Are we alone? This is the question the scientists at the SETI (the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute are trying to answer. The work performed by the scientists at the SETI Institute is conducted through research and development (R&D) and projects. The SETI scientists use new technologies and search strategies and signal processing algorithms during R&D. Their results are used to "guide the development of new hardware, software, and observing facilities" (SETI Institute). The SETI scientists use these results to aid in projects focused on finding extraterrestrial intelligent life forms (SETI Institute). The institute includes educational programs named "The SETI Institute's Education and Public Outreach" (EPO), these "...programs …show more content…
Tarter is the inspiration for the main character in the book and movie Contact. Just as the main character in Contact, Tarter faces skepticisms and budget cuts (Scoles). These hardships do not bring Tarter to stop searching for extraterrestrial intelligence. She believes in her work and though she may never find "E.T." within her lifetime, she has set the stage for future generations to do so. With the help of Tarter, the SETI Institute has several educational and outreach programs for people of all ages (SETI Institute). The EPO programs promote curiosity, through this curiosity, children and adults are motivated to explore and learn (SETI Institute). The institute and their scientists are in classrooms all across the nation. SETI scientists are co-authors of several books. One of which is considered being "a national best-seller for introductory astrobiology": Life in the Universe, a college-level textbook. The SETI Institute offers science curriculums for professional teachers and it is taught in over 400 school in the United States. Not only does the SETI Institute offer science curriculums for all ages, they also provide undergraduates with a 10-week research experience with the help of mentor SETI scientists (SETI Institute). None of this could have been possible without Jill Tarter's belief in SETI science and her dedication to the SETI Institute's …show more content…
The Carl Sagan Center is a research center that works within the SETI Institute and is working towards that mission. The center brings together leading astrobiologists who's work "focuses on a wide set of disciplines ranging from observing and modeling the precursors of life in the depths of outer space to studies of Earth and its rich biological history" (SETI Institute). The Carl Sagan Center is currently conducting several research projects including the "Astrobiology Research Thrust", which is focused on planets of our solar system. The astrobiologists at the center are searching for signs of preexisting life on Mars and researching the biology of water found on several moons of Jupitar and Saturn (SETI Institute). Another informative research project being conducted through the Carl Sagan Center is the "Climate and Geoscience Research Thrust." Climate change is an exasperating problem for our planet. The astrobiologists work closely with geoscientists and SETI scientists to study, model, and compare the atmospheres and physicochemical orders that determine the climates of "Venus, Mars, Titan, and Pluto, as well as those of planets beyond our solar system..."(SETI Institute). The results of the research and experiments conducted by the scientists helps
Upon reading information about REU AMI for summer internship, I have a mind of expertise in technology can provide people with disabilities that make easier for them to have access to the framework of information library. Not only accessibility of information, interaction with technology is an essential to those who want to gain knowledge of information they desire to learn. Aside from that, I have been involved with team in Thinking Cap funded by National Science Foundation since January 2015. The goal is to evaluate and analyze the challenges that Deaf and Hard of Hearing students experience in the Statistics course. My initial responsible was to provide feedbacks and suggestions on videos and PowerPoints that were helpful for students complete a difficult statistics topic. As of now, I am currently
Climate change has become of the world’s major issue today. The earth’s climate is always changing in a very fast and also in different ways. Climate changes affect our lives psychologically, emotional and also physically. Climate change is defined as a long term change in the earth’s climate, especially a change due to the increase in the average atmospheric temperatures. Due to this change in temperature, a lot of changes has occurred in our environment, these changes include rising sea levels, flooding, melting of polar ice caps, hotter days, colder nights and heat waves. These climate changes plays an important role in shaping our natural ecosystem, our human economics and also the most important, it affects the human race. For
Michael, S.et al. (2008). Prospects for improving K-12 science education from the federal level. Journal of Education 69(9): 677-683.
Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, or SETI, is basically what the full name says. SETI is the search to find some sort of extra-terrestrial intelligence in the universe. The acronym SETI was actually made in the 1960’s and is used to describe the all of the radio signals from astronomers that are seeking evidence of some form of an intelligence life source out there.
Through this program I had first-hand access to some of the brightest young minds in both the United States and the world. The sharing among students of ideas and experiences in science, and in other areas as well, was enlightening. I felt like I had the chance to absorb knowledge from those around me. This environment spread beyond the students and also included the faculty and speakers. We had access to incredible faculty who were able to give much to the experience and share their own science insights. The program also brought in speakers and other science professionals from around the world who were at the top of their respective fields. This festival gave me real access to the movers and shakers of the science world, an experience beyond any available to me anywhere else.
Baker, D. (1996). A female friendly science classroom. Research Matters to the Science Teacher. 9602.
