Christmas Science Show – 2022 Faraday Show – UBC Dec. 4, 2022

Plan to attend the Free Faraday Science Show – Science Fun for Everyone

MICHAEL FARADAY – FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE SCIENCE GUY

Farada Science Show – Sunday Dec. 4th, 2022 – Free Science Fun for everyone.

Take the quiz – how well can you read nutrition panels?

Nutrition Facts label

The information on food labels is intended to help consumers become savvy about their food choices.

The front, back, and sides of a package are filled with information to inform us what the food contains and to provide guidance in making healthier selections of processed foods.

However, all the numbers, percentages, and sometimes complex-sounding ingredients can lead to more confusion than clarity.

Link to quiz

Take the quiz – what type of diet are you preparing for your gut zoo?

Artemis Rocket Launch Countdown – are you ready?

Check out the Artemis 1 Launch Countdown Clock

Biodiversity: How is biodiversity measured

Learn more about how museums showcase biodiversity:

Learn more about the Beaty Museum box and how to care for biological specimens:

Video #1:  The Inquiry Box

Video #2:  Handling Specimens

Draw Something that you learned  about biodiversity in British Columbia:

Drawing and describing organisms

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Scientist at work in your neighbourhood: Meet Katelyn Peters – the best job ever

Canada Nuclear Safety Commission is carrying out air quality testing in locations close to nuclear facilities.  Katelyn Peters and her testing team monitored air quality near TRIUMF this past week.  TRIUMF is a particle ACCELERATOR located at UBC.

TRIUMF is on the ancestral lands of the Musquem people. Over 600 scientists work at TRIUMF.

FAQ for TRIUMF

Ms. Peters, who was super friendly, personable and helpful, explained that air quality testing, as carried out by Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, is done to determine that the air, soil, water, vegetation and local crops are safe.  

According to the information brochure that she provided site -specific sampling is developed for each nuclear facility.  

After samples are collected they are  shipped to Ottawa for processing at the CNSC’s laboratory.*1  Samples are measured for radioactive hazards and any associated contaminates that might be associated with a nuclear facility. 

Ms. Peters explained that to learn more about the air monitoring program you can scan the QR code or visit cnsc.info.ccsn@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca

The testing team sets up air monitoring equipment. Good testing sites are near large open areas. In this case the testing team set up near a local high school.

The testing equipment samples air for iodine-131 and cesium-137. The numbers after the element name indicate the mass numbers for that particular elements isotope.

A special glass filter, in front of the air monitoring canister helps to capture the air and directs the air flow into the second sensor – a carbon filled canister.L

*1-Learn more about Women in the nuclear sector – Meet some of the women at the CNSC Laboratory

The CNSC Laboratory could not conduct sampling without its field technologist, Kate Peters, who is responsible for collecting samples for the IEMP and occasionally for assisting inspectors with compliance verification sampling.

Kate started working at the CNSC as a student, trying her hand at a few different jobs before choosing to remain in her current position.

Although Kate works in a predominantly male field, the science landscape is changing; she says she has encountered plenty of women working in the sciences and expects that the statistics will continue to shift.

“The CNSC Laboratory, located on Limebank Road, is on the leading edge of Canada’s nuclear safety services. Furnished with state-of-the-art equipment and overseen by highly experienced scientists and staff, the Laboratory has just celebrated the first anniversary of its ISO 17025 accreditation, a formal recognition of the Laboratory’s capability.

The Laboratory analyzes samples for two programs: inspection sampling and the CNSC’s Independent Environmental Monitoring Program (IEMP).

The IEMP is a planned sampling initiative by the CNSC designed to verify that public health and the environment around licensed nuclear facilities are protected.

Licensees are required to implement their own environmental protection programs; their monitoring results are regularly submitted to the CNSC, and occasionally they will sample side-by-side with CNSC field technologists for the IEMP.

The local municipality and Indigenous groups are notified of IEMP sampling in advance and are encouraged to suggest locations where samples could be taken”.

Science in your neighbourhood

The Saturday Morning Lecture series for high school students is back for fall 2022

Topic:  Studying Galaxies in the Early Universe

The first lecture takes place October 15, 2022 at 10:00 am.  The talks are open to the public but you must register in order to attend.

The first lecture is about the origins of the early universe and how technology can be used to learn more about the universe:

Galaxies fill the Universe, yet we still do not fully understand how they evolved from loose collections of stars and gas 13 billion years ago into the beautiful diversity of spirals and ellipticals that we see today. In this talk, we will explore how we can now use the James Webb Space Telescope to see what galaxies looked like in the early Universe, and what we are learning about how these galaxies grew and evolved over cosmic time. 

Who should attend:

Science 10 students and anyone interested in space

 

Study Skills-What works and what does not work

Study skills proven to be scientifically effective:

Re-reading vs retrieval

One famous study explored how students felt about their revision by comparing those who did lots of re-reading with those who did self-quizzing (technically known as retrieval practice). The study found that, given the choice, students much preferred to re-read. This is presumably because it is safe, comfortable and doesn’t force them to confront what they do or don’t know. As such, they leave their revision with a false sense of confidence and with their short-term self-esteem intact. However, when looking at the students’ exam results, the study found that students who did the retrieval practice tended to perform better.

The extent to which students prefer this less effective studying method is actually quite dramatic. Another study found that 84% of students use re-reading as a revision strategy, with 55% of them stating it was their favourite strategy to use.

Teachers can help students here by doing two things. The first is to explicitly teach them the benefits of retrieval practice. Second is to help them understand exactly what retrieval practice looks like. This could include flashcards, mind maps, multiple choice quizzes or even verbal questions and answers. If students know how to use these study techniques and recognise why they work, they are more likely to use them.

Study Tools – 6 scientifically tested strategies that work

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Gregor Mendel – 200th year anniversary

Celebrate Mendel’s 200th year – HAP-PEA Research Birthday Mendel

Screen time Vs Study time: learn how to spot the difference between learning vs studying

Step 1:

Learn the difference between learning Vs Studying

Learning skills look like this:

  1. spaced practice

  2. interleaving

  3. dual coding

Study skills look like this:

  1. retrieval practice

  2. elaborations

  3. concrete examples

 

Step 2:

No  Screen time when learning & Studying

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Step 3:

Learn what science has to say about screen time and science skills

Study 1

Teens

Screen Inline 2

Although research isn’t conclusive, there’s evidence to suggest that excessive screen time has a negative effect on the mental well-being of teens. One study found that teens who spent more than an hour on screens were less curious, more easily distracted and had a difficult time making friends. Those who spent an excessive amount of time on screens were twice as likely to have anxiety or depression. Researchers even found that excessive screen time seemed to negatively affect teens more than it did for children. But again, the research can’t state for sure whether more screen time definitely leads to depression and anxiety.

Step 4:

Learn what popular media has to say about teens & screens

Link to WSJ Article

Artemis I is set to launch – are you ready to travel to the moon?

Learn more about Artemis I:

Instagram:  nasaartemis

How big is the Artemis I Rocket?

Mission Facts:

  • Launch date: Aug. 29, 2022

  • Mission duration: 42 days, 3 hours, 20 minutes

  • Total distance traveled: 1.3 miIlion miles

  • Re-entry speed: 24,500 mph (Mach 32)

  • Splashdown: Oct. 10, 2022

SLS -1 will be the largest rocket to ever fly.  The core of the SLS has 4 engines from the space shuttle.  The Artemis is 100 m tall.