High Touch High Tech is happy to announce a new addition to our ever-growing, global science family. The new HTHT franchise location will soon be opening its doors in Santa Clara County and the South Bay, CA. The franchise owner is Shalini Wadwani. Franchise training was completed the week of July 14th at the World Headquarters in Asheville, North Carolina. Shalini is very excited about this new venture and is currently launching her new operation. As Shalini gets up and running, we appreciate any support, best practices and recommendations you can share to assist in building the High Touch High Tech brand in Santa Clara County, CA.
Please join us in welcoming our newest addition, High Touch High Tech of Santa Clara County and the South Bay, to the HTHT Family!
As you can see in the picture above, Shalini had a blast learning the bag stab technique from the afterschool program Water Works!
Four million kids annually participate in High Touch High Tech programs. Every day, every hour, somewhere in the world, there is a High Touch High Tech program currently happening. As the leader in innovative, hands-on science & nature experiences, we have created a community of young learners keen on rolling up their sleeves, fueling their imagination, sparking their curiosity, and doing REAL science.
To learn more about High Touch High Tech of Santa Clara County & the South Bay area
We are thrilled to be expanding into Santa Clara County and the South Bay Area & are looking forward to bringing our signature hands-on science experiences to children. From the corners of Western North Carolina to the California coastline, the new HTHT of Santa Clara County and South Bay joins our outstanding family of existing franchises across the globe!
Shalini, welcome to the High Touch High Tech Family!
It’s no secret we love teachers here at High Touch High Tech. Ask anyone and they will share a story about a teacher who made a difference in their life. Whether it was motivating to rise above, helping to understand a difficult concept or just offering hugs and support at the right time, teachers make a lifelong impact.
Teachers come in all shapes and sizes. They engage young minds, serve as mentors and provide endless learning opportunities. Teacher Appreciation Week is May 5 – 9, 2014. It’s the time we give back to those who give so much.
Teachers are one of the most important and memorable people in a child’s life. You never forget your 3rd grade teacher. Or your kindergarten teacher…or your 6th grade teacher…you get the point.
Teachers are there day after day to encourage learning and discovery as well as self confidence, discipline and an endless list of character building skills.
We loved this video from Google & just had to share! This week we say Thank you to the millions of passionate teachers who inspire curiosity in their classrooms…lesson after lesson, unit after unit, year after year.
We’re fortunate to have had worked with many of you and we can’t wait to see what the future will bring because of the work you’re doing today!
Some people may feel that Earth Day is no laughing matter, but here at High Touch High Tech, we believe science can be FUN – especially on days like today. To that end, here are some of our favorite funny Earth Day pictures, videos & moments that promote green living & will make you laugh at the same time.
Looking for FUN Earth Day activities or ways to celebrate? Check out these great resources:
High Touch High Tech is the leader in innovative, hands-on science and nature experiences for children, serving over 4 million children annually with 29 franchise locations across the United States, Canada, Qatar, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam & Turkey.
That’s right folks, tomorrow is Earth Day which means today marks the start to a full week of celebrating the planet we call home. Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal as birds sing, flowers bloom, the sun shines and people across the world join together to celebrate our planet. Earth Day was established to raise environmental concerns to the forefront of our national conscience.
Earth provides everything we need to survive – shelter, food, water, air and so much more! This annual holiday serves as a reminder of how we personally impact the Earth. It presents an opportunity to educate children on how to make responsible decisions when it comes to protecting the Earth’s resources. Some may not realize that making small changes in our daily routine can minimize our carbon footprint.
Get involved with Earth Day!
Every year on April 22, over a billion people in 190 countries take action for Earth Day. From San Francisco to San Juan, Beijing to Brussels, Moscow to Marrakesh, people plant trees, clean up their communities, contact their elected officials, and more—all on behalf of the environment.
Like Earth Days of the past, Earth Day 2014 will focus on the unique environmental challenges of our time. As the world’s population migrates to cities, and as the bleak reality of climate change becomes increasingly clear, the need to create sustainable communities is more important than ever. Earth Day 2014 will seek to do just that through its global theme: Green Cities. With smart investments in sustainable technology, forward-thinking public policy, and an educated and active public, we can transform our cities and forge a sustainable future. Nothing is more powerful than the collective action of a billion people.
