Boy this recession has been a killer! All over the country and especially here in the Midwest, state governments facing red ink have been slashing school budgets. Funding is down. Teachers are laid off. It is a mess! And it is the kids who suffer.
Recently it was brought to light that several species of Australian birds now driven into extinction might have been saved with today’s knowledge and a little human effort (http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=six-australian-birds-declared-extin-2011-01-06) In fact, it is estimated that a quarter of the species on Earth may disappear forever within the next quarter century. These include many lesser known creatures, but also some very well known animals, such as black rhinoceros and the Siberian Tiger. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2000325.stm).
A couple of articles about those massive mysterious Black Hole things caught my eye recently. One is about a newly discovered Black Hole apparently so unbelievably ancient that it may hold important clues to the very beginning of the universe (http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1dVPzk/www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2011/01/epic-discovery-ancient-light-from-a-massive-black-hole-reveals-unknown-history-of-universe.html). The other article was about the types of matter that feed these ravenous monsters and from where most of it comes (http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/01/black-hole-feeding/).
I don’t know about the rest of the country, but here in the Midwest schools traditionally host science fairs in the winter months. I expect it is the same across the country.
In an earlier entry (Science Assemblies - It's Been a Long Road) we discussed the rise of science school assemblies in Michigan and the Midwest through the actions and creativity of two competing companies, Mr. Wizard and Mobile Ed Productions. We also discussed how many employees have filtered through both companies over the years, and set out to start solo careers following a stint with one or the other of these two founding companies.
Well, it’s December 17, 2010, and the year is winding down here at Mobile Ed Productions. At lunchtime today the office will close, and, with the exception of a skeleton staff, we will be closed until January 3.
Well, tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, and many of us will have severely expanded waistlines on Friday! I want to wish all of you a happy and joyous day, hopefully spent in celebration with family and loved ones.
Lately we have been discussing state educational standards and the ways in which they may be supported by quality educational assembly programs.
I love National Public Radio! Listening to NPR on my way to the office in the morning I often hear about things that are fascinating and about which I knew nothing before.
