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How does light help me see things and communicate with others storyline.

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How does light help me see things and communicate with others storyline.

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Students will develop an understanding of how light works in communications so that they understand how it can be applied to technology.

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This first-grade unit on light starts with students exploring how many shapes they can see on different pieces of paper at various locations around their classroom when the lights are turned off. They are surprised to find that some of the shapes are not visible in these conditions. This leads students to start wondering about other phenomena related to seeing in the dark, which in turn leads to new questions and design problems related to how they can make their room completely dark.

What students figure out

By the end of the unit, students develop powerful ideas about the interaction of different materials with light, and its effects on what we see. These ideas include:

Objects can be seen if light is available to illuminate them or if they give off their own light; very hot objects give off light.

Some materials allow light to pass through them, others allow only some light through, and others block out all the light and create a dark shadow on any surface beyond them, where light cannot reach.

People can use light to communicate (send and receive information) over long distances.

A situation that people want to change or create can be approached as a problem to be solved through engineering.

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How Does Light Help Me See Things and Communicate With Others? - Next Generation Science Storylines

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This first-grade unit on light starts with students exploring how many shapes they can see on different pieces of paper at various locations around their classroom when the lights are turned off. They are surprised to find that some of the shapes are not visible in these conditions.

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Where do the videos come from? Literally, how does it get on my phone? How does a video get from one phone to the next? And what is it about the way some are made that lend themselves to being ‘believable’?

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VIRTUAL SCIENCE EDUCATION - HIGH SCHOOL RESOURCE

Welcome to the Virtual Science Education blog post. Today, we are going to focus on a High School resource to support younger adults as they continue to do and think about science while at home.

As a class, we are going to try and figure out what the deal is with fake videos? Or, maybe we will think about it as - what's the deal with the real videos? What is it about a video that makes us stop and watch or just scroll on by.

WHAT'S THE PHENOMENON? FAKE VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE AND TIKTOK!

You're home. The internet is basically on fire. What can we do?!!?

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Virtual Sci Ed Real or Fake: How Do We Know? - Phenomena for NGSS

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If a video is fake how can we tell? If it is real how can we defend a claim - what evidence do we need? Here we use a virtual tool - a Google Form - so students can share their thinking with you.

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Encourage inquiry with this fun game of connections.

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With social distancing our local ecosystems have shrunk - while at the same time we're trying to make connections across a lot of different contexts to find meaning in everything, including science.

Meanwhile, home-based learning can introduce new challenges for students - one being how to focus on school tasks when not in a classroom (not that it was easy to focus in a classroom either 😳).

In any context, it can often be a challenge to figure out how students are thinking about phenomena. One way to effectively probe student thinking is to flip the context and provide students the opportunity to frame their own initial explanations around events that are personally or culturally significant to them.

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Six Degrees of Phenomena A Science Connection Game - Phenomena for NGSS

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Let's make this one fun - how can we make connections from one phenomenon to the next so students can show you their thinking and how they use ideas to play Six Degrees of Phenomena, our variation on the famous Kevin Bacon game.

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Example of the differences. Students can inquire about why they are different.

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Description: In this video an analog and a digital television signal are compared. Many students today are not familiar with analog television and the problem of static. Analog television uses changes in the amplitude, frequency or phase of the radio waves to transmit information. Problems of this technology include susceptibility to interference (or static), color consistency, and a smaller image. Digital sends the information as a series of 0's and 1's that are converted into the pixels on the screen. It is difficult to find an analog television signals in the US but the radio is a great substitute.

Web Resource: Analog vs. Digital Television - Lifewire

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Analog vs. Digital Television - The Wonder of Science

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Description: In this video an analog and a digital television signal are compared. Many students today are not familiar with analog television and the problem of static. Analog television uses changes in the amplitude, frequency or phase of the radio waves to transmit information

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How can codes be helpful? What situations would you need codes in?

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Description: Jeremiah Denton was a naval aviator who was captured and became a POW for eight years in Viet Nam. In 1966 he was forced to take part in a propaganda video. During the filming he pretended to be bothered by the lights but was in fact blinking out the word torture in Morse code. This confirmed for the first time that captured servicemen were indeed being tortured. Mr. Denton went on to serve as a U.S. Senator from the state of Alabama. This secret message could be used as a starting point for a unit on waves and information. Students could create and send messages of their own, hopefully under much more enjoyable conditions.

Web Resources: Blinking Eyes Send a Morse Code Message - Awesome Stories, Jeremiah Denton - Wikipedia

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Blinking Eyes Send a Morse Code Message - The Wonder of Science

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Description: Jeremiah Denton was a naval aviator who was captured and became a POW for eight years in Viet Nam. In 1966 he was forced to take part in a propaganda video. During the filming he pretended to be bothered by the lights but was in fact blinking out the word torture in Morse code.

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How and what should we communicate with other life forms. Good engage kick off.