Did you know?
If everyone in the United States recycled their newspaper, the lives of 41,000 trees would be spared each day. That adds up to about 15,000,000 trees per year! One single tree can detoxify the air of up to 60 pounds of pollutants. Unfortunately only 27% of all American newspapers are recycled. Recycling can also help save energy for households across the nation. Recycling one aluminum can save enough energy to watch three hours of TV or the equivalent of one half gallon of gasoline.
Whether you are an Earth Day celebration veteran or just getting started, there are plenty of opportunities and ways that you can make a contribution throughout this week & every week.
Think Globally, Act Locally!
Here are 5 simple and fun ways to make a positive impact this week in your home, school or community:
Support your local farmer’s markets
Unplug your charger(s) and other electronics that you are not using
Reduce your shower to 5 minutes
Bring your own recyclable bag to the grocery store
Stop printing out your ATM receipts
April is a time of new beginnings so spring into action by introducing new habits that will help in conserving water, renewing energy, reducing waste, and improving air quality. This is your chance to make our planet a safer, healthier place to live, work, and play for all living things!
Comment below & let us know how you plan to celebrate this week!
Looking for more ideas on how to celebrate? Check out these great resources:
As the global organizer behind Earth Day, Earth Day Network creates tools and resources for you to get involved with Earth Day in your community. Check out this video on the official 2014 Earth Day theme: Green Cities.
High Touch High Tech is happy to announce a new addition to our ever-growing, global science family. The new HTHT franchise location will soon be opening its doors in Hanoi & operating in schools all across Vietnam. Franchise training took place at the HTHT Global Headquarters in Asheville, NC at the end of February. As you can see in the pictures below, Terri-dactyl Terri & Dinosaur Dan had a blast teaching the new franchise owners that FUN science is a universal language!
New franchise owner, Ha, erupts a record-height volcano during franchise training!
Four million kids annually participate in High Touch High Tech programs. Every day, every hour, somewhere in the world, there is a High Touch High Tech program currently happening. As the leader in innovative, hands-on science & nature experiences, we have created a community of young learners keen on rolling up their sleeves, fueling their imagination, sparking their curiosity, and doing REAL science.
New franchise owner, Hong, conquered the bag-stab with no problem!
Kuoa loved getting hands-on with the science of our blow-mud experiment.
We are thrilled to be expanding into Vietnam & are looking forward to bringing our signature hands-on science experiences to children in this new part of the world. From the corners of Western North Carolina to the coasts of South Korea, the new HTHT of Vietnam joins our outstanding family of existing franchises serving 29 locations across the globe!
Welcome to the High Touch High Tech Family!
To learn more about fun business opportunities with High Touch High Tech,
Albert Einstein has long been considered a genius by the masses. He was a theoretical physicist, philosopher, author, and is perhaps the most influential scientists to ever live. In honor of this science icon and to say ‘Happy Birthday Einstein,” we thought we’d share one of our favorite archived e-news articles from March 2013!
Einstein has made great contributions to the scientific world, including the theory of relativity, the founding of relativistic cosmology, the prediction of the deflection of light by gravity, the quantum theory of atomic motion in solids, the zero-point energy concept, and the quantum theory of a monatomic gas which predicted Bose–Einstein condensation, to name a few of his scientific contributions.
Einstein received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics “for his services to Theoretical Physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect.” He’s published more than 300 scientific works and over 150 non-scientific works. Einstein is considered the father of modern physics and is probably the most successful scientist there ever was.
But, you don’t have to be a physicist or an elite research scientist to take away from what Einstein had to offer. We don’t tap often enough into the words of wisdom Einstein shared with the world. From the simply stated to the profoundly put, there’s a lot we can take away from Einstein’s words.
Everyday brings a new opportunity to put his teachings to good use in our personal lives. In celebration of Albert Einstein’s birthday, we bring you 5 Amazing Lessons You Can Learn from Albert Einstein!
These quotes are just a few of our favorites that show how Einstein reached people all throughout walks of life – Do you have a favorite lesson from Albert Einstein? We want to know which of them resonates with you in your life!
Leave us your thoughts below – We always look forward to hearing what our readers have to say!
