mood disorders in left-handed people, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article. 

Researchers are not exactly sure how to explain it, but many believe it’s related to how the brain is wired. Your noggin is divided into two halves — the left side and the right side. Most people (righties and lefties alike) rely on the brain’s left hemisphere for tasks like language functioning. However, about 30 percent of left-handed folks are either partial to the right hemisphere or have no dominant hemisphere at all. According to scientists, having one hemisphere dominate is much more efficient — and that’s why some left-handers are at an increased risk for learning impairments and brain disorders.

However, lefties may be in luck when it comes to other health conditions: A survey of more than 1.4 million participants, which was published in the journal Laterality, found that left-handers had lower rates of arthritis and ulcers.

3. Left Wing or Right Wing? Either way, we vote for Left-Handers!

 

Doesn’t matter which way they swing politically: A surprisingly high percentage of recent U.S. Presidents were on the left (in terms of handedness, of course).

The lengthy list of left-handed leaders includes four of the last seven commanders in chief — President Obama, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Gerald Ford — as well as past presidents James Garfield and Harry Truman. In fact, there’s a rumor that Ronald Regan was born a leftie, but stringent school teachers converted him to a righty when he was young.

Should right-handed presidential wannabes fake it? Our penchant for left-handed U.S. Leaders is probably pure coincidence; however, some science suggests that left-handed politicians actually have an advantage in televised debates. As a whole, people tend to associate right-handed gestures with “good” and left-handed gestures with “bad,” according to the researchers. Since television presents a mirror image, the lefties are the ones who appear to gesture with their right hand (the “good” hand).

4. Out of Left Field: Southpaws Will Beat You In Sports. 

Golf legend Phil Mickelson; tennis ace Rafael Nadal; boxing champ Oscar de la Hoya — did you know that a number of your favorite sports superstars are lefties? 

Actually, left-handers may have the advantage in sports that involve two opponents facing each other, such as tennis, boxing and baseball, according to an MSNBC review of the book “The Puzzle of Left-Handedness” by Rik Smits. The author chalks it up to the fact that those sporty Southpaws get a lot more opportunity to practice against their dominant right handed opponents than vice versa (since there are so many more righties out there).

Talk about a homerun for lefties!

5. Leave the Celebrating to the Lefties: They Have Their Own Day! 

Mark your calendar — August 13 is International Left-Hander’s Day.

Lefties across the globe will be celebrating the event, which was first launched in 1992 by the UK-based Left-Hander’s Club to increase awareness about the left-handed lifestyle. According to the group’s Web site, it’s a day “when left-handers everywhere can celebrate their sinistrality and increase public awareness of the advantages and disadvantages of being left-handed.” If you’re a righty, don’t worry…this holiday doesn’t discriminate against dominance.

How should you observe the occasion? Create a “leftie zone” — a designated area of personal space where everything must be done in a left-handed fashion, from your workspace setup to the way you use cutlery. And that rule also extends to any right-handers who happen to enter the leftie zone!

Don’t get left out of the celebration! Check out these free resources for great ways to get involved with your own activities or Left-Hander’s Day Party! 

All over the planet, nine out of 10 people, on average, favor their right hand for writing, throwing and so on. Despite more than a century and a half of research, scientists have yet to find an exact answer for what determines a person’s handedness. But, did you know that hand dominance stretches way beyond the bounds of being human. Many mammals, including our closest living relatives the chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas, exhibit a preferred hand. Dogs do too!

But the shocking science doesn’t stop there! You can discover much more fascinating facts about your left-handed friends at LiveScience.com.  From cavemen to can-openers to left-handed staircases, check out these great resources to learn even more incredible things about your left-handed friends:

LiveScience.com: Why Lefties are So Rare

Look Mom – Both Hands! The Science of Life’s Extremes: Right vs. Left Handed

What Makes a Lefty: Myths and Mysteries Persist

Explain It! The Truth About Left-Handed People

Love Bugs? Become an Entomologist!

Entomology is the science of insects. People who study insects are called entomologists. Insects have been observed for thousands of years, but it was not until as early as the 1500’s that insects were scientifically studied.

