Jackalopes' Science Blog

Space Travel

2009-04-15T09:27:00.017-04:00

Below are examples of famous space craft from the movies and real life. Look carefully at the designs of each one and consider why each craft looks the way it does? How do you think the shape of each craft would help you travel the stars? If you could design a space craft, what would it look like? Submit your designs in your replies and have fun reaching for the stars!

"To infinity and beyond!"...Buzz Lightyear

GO GO GOOGLE!

2009-04-14T09:06:00.003-04:00

The latest version of Google Earth (Google Earth 5.0 Beta available at http://earth.google.com/) allows us to view migration patterns of endangered species (i.e. whales) as they travel throughout the ocean. What other species could benefit by being tracked via satellite tracking (such as Google Earth) and why? How does satellite tracking allow us to help endangered species on Earth?

What Might They Look Like?

2008-09-22T17:41:00.013-04:00

Hollywood movies have featured hundreds of wild and wierd alien creatures (see below), but as mankind explores the universe, what do you think an alien creature might look like? Why? How does the organisms physical appearance help it survive on its home planet? Would it survive on Earth? Why or why not? Share your thoughts and ideas with your classmates!

Some famous Hollywood extra terrestrials include...

Hitching A Galatic Ride

2008-09-22T17:11:00.003-04:00

Follow this link to read a fascinating article on the sun:

Hitching A Galatic Ride

If you were an astronomer, what would you choose to study? Stars, planets, galaxies, comets, nebula, the universe? Share your thoughts with your teammates!

Explore Your World!

2007-09-06T19:09:00.000-04:00

As you begin another year of school, what do YOU think are the MOST important issues for us to focus on for our planet's future? How do you see the world (as an ecosystem) changing in the next twenty five years?

To infinity and beyond!

2006-11-19T18:48:00.000-05:00

This picture represents the remains of a star that exploded millions of years ago and is now visible to us (using the Hubble Space Telescope). If you could take a picture of any part of the universe, what would you look at and why? What other things should we be looking at/for in space? Why?

Dino-mania!!!

2006-10-18T19:00:00.000-04:00

Challenge: Flash from the Past

Imagine that you're a time traveler. To prove to your friends and family that you've succeeded in going to the past, you could show them a photograph of you standing beside a prehistoric monster.

While time travel isn't available at the moment, you can still put yourself in an image with a monster from the past. Draw, use graphics or photo-processing software, or try some other technique to create the time-defying portrait. Here are some tips and ideas. Be creative!

Note: Research how large your monster really was. Then, measure yourself. For the image of the two of you together, you'll want to make sure the proportions are the same. For example, if your monster was 3 meters tall in real life, and you're 1.5 meters tall, the image of the monster should be twice as big as your image. If you have a photograph in which your image is 5 centimeters tall, the monster looming beside you should be 10 centimeters tall.

For full challenge information please go to:

http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/SciFiZone.asp

Question of the Week

2006-09-12T18:43:00.001-04:00

What qualities make a planet a planet? With the recent debate on the "planet" Pluto, what are the characteristics of a body in space that make it a planet? Are there many types of planets? If so, what kind? Would you consider Pluto to be a planet.

Alternate Energy Sources

2006-05-08T08:48:00.000-04:00

With the rising cost of gas, people are constantly searching for new, cheap and reliable energy alternatives. Recently, much has been discussed in the news about ethanol-based fuel. Which of the many alternate fuel/energy choices (ex: wind power, solar power, nuclear power) would best help to solve our growing energy dilemma? Why? Are there any possible energy resources that we haven't used yet? If so, what are they?

Question of the Week

2006-04-13T13:09:00.000-04:00

Here is the latest picture of Venus taken by a deep space probe launched from Europe.

If you could visit any of the other planets in our solar system, where would you go? What would you see? Why would you go there? How is it similar/different from Earth?

Questions about the Sun

2006-04-04T10:35:00.000-04:00

Chris and Justin asks us, "How long until the sun burns out?" and "What sort of things will we see when that happens?"

I have thought of many ways to explain how the sun works, how long it will burn for, and what will happen at its end. The best way I have thought of to explain it has already been stated by another person. Please click on the following link to read about the sun and how long it has left.

http://www.cameron.edu/~crussell/peer%20review%20project%20papers%20in%20html/Death%20of%20the%20Sun.html

I look forward to your replies.

Question of the Week

2006-04-04T09:39:00.000-04:00

Why do we have global warming, and what effect does it have on our climate?

How did monkeys become humans?

2006-03-21T19:48:00.000-05:00

GreenDayer asks us "How did monkeys become humans?"

To answer this question we must first realize that there is no one right or wrong answer...It is only a matter of what you believe in. One theory that deals with the human-monkey connection is called evolution. Beginning with Charles Darwin, many scientists feel that human beings and apes, chimpanzees, and gorillas all share a common ancestor. From this one common ancestor came many branches of ape-like descendants that changed to suit the environments in which they lived. We have all learned that living things adapt to their environments, so many scientists believe that human beings represent one group of animals that changed over thousands of years to become better adapted to surviving in many different types of environments. There were many types of early human-like creatures that were, according to some, eventually replaced by modern humans. Modern humans, if you believe in evolution, represent the best suited version of us, as a species, for the moment...Until we, too, are replaced :)

It is very important to remember that this is only one explanation offered as to how human beings developed...It is not the only one!

The Earth IS Round!!!

2006-03-20T22:43:00.000-05:00

How do we know that the Earth is round?

Many people believe that Christopher Columbus was the first person to say (and prove) that the Earth is indeed round, but Columbus was not the first person to believe or prove that the Earth was round.

The credit is usually given to the Greek philosopher Pythagoras and his school, although several of his contemporaries also believed the Earth was round. Almost 2000 years before Columbus was born, these ancient Greeks argued that because the moon was a sphere and the sun was a sphere, the Earth should be a sphere.

Some 300 years after Pythagoras wrote about Earth being round, another Greek, Eratosthenes, calculated the Earth's radius. He used the distance between two cities and the angle of the sun's rays made at midsummer at noon. His measurement turned out to be 15 percent too large, but still impressive, considering it was done over 2600 years ago.

Today, proving that the Earth is round is as simple as looking into the sky. You can see for yourself that Earth is round is by watching a lunar eclipse. A lunar eclipse is when Earth passes between the sun and the moon. Earth then blocks the light of the sun and Earth casts a shadow on the moon. If you watch as the shadow slowly passes over the moon, you will see that the shadow of Earth is as round as the Earth is.

The Question of the Week

2006-03-17T14:24:00.000-05:00

Biomes are regions of the world that are grouped together based on shared/similar climate characteristics. Why is it important to separate environments into categories? What information or help do these groups provide?

Welcome All!!!

2006-03-16T11:24:00.000-05:00

Welcome all to the brand new Mustang's Science blog! Post comments, questions, or cool facts!!!

Enjoy!!!