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Description: The Arecibo message was an interstellar radio message containing information about life on our planet. The message contained 1679 (semiprime) bits of information that could be organized into the graphic seen below. The message contained information on our planetary system, genetic information, human dimensions, and the Arecibo telescope.

Web Resources: Arecibo Message - Wikipedia

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The Arecibo Message - The Wonder of Science

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Description : The Arecibo message was an interstellar radio message containing information about life on our planet. The message contained 1679 (semiprime) bits of information that could be organized into the graphic seen below. The message contained information on our

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How digital information travels

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Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on a basic understanding that waves can be used for communication purposes. Examples could include using fiber optic cable to transmit light pulses, radio wave pulses in wifi devices, and conversion of stored binary patterns to make sound or text on a computer screen.

Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include binary counting. Assessment does not include the specific mechanism of any given device.

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Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on a basic understanding that waves can be used for communication purposes. Examples could include using fiber optic cable to transmit light pulses, radio wave pulses in wifi devices, and conversion of stored binary patterns to make sound or text on a computer screen.

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How information is stored and transmitted

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Video explaining how math and science can use models to improve design.

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Paul Andersen explains how mathematics and computational thinking can be used by scientists to represent variables and by engineers to improve design. He starts by explaining how mathematics is at the root of all sciences. He then defines computational thinking and gives you a specific example of computational modeling. He finishes the video with a teaching progression for this practice.

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SEP5: Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking - The Wonder of Science

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Paul Andersen explains how mathematics and computational thinking can be used by scientists to represent variables and by engineers to improve design. He starts by explaining how mathematics is at the root of all sciences. He then defines computational thinking and gives you a sp

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Use to engage on the use of models and simulations.

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Clarification Statement: Examples of Earth systems to be considered are the hydrosphere, atmosphere, cryosphere, geosphere, and/or biosphere. An example of the far-reaching impacts from a human activity is how an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide results in an increase in photosynthetic biomass on land and an increase in ocean acidification, with resulting impacts on sea organism health and marine populations.

Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include running computational representations but is limited to using the published results of scientific computational models.

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Clarification Statement: Examples of Earth systems to be considered are the hydrosphere, atmosphere, cryosphere, geosphere, and/or biosphere. An example of the far-reaching impacts from a human activity is how an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide results in an increase in photosynthetic biomass on land and an increase in ocean acidification, with resulting impacts on sea organism health and marine populations.

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Engage students on what to do to reduce it and safely dispose of it.

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How Does Electronic Waste Impact the Environment? | Above the Noise | PBS LearningMedia

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America tosses out tons of old electronics every year from cell phones, laptops, TVs and even coffeemakers. Basically anything that can be plugged in or has a battery can be considered electronic waste, or e-waste, once it is broken or no longer in use. E-waste is tricky to recycle because there are so many different types that all contain a different mix of materials. What many folks don’t know is that a lot of that e-waste contains toxic chemicals, things like lead and mercury, which if they aren’t handled properly can contaminate the environment and cause serious health issues. Join Myles in investigating where our e-waste goes once we get rid of it to answer the question: How does e-waste impact the enviroment?
NOTE: The Transcript is in English and Spanish.

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Discuss the ethics of advertising through search engines

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How Do Search Engines Rank Results? | Search Engine Breakdown | PBS LearningMedia

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Learn how search engines impact people's experiences on the Internet and how search engine algorithms can be biased with these videos from NOVA: Search Engine Breakdown. Use this resource to enable students to assess the credibility and biases of search engines such as Google.

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How information can be communicated though shades of gray

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How information can be communicated though shades of gray

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Students will explore the how to of QR codes

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How Code Relates to Images | PBS LearningMedia

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Investigate the relationship between digital image quality and computer information with this interactive. By evaluating images of varying quality and level of detail, students relate the resolution and number of shades of gray in an image to the information stored in the code.

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Students will explore how images are embedded with data.

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The Code Behind a Photo | Interactive Lesson | PBS LearningMedia

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Explore how the details visible in an image are affected by how each pixel is defined. Students relate the quality of an image to the amount of information in the image and use mathematical representations to make predictions about photos.

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Students will engage in problem solving activities to fix robots.

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Learn about the Basics of Robotics: The What, Why and How, with Examples and Take-home Problems. WQED and RobotWits are partnering to provide this educational video series that extends robotics and mathematics lessons to high school students. Hosted by Dr. Jonathan Butzke, each of the eight 14-minute teaching videos includes a lesson assignment.

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Helps students understand the flow of energy within a machine.

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Play with resistors, light bulbs, wires, switches, a battery, voltmeters, and ammeters in this interactive circuit simulation. Place elements on the grid and watch as electrons move and bulbs glow. This is a "sandbox" simulation where you can add and remove circuit elements however you like.

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The Public Key Method to Encrypt Communications | Crypto Decoded

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The Public Key Method to Encrypt Communications | Crypto Decoded

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Introduction to encryption keys

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The Public Key Method to Encrypt Communications | Crypto Decoded | PBS LearningMedia

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Learn about the development of a secure way to send messages over the Internet, and consider its value, with this video excerpt from NOVA: Crypto Decoded. Use this resource to provide an opportunity for students to model how public key encryption works.