There are many things that we don’t know about the insect world. An Entomologist’s goal is to learn more about insects; like how they are related, how they reproduce, and how they can be kept away from the food we eat! There are billions of unknown species of bugs throughout the world, and billions of things to learn about them!

Entomologists have really important jobs. They study many different things about the world of insects like their classification, life cycle, distribution, behavior, ecology, and populations. Because there are insects all over the world, Entomologists study insects in all environments. Some Entomologists study insects that live in cities, while others study bugs that live in our backyards and even on our pets! These scientists also may work with our helpful insect friends like honeybees, silkworms, ladybird beetles, and wasps.

Helping Hands – The Taxonomist:

Biologists who group organisms into categories are called Taxonomists. They help entomologists categorize newly found insects. They also meet together to talk about their study of insects and to share ideas, just as all scientists do.

Learn more about the Bugs of Summer and participate in our
HTHT @ Home Science Experiment:
https://sciencemadefun.net/downloads/bugs_summer.pdf

July E-News: Buzz-ing Science: Rise of the Brood II Cicadas

If it hasn’t happened yet, it could occur any day now.

The first signs are little holes in the ground in yards, orchards, and fields. Then, one warm evening, big, red-eyed bugs start to crawl out of the holes. The next morning, thousands upon thousands of these black, winged insects, known as cicadas, cover sidewalks, mailboxes, tree branches, and roofs across certain areas of the United States. The loud throb of their alien-sounding, high-pitched screeches fill the air.

For the first time in 17 years, vast clouds of cicadas are set to swarm the Eastern United States this summer, from Georgia all the way up to New York! If you don’t like bugs, watch out. For anyone who lives in the invasion area, the cicadas will be impossible to ignore. And, if you’re caught by surprise, the experience can be pretty overwhelming. Some people find it downright creepy.

Puzzling Cycles

Even if you don’t get to witness the great cicada awakening, it’s worth pondering the phenomenon. Despite years of research, the life cycles and habits of cicadas still present puzzles to modern science.

Researchers are especially interested in the types of cicadas that will be swarming over the eastern United States this summer. Called periodical cicadas, these insects live only in this part of the world, and they appear just once every 17 years, on the dot. Related periodical cicadas have a precise 13-year cycle. Other species, known as annual cicadas, make an appearance every year. The emergence of these puzzling creatures seems like something straight out of a science fiction movie but it’s not only real, it’s a really special phenomenon that doesn’t happen anywhere else in the world!

All cicada eggs hatch into juveniles underground, where they go through five stages of development before emerging as adults, mating, and starting the cycle all over again. Adult periodical cicadas are about 1.5 inches long. It may set you at ease a little to know that these creepy-crawlies can neither bite nor sting… phew!

Prime Time

One big mystery is why periodical cicadas wait such a long time and a particular number of years before emerging. The answer, some scientists now suggest, appears to involve weather and mathematics. 

Periodical cicadas belong to a genus called Magicicada, which first appeared sometime around 1.8 million years ago. Back then, glaciers covered the land, and the climate of Eastern North America was unpredictable. Sometimes summers were warm. Sometimes they were cold. Scientists that study the Cicadas say that juvenile Magicicada won’t even crawl out of the earth until the soil reaches 64 degrees F. After that, they need consistent warm temperatures, usually above 68 degrees F., to survive. By evolving to stay underground as long as possible, some experts say, cicadas reduced their chances of emerging during a particularly cold summer.

In one study, researchers from Tennessee and Arkansas looked at what would happen if there were one dangerously cold summer every 50 years for 1,500 years. Their mathematical model showed that cicadas with a life cycle of 7 years had only an 8-percent chance of surviving. With an 11-year cycle, survival jumped to 51 percent. At 17 years, cicadas had a 96-percent chance of living.

So, staying underground longer is better. In fact, periodical cicadas live longer than almost any other insect! 

Multiple Breeding

Both 13 and 17 belong to a special class of numbers called primes. This means that the numbers can be evenly divided only by themselves or the number 1. The first few prime numbers are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, and 19. Mathematicians spend a lot of time trying to understand prime numbers. Cicadas somehow understand primes instinctively. What’s more incredible, the insects seem to know how to count.