Many scientist believe that the current warming trend is significant because, much of it has been caused by human activities. Satellites orbiting the earth and other technological equipment enables scientists to see and collect various information about our planets climate. Scientists have studied this collected information and has revealed the many changes of our planet and how these changes are effecting our climate, a few of them are:
“All over the world there are enormous numbers of smart, even gifted, people who harbor a passion for science. But that passion is unrequited. Surveys suggest that some 95 percent of Americans are “scientifically illiterate.”
Throughout history climates have drastically changed. There have been shifts from warm climates to the Ice Ages (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2009, p.204). Evidence suggests there have been at least a dozen abrupt climate changes throughout the history of the earth. There are a few suspected reasons for these past climate changes. One reason may be that asteroids hitting the earth and volcanic eruptions caused some of them. A further assumption is that 22-year solar magnetic cycles and 11-year sunspot cycles played a part in the changes. A further possibility is that a regular shifting in the angle of the moon orbiting earth causing changing tides and atmospheric circulation affects the global climate (Cunningham & Cunningham, 2009, p.205). Scientific studies suggest that all these played a role in past global warming and cooling periods. Today, however, there is a lot of conflict on whether humans are causing a global warming that could be disastrous to humans and all species of plants and animals on this earth. This paper will first explain the greenhouse effect, then take a look at both sides argument, and, finally, analyze the effect of global warming on world-wide sustainability
“Climate change: How do we know?” NASA. NASA n. d. n. pag. Web. 28 November
Furthermore, this analysis must take place amidst serious gaps in the existing research and technology concerning the developing climatic conditions. For these reasons, global warming stands as one of the most daunting policy issues facing our world today. This is compounded by the debate over the very existence of climate change. While countless sources of empirical evidence testify to the very real presence of climate change the world over, considerable denial of the phenomenon still exists. The argument has been made that evidence of climate change is a gross overstatement, or in some cases, a complete fabrication.
Climate change is evidenced through shifts in the weather patterns such as winds, humidity and temperatures over certain durations. Natural climate changes occur less frequently and they are triggered by factors related to geographical aspects as well as solar radiation. The earth’s movement on the orbit triggers changes in climate, causing some areas to have higher temperatures than usual, while others are significantly cold depending on the position of the earth on the orbit. The heat from the sun causes changes in the stratospheric ozone and it increases the amount of greenhouse gases. Heat from the oceanic crust also contributes to warming as a result of episodic hydrothermal venting (Liao & Sandeberg, 2012).
...o listen carefully to ensure that kids are discussing scientific ideas, not socializing. The teacher's role is to ensure that students achieve their primary goal: meaningful understanding of scientific concepts. The practices described in this article help bring this about in several ways. When instruction centers on students and focuses on hands-on experience with scientific phenomena, science class becomes an exciting place. When instruction concentrates on the investigation of current problems and issues through scientific inquiry, science class becomes a relevant and meaningful place. When instruction emphasizes the development of communication skills, science class becomes an invaluable place for preparing children to tackle the challenges of adulthood. And the education community owes it to its students to assess their academic progress fairly and accurately.
When integrating Nature of Science into curriculum, assumptions are made about students and instructors. These assumptions include that students are all at the same level in terms of science understanding and concepts as the rest of their classmates, and also assumes that the students learn at the same rates (NGSS: Appendix A). These assumptions are detrimental to science education when focus needs to be on the content being taught rather than teaching background of science as a standalone. Teaching NOS explicitly becomes increasingly difficult when students aren’t given access to proper science learning environments. As mentioned in the High Hopes – Few Opportunities reading, it is stated that, “California students do no typically experience high-quality science learning opportunities[.]” (Dorph et al., 2011). When students don’t have a basis for scientific concepts, it becomes increasingly difficult to teach NOS. America’s Lab Report further expands on the idea that this style of learning is not likely achievable, as “[N]o single […] experience is likely to achieve all of these learning goals.” (Schweingruber et al., 2005) where learning goals is referencing the goals of laboratory experiences that include understanding Nature of Science. Again, when a lack of understanding for general science exists, its arguably much more difficult to teach
The earth is a complex system, which continues to evolve and change. Climate change and global warming are currently popular in the political agenda. But what does “climate” really mean? The difference between weather and climate can be conveyed in a single sentence: “Climate is what you expect; weather is what you get.” Based on research of the geologic record, we know that climate change has happened throughout Earth's history and at present, ever-increasing evidence points to the roles that humans play in altering Earth systems. The Earth and its atmosphere receive heat energy from the sun; the atmospheric heat budget of the Earth depends on the balance between incoming solar radiation and outgoing radiation from the planet; which has been constant over the last few thousand years. However present evidence seems to suggest that the recent increase in temperature has been brought about by pollution of the atmosphere, in particular the release of huge amounts of carbon dioxide, mostly through Anthropogenic Forcing (human activity) and other various internal and external factors. I...