Grades 9-12 - Science as Inquiry

  • Rennaissance man wonders: Denial of science, science of denial ... Why do so many doubt evolution, warming?
    Denial of science, science of denial Tobacco and cancer. CFCs and ozone. Vaccines and autism. And evolution through natural selection, acid rain and global warming. Why do the facts get lost in a cacophony of argument, falsehood and outright denial? A conference looks at why the media get taken for a ride, and how they can improve.
    Thursday, May 3rd, 2012
  • Patent wars!
    Patent wars!

    As high-tech giants buy patents and launch lawsuits. How does the patent system work? Why does it fail? What does it mean to be “new, non-obvious and useful”? What will be the impact of the new patent law — the biggest change in 60 years? Why should we care?


    Thursday, April 19th, 2012
  • Shaking it up: Maverick scientist dies
    Shaking it up: Maverick scientist dies

    Sometimes, scientists feel the need to leave the lab and warn the public about onrushing hazards. Rowland warned about ozone, but others are warning about warming. Does scientific culture encourage or hinder going public? Does the helpful response to ozone depletion suggest we’ll succeed in confronting global warming?


    Thursday, March 22nd, 2012
  • Chasing neutrinos at the South Pole
    Chasing neutrinos at the South Pole

    Neutrinos are odd: Extremely difficult to see, they travel through mass with scarcely a trace. A 1-billion ton detector in South Pole ice is now counting neutrinos, intent on understanding their origin and role in the universe, and even spotting echoes of the Big Bang.


    Thursday, January 26th, 2012
  • Dr. Darwin teaches robot!
    Dr. Darwin teaches robot!

    A crash course in “sink or swim” teaches computerized robots to adapt to changing circumstances. When taught by “directed evolution,” robots that started without legs learned to walk sooner than robots that started with legs! Can you explain?


    Thursday, January 5th, 2012
  • New math mavens = pigeons?
    New math mavens = pigeons?

    Can pigeons learn an abstract mathematical rule? Apparently, according to a new study, which asked pigeons to place, five blue dots and eight green squares, in ascending order. Now we know birds and primates can both do this, but where and why did this ability originate?


    Thursday, December 22nd, 2011
  • Flight without wings
    Flight without wings

    Scientists thought wings were the first evidence of flight. But plenty of falling ants can glide back to “their” tree to avoid being devoured on the forest floor. If an ant’s brain and body are able to detect its position and change its flight path, is gliding the first flight?


    Thursday, December 8th, 2011
  • Watching a continental split
    Watching a continental split

    Seismic study shows crust thinning as continent divides, giving another view of our restless planet, showing tectonic movement in action, and highlighting a major real-estate investment opportunity.


    Thursday, October 6th, 2011
  • Weather, climate, war
    Weather, climate, war

    If conflicts are more common near the equator, what will global warming affect do? A new study shows increases in conflict during el Niño periods — but only during the warm, dry part of the cycle, and only in places affected by these big climatic cycles.


    Thursday, August 25th, 2011
  • Science on the road!
    Science on the road!

    Hitting the road? What could be more enlightening than gawking at a cave, exploring a desert, or eyeballing the largest telescope in the world? Need proof that science is not just books and websites or equations and software? Get moving!


    Thursday, August 4th, 2011


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