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Experiment and explore circuits- maybe couple with exploration of the insides of a circuit board

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Experiment with an electronics kit! Build circuits with batteries, resistors, ideal and non-Ohmic light bulbs, fuses, and switches. Build circuits with AC voltage sources, batteries, resistors, capacitors, inductors, fuses, and switches. Take measurements with a lifelike ammeter and voltmeter and graph the current and voltage as a function of time.

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Experiment with different conductors and materials to determine voltage.

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Game that teaches students about cybersecurity.

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Take cybersecurity into your own hands. In this Lab, you'll defend a company that is the target of increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks. Your task is to strengthen your cyber defenses and thwart the attackers by completing a series of cybersecurity challenges. You'll crack passwords, craft code, and defeat malicious hackers.

Video Intro About this Lab Educator Guide

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Take cybersecurity into your own hands by thwarting a series of cyber attacks.

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Cybersecurity experts share their knowledge

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As I was finishing my Ph.D., Duke University developed a track for those interested in teaching and doing research that enables others to be effective teachers: from understanding how students learn to developing courses and resources to make computer science connect and resonate with students.

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Intro to the simulation tools NASA uses.

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The Simulation and Graphics Branch produces several software tools to facilitate building and operating simulations. Many of these are available to download

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Videos about hackers and other threats.

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Every creature that's ever lived, including you, has been honed by the powerful force of evolution. Play NOVA's Evolution Lab to learn how it's responsible for the explosion of Earth's biodiversity.

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Activities related to NASA to work with pencil code

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Binary practice

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A STREAM OF 1'S AND 0'S

Images from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory - a telescope in orbit around the Earth that looks at objects in space in a special type of light called X-rays - can be fascinating, informative, and beautiful. These images show our Universe in a way we could never see directly with human eyes. But the information that is eventually converted into images actually arrives at the Chandra X-ray Center in Cambridge (USA) as a stream of 1's and 0's that only a computer could understand. Fortunately, many people have worked hard to develop steps to process the data using software and technical know-how to convert them into something that humans can use and admire.

The digital pipeline of data starts with the Chandra spacecraft that travels around our planet in a big oval that takes Chandra about a third of the way to the Moon at its farthest point from Earth. The data that Chandra records are encoded into the form of 1's and 0's, or "binary data", in order to start its journey. This 40,000-mile or about 64,000 km journey (more or less, depending on Chandra's position in its orbit at the time of the downlink) through space takes the data to one of NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN) antennas in Australia, Spain, and California (USA), where it is downloaded.

You can think of this data as a river flowing from the mountains (telescopes in space) down to the valleys (the DSN here on Earth). Once the data enters the DSN, they are streamed to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California, where it goes into a pool with all the other data collected by the Deep Space Network from the many NASA telescopes in space. It can take another couple of days for Chandra's data to show up at its end point (the Chandra X-ray Center) after that.

These data can then be diverted for different purposes, much like a river whose water is channeled into various streams. Once the Chandra data stream arrives at the Chandra X-ray Center, computer processes separate it further for examination by experts who work there. Some people look at data on the instruments aboard Chandra while others make sure the parts of the spacecraft are working correctly.

Software and processing are used to create "Quick Look" versions that can take the form of a rough image. These "Quick Look" data let people at the Chandra X-ray Center know whether the telescope has looked at the correct object in the sky that it was intended to and to make sure the telescope was functioning as it should.

Meanwhile, other scientists and computer analysts begin crunching the data. This involves figuring out exactly where the telescope was pointing at each moment of the observation by tracking special lights on the spacecraft and the positions of well-known stars. The spacecraft motion is then removed using a computer program. Finally, each instrument, or camera, aboard Chandra has its own particular features that must be taken into account when constructing an image.

BINARY CODE: TALKING TO MACHINES

In addition to our telescopes in space, such as Chandra, many other devices use binary code. Binary code is essentially a system that uses only two digits to represent things ("bi" means two). You can think of each 1 and 0 like an "on" and "off" position of a switch. Another similar system is Morse code, which uses short and long bursts of either sound or light. Binary code is a simple, effective way to talk to machines (computer hardware for example) because with electricity, it's either on or off.

Our cell phones, computers, and other digital equipment use a 256-letter alphabet if they are based in the English language. Twenty-six of those characters are uppercase letters (A B C D...), 26 are lowercase (a b c d...), plus Arabic numbers (1 2 3 4...), special characters (! @ # $...), as well as characters for spacing, line breaks and even simple sounds. These characters are each assigned an 8-character binary equivalent. The location of each "1" represents that position's value, which is used to calculate the total value of the binary number. The positions of all eight characters then equal a fixed number value. The letter A for example is written as "01000001". On the following page you'll see a chart of uppercase and lowercase English language alphabet characters.