Christmas lights are the most recognizable sign of the season. These lights warm up the coldest of December nights – giving a nostalgic glow to our homes & communities. Even though we are so familiar with these traditional holiday lights, there is a bit of background science that you may not know.
Image Source: Pixabay.com
The Curious Evolution of Holiday Lights!
During the Holidays, we see all types of colorful lights! People decorate the outside and inside of their homes with lights that are switched on ceremoniously in neighborhoods across the globe. This tradition dates back to the 17thcentury when people first began putting lights on their Christmas trees by attaching small candles to the branches using wax or pins, according to the Great Idea Finder. But, it wasn’t until the late 19thcentury, that decorating with small glass lanterns with lit candles really took off. As a result of using candles, most people didn’t put up their lights until Christmas Eve due to the risk of fire.
In 1882, one of Thomas Edison’s apprentices, Edward Johnson, created the first lit Christmas Tree for the Holiday Season. This tree was in New York City and had 80 small electric lights he called “dainty glass eggs.” Edward Johnson invented the first string of electric lights.
These electric lights; however, posed a danger as they heated up tender Evergreen branches and needles. Albert Sadacca created safe electric Christmas lights in 1917. The first year, the lights were all white. But, the following year, he made colorful Christmas lights that became a sensation in homes across the country.
Lights are also an essential Hanukkah tradition. A candelabrum (lamp stand) with nine branches, called a menorah, is lit during the 8-day Hanukkah holiday. In the Jewish tradition, the menorah brings light to this time of year.
Modern LED Holiday Lights
For decades, incandescent light bulbs have decorated Christmas trees, window panes, and the outside of homes with bright colors during the Holidays. However, older incandescent light bulbs pose some problems. These strings of lights actually use a lot of energy, the older bulbs can also get very hot after running for long periods of time, and we’ve all taken part in the greatest holiday mystery of all time…”Which bulb is causing the strand of lights to go out?!”
Fortunately, scientists have invented LED light bulbs that solve these problems. LED stands for Light-Emitting Diodes. These modern bulbs use 10% of the electricity needed for incandescent light bulbs! LED bulbs are much cooler so they are much safer. For an extra bonus, LED bulbs last for an extremely long time & eliminate the search for the string outage culprit! For the holidays, you will see all colors, shapes, and sizes of LEDs decorating homes for the season.
A Long Way From Candles
The basic foundation of the Christmas light, the incandescent bulb, hardly changed for nearly a century, and is only now undergoing its first major revolution as we start replacing our old tungsten lights with energy-efficient LEDs. Yet in that same time, we’ve gone from sticking burning candles in a tree to creating massive, computer-controlled – and completely excessive – light displays like this:
One thing’s for sure: No matter what the technology at hand, no matter what the reason to celebrate, the human desire to light up trees and houses in December will forever be a source for amazing – and often hilarious – innovation.
So, where do the old Christmas lights go?
Around this time every year, millions of American households not only toss out their Christmas trees, but also, millions of strands of burnt-out Christmas lights. While they are supposed to be placed in the recycling bin, most would end up at the garbage dump if it were not for a tiny town all the way across the world called Shijiao located in Southern China.
That’s because, while there is no market for the lights in the USA, there is a great demand for the raw materials that spring from these discarded decorations in China, an opportunity that the small town of Shijiaohas capitalized on, for almost twenty years. Today, over 20 million pounds of discarded lights make their way to the town’s nine recycling facilities.
Once there, they go through a rather complicated process that separates the flecks of precious metals (copper from the wire and brass from the light sockets) from the plastic and glass that the insulation and bulbs are made from.
The strands are first manually untangled and then placed into a shredder that chops them up into tiny pieces. These are then mixed with water and shaken – upon which the heavier metal flecks flow in one direction, while the lighter plastic and glass flow in another – similar to how old miners used to pan gold. The respective materials are then accumulated and sold to Chinese manufacturers who turn them into all kinds of different products including, slipper soles!
So the next time you buy a product made in China, be sure to look at it closely – For somewhere in them you may see a glimmer of your tossed Christmas lights.
As the days get shorter and the nights get darker, we welcome colorful Holiday lights! As you decorate around your home with lights, don’t forget that you, too, can create a fun, colorful magic light box to wow your friends and family with this month’s at-home experiment!
