Can you explain science with seven everyday items? We’re looking for some creative minds to explain how a part of the human body works, or how a process occurs in it, in two minutes or less. No fancy equipment is needed, either—a smartphone camera will do. For inspiration, take a gander at this sample video, [...]

Can you explain science with seven everyday items? We’re looking for some creative minds to say how a part of the human body works, or how a process occurs in the body, in two minutes or less. No fancy equipment is needed—a smartphone camera will do. Winners will be featured on the Scientific American web [...]

Remember MacGyver from the old TV series? He could build a laser from a pair of eyeglasses, a match, and some dental floss and then mount it on a shark, or so it seemed. We’re not asking you to do that, exactly. Rather, we thought it’d be fun if science enthusiasts like you could explain [...]

A new contest from the NASA Visitor Centers wants to fly you and your family to visit one of them (Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Space Center Houston or the U.S. Space and Rocket Center) if you create the most impressive 1-2 minute video explaining “Why Space Matters”. Unlike NASA social events, your travel and [...]

I seem to be surrounded by green lately (check my website for more about my Girls camp on Environmental Engineering and the great new MOOC (Massively Open Online Course) on Sustainability at UIUC to be offered beginning in August). For PsiVid, though, a video focus seems appropriate. The Australian based Green Screen Climate Fix Flicks [...]

Take a look at what some clever American teens have come up with as an idea for an experiment on the International Space Station!     The 60 global  finalists for the YouTube.com/SpaceLab competition were announced Tuesday, January 17th.  Recall from my post in November, that YouTube challenged 14-18 year-old students to design a science [...]

Have you ever thought that you had a great idea for an experiment to be done in space? Maybe you’ve hoped your idea could have an audience with Stephen Hawking and astronauts and other luminaries! If you haven’t, you might start considering this today! If you are aged 14-18, the time is now to submit [...]

I have four children of my own, the eldest already in college studying atmospheric sciences and the next one thinking she would like to go into chemistry or physics. Even though I have a 50% track record of creating future scientists so far, there are many reasons to engage young people in science other than [...]

There’s a contest going on right now that could reward you for letting your geek flag fly. Spoonflower, a fabric design website, is hosting a “geek chic” design contest that closes April 23. It’s held in conjunction with Robert Kaufman Fabrics, and the lucky winner will get to create a fabric collection for Robert Kaufman. I had [...]