The fact that 17 and 13 are primes reduces the chances of interbreeding among different populations of 17-year and 13-year cicadas. Multiples of prime numbers are unlikely to overlap with multiples of other prime numbers. So, a cicada population that hatches every 2 or 5 or 7 years will hardly ever hatch at the same time as a population that hatches every 13 or 17 years. And the 13- and 17-year cicadas will emerge at the same time only once every 221 years.

If populations don’t hatch at the same time, they can’t mate with each other, so their genes remain distinct. That’s important because genes help determine the length of the insect’s life cycle. If a 5-year cicada were to mate with a 17-year cicada, for example, the length of the cycle would be different every generation. The 17-year cicadas would immediately lose their timing advantage.

To understand the process better, scientists recently crossed a 13-year species with a 17-year species. They’re curious to see whether the offspring hatch after 13 years, 17 years, or somewhere in between. Now, it’s a matter of waiting for the results—which will take years to get.

The results might also help explain how cicadas know when 17 or 13 years have passed. Some experiments suggest that the insects actually count years while they wait underground. Cicadas may also respond to cues in the environment. The trees that cicadas feed on produce flowers every year. When scientists from the University of California, Davis transplanted juvenile cicadas onto potted trees and forced the trees to flower twice in one year, the cicadas hatched a year early.

Learning More

If all of this puzzles you, you’re not alone. Scientists have lots of questions, too.  Despite the numerous studies done on these fascinating creatures, it’s still difficult even for scientists to explain how this remarkable complex species work. 

Throughout history, Cicadas have continued to captivate our curiosity. Check out this Library of Congress newspaper archive from 1911 when two broods- a 13-year and 17-year (Brood II) swarmed in the same summer.

If you want to know more about cicada invasions, talk to someone who was around in 1996, 17 years ago. Or look up 17-year-old newspapers from the affected region in your local library. Chances are, you’ll find articles about cicadas. 

You’ll also get a better idea of when to expect their arrival—if they haven’t arrived already! Cicadas emerge later in colder places. Washington, D.C., for example, would most likely see them earlier than somewhere that has cooler climate such as Detroit. 

Most of the stories you hear will probably be full of wonder and admiration for the unique creatures. Their large size makes them spectacular. Their rarity makes them special. As a bonus, they’re totally harmless. Some people even eat them!

Whether or not you choose to chew your cicadas, it makes sense to swallow any creepy-crawly feelings that you might have and appreciate the insects now. After all, you won’t get another chance for a long, long time.

Want to Learn More? Check Out These Great Resources:

Cicada Invasion Crafts: 6 Buzzing Ideas from Bug Soup to Jewelry

July E-News: Discoveries that Have the Cicadas Buzzing

After 17 years underground, billions of cicadas are ready to emerge and see sunlight for the first time. They will blanket the East Coast until around mid-June, buzzing like jackhammers in harmony as they search for a mate. Since 1996, the periodical insects, which belong to a group called Brood II, have lived as nymphs two feet deep in the soil, feeding on nothing but the liquid they suck out of tree roots. Once they crawl up to the surface, they molt, mate, lay eggs and die within a month.

Scientists are still trying to determine how periodical cicadas know when to emerge. But in the last 17 years, researchers have made some other important discoveries about other insects, some of whom also enjoy swarming the United States. From the oldest fossil to the newest findings, the Cicadas have missed out on a lot since 1996! Check out our list of the top 10 discoveries that will have these bugs a buzzing this month!

#10. British Researchers Figured Out How Insects Fly. 

In 1996, scientists at the University of Cambridge solved the mystery of how many winged insects can produce more lift than can be explained by aerodynamic properties. The team unleashed hawkmoths into a wind tunnel with smoke and then took high-speed photos of the insects in flight. By studying how the smoke moved around the moths’ wings, researchers were able to determine that flying insects create whirling spirals of air above the front edges of their wings, providing more lift.

#9. Scientists Uncovered an Entire New Order of Insects. 

