…and “Get your pants off the ground!” Alabama’s General Larry Platt auditioned for season 9 of American Idol this past week. His performance was more than extraordinary for a number of reasons. Reason 1: General Larry performed an original song that he wrote, entitled “Pants on the Ground.” Reason 2: He performed a break dance…
Personally, I believe that it’s the Transformers trying to send us a message, but think what you will. The Mars rover, Spirit, has been rather unlucky since its launch in early 2004. The original mission, along with twin rover, Opportunity, was supposed to last three months. However, they got a job extention and are still working…
Need to spruce up a photo? Feeling a bit bland? Then say hello to Picnik! You don’t need to be a nerd to enjoy it 🙂 Picnik is a free online software that allows you to edit, or “picnik,” your photos. You have a variety of effects, fonts, frames, stickers and crazy stuff to play with.…
Yeah, yeah, it’s a bit overkill now, but before the fame and Robert Pattinson, the Twilight Saga was actually really good! Personally, I loved the books, but the movie ruined it for me. I have yet to see New Moon, so today, I will be talking about the pros of the books. As I promised…
Channukah, Chanukkah, Hannuka, Hannukah–all are the same thing: the Jewish Festival of Lights. Don’t get too confused; there are many ways of spelling the name, because it is a Hebrew word, not English. However you spell it, it’s the same thing 😉 Channukah lasts for 8 nights, usually starting in December. The date varies somewhat each…
Simply stated: alkali metals + water = kaboom. 😀 The alkali metals are the elements located in the first column, known as a family or group, of the periodic table. These elements are lithium (Li), sodium (Na), potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), cesium (Cs), and the most reactive of all, francium (Fr). When added to water, these metals react with…
Welcome to the first instalment of Sam’s Weekly Serving of NeRd! Today, we shall learn how to make organic plastic! These days, everything is trying to be organic. But is organic really better? First off, let’s take a look at the dictionary‘s chemical definition of “organic”: or⋅gan⋅ic /ɔrˈgænɪk/ [awr-gan-ik] –adjective : noting or pertaining to…
I am a junior facilitator with the Minds in Motion All Girls [science] Club and volunteer each Saturday at the U of C and help with their activities. So far this fall, we have created aliens, Saturn-mobiles, discussed the science of zombies and eaten candy. 😀 This past weekend, we went to the TELUS World of Science along…
Cybermentor is an online mentoring program aimed at girls 11-18 who are interested in or just want to learn more about science and engineering. The program matches girls with female students at Alberta universities and other places around the globe who are studying science and engineering, or with professional women scientists and engineers (my current mentor works in Germany!).…
Yes, I did. This extraordinary group from Korea trully puts on a show! Watch them jump, turn around, wave their arms, and open and close their jackets to put on and incredibly performance…Probably even better than the sport everyone came to watch… [youtube OyLJ_ZVyJH4]
Say hello to “Ardi,” a hominid who lived in what is now Ethiopia about 4.4 million years ago . The 110-pound, 4-foot female roamed forests a million years before the infamous Lucy, who was long thought to be the earliest skeleton of a human. A study of Ardi, under way since the first bones were discovered in…
For young women ages 12-17 only! This FREE conference will inspire and enlighten young women about the opportunities for non-traditional careers in science, engineering, entrepreneurship, and technology. During fun-filled workshops with some of the most successful women in our community, participants will gain confidence, connections and career options. Due to the success of women in these…
Looking for something to do this weekend? Come down to Mount Royal University and check out the 2009 EcoLiving Fair! September 26 & 27, 2009 10:00 am – 4:00 pm It’s a two day showcase of individuals and groups who have come together to share their environmentally friendly projects and ideas with us Calgarians. You can…