Science Information

I plan on collecting various tidbits here, based on scientific topics that Bill mentions on his show, or scientific questions from the callers. But for the first item in the collection, I’ve provided links to a topic I never heard brought up on his show: How dreadfully poor the public’s knowledge of basic science is. For starters, read this article that appeared on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle, on Friday, May 24 1996:

Simple Science Experiments from Bill & Peter

This section contains several simple experiments that are safe enough to do with children of almost any age.

Interesting Tidbits

A young caller once asked Bill about “flicker lights” and how they worked. Bill’s answer described how blinking lights work, but flicker lights are something entirely different. So I bought one, and made a movie of what it looks like.

Students lack solid grasp on science, says the National Science Teachers Association.

Science-Related Web Sites

Americans Flunk Science Basics
A disappointing story showing that most Americans don’t really understand some of the most basic scientific principals.
Yahoo science directory
A good starting point for researching scientific sites on the Web.
Scientific Journals
A short list of interesting, useful scientific magazines.
The Why Files
An interesting and useful site created by the National Science Foundation, which “is an electronic exploration of the science behind the news”.
YES Mag Projects
From a Canadian science magazine aimed at children, this is a list of safe, simple experiments and projects you can try in your home.
For Kids Only (NASA’s Earth Science Enterprise)
Contains scientific information on topics including air, land, natural hazards, and water.
Cool Science for Curious Kids
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute invites curious kids to explore biology…on screen, off screen, and in between.
Inventure Place, The National Inventors Hall of Fame
An online museum dedicated to invention, established in 1973 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Nova Online
A companion site to PBS’ science show, NOVA.
The Mad Scientist Network
An archive of thousands of science questions and answers, which also offers the chance to ask the network of over 500 scientists questions by e-mail.
Science Daily Magazine
An online magazine that offers daily reports on the latest research and advancements in science.

Other sites

The Star Trails Society
http://www.startrails.com/
Observation of the Week
http://observe.ivv.nasa.gov/nasa/core.shtml.html
Earth Observatory
http://www.earthobservatory.nasa.gov/
Historic Wings
http://www.historicwings.com/
Inner Auto
http://www.innerauto.com/default.htm
How Stuff Works
http://www.howstuffworks.com/
Innovative Transportation Technologies
http://faculty.washington.edu/~jbs/itrans/
Annenberg/CPB Exhibits Collection
http://www.learner.org/exhibits/
Sandlot Science
http://www.sandlotscience.com/
Dissections of the Real Brain
www.vh.org/Providers/Textbooks/BrainAnatomy/BrainAnatomy.html

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