In 2002, entomologists discovered a group of inch-long wingless creatures that comprised a new order, a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. The first to be identified in 88 years at that time, the order, dubbed Mantophasmatodea, consists of insects with features similar to praying mantises. The finding became the 31st known insect order.

#8. The World’s Largest Insect was Discovered in New Zealand.

Scientist Mark Moffett, known as Doctor Bugs, discovered the world’s largest insect, a surprisingly friendly female Weta bug, while traveling in New Zealand in 2011. The massive creature has a wingspan of seven inches and weighs three times as much as a mouse. Here’s a video of the bug eating a carrot out of Moffett’s hand.

#7. Brood X Invaded the East Coast. 

In 2004, another group of cicadas known as Brood X emerged after 17 years underground. The bugs’ motto? Strength in numbers. This class is the largest of the periodical insects, including three different species of cicada.

#6. Researchers Pinpointed the World’s Oldest Known Insect Fossil. 

Until 2004, a 400 million-year-old set of tiny insect jaws—originally found in a block of chert along with a well-preserved and well-studied fossil springtail—lay untouched for almost a century in a drawer at the Natural History Museum in London. The rediscovery and subsequent study of the specimen meant that true insects appeared 10 million to 20 million years earlier than once thought. The researchers believe these ancient insects were capable of flight, which would mean the tiny creatures took to the skies 170 millions years ago, before flying dinosaurs.

#5.  America’s Bee Population Started to Plummet. 

By spring of 2007, more than a quarter of the country’s 2.4 million honeybee colonies had mysteriously vanished. Something prevented the bees from returning to their hives, and scientists weren’t sure why, but they gave it a name: colony-collapse disorder. According to a recent report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the phenomenon continues to plague apiaries across the country, and no cause has been determined.

#4. Scientists Figured Out How to Extract DNA From Preserved Insect Specimens. 

In 2009, researchers removed a barrier from the study of early insects, a practice that often left ancient specimens destroyed. In the past, too much tinkering around with tiny specimens meant that the samples often became contaminated or eventually deteriorated. The scientists soaked nearly 200-year-old preserved beetles in a special solution for 16 hours, a process that allowed them to then carefully extract DNA from the bugs without damaging them.

#3.  A Swarm of Butterflies, Thought to be One Single Species, Turned Out to be 10 of Them.

In 2004, researchers used DNA barcoding technology to study the Astraptes fulgerator butterfly, whose habitat ranges from Texas to northern Argentina. What they found was remarkable: an insect that was thought to be one species was actually 10 different species. The species’ habitats overlapped, but the butterflies never bred with its doppelganger neighbors.

#2. The First Truly Amphibious Insects Were Discovered. 

In 2011, a study reported that 11 species of caterpillar with the ability to live underwater indefinitely were found in freshwater streams in Hawaii. The twist? The same insects studied were land-dwellers too.

#1. A Fly Found in Thailand was Determined to be the Smallest in the World. 

Discovered in 2012, the fly, named Euryplatea nanaknihali, is 15 times smaller than a house fly and tinier than a grain of salt. But don’t let the miniature bugs fool you; they feed on tiny ants by burrowing into the larger insects’ head casings, eventually decapitating them.

You can see the full list of insect discoveries that the 17-year Cicadas missed in the May Issue of Smithonian’s Surprising Science Magazine: Leaproaches, Mutant Butterflies and Other Insect News That the 17-Year Cicadas Missed

Want to Learn More? Check Out These Great Insect Resources:

Koday’s Kids: Insect Guide50 Activities for Learning & Playing with InsectsUniversity of KY – Entomology for Kids:10 Weirdest Insects in the WorldBugs for the Young Science Explorer Going Buggy with Scholastic.com

A Legend Worthy of the Seven Seas: Happy Birthday Jacques Cousteau!

“The future rests in the hands of young people. By capturing children’s interest in the undersea world at an early age, we inspire them to continue learning about it — and about how to care for our precious Water Planet — throughout their lives.”    

 – Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau

 

Throughout the 1970s, households around the world dedicated their Saturday evenings to their television sets to tune into The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau. With his “Undersea World,” Jacques Cousteau educated a generation the world over about marine biology & scientific exploration. His documentaries and filming were always breathtaking & cutting edge, and his passion for the environment was undeniable as it shone through into millions of living rooms each week.  

His contributions to marine science run much deeper than television though.  With his iconic red beanie and famed ship Calypso, the French marine explorer, inventor, filmmaker, and conservationist sailed the world for much of the late 20th century, educating millions about the Earth’s oceans and its inhabitants, and inspiring their protection. Sadly, Cousteau died in 1997, but his legacy lives on in millions of marine biologists, oceanographers, explorers & scientists. It’s no surprise that in the years after his death, he’s become even more of a legend for his pioneering marine work and innovations. 

As we approach the birthday of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, we were curious as to what made this scientific ocean explorer such a vital part of scientific history? In addition to bringing oceanography & ocean conservation to the masses – here are our top reasons why every person – young or old – should know Captain Jacques Cousteau!

1. Jacques Cousteau – The Pioneer & Inventor

Oceanography, the study of the oceans, has been around for a very long time but only started formally in the last century or two. Less than 130 years ago the oceans finally started to be explored by the Americans, British, and other European nations.

In 1943, Cousteau and Emile Gagnan, a French engineer, invented the demand regulator, which, when attached to the SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Oxygen Breathing Apparatus), allowed divers to dive more deeply and for longer periods. The combined equipment was dubbed “the aqualung” & revolutionized the field of oceanography. For the first time people had the ability to stay under water for extended periods of time & better understand the different kinds of creatures that live in the deep depths of the sea. The invention also aided in the advancement of geological science as geologists were now able to study the sea floor & study how the Earth had changed over thousands of years.  

With his invention of the Aqua-Lung, Cousteau took his place as a pioneer in ocean exploration and led his crew on to explore and film parts of the ocean depths that had never been seen before – ever!

2. Jacques Cousteau – The Award-Winning Film Maker & Science Super-Star

One of Cousteau’s most valuable contributions to the world was simply in submerging cameras, donning Aqua Lungs and introducing millions of people, with a huge dose of exuberance, to a new world both on television & with his never-before-seen underwater documentaries. Cousteau’s adventures were the first of their kind – a deep & complete introduction for the general public to the mysterious undersea world.

Cousteau had no science degree, but his passion and visual storytelling skills worked like a siren’s call, pulling us into his undersea world with the message of “Come with me & look at this wonderful thing & see how it acts & behaves.”  Some of his films that shot him to super-stardom were the Oscar-winning films such as The Silent World, The Golden Fish, and World Without Sun.

Thanks to modern technology, part of the Cousteau Archive is now accessible on a mobile application via the Android Market & I-Tunes. Through three unique collections, re-discover the legendary adventures of Jacques-Yves Cousteau: his expeditions, his crew, his inventions, his dreams and aspirations… The app also features some of the best images and films uploaded by the users of the Cousteau Divers website, witnessing the state of our oceans today.

3. Cousteau: Underwater Settler & Sea Floor Pioneer

But Cousteau wanted more than to just film the ocean; he wanted to colonize it. Cousteau thought of the sea as a place to be colonized using craft similar to stations in space. Cousteau and his team created the first underwater habitat for humans: Conshelf I, which led to Conshelf II and III. The habitats could house working oceanauts for weeks at a time.Clark Lee Merriam, a spokesperson for the Cousteau Society told National Geographic “He was ahead of even the United States Navy, which was doing the same thing in proving people could live and operate underwater for extended periods of time.”

In 1963, Cousteau and four other men spent a month at 33 feet beneath the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt in an underwater settlement that included air conditioning and Plexiglas windows that showed ocean life swimming by.

His dreams of colonizing the ocean never materialized, but when Cousteau died in 1997, he was remembered as a passionate defender of the world’s oceans. The Cousteau Society, founded by Cousteau in 1973, continues to fight for the protection of the environment and natural resources.

