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Author
Series
Show Me Science volume 14
Language
English
Description
The energy demands and rising cost of oil have encouraged scientists and engineers to develop renewable energy alternatives. Biofuels are renewable energy sources from organic materials such as plants or animals that are directly converted into liquid fuels. The two most common biofuels in use today are ethanol and biodiesel. Engineered biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel that are made from starches, sugars and cellulose are already in use as...
Author
Series
Show Me Science volume 16
Language
English
Description
The Periodic Table is organized with elements specified in rows, or periods, according to increasing atomic number. Metals are on the left of the periodic table, while nonmetals are located on the right. Some in the middle are called metalloids because they have characteristics of both metals and nonmetals. The periodic table is purposely arranged into vertical classifications called groups. Columns of elements help define element groups. Some of...
Author
Series
Show Me Science volume 8
Language
English
Description
Visible light, which can be seen with our eyes, comprises a small sliver of the electromagnetic spectrum. The rest of the spectrum, from short wavelength gamma rays to long-wavelength radio waves, requires special instruments to detect. ALMA uses and array of radio telescopes to detect and study radio waves from space. Radio telescopes are typically large parabolic dish antennas used singly or in an array. Radio observatories are preferentially located...
Author
Series
Show Me Science volume 2
Language
English
Description
Approximately 12,000 babies are born annually in the United States with a hearing impairment. With impressive advancements in technology, cochlear implants are giving these children the ability to hear. A cochlear implant is a small, complex electronic device that can provide the sense of hearing to patients who are profoundly deaf or are severely hard of hearing. The cochlear implant helps patients hear by using electrodes that stimulate the remaining...
Author
Series
Show Me Science volume 4
Language
English
Description
Southern Florida is covered by 734 square miles of sub-tropical wetlands known as the Everglades. In this program we explore the history and ecology of this delicately balanced ecosystem as environmentalists walk us through some of the new projects that will improve the health of this unique ecological community. The push is on for environmental clean-up, reduction of invasive species, and increased educational programs. The abuse that the Everglades...
Author
Series
Show Me Science volume 2
Language
English
Description
From time to time, even the harshest environments surprise scientists. The Australian outback is one such place. As home to a diverse group of organisms, it sometimes plays host to a distant visitor, the banded stilt. When conditions in the Australian outback are right, a distant shoreline visitor, the Banded Stilt arrives by the thousands to breed. The mystery behind this behavior was finally documented when Cyclone Bobby started a chain reaction...
Author
Series
Show Me Science volume 4
Language
English
Description
Engineers and architects are creating bridges that combine the best of both art and design. Bridges are no longer just a tool to get from one side of the river to the other. Some bridges have the goal of being aesthetically pleasing and efficient for pedestrians. Others rely on the cantilever design to span a distance equivalent to three and a half jumbo jets. Bridges are often classified by their structure and how the forces of tension, compression,...
Author
Series
Show Me Science volume 12
Language
English
Description
In East Africa, the Serengeti comes alive when wildebeests journey across treacherous terrain to find the best grazing locations. Every year, approximately 1.5 million wildebeests migrate over 1,800 miles or nearly 3,000 kilometers searching for rain ripened grass. Prior to their journey toward Kenya, they graze on the grasses of the Serengeti in Tanzania before the rainy season comes. As they search for food and water, they endure crocodile-filled...
Author
Series
Show Me Science volume 1
Language
English
Description
The role of getting people, satellites and other instruments into space is falling to private companies, especially with the retirement of NASA's space shuttle fleet in 2011. Reaching an altitude of 100 kilometers is required to be considered spaceflight. There have been just over 500 people that have reached this mark and only 24 have traveled beyond low Earth orbit. It is projected that within ten years, the number of people who will have flown...
Author
Series
Show Me Science volume 2
Language
English
Description
The U.S. Department of Energy's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) is a collaborative national center for fusion energy research. The Laboratory advances the coupled fields of fusion energy and plasma physics research, and is developing the scientific understanding and key innovations needed to realize fusion as an energy source. This program details how PPPL has gained extensive capabilities in a host of disciplines including advanced computational...
Author
Series
Show Me Science volume 13
Language
English
Description
Aeronautics is the science of flight as well as the theory and practice of aircraft navigation. Any machine that flies through the air falls into the field of aeronautics. This includes helicopters, airplanes, as well as space vehicles such as the SpaceX Dragon and the retired NASA space shuttles. Aerodynamics is a branch of physical science which deals with the motion of air and the way that it interacts with objects in motion. By studying the way...
Author
Series
Show Me Science volume 1
Language
English
Description
As we continue our history of the Periodic Table organizational system and discovery of the elements, this program examines the elements lithium and beryllium. The characteristics of alkali metals and alkali earth metals are discussed in detail, with the help of graphics and animation demonstrating their similarities and differences. Students will learn why elements are organized into specific groups and their relations to the rows and columns of...
Author
Series
Show Me Science volume 5
Language
English
Description
This program discusses the concept of the expanding Universe. Calculations by astrophysicists show that the cosmos seems to be speeding up. The 50-billion galaxies thought to comprise our Universe are rapidly moving farther apart. As our Sun's energy diminishes, scientists are working to understand the nature of space called "mysterious dark energy and dark matter" – believed to comprise 96 percent of the Universe. With each discovery made by astronomers...
Author
Series
Show Me Science volume 8
Language
English
Description
The Australian outback is home to a diverse group of organisms. When conditions are right, they play host to a distant, shoreline visitor – the Banded Stilt. Though common to the country's coasts and tidal shallows, this bird travels great distances inland in search of a particular food at its inland breeding grounds. Due to an environmental event, the mystery behind this behavior was only recently discovered and documented. Cyclone Bobby started...
Author
Series
Show Me Science volume 7
Language
English
Description
Sand particles from the Sahara desert have long been known to travel across the Atlantic Ocean and southward to the Amazon rain forest in accumulations called 'dust carpets'. Water molecules adhere to the sand particles to form droplets that accumulate into clouds. The mineral-enriched water falls to earth in a downpour thereby nourishing the flora below. Mongolian desert dust carpets present problems for ecosystems upon which it falls. This program...
Author
Series
Show Me Science volume 3
Language
English
Description
Advanced digital technology using 3D-terrain maps, laser pantographs, digital photographs and satellite data is increasing our visual understanding of architectural structures of bygone eras. The multi-faceted world of digital archaeology aids researchers by supporting data management and by making visual presentations more realistic. The ancient city of Troy is re-discovered in this engaging program that fuses complex technology to uncover the past...
Author
Series
Show Me Science volume 8
Language
English
Description
With the retirement of NASA's space shuttle fleet in 2011, the role of getting people, satellites and other instruments into space falls to private companies. As of June 2011, there have been only 523 people to reach the 100 kilometer mark (considered human spaceflight), and only 24 have traveled beyond low Earth orbit. It is projected that within ten years, the number of people who will have flown into space will increase by about 600 percent due...
Author
Series
Show Me Science volume 1
Language
English
Description
According to ABET, or the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology: "Engineering is the profession in which a knowledge of the mathematical and natural sciences, gained by study, experience, and practice, is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize, economically, the materials and forces of nature for the benefit of humankind." There is considerable overlap between science and engineering. Research teams often consist of one or...
Author
Series
Show Me Science volume 2
Language
English
Description
Automobiles have evolved in many ways over the years, with increasing fuel economy, reliability, handling, and comfort. However, automobile manufacturing is in a new era, focusing on safety while incorporating impressive new technologies into our transportation needs. With a growing population, there are subsequently more people driving and more automobiles on the road. With more congestion and traffic, the likelihood of accidents seems imminent....
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