Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Heinrich Lenz (1804-1865) Was Born

Heinrich Friedrich Emil Lenz was a Baltic German physicist most famous for formulating Lenz's law in 1834.
Lenz's law gives the direction of the induced electromotive force (emf) and current resulting from electromagnetic induction. The law provides a physical interpretation of the choice of sign in Faraday's law of induction, indicating that the induced emf and the change in flux have opposite signs.

- Wikipedia

Science Fair Project Information
Title: Research the Force Generated from a Changing Magnetic Field
Subject: Magnetism
Grade level: Middle / High School - Grades (6-12)
Academic Level: Ordinary
Project Type: Experimental
Cost: Low
Awards: None
Affiliation: California State Science Fair (CSSF)
Year: 2005
Description: A NIB magnet was dropped down a metal tube. As the magnet passed through the tube, a changing magnetic field exerted a braking force on the falling magnet to slow it down. Then Newtons' Second Law (F = ma) was used to measure the magnetic braking force by connecting the NIB magnet with a string that was attached to a cart that was pulled up an incline ramp.

Link: http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/History/2005/Projects/J1529.pdf

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Nicolaus Copernicus (1473 – 1543) Was Born

Nicolaus Copernicus was the first astronomer to formulate a scientifically-based heliocentric cosmology that displaced the Earth from the center of the universe. His epochal book, On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres, is often regarded as the starting point of modern astronomy and the defining epiphany that began the Scientific Revolution.

- Wikipedia

Science Fair Project Information
Title: A Visit to the Solar System
Subject: Astronomy
Grade level: Elementary School - Grades 4-6
Academic Level: Ordinary
Project Type: Descriptive
Cost: Low
Awards: 1st place, Canada Wide Virtual Science Fair (2008)
Affiliation: Canada Wide Virtual Science Fair (VSF)
Year: 2008
Description: Main topics: the sun, inner planets, asteroid belt, outer planets, kuiper belt, solar system timeline, exploration timeline.

Link: http://www.odec.ca/projects/2008/wang8c2/

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Darwin Day 200

Charles Robert Darwin realised and demonstrated that all species of life have evolved over time from common ancestors through the process he called natural selection. The fact that evolution occurs became accepted by the scientific community and much of the general public in his lifetime, while his theory of natural selection forms the basis of modern evolutionary theory. In modified form, Darwin’s scientific discovery is the unifying theory of the life sciences, providing logical explanation for the diversity of life.

- Wikipedia

Science Fair Project Information
Title: Evolution of Enzymes
Subject: Biology
Grade level: High School - Grades 10-12
Academic Level: Advanced
Project Type: Experimental
Cost: Medium
Awards: 1st place, Canada Wide Virtual Science Fair (2004)
Affiliation: Canada Wide Virtual Science Fair (VSF)
Year: 2004
Description: Directed evolution of alkane degrading enzymes for improved activity on natural and high molecular weight substrates.

Link: http://www.virtualsciencefair.org/2004/lavr4v0/public_html/

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

World Cancer Day 2009

World Cancer Day is marked on 4 February to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. It is led by the International Union Against Cancer (UICC), a global consortium of more than 280 cancer-fighting organizations in over 90 countries.
The campaign emphasizes that 43% of cancers can be prevented through these healthy behaviors:

  • Provide a smoke-free environment for children
  • Be physically active, eat a balanced, healthy diet, and avoid obesity
  • Learn about vaccines for virus-related liver and cervical cancers
  • Avoid over-exposure to the sun

- Wikipedia

Science Fair Project Information
Title: Everything About Skin Cancer
Subject: Medicine
Grade level: Elementary School - Grades 4-6
Academic Level: Ordinary
Project Type: Descriptive
Cost: Low
Awards: 1st place, Canada Wide Virtual Science Fair (2006)
Affiliation: Canada Wide Virtual Science Fair (VSF)
Year: 2006
Description: Main topics: our skin; types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squarmous cell carcinoma (SSC), malignant melanoma; skin cancer prevention.

Link: http://www.virtualsciencefair.org/2006/pare6b2/

Monday, February 2, 2009

Groundhog Day 2009

Groundhog Day is an annual holiday celebrated on February 2 in the United States and Canada on which if a groundhog emerges from its burrow and fails to see its shadow because the weather is cloudy, winter will soon end. If on the other hand, it is sunny and the groundhog sees its shadow, the groundhog will supposedly retreat into its burrow, and winter will continue for six more weeks. The holiday, which began as a Pennsylvania German custom in southeastern and central Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th centuries, has its origins in ancient European weather lore, wherein a badger or sacred bear is the prognosticator as opposed to a groundhog. Modern customs of the holiday involve celebrations where early morning festivals are held to watch the groundhog emerging from its burrow.

Wikipedia

Science Fair Project Information
Title: Snow, Sun and Sky in Saskatoon
Subject: Meteorology
Grade level: Primary School - Grades K-3
Academic Level: Ordinary
Project Type: Descriptive
Cost: Low
Awards: 1st place, Canada Wide Virtual Science Fair (2006)
Affiliation: Canada Wide Virtual Science Fair (VSF)
Year: 2006
Description: Main topics: snow flakes, objects in the sky, the Sun, photos, drawings, quizz.
Link: http://www.virtualsciencefair.org/2006/bamy6a2/