 

You can learn more about  Jacques Cousteau, His Explorations & The Cousteau Society here

Now available on DVD, digitally enhanced from the original recordings, is the landmark TV series that cemented Jacques Cousteau’s international reputation as a trailblazing pioneer of underwater exploration and documentary filmmaking. Together with the crew of his ship, the Calypso, Cousteau travels the far reaches of the world, examining with respect and affection the wide varieties of life they encounter. From mammals such as dolphins, whales and seals to sharks, octopuses and the mysterious creatures of the ocean’s darkest depths, each episode of this groundbreaking 36-part series reveals new wonders of the natural world.

For trailers from the series of ground breaking documentaries, please click below:

The Silent World –Trailer 
‪

The World Without Sun – Trailer 

Voyage To The Edge Of The World – Trailer

Make a Splash…Make a Difference! Get Ready for World Oceans Day!

Image Source: Pixabay.com

Did you know that the largest mountains on Earth have never been climbed? They lie under the ocean, along with the vast majority of all living beings on Earth! The ocean is a majestic mystery; if the seas were the size of your computer screen, the representative amount that has been fully explored by humans would be the size of the period at the end of this sentence. Amazingly, 95% of the ocean has not even been seen by human eyes, let alone explored. Who knows what could be down there – Jurassic sea monsters, new life forms, shipwrecks loaded with treasure, or even clues to predicting earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

With the earth being about 70% water, there is an overwhelming amount of exploring to do. That’s why it is so important to learn about our Oceans. How else are we going to discover our history, where we came from, and how our world is evolving? All these answers can be traced back to the sea, where all life on earth began. Still interested? Join us as we dive a little deeper & reveal our top 5 reasons to study the deep blue sea, while we still can!

1) The Ocean is Responsible for Our Weather and Our Climate

Hurricanes, floods, El Nino, La Nina – what do they all have in common? The ocean! Changes in weather prompt people to worry about the Mayan calendar or speculate that the Apocalypse is the cause but in reality, it’s the ocean that’s behind the changes.

 Surprisingly, the sediment of the deep ocean is like the rings of a tree, it holds a wealth of knowledge about ocean currents in the last 100,000 years. Scientists have discovered that currents remained stable for years, only to suffer inexplicable jolts where they were thrown off course and the weather changed dramatically.

2) The Seafloor is the World’s Largest Museum

There are Thousands of Shipwrecks Waiting to be Discovered! 

Shipwrecks litter the ocean floor like capsules frozen in time. Shipwrecks found along trade routes offer us a glimpse into the history of entire civilizations, as well as a snapshot into a day in the life of those who perished aboard them. Besides just the gold and silver that treasure hunters seek, cargo from shipwrecks has included bronze and marble statues from ancient Greece, ancient jars filled with the residue of the foods they once contained, and priceless ceramic vases from Asia.

3) Understanding Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics

Volcanoes, Earthquakes & the Sea Floor

It wasn’t until 1955 that U. S. Survey ship, Pioneer, discovered magnetic striping on the sea floor of the west coast of the United States. Magnetic striping occurs when grains of magnetite align themselves with the Earth’s magnetic field, which has repeatedly changed from north to south and back again due to the Earth’s fluid iron core. This proved that the sea floor was moving, and gave credence to the theory that the continents rest on tectonic plates. The edges of the plates, called plate boundaries, are where the majority of the volcanoes on Earth are found, 90% of the most active volcanoes on Earth are in the Pacific Ring of Fire, where plates are constantly moving.

The best place on Earth that plate boundaries can be observed is the sea floor, where the crust can be seen forming at mid-ocean ridges. Studying the sea floor enables us to learn more about the volcanoes and earthquakes that occur at the plate boundaries, and may one day enable us to predict them.

4) 95% of Earth’s Living Creatures are Found in the Ocean

Stepping into the Ocean is Like Stepping Back in Time!

Quick – what’s the largest animal that ever lived on Earth? No, it’s not a dinosaur and it’s not extinct. The largest animal that has ever lived on Earth is the blue whale. But after hundreds of years of study, we still know very little about this elusive creature.

We used to think the deep sea abyss was devoid of any life, until in the 1970s Dr. Robert Ballard (of Titanic fame) and his crew found hydrothermal vents surrounded by a bounty of sea life. Giant tube worms were found living in the dark, fed by bacteria in their tissues that oxidized sulfur to provide energy. Previously we had thought that all life required the sun, now we know that it can not only survive without it, some creatures are fed by what we would consider toxins.