This year, as you begin to string the lights around the Christmas tree remember that you are continuing a tradition that goes back hundreds of years! In addition to holiday lights, some of our other favorite holiday products, from decorations to toys, have surprising origins, too! Ever wondered where tinsel comes from and why we drape it over the trees? Or have you ever asked yourself when people started to wrap their presents in paper? Learn the history of these and other interesting holiday inventions here.
This Thursday is not only Thanksgiving, but for our friends who are Jewish, it’s also the first full day and the second evening of Hanukkah. The meeting of these two holidays is being called Thanksgivukkah. How rare is it for these two holidays to meet this way? Well, it’s not going to happen for another 76-80,000 years or so.
How does this happen? Well, Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday every November and doesn’t change from year to year. But then there’s the Jewish calendar that’s a little more complicated and by complicated, I mean that things change every year- a month here, a month there.
The Jewish calendar moves forward very slowly- about four days every thousand years so that’s why it’ll take 70 to 80 thousand years before Thanksgiving and Hanukkah meet again.
Today, October 23 (or 10/23, as it’s written the American way), from 6:02 am to 6:02 pm, is Mole Day. No, it’s not a day for freckles, spies, Mexican sauce, or cute little burrowing mammals. Rather it’s the day to celebrate the chemical unit the “mole.”
What is a mole, you ask, having forgotten high school chemistry. A mole of something is 6.02 x 10^23 of it (kind of like a dozen of eggs is 12 eggs, a mole of eggs is 602,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 eggs*.)
*okay, technically, it’s 602,214,129,270,000,000,000,000 eggs (give or take a few quintillion – scientists can’t agree on the exact number).
So, with that out of the way, here are 5 fun facts about the mole and Mole Day:
1. The mole is attributed to 18th century Italian scientist Amedeo Avogadro, whose full name is Lorenzo Romano Amedeo Carlo Avogadro di Queregna e di Cerreto. Man, that’s a long name, but it somehow fits the long number that now bears his name (6.02 x 10^23 is called Avogadro’s Constant). His parents called him Amedeo Carlo Avogadro.
We won’t get into the technical aspects, but in 1811 Avogadro proposed a law (now known as Avogadro’s Law) stating that equal volume of all gasses, at the same temperature and pressure, have the same number of molecules.
As with many scientific accomplishments of that age, Avogadro’s findings were promptly ignored. It took about a hundred years for the scientific community to get around to appreciating what he’s done. In 1909, French chemist and Nobel laureate Jean Baptiste Perrin proposed that quantity of molecules be called “Avogadro’s Constant.”
2. Mole Day was proposed in an article in The Science Teacher in early 1980s. Inspired by the article, Maurice Oehler, a chemistry teacher (now retired) in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, created the National Mole Day Foundation in 1991.
3. Did you know that the Mole Day has annual themes? Here they are:
1991
The Mole The Merrier
1992
Go For The Mole
1993
Mole Out The Barrel
1994
An Ace in The Mole
1995
Moledi Gras
1996
Molemorial Day
1997
We Dig Chemistry
1998
Ride the Molercoaster
1999
It’s A MOLE World
2000
Celebrate the Molennium
2001
Molar Odyssey
2002
Molar Reflections
2003
Rock ‘n Mole
2004
Pi a la MOLE
2005
Moles-Go-Round
2006
Mole Madness
2007
Secret Agent Double Mole Seven in Moles are Forever
2008
Remember the Alamole
2009
Molar Express
2010
Moles of the Round Table
2011
Molar Eclipse
2012
Animole Kingdom
4. To help you celebrate, here’s the Molemorial Day song by Michael Offutt (that’s the theme of the Mole Day in 1996, when Offutt recorded the song). Actually Offutt created a whole album, titled “Molennium,” filled with songs about the mole.
5. As you can probably guess, a mole (6.02 x 10^23) is a VERY large number. But, what does a mole of moles look like? What if we release a mole of moles onto our planet? xkcd explains:
An eastern mole (Scalopus aquaticus) weighs about 75 grams, which means a mole of moles weighs (6.022×10^23)×75g≈4.52×10^22kg.
That’s a little over half the mass of our moon.
