The Animaniacs’ Take On Science
A look into the intelligent humor of this 1990s-era cartoon
August 15, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
The Cambrian Explosion in Song
What does a music teacher do when he ends up teaching science?
July 13, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Top Ten Kids’ Movies With a Green Theme
Loggers, hunters, developers, fishers, polluters and whalers are the evil villains in this movie genre
June 24, 2011 |
By Julie Mianecki
Why Scientific Ignorance Can Kill You
While working on this story from Smithsonian's May issue about oncologist Brian Druker and his discovery 10 years ago of a breakthrough drug for chronic myeloid leukemia, I was struck by the following passage:Over the pub’s blaring music Mayfield said of his BCR-ABL gene, “I had the G250E mutation—...
April 21, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Five Reasons Anti-Evolution Measures are a Bad Idea
In 1925, John Scopes, a high school biology teacher, was put on trial in Tennessee for having the audacity to teach evolution to his students. In the 21st century, teachers don't have to worry about being arrested for teaching this fundamental topic in science, and the Supreme Court declared teachi...
April 04, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
How to Find Trustworthy Science and Health Information
I can see why some people might long for the good old days, when medical advice came from your doctor, news from your local paper or Edward R. Murrow, and science news from a specialty publication like Scientific American. Today, we're overwhelmed with sources of information, with hundreds of telev...
March 02, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Looking Forward to the International Year of Chemistry
The United Nations has dubbed 2011 the International Year of Chemistry, with the unifying theme "Chemistry—our life, our future."The goals of IYC2011 are to increase the public appreciation of chemistry in meeting world needs, to encourage interest in chemistry among young people, and to generate...
December 30, 2010 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Great Science Books for the Little Ones
How do you raise a miniature scientist? Start with books, of course. Below is a list of my favorite children's science books from the past year (if you're looking for other types of kids' books, Smithsonian.com will have our annual list of notables online later this week):Adventure Beneath the Sea,...
December 13, 2010 |
By Sarah Zielinski
The Calculus Diaries
Though I was a very good at math in school, I usually found the subject incredibly boring, so much so that I often slept through class (teachers didn't mind as long as I aced the exams). The one exception was a college math course for biologists that gave us real-world problems like figuring out th...
August 31, 2010 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Be a Science Fair Judge
Last week I was a judge for the local EnvironMentors Fair (a science fair with an environmental theme). Thirty-one high school students were competing for scholarship money, the chance to compete at the national fair this week and, of course, bragging rights. This was the first time I'd been to a s...
May 17, 2010 |
By Sarah Zielinski
A Level Playing Field for Science
I suppose, in a way, I should thank the woman who tried to compliment me when I was in high school by saying that I was too pretty for science. What she was really saying was that girls don't belong in science, and that got me so riled up I'm still ticked off nearly two decades later. But at least ...
March 23, 2010 |
By Sarah Zielinski
The Greatest Hits of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science hosted its annual festival in San Diego this past weekend. It's a serious scientific meeting complete with plenary sessions, lots of PowerPoint presentations and rows of posters, but it's also a big party for people who care about the big pict...
February 22, 2010 |
By Laura Helmuth
The Science of the Olympics
I've always been a fan of the Winter Olympics, but a bout with the flu in 2002 that kept me at home watching TV for a week made me an addict. But it's not just about watching hours of skiing and skating. There's science, too, and it seems to be everywhere this year. Here are some good resources and...
February 17, 2010 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Elementary School Teachers Pass on Math Fear to Girls
We know that girls can do math, and be very good at it. But a new study published this week in PNAS shows that some girls in elementary school aren't learning just how to add one plus one—they are learning that girls should be scared of those numbers. Just like their teachers.University of Chicago ...
January 26, 2010 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Test Your Science Knowledge
Every two years, the National Science Foundation publishes a huge collection of science statistics, their Science and Engineering Indicators. One of the more depressing sections is the results of their latest survey of science literacy. This is where you learn things like one out of five people don...
January 19, 2010 |
By Sarah Zielinski
UPDATED: Small Victory for Science -- Previously: Texas Science Education Stands at the Edge of the Abyss
UPDATE: According to a report from the Dallas Morning News, the Texas Board of Education rejected restoring the "strengths and weaknesses" proposal by a 7-7 split vote. A final vote will come on Friday, but the vote is expected to remain deadlocked.My freshman year of high school, when the teacher...
March 26, 2009 |
By Sarah Zielinski
The Amazing Randi on YouTube
Here at Smithsonian, we’re big fans of the Amazing Randi, not least because he’s a fan of the magazine (he told us so). He’s a professional skeptic (in a good way) and has made a career out of debunking paranormals, faith healers and other frauds. In 1996, he founded the James Randi Educational Fou...
January 15, 2009 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Colombia Dispatch 10: Education for Demobilized Forces
In exchange for laying down their arms, soldiers from Medellin's armed militias are receiving a free education, paid for by the government
October 29, 2008 |
By Kenneth Fletcher
Making the Grade
Yurok Indian Geneva Wiki is helping other young Native Americans "develop their best selves"
October 2007 |
By Katherine Ellison
Organizing Principal
In the South Bronx, Ramón Gonzalez gives a troubled middle school a kidcentric makeover
October 2007 |
By Paula Span
