Do neighborly galaxies, those with lots of other galaxies around them, have any differences from those who are a bit more isolated? Sometimes scientists have ideas for things they’d like to research, but the technology available just isn’t enough to allow for a robust and accurate study. For example, astrophysicists have been wondering what the […]
Continue Reading
If Microraptor’s four wings were so useful, why don’t birds today have them? Let’s explore some evolution. Last week after I led a class for kids about the dinosaur Microraptor, an adult came up to me and asked, “Did you go to school for this?” I answered, “Yes.” I get asked this from time to […]
Continue Reading
For years I traipsed through the forests of New England and saw these spherical brown and green things on the ground. I assumed they were some sort of fungus, but never really went further than that with my inquiry. Recently, however, I decided it was time for me to solve this forest mystery. The answer […]
Continue Reading
Image: Melanie R. Meadors Hello, Geek Parents! If you’ve hiked in the forests of northern North America, chances are you’ve seen a wood frog on your travels. Or, maybe you haven’t. They are one of the most common frogs in the area, but they are also very well camouflaged, as you can see from the […]
Continue Reading
For a creature that has been extinct for almost 100 million years, Microraptor certainly seems to love the spotlight. This over-achiever doesn’t just have two wings like most other feathered vertebrates, it has four. The better to show off its glorious black iridescent feather, I suppose. And now it’s on record for “most diverse diet […]
Continue Reading
The first month of 2022 was a successful reading month for Sophie. In this month’s Between the Bookends, she shares a range of books from educational books for kids to informative non-fiction for adults, an LGBTQ paranormal detective drama to a book that helps you plan your own funeral! As always, she hopes you’ll find […]
Continue Reading
The Moon and Earth are close neighbors, but they look very different. From space, the Earth is blue with water, white with clouds and snow, and has green foliage covering much of its continental area. The Moon, on the other hand, is gray. Lighter gray, darker gray. Its most notable surface features are thousands of […]
Continue Reading
The Moon and Earth are close neighbors, but they look very different. From space, the Earth is blue with water, white with clouds and snow, and has green foliage covering much of its continental area. The Moon, on the other hand, is gray. Lighter gray, darker gray. Its most notable surface features are thousands of […]
Continue Reading
A couple years ago, I wrote an article about how scientists were using the scientific method (yes, the one you learned about in school) in order to study the Enceladus ice plumes, which were discovered when Cassini was doing its fly-bys of several of Saturn’s moons. Well, they are still at it, and learning even […]
Continue Reading
A couple years ago, I wrote an article about how scientists were using the scientific method (yes, the one you learned about in school) in order to study the Enceladus ice plumes, which were discovered when Cassini was doing its fly-bys of several of Saturn’s moons. Well, they are still at it, and learning even […]
Continue Reading
You may have heard that SpaceX launched their Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California very early Wednesday, November 24, and that it was carrying the NASA DART spacecraft, intended to help defend our planet from asteroid impacts. But what is NASA’s DART asteroid mission, and how will it protect us from […]
Continue Reading
You may have heard that SpaceX launched their Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California very early Wednesday, November 24, and that it was carrying the NASA DART spacecraft, intended to help defend our planet from asteroid impacts. But what is NASA’s DART asteroid mission, and how will it protect us from […]
Continue Reading
The same thing that keeps Earth in orbit around the Sun can help us detect black holes: gravity. And that’s just how astronomers using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope found a small black hole in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a next door neighbor galaxy to our own. It’s the first time this detection […]
Continue Reading
The same thing that keeps Earth in orbit around the Sun can help us detect black holes: gravity. And that’s just how astronomers using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope found a small black hole in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a next door neighbor galaxy to our own. It’s the first time this detection […]
Continue Reading
Over two months ago, I said farewell to Facebook and slowly started to remove myself from the more addictive forms of social media. Today, I’m happy to say my stress levels are down and my overall happiness is much greater. Turns out, there was some science behind my decision, and today, brain chemistry expert Loretta […]
Continue Reading
Things I never thought I would write in an article about #126: Apparently, beards are an evolutionary trait confirming the enhanced fighting performance and thus an indicator of masculinity and social dominance. Hey, don’t look at me. Send your questions to the trio of scientists in America who studied how beards may protect the face […]
Continue Reading
When I was a child, I was afraid of bees. I had gone on vacation with my grandparents to Trecco Bay in Porthcawl, Wales. We were staying in a caravan, and the people next to us had a beautiful old English sheepdog. One day, I wandered over to visit him and was stung by a […]
Continue Reading
Back in March, I wrote up the Leaf’d gardening subscription service. It’s a fantastic company that provides quality seeds and healthy seedlings, along with educational material and guides, to help your kids and family learn to garden together. This post is a follow-up to that one. Now that we’ve had a couple months of the […]
Continue Reading
Unlike many of you, my family didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to grow a garden during the past year of Almost Never Leaving the House, so we thought we’d make up for that by having a garden this year. But, where to start? I learned about a company called Leaf’d Box that does gardening […]
Continue Reading
Space junk was not something Lottie Williams ever expected to make history for. One early January morning in 1997, she was strolling with her friends through an Oklahoma park when a fireball streaked across the sky. It was an odd thing, but she and her companions thought little of it. Surely it was just a […]
Continue Reading
History as a topic is a pretty big, all-encompassing one. We want our kids to learn about history—and more than just the names and dates plunked down in textbooks—but it’s hard to be systematic about it. There are so many sequential lines to follow, like government succession, social movements, and popular culture, but even within […]
Continue Reading
Exploring the Elements: A Complete Guide to the Periodic Table We are all made up of atoms, a combination of atoms of elements. Elements that can be organized in a variety of ways. But the most recognized way, today, is arranged according to the Periodic Table of Elements. We all learned about it in school, […]
Continue Reading
This post was sponsored by CarBrain. The most recognized hybrid car in the world is the Toyota Prius in all its iterations, and it was one of the first to popularize the trend. Other models came after including the Chevrolet Volt, Honda Insight, Kia Optima, Ford Fusion, and many others. Soon, you’re going to see […]
Continue ReadingSpace 2069 Cover, Icon Books, Mars Image NASA Throughout July, GeekMom prepared for the launch of the Perseverance rover with Mars Month, a month filled with Mars-themed content: Be sure to follow the Mars Month tag to find all of that content in one place. Now that the launch has taken place, it’s time to […]
Continue ReadingThe author of “Women in Science” and “Women in Sports” explains why she’s driven to make the untold stories of incredible women more accessible.
Continue Reading
Follow Patricia on her journey through the Peer Revue process, transforming from science geek to… stand-up comedy sensation?
Continue ReadingYou probably learned that you could explore places using Google Maps Street View years ago, but when’s the last time you really went all out as a virtual tourist? You know you want to virtually get lost again!
Continue Reading
When you dance, you perform steps in a particular way, the same way each time. The dance code you create is, in essence, the same as writing a program.
Continue Reading
From information sessions to Lego sets, our kids notice how we represent our involvement. Now really is the best and most accessible time to be a space nerd.
Continue Reading
Quick and easy science experiments for ages 6 to 99.
Continue Reading