Mammals are largely water. A kilogram of water takes up a liter of volume, so if the moles weigh 4.52×10^22 kilograms, they take up about 4.52×10^22 liters of volume. You might notice that we’re ignoring the pockets of space between the moles. In a moment, you’ll see why.
The cube root of 4.52×10^22 liters is 3,562 kilometers, which means we’re talking about a sphere with a radius of 2,210 kilometers, or a cube 2,213 miles on each edge. (That’s a neat coincidence I’ve never noticed before—a cubic mile happens to be almost exactly 4/3pi cubic kilometers, so a sphere with a radius of X kilometers has the same volume as a cube that’s X miles on each side.)
If these moles were released onto the Earth’s surface, they’d fill it up to 80 kilometers deep—just about to the (former) edge of space:
Have you ever wondered how scientists can know so much about things that happened thousands of years ago? For example, how do they know what certain dinosaurs looked like? After all, those dinosaurs have been extinct for thousands of years, right?
Fossils are the actual remains or impressions left by plants or animals that were once alive hundreds or thousands of years ago. Over time, the organic (living) material left behind is replaced with minerals, leaving a fossil that is like a stone but looks like the original plant or animal. When scientists find these imprints — like an ancient x-ray — they can learn a lot about the animals or plants that left their mark.
Not all plant and animal remains become fossilized over time. Certain conditions have to exist for fossilization to take place. For example, many fossils form when plant and animal remains are buried — and thereby preserved — by mud, sand or soil. Fossilization also takes a lot of time. How long? How about 10,000 years or more. So if you go and bury a plant leaf under a pile of mud in the backyard, don’t expect a fossil to form in your lifetime!
Despite the requirements of time and preservation, fossils can be found just about anywhere. From the tops of mountains to the depths of the seas, fossils can be found all over Earth. Some sit on top of sandy beaches while others stay hidden deep underground. Fossils are often unearthed during construction or new mining projects. As the ground is dug up and moved about, fossils once hidden deep underground suddenly come to light. In a similar way, you can often find fossils in shallow stream beds, as the constantly flowing water cuts through the old earth to reveal what’s hidden below.
School of Hard Rocks: Fossil Collecting for Beginners You may ask, why do people collect fossils? Think of fossil collecting as ancient antique hunting, a way to connect with the past. There’s something mysterious and powerful about holding a 400-million-year-old creature in the palm of your hand.
People have countless reasons for fossil collecting:
A love of modern nature and a desire to know and understand how it came to be.
A love of history.
A love of the Earth and the mystery of its creation.
A desire to inspire a child to learn and to share your passion for geology and earth science.
Even wanting a hobby, one that will keep you in good physical shape while exercising your mind, is a great reason for becoming a fossil collector.
Plus,FOSSILS ARE COOL! So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get started!
It’s easy to get started with a fossil collection: just keep your eyes open the next time you walk along a dry creek bed or along a washed out ravine. Depending on your location, you might spot the remains of an ancient creature.
Don’t want to leave your fossil finding to “Lady Luck?” Pick up a rock-hounding book for your locale. The authors of rock-hounding books let you in on lots of tips for success. They also let you know where you can hunt, how to ask permission of landowners and places to avoid.
Parks are a great place to kick off a fossil hunt, many are home to impressive collections, while others are untapped treasure chests, waiting to be pried open. The type of fossil you may find at a park will of course be dictated by the area’s geographic features, meaning that chances of finding fossilized sea life in the mountains are less common than if the park is nestled beside a major body of water. Don’t forget to take your camera! Nothing beats the thrill of the find! You’ll want to have at least a few pictures in the field to document the location and the moment.
Paleontologists—professional fossil finders—break fossils down into two main groups: trace fossils and body fossils. Trace fossils are records of an animal’s life, they can include footprints, trackways, and coprolites (fossilized poop!), and tell a story about how the creature lived, and give a relatively accurate idea of their size. Body fossils, the most sought after type of fossil, are fossilized remains of a plant or animal, and can be as tiny as an insect or as large as a mammoth, obviously the latter finding is rare and less likely to be found in a US park, but finding small fossilized wildlife and plants is still an amazing discovery.
Here are a few tips to get you on your way to a stellar fossil collection of your own!
