Except Mean Matthew who, when we were kids, would squish the glow-in-the-dark goo out of them and wipe it on his neck to show off.

(Don’t try that at home, kids. This was before real glow-in-the-dark jewelry was sold, and, frankly, Matthew’s probably serving time now.)

Hey Matthew, here’s a better way to impress your mates this holiday weekend.

I scooped this off the Museum of Science’s FireFly Watch website. The FireFly Watch is a citizen science project designed to combine “an annual summer evening ritual with scientific research” in an effort to track the fate of fireflies. There seem to be fewer today than there were in the past. Might be due to pesticides in lawns or human-made light.

To better assess the situation, scientists need our help tracking these little guys and gals. If you’re interested in participating, log on and start counting how many fireflies are in your neck of the woods! You can learn how to tell them apart and you can watch drama unfold waiting to see whether or not the female will accept the male’s proposal to mate. Matthew: there’s even a picture of fireflies mating on the site.

Here are those fast facts to impress your friends:

Male fireflies flash while patrolling an area. If a female is impressed, she answers him by flashing from a perch, either on the ground or at some spot above ground, like a shrub.

It is up to the female to decide if she wants to mate with a particular male; if she doesn’t respond to his flash, he cannot find her in the dark. Hmmm.

When attacked by a predator, some fireflies shed drops of blood (hemolymph) in a process called “reflex bleeding.” The blood contains a chemical that