What else don’t we know and what can ocean creatures teach us?

5) The Earth is 70% Covered in Water & Oceans Affect How We Live

Shouldn’t We Protect our Planet & Learn About All that it has to Offer?

The ocean is our life support system; it gives us our water and our air. We will only protect what we understand, and we hardly understand our ocean at all. It’s important to understand where our resources come from and how to preserve them. Things like fish, oil, and the importance of the sea food chain.  Our future could soon rely on the ocean, it’s not all the way explored and some possibly important minerals could be hiding under the ocean floor.

June 8th is  World Oceans Day, a day when people around the globe come together to celebrate our ocean and take action to protect it. And with good cause! The ocean not only makes our world livable, it provides us with food, water, commerce, recreation, and medicine. World Oceans Day gives people across the globe the opportunity to pause and reflect on the critical role the ocean has in sustaining our planet. With awareness comes the opportunity to better understand that the things people do every day have an impact on the health of the ocean and that the health of the ocean has an impact on their daily lives.

What can I do?

This June, challenge yourself to make a 2013 – 2014 commitment to protect the ocean. The theme is about making lasting change and it’s up to people like you to rise up and be the voice for the ocean all year long. Whether you live on the beach or on the prairie, you can still make a difference on World Oceans Day! Check out these great ideas on how you can dive in to make a difference!

Make an Ocean Promise

Share the Knowledge of Ocean Conservation!

Wear Blue, Tell Two

There’s an Ocean of Opportunities to Celebrate

Speak Up and Take Ocean Action

Organize an Aquatic Cleanup in Your Neighborhood

Ocean Lovers Come in All Ages – Learn How to Get Kids Involved

One Fish – Two Fish – Red Fish – Blue Fish! Celebrate with Dr. Seuss

Get Inspired by Jacques Cousteau & Take Part in Cap Rouge Day!

There are hundreds of events being held all over the world, find one near you and celebrate with a purpose this World Oceans Day or organize an event yourself! Check out these additional resources for ideas, free materials, event listings & more provided by The Ocean Project:

Activity kit is available for download

World Oceans Day youth video contest with great prizes

Partnership opportunities to enhance your event

NOAA: 30 Days of Oceans –  A Countdown to World Oceans Day 2013!

 

Spotlight on Real-World STEM: Marine Biology!

 

The ocean is a majestic mystery; if the seas were the size of this screen, the representative amount that has been fully explored by humans would be the size of the period at the end of this sentence. Not very much, right? With the earth being about 70% water, there is an overwhelming amount of exploring to do. That’s why the world needs most marine biologists! How else are we going to discover our history, where we came from, and how our world is evolving? All these answers can be traced back to the sea, where all life on earth began. Still interested? Dive a little deeper and read on!

Marine Biology in itself is a very broad spectrum, so there are often times areas of specialization, such as, Environmental Consultants, Fish and Wildlife Biologists, Fishery Management Biologists, Ichthyologists,  Aquarists, and Oceanographers, to name a few (Not sure what those are? Click here  to find out!) One thing they all have in common? You are guaranteed at some point to get your hands dirty and your body completely soaked. They don’t call it working “in the field” for nothing.

Although none of the campuses in the USF system offer a bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology, it is offered as an area of concentration in the Biology department. As a Biology/Marine Science major myself, I’m allowed to be a little biased in saying that this major offers a plethora of opportunities, as far as careers go. If you want a career in this field, here’s some important information you should know.