#1: When searching for fossils, know they only form in sedimentary rocks.
Sedimentary rock is a type of rock formed by the deposition of minerals and other materials at the Earth’s surface or within bodies of water. Sedimentary rocks are formed over a long period of time in the accumulation of debris or sediments. Such materials you’ll likely find fossils in include clay, limestone, shale, and sandstone.
#2: Do a search for fossil websites and fossil documents for your state, region, locality.
With a little research, you can find pictures of local fossils in your area & perhaps even a map of where to find them. Check out this site that breaks up fossils found in the United States by region: Teacher Friendly Guide to Geology: Fossils by US Region,
Familiarize yourself with what you are likely to find, and remember that the fossils will probably be in matrix (rock) and you will only find a small portion peeking out. Local museums are a great way to find out what fossils are native to your locale & are available for public viewing. This will also teach you what kind of fossil hunting you will be doing – beach combing, sifting for sharks teeth, breaking shale, or walking road cuts and dry washes.
#3: Do a search for local rock, mineral and fossil clubs in your area.
Mentoring from experienced members is invaluable! And they may even have group field trips and digs that you can attend! While you are at it, see if there are any fossil parks near you.
#4: Your first outing – what do you need?
Something to carry your fossils in, such as a bag, pail or backpack with a handle is good for carrying your finds. Other tools you’ll want to bring along include: a field guide to record your findings, pencil, compass, trowel or small shovel, paintbrush to sweep away the debris, a sieve if looking for sharks’ teeth, etc. in creeks and a hammer to knock away excess rock if desired. You can also include some graphing paper & a measuring tape to take note of your dig site if you’re planning to return.
#5: Identifying your Fossils:
Bring home anything that looks like it may be a fossil, you just never know. What you may initially believe to be a strange looking rock could be a real fossil! Fossils come in many shapes and sizes. Paleontologists classify and identify fossils based on their shapes and appearance.
Thousands of different fossils can be found in the United States. Identifying all of the types requires experts; however, many of the most common types can be easily identified. If you think you know the kind of fossil (eg., trilobite, brachiopod) do a quick Google search to find out what types of fossils can be found in your locale or area the fossil was found. Use the resources you find and compare the information with what you have. If you don’t know what kind of fossil you have, check out this site that can try and point you in the right direction: Identifying Unknown Fossils (by shape).
Differences between some fossils are subtle and are easily missed by the amateur collector. Also, some fossils are poorly preserved, broken, or partially covered in the matrix of the surrounding rock so that their true size and shape is hidden. But the most commonly found fossils can usually be classified to their group with just a few observations.
The fun doesn’t stop here! Once you’ve started your fossil collection – check out these other ways you can Celebrate National Fossil Day by exploring these incredible resources:
All That Remains: Fossil Finds: Check out this awesome slide show of the most recent discoveries in Paleontology, as recent as September 2013! Which is your favorite? Let us know on our Facebook Page!
The La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, California:Did you realize you can take a trip back in time to the Ice Age in the heart of one of America’s largest modern cities? It’s true! The urban heart of Los Angeles is the site of a fascinating scientific treasure. Since the early 1900’s, scientists have unearthed the fossilized remains of several different species including saber-toothed cats, mammoths, wolves, bears, ground sloths, bison and horses.
FOSSILGUY.COM: A fantastic resource for future paleontologists & fossil collectors in and around the mid-Atlantic region. This site includes virtual tours of fossil sites, and fossil identification.
10 Weird & Unusual Archeological Finds: Just in time for Halloween – from a saber-toothed squirrel to an ant of prehistoric proportions, check out these weird & spooky finds recently discovered from across the globe!
10 Famous Fossils that Changed Dinosaur History:Not all dinosaur fossils are equally famous, or have had the same profound effect on paleontology. Here are 10 famous fossils that changed, sharpened, or completely altered the views of working scientists (and the general public) about dinosaurs and other prehistoric reptiles.
National Geographic Education: Fossils: This collection contains a selection of content from NG Education about fossils. Users have the option to use the site search tool to find out more on a variety of fossil & archeology topics.
These quotes are just a few of our favorites that show how Einstein reached people all throughout walks of life – Do you have a favorite lesson from Albert Einstein? We want to know which of them resonates with you in your life!