In this way, binary code can be thought of as a foreign dialect that needs to be translated into a language that you can understand. Rather than different letters or characters that you might find in Russian or Chinese, binary code is "spoken" in these eight ones and zeros in different patterns. If you know the code, or how to translate, you (or a computer) can "read" or understand what the binary language is saying.

For example, here is "Chandra" written in binary code: |01000011|01001000|01000001|01001110|01000100| 01010010| 01000001

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Images from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory - a telescope in orbit around the Earth that looks at objects in space in a special type of light called X-rays - can be fascinating, informative, and beautiful. These images show our Universe in a way we could never see directly with human eyes.

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Create simulations of phenomena using tinkercad

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Coding with Codeblocks: Supernova Explosions - Part 1: Create an Animated Explosion

This lesson introduces coding using TinkerCAD Codeblocks to change properties of 3D objects over time and create a simple animation of a supernova explosion.

1. Launch Tinkercad

2. Click CODEBLOCKS and Create New Codeblock.

3. Select New Design.

4. Under Shapes, drag the Add Sphere block onto your stage.

5. Hit the Play button to see the result.

6.Toggle the properties arrow and set the radius to 200. Hit Play again.

7. Change your perspective to get a bird's-eye view.

8. Under Modify, choose the Scale block.

9. Change each dimension to 0.5 and hit Play.

10. Choose the Set Color block and change the sphere's color to white, then hit Play.

11. Select another Scale block and set each dimension to Zero, then hit Play.

12. Under Shapes, select and drag an Add Torus block and choose a color, then hit Play.

13. Choose a Scale block and set dimensions to 20, then hit Play.

14. Under Control, select a Repeat block and place it onto the last Scale block. Set repeat to 3 and hit Play.

15. Change Scale dimensions to 5 and hit Play.

16. Rename your file "Supernova Explodes".

17. Click Share, and Animated GIF, and TinkerCAD creates a movie.

18. Choose a location and save your file.

19. Change the perspective and create a second animated gif.

20. Click the TinkerCAD icon to save your work.

Coding with Codeblocks: Supernova Explosions - Part 2: Use Loops to Build a Supernova Remnant

This lesson explores repeating code using TinkerCAD Codeblocks to create a simple rotated shape representing the remains of an exploded star.

1. Launch Tinkercad

2. Under CODEBLOCKS, Create New Codeblock.

3. Select New Design.

4. Under Shapes, drag the Add Star block onto your stage.

5. Hit the Play button to see the result.

6. Toggle the properties arrow and set the number of sides to 8. Hit Play to see this change.

7. Now shorten the Height to 3, change your perspective to view from the side, and hit Play.

8. Play with the Radius and Inner Radius Ratio properties to see how this changes your shape.

9. Let's settle on a Radius of 150 and Inner Radius of 0.3.

10. Under Modify, select a Rotate block, then hit Play.

11. Under Modify, select Select All in Object and place between the Add Shape block and the Rotate block. Hit Play.

12. Right-Click on the Add Star block on your stage and select Duplicate. Attach under the Rotate block and hit Play.

13. Duplicate the second Add Star block and hit Play.

14. Change all 3 Rotate angles to 45 degrees and hit Play.

15. Duplicate the Add Star block a third time and hit Play.

16. That was the hard way. Now let's try something easier. Delete all but the first 3 blocks.

17. Under Control, Drag a Repeat block around the 3 remaining blocks. Change Number of Repeats to 3 and then 4 and check your results.

18. Now change the angle to 15 and number of Repeats to 12 and check your result. You can play with the numbers to create something unique.

19. When you're happy with your shape, rename your file "Revolved Stellar Explosion".

20. In the upper, right-hand corner, click Export.

21. Choose the STL file extension, a format widely-accepted by 3D printers.

22. Choose a location and save your printable file.

23. Click the TinkerCAD icon to save your work.
This activity on using loops was inspired by the Autodesk activity: https://www.instructables.com/id/Using-Loops-in-Tinkercad-to-Design-a-Bursting-Star/

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Coding with Codeblocks: Supernova Explosions - Part 1: Create an Animated Explosion This lesson introduces coding using TinkerCAD Codeblocks to change properties of 3D objects over time and create a simple animation of a supernova explosion. 1. Launch Tinkercad 2. Click CODEBLOCKS and Create New Codeblock. 3. Select New Design.

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Create codes to make music from digital files of sounds from space.

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Note on orbits: The planets in this activity orbit clockwise. The star/planet systems your students build in Space Jam can be any possible star/planet system they like, and star/planet systems can orbit clockwise (or counterclockwise like our own solar system does when viewed from the North) depending on the molecular cloud they formed in and how the system developed.

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Short article explaining quantum computing and its ramifications.

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NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley is the heart of the agency's advanced computing efforts, including its exploration and research of quantum computing. Ames leverages its location in the heart of Silicon Valley to forge partnerships with private industry as well. Using these collaborations, the NASA Advanced Supercomputing facility's resources, and expertise in quantum computing, Ames works to evaluate the potential of quantum computing for NASA missions.