  • Receiving a master’s degree or Ph.D.  in marine biology is the most common approach to becoming a marine biologist. A bachelor’s degree is sufficient in many entry-level areas as well, so don’t be scared if grad school wasn’t in your initial plan; it’s not required, but recommended.
  • The majority of work conducted by marine biologists is research, research, research. Knowing how to properly work in a laboratory and read/write scientific papers is critical. Various types of technology are used as well, so this is definitely a hands-on type of career.
  • If you ask about the pay in this field of study, many marine biologists will probably laugh at you. The pay varies greatly and depends on your amount of experience and education. Most of the time, however, the job is considered more fun than a high-paying, but as they say—if you love what you do, you’ll never have to work a day in your life. Many marine biologists are very passionate about what they do, so the benefits of their work greatly outweigh the pay.
  • Many positions in this field are very competitive. Because of that, an allotted amount of time is dedicated applying for grants to get funding for your work. But as mentioned before, the rewards are unrivaled. How will you be considered a competitive candidate? Get experience, and as much as you can. Get involved with volunteer work, internships, and travel to gain knowledge of the different marine ecosystems around the world. Many marine biologists will tell you: while schooling is very important and required for a career position, oftentimes it is the amount of experience you have outside of school that will land you the job. So get out there, learn, explore, and discover everything you can!

No matter what aspect of marine biology interests you, one of the most important factors that all marine biologists strive towards is conservation. Humans are the oceans’ worst enemy and their only hope. It is our responsibility to save what we are destroying with pollution and depleting with fishing and harvesting. If the oceans cannot thrive, neither will we. Become a marine biologist to help make a difference in our world, on both land and sea.

Click here to learn more about the growing field of Marine Biology! 

February E-News: Dive into Chocolate Coated Science!

Image Source: Pixabay.com

Who says the kids at MIT only learn about quarks, electrons, and semiconductors? Turns out that for the past 6 years, a popular club at the prestigious school has celebrated the science of chocolate! In the spirit of the upcoming holiday, Valentine’s Day, we’re taking a walk on the sweet-side of science to find some decadent facts straight from MIT’s Laboratory for Chocolate Science.  Plus – check out the end for a delicious how-to video from the MIT Scientists with all you need to know for tea-infused chocolate truffles!

Chocolate has a rich history. Cultures around the world have enjoyed chocolate in its many forms for millennia. In its earlier days, the Mayans and Aztecs sipped a chocolate beverage during sacred and religious ceremonies. Later, Europeans enjoyed chocolate enhanced by refined sugar and milk as dessert and candies. There are powerful scientific properties and findings that relate to chocolate. From its processing to potential health benefits, here are five fun facts about your favorite treat: 

1. Chocolate has no caffeine! Can this be true? Yes! In 1993, biochemists found that processed chocolate, broken down into its chemical elements, showed an undetectable amount of caffeine. Which explains, perhaps, why I can’t handle a single cup of coffee, but can down a LOT of chocolate.

2. Chocolate contains serotonin. We knew chocolate made us feel good, and here’s why. Serotonin, which is the most concentrated of all the neurotransmitters contained in chocolate, according to MIT, and is responsible for feelings of well-being and contentment, as well as curbing anxiety and depression.

3. Chocolate can “bloom.” You know when you open a package of chocolate that’s been sitting on the shelf for awhile and it has some white shmutz on it? This is called “bloom,” and it happens when, over time, fat (cocoa butter) molecules suspended inside the chocolate bar rise to the surface and re-crystallize. “Bloomed” chocolate is not dangerous to eat, but it will be dry and less flavorful than the original product.

4. Chocolate is a “ poly-morph.” No, this doesn’t mean it can take the form of broccoli or 12-grain bread. But it does mean that there are multiple ways – VI, to be precise (they’re given Roman numerals) – to arrange the particles of chocolate in its solid phase. The most desirable is poly-morph V (5), which is stable enough for that pleasant “crack,” but still fluid enough to have that delicious melt-in-your-mouth feeling that we all crave. See this article for more on poly-morphs.

5. Chocolate is cool(er than us). In its optimal form (poly-morph form V), chocolate’s melting point is around 35 degrees Celsius. This is just below the average temperature inside the human body. The slight difference is the scientific reason why chocolate melts in that sloooow, delectable way: it’s warm enough to melt, but not so warm as to liquefy on contact. 

 Watch the MIT How-To Video here!

Click here to get other FUN recipes from MIT’s Laboratory for Chocolate Science! 

Learn More & Discover Why Science Makes Chocolate the World’s Most Perfect Food!