Sometime around the New Year I was asked by a group of teens what I know about the beautiful crystal ball that drops in Times Square on New Years Eve each year. Well, I knew that it was made of Swarovkski crystal, which is the finest manmade crystal in the world, and that it comes…
Contributed by Michele Miller Houck On February 14-17, the NC Science Trail is going to the birds! 2025 marks the 28th anniversary of the Great Backyard Bird Count. In North Carolina, we celebrate by participating in the NC Bird Count – a citizen science program for all ages created by Science Across NC. During this event,…
The Discovery Place museums in and around the Charlotte area are a treasure in our state. North Carolina is a better place just for having these amazing resources at our disposal for learning about every facet of science in the most fun ways. Discovery Place Nature has been under construction this year in preparation for…
Celebrate the New Year with fun, fresh air, and scenic views by participating in a First Day Hike in one of North Carolina’s State Parks. These guided hikes are organized annually from Hawaii to Maine to encourage individuals and families to start the year on the right foot – by getting outside and connecting with…
“There are more lifeforms in a handful of forest soil than there are people on the planet.” -Peter Wohlleben, Author, “The Hidden Life of Trees” The above quote from Peter Wohlleben is 100% accurate. One cubic centimeter of forest soil contains approximately 10^9 bacterial cells. That’s one billion bacteria, and we haven’t even discussed other…
One of the most fun things to do is to find science in our everyday lives. Kids take a bath almost every day! So why not fizz it up and learn a little chemistry at the same time. Here is a great recipe for science fun from Discovery Place Science. Share your bath fizzle on…
One of the highlights of my job is getting to share information with kids about all the different types of science jobs they can work toward. There are so many different types of science occupations today, and many of those didn’t exist when I was a kid. Opportunities for becoming and working as a scientist…
Almost exactly one year ago we published our first Curious Adult Minds Inquire experiment for adults in the Master Mixology series. If you weren’t around for that Smoky Infusion discussion but you’re “curious” (as you should be!) check it out here. We realized it had just been WAY too long since we shared a little…
This Halloween, embrace the spooky spirit with a side of science! From creating eerie fog using simple chemical reactions to exploring the fascinating adaptations of bats and the chilling realities of nature’s “zombies,” there’s plenty of science to celebrate. Whether you’re planning a haunted house or simply enjoying the season, let curiosity guide your frightful…
There’s a new comet rolling our way, folks, and our Ken Brandt from the Robeson Planetarium has some great information to help you view it this month. Follow these tips and you are likely to get a spectacular sighting of fire and ice across the sky. ********** Written By Ken Brandt, Director, Robeson Planetarium One…