The properties that govern physics at the extremely small scales and low temperatures of the quantum realm are puzzling and unique. Quantum computing is the practice of harnessing those properties to enable revolutionary algorithms that traditional computers wouldn't be able to run. Algorithms are a set of instructions to solve a problem or accomplish a task in computing. Quantum algorithms require descriptions of what operations should do during computation on a quantum computer, which often takes the form of a software program called a "quantum circuit."

NASA's computing needs are escalating as the agency aims for more complex missions across the solar system, as well as continued research in the Earth sciences and aeronautics. Quantum computing, as it matures in the coming years, could provide powerful solutions.

Quantum mechanics describes effects such as superposition, where a particle can be in many different states at once. Quantum entanglement allows particles to be correlated with each other in unique ways that can be utilized by quantum computing. Though why these properties and more occur is still a mystery of science, the way in which they function has been well characterized and researched, allowing quantum computing experts to design hardware and algorithms to use these properties to their advantage.
Ames' Role
Since 1972, when Ames center director Hans Mark brought the first massively parallel computer - a kind of computer that uses multiple processors at the same time, or in parallel - the center has been at the forefront of developing advances in computing.

Today, the Quantum Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (QuAIL), is where NASA conducts research to determine the capabilities of quantum computers and their potential to support the agency's goals in the decades to come. Located at Ames, the lab conducts research on quantum applications and algorithms, develops tools for quantum computing, and investigates the fundamental physics behind quantum computing. The lab also partners with other quantum labs across the country, such as those at Google; Oak Ridge National Laboratory, or ORNL; Rigetti; and is part of two of the Department of Energy's centers under the National Quantum Initiative, specifically the Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage and Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center.
Applications and Algorithms What future missions could quantum computing help realize?
Quantum computing is a field of study in its infancy. So far, it is too early to implement quantum computing into NASA missions. The role of QuAIL is to investigate quantum computing's potential to serve the agency's future needs, for missions yet to be proposed or even imagined.

The key to quantum computing is quantum algorithms - special algorithms uniquely constructed to take advantage of quantum properties, like quantum superposition and quantum entanglement. The properties of the quantum world allow for computations that would take billions of years on classical machines. By experimenting with designing quantum algorithms, QuAIL hopes to use quantum computers to tackle calculations that otherwise would be impossible.

Current research looks into applying quantum algorithms to optimize the planning and scheduling of mission operations, machine learning for Earth science data, and simulations for the design of new materials for use in aeronautics and space exploration. In the future, quantum algorithms could impact NASA's missions broadly. QuAIL's role is to help define that future.
Quantum Computing Tools How can software support quantum algorithms and their applications?
There are a variety of tools QuAIL is developing to support quantum computing. Those tools can help characterize "noise" in quantum devices, assist in error mitigation, compile algorithms for specific hardware, and simulate quantum algorithms.

Because quantum computers need extremely precise and stable conditions to operate, seemingly small issues such as impurities on a superconducting chip or accumulated charged particles can impact a computation. Thus, error mitigation will play a critical role in realizing mature quantum computers.

By modeling what kind of errors occur and the effect they have on calculations, a process called noise characterization, quantum researchers can design error mitigation techniques that can run alongside quantum algorithms to keep them on track.

All algorithms need to be compiled for use on specific hardware. Because quantum hardware is so distinct from traditional computers, researchers must make special efforts to compile quantum algorithms for quantum hardware. In the same way software needs to be coded to a particular operating system, quantum algorithms need to be coded to function on a quantum computer's specific "operating system," which also takes hardware into account.

Tools that allow researchers to simulate quantum circuits using non-quantum hardware are key to QuAIL's objective to evaluate the potential of quantum hardware. By testing the same algorithm on both a traditional supercomputer using a quantum circuit simulator and on real quantum hardware, researchers can find the limits of the supercomputer.

NASA can also use these simulated quantum circuits to check the work of quantum hardware, ensuring that algorithms are being properly executed up until the limit at which the simulated quantum circuit is reached. This was an essential component of confirming that a recent milestone achieved by Google in collaboration with NASA and ORNL, demonstrating the ability to compute in seconds what would take even the largest and most advanced supercomputers days or weeks, had indeed been achieved.
Learn more: For researchers: For news media:
Members of the news media interested in covering this topic should reach out to the Ames newsroom.

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Harnessing the quantum realm for NASA's future complex computing needs

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Uses block code to design the video game and includes tutorials.

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Create a video game that lets players explore the Red Planet with a helicopter like the one going to Mars with NASA's Perseverance rover! Use Scratch, a visual programming language and think like NASA space-mission planners to design your game!

Watch the Tutorial

See below for materials and step-by-step instructions. For more video tutorials and activities like this one, visit Learning Space.

Watch en Español: Seleccione subtítulos en Español bajo el ícono de configuración.

In this episode of Learning Space, you'll create a video game that lets players explore the Red Planet with a helicopter like the one going to Mars with NASA's Perseverance rover! | Watch on YouTube

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Student Project: Code a Mars Helicopter Video Game | NASA/JPL Edu

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Create a video game that lets players explore the Red Planet with a helicopter like the one going to Mars with NASA's Perseverance rover!

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This would require a microcomputer or robotics kit plus other resources.

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Design and assemble a light-power device modeled after the solar panels used to power spacecraft. You'll consider the challenges of collecting light and how to monitor your success, such as how to aim your device to collect the most light while avoiding overheating.

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Student Project: Make and Code a Light-Powered Device | NASA/JPL Edu

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In this challenge, you will build and program a light-powered device that can move to collect as much light as possible while not overheating.

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Explains a real life use for radio waves

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Video Transcript

Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is one of the most intriguing places in our Solar System.

It is the only moon in our Solar System that has clouds and a dense atmosphere -- and atmosphere so thick that it blocks our view of the surface.

As a result, we knew very little about Titan until July 2004, when NASA's Cassini spacecraft first entered orbit at Saturn.

Cassini is able to see through Titan's atmosphere using various instruments and techniques.

One such method is called a 'bistatic scattering experiment,' a technique that uses radio waves.

To conduct a bistatic experiment, you need the right observation geometry, a spacecraft radio transmitter and an antenna capable of collecting the signal once it reaches Earth, and, of course, a lot of math -- lots and lots of math.

During a bistatic experiment, radio waves are transmitted from Cassini to the surface of Titan. The surface then acts much like a mirror. When the waves hit the surface, they are reflected at various angles and some of them continue their journey toward Earth.

Despite traveling at the speed of light, it will take these radio waves more than an hour to reach Earth, which is on average almost a billion miles away from Titan.

The radio waves that are transmitted are in three different frequencies within the microwave part of the spectrum, and each reacts differently depending on the materials and topography they encounter at Titan.

Once they reach Earth, the radio waves are collected by one of the huge antennas around the globe that are part of NASA's Deep Space Network.

The signal received at Earth is then compared to the signal that was originally sent to Titan from Cassini. Once again, scientists use lots and lots of math to analyze the differences in these two signals, and, from this information, deduce what the surface of Titan is made of: rock, sand, liquid or even mud.

Though we cannot yet visit Titan ourselves, the science of radio waves allows us to explore this mysterious world.

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Bouncing Radio Waves Off Titan's Lakes Video | NASA/JPL Edu

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Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is one of the most intriguing places in our Solar System. It is the only moon in our Solar System that has clouds and a dense atmosphere -- and atmosphere so thick that it blocks our view of the surface.

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The map in the lesson allows students to set variables to show different sets of data.

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Lecture about how we interact with technology

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National Geographic Emerging Explorer and cyborg anthropologist Amber Case studies how the interaction between humans and computers is changing the way we think, act, and understand our world.

This video was filmed on Thursday, June 14th at the 2012 National Geographic Explorers Symposium at National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., United States. Introduction
National Geographic Emerging Explorer and cyborg anthropologist Amber Case studies how the interaction between humans and computers is changing the way we think, act, and understand our world. As an anthropologist, Case observes an increasingly symbiotic relationship between people and technology. In an age when virtually everyone uses mobile phones and computers to communicate, work, learn, and play, the entire world is her field site.

What is a cyborg? (start-2:12 min.)

How evolving tools change human interaction with the world (2:13-3:30 min.)

Studying cyborg anthropology (3:31-4:15 min.)

Creating physical manifestations of data: a literal Facebook "wall" (4:16-5:54 min.)

Using technology as a tool to "amplify yourself" (5:55-7:34 min.)

Where does the future come from? Example: Google goggles (7:35-9:29 min.)

How technology influences human decision-making (9:30-13:36 min.)

Have students preview several of the videos and choose the one they find most inspiring. Have students describe in writing a conversation they might have with the speaker(s).

Freeze the video on a relevant image. Have students observe details in the still image and jot down predictions of what the full video might address. Discuss students' ideas before and after watching the video.

Pose an open-ended question before students watch the video, and have them discuss their ideas before and after in small groups.

Have students determine what they think the key message of this video is. Was the speaker effective in getting his or her message across?

Show a short clip to engage students during class, and then have students watch the full video at home and write a paragraph responding to the content or a question you give them.

Have students note statements that represent facts or opinions, including where it's difficult to tell the difference. What further research might help distinguish facts vs. opinions? How might the speaker's viewpoint compare with others' viewpoints about a topic?

Strategies for Using Video in a Variety of Learning Environments

Media Credits

The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.

Page Producers

Nina Page, National Geographic Society

Samantha Zuhlke, National Geographic Society

other

Last Updated

October 19, 2023

For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. They will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to them, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource.

Media

If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media.

Text

Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service.

Interactives

Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives.

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National Geographic Emerging Explorer and cyborg anthropologist Amber Case studies how the interaction between humans and computers is changing the way we think, act, and understand our world.

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Students research machine learning and find examples online.

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Machine learning relies on algorithms-or sets of instructions-that a model uses to identify patterns. This can be a great tool to enhance citizen science, as shown in this example featuring iNaturalist.

Subjects

Conservation, Experiential Learning

Machine learning is a form of artificial intelligence where computers use data to learn new things. Share the infographic with students and ask them to describe machine learning in their own words. Then ask them to explain how iNaturalist uses machine learning to identify different species of organisms. Ask: How can machine learning contribute to citizen science?

Have students work in small groups to research machine learning online. Ask them to find at least one additional example, other than iNaturalist, of how machine learning contributes to citizen science and present their findings to each other. Then ask them to envision a new citizen science project that uses machine learning and create an infographic to describe that project.

Consider also enrolling in National Geographic's free online course, Learning Through Citizen Science. Educators will gain experience with global citizen science and learn from National Geographic Explorers how to engage students of any age. Sign up for the course in English here or in Spanish here.

Media Credits

The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.

Director

Mary Ford, National Geographic Society

On-site Project Manager

Anne Haywood, Mountain to Sea Education

Reviewers

Dr. Brittney Beck, California State University, Bakersfield

Peg Keiner, 31 Days of Citizen Science

Kerryanne Monahan, Saint Edward's School

Last Updated

October 19, 2023

For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. They will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to them, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource.

Media

If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media.

Text

Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service.

Interactives

Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives.

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Machine learning relies on algorithms-or sets of instructions-that a model uses to identify patterns. This can be a great tool to enhance citizen science, as shown in this example featuring iNaturalist.

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Are Autonomous Cars a solution to the problem of Distracted Driving

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Are Autonomous Cars a solution to the problem of Distracted Driving

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Uses the free download book Can we trust AI?

Students work in small groups to make flow charts.

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High School | Daily Do

Are autonomous cars a solution to the problem of distracted driving?

What is Sensemaking?

Sensemaking is actively trying to figure out how the world works (science) or how to design solutions to problems (engineering). Students do science and engineering through the science and engineering practices. Engaging in these practices necessitates that students be part of a learning community to be able to share ideas, evaluate competing ideas, give and receive critique, and reach consensus. Whether this community of learners is made up of classmates or family members, students and adults build and refine science and engineering knowledge together.

Lesson Snapshot

High school students, as scientists and engineers, use science ideas about waves, systems, and system models to answer the following driving question: Are autonomous cars a solution to the problem of distracted driving? Students analyze data about deaths from distracted driving and driver assistance technologies. Students also analyze data about public opinion in the United States about autonomous cars.
Click the Download PDF button above for the complete Lesson Plan.

Student Materials
Per Student

Per Small Group (2 to 4 students)

Computer or tablet to access videos and articles in Student Guide
Teacher Materials

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Are autonomous cars a solution to the problem of distracted driving?

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High School | Daily Do What is Sensemaking? Sensemaking is actively trying to figure out how the world works (science) or how to design solutions to problems (engineering). Students do science and engineering through the science and engineering practices.

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Article plus hands on activities and discussion questions.

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Today's Wonder of the Day was inspired by WonderTeam. WonderTeam Wonders, " What is a blockchain? " Thanks for WONDERing with us, WonderTeam!

Have you ever heard of Bitcoin? It's a cryptocurrency . The mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto created it in 2009. Today, many people use Bitcoin. And it's made possible by the topic of today's Wonder of the Day-blockchain.

Blockchain seems new to many people today. But it has actually been around since 1991. Two researchers named Stuart Haber and W. Scott Stornetta came up with the technology. They were looking for a safer way to timestamp documents. It wasn't until 2009 that blockchain became more widely known because of its use in Bitcoin.

What is blockchain? Start by picturing it as just that-a chain of blocks. Each block stores . This could be information on transactions , such as the amount of Bitcoin traded for goods. Blocks also hold the hash, which is a code unique to each block. Each block also stores the hash of the block before it.

Information stored in a blockchain is very difficult to change. That's because it's shared across a of computers called nodes. Changing the in any block requires approval from all the nodes. This can be nearly impossible, as there might be thousands of nodes linked in one blockchain.

How do people use blockchain? Computer gaming is one that has this technology. In many cases, blockchain gaming uses cryptocurrencies, which gamers can earn and spend in the game. But there are plenty of other uses. One example is the game CryptoKitties. This game uses blockchain to store on cats that users breed and .

Many believe that one day, gamers will use blockchain on a larger scale. They expect more games to use it to store purchase . It could also help to stop fraud by keeping usernames and passwords safe.

How else could people use blockchain? Some believe it could store government documents, like driver's licenses and marriage certificates. People are also working to use blockchain to store voting information. It could help people control their personal and how it's shared online in the future. The possibilities seem to be endless.

What would you do with blockchain technology? Would you shake up online gaming? Will you help people protect their ? Maybe you'd change the way governments store information. The next big application could come from you!

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Today's Wonder of the Day was inspired by WonderTeam. WonderTeam Wonders, " What is a blockchain? " Thanks for WONDERing with us, WonderTeam! Have you ever heard of Bitcoin? It's a cryptocurrency . The mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto created it in 2009. Today, many people use Bitcoin.

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Discussion questions included would make good prompts for think pair share or writing journals.

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Many of our Wonder Friends know a lot about the human brain. Others have love to learn about technology. Are you interested in either of these topics? If so, today is your lucky day! This Wonder of the Day covers them both.

Neurotechnology is a special branch of technology. It includes any that read signals from the human brain. These take action based on the signals they read. Does that sound like something out of a science fiction movie? Are you picturing human who will one day rule the world? Well, that's not quite right (not yet, anyway!).

Today, most neurotechnology is used in medicine. For example, people with ALS sometimes use that help them communicate. These machines read brain activity and speak for the person they're connected to. This lets people carry on conversations they couldn't otherwise have.

Another example is intelligent prostheses . These can greatly improve life for people who have had a limb replaced. The read signals from the brain and move like other parts of the body do. Does that sound incredible? Then hold on, because developers don't plan to stop there.

How would you like for your brain to connect directly to the Internet? That's what Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, has in mind for the future of neurotechnology . His company, Neuralink, hopes to put chips in test patients' brains by the end of 2020.

Why would you want a chip in your brain? Musk hopes they can be used to treat conditions like Alzheimer's. They could also link humans to artificial intelligence. This could help improve people's memory storage. Some believe that one day, neurotechnology could even allow people to communicate through . Future people might even be able to post to social media this way.

Will neurotechnology connect human brains through the Internet? Maybe. But it won't happen anytime soon. Still, many companies are working to make new neurotechnology . In the future, everyday people might use them regularly.

Can you picture it? Imagine a future when you can look up a question on Wonderopolis just by thinking about it. You can look at a friend across the room and tell them exactly what you're thinking without saying a word. Maybe you can even order pizza from your favorite restaurant without pulling out your computer or phone. Imagine controlling all these things with your mind!

Does all of this sound exciting? Or maybe a bit scary? If you think so, you're not alone. Many people have about the future of neurotechnology . Specifically, they wonder how it will affect . Many also worry about social equality and human .

Do you use neurotechnology ? Would you want to use it in the future? Any new technology brings with it both benefits and challenges. How could these make life different?

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Many of our Wonder Friends know a lot about the human brain. Others have love to learn about technology. Are you interested in either of these topics? If so, today is your lucky day! This Wonder of the Day covers them both. Neurotechnology is a special branch of technology.

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Article about how programmers use Hex Codes. Can be used as a discussion point or reading with feedback.

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Have you #ff000 today's Wonder of the Day yet? What are you waiting for?

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Great topic for debates or argumentive essay.

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Today's Wonder of the Day was inspired by jose. jose Wonders, " what is a singularity " Thanks for WONDERing with us, jose!

You may be aware that technology is growing quickly. Companies are testing self-driving cars. People may soon travel in hyperloops. We're floating through the air on hoverboards, for crying out loud!

Yes, technology moves quickly. And it's likely to keep doing so. With artificial intelligence (AI), people have even built machines that can learn and grow smarter.

This makes some WONDER-just how smart can technology become? Will machines keep learning without end? Could they even one day human intelligence? Many experts say yes. They call this the technological singularity-the point at which machines will become smarter than humans.

How will the singularity affect life as we know it? It's the job of to try to find out. A futurist is a person who makes predictions based on facts about the world today. And have a lot to say about the singularity.

Some are hopeful about the singularity. Google's Ray Kurzweil says AI could pass human intelligence in the next 30 years. However, he sees the singularity as a chance to improve human , too.

How could that be possible? Kurzwel believes people could link machines to the human neocortex. That's the area of the human brain that handles higher-order thinking. This could allow people to their brain . Future humans might store endless knowledge and memories in this way.

Kurzweil isn't alone. Many people agree with his hope for the future. But others are more about the singularity. Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk, and Bill Gates have warned that life after the singularity may look very different.

What's their concern? Louis Rosenberg, the CEO of Anonymous AI, sums it up. He says that robots with intelligence beyond that of human beings could be dangerous. He compares it to a visit from alien life forms. What would the robots' interests be? Would they have morals? If so, would they be the same as those of humans? If so, which humans? Could they threaten human life? There's no way to know.

For some, this idea up science fiction films. They picture cruel robots that lord over the human race. Is this the future we're headed for? We sure hope not. What do you think? Put your futurist hat on and make a prediction of your own!

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Today's Wonder of the Day was inspired by jose. jose Wonders, " what is a singularity " Thanks for WONDERing with us, jose! You may be aware that technology is growing quickly. Companies are testing self-driving cars. People may soon travel in hyperloops. We're floating through the air on hoverboards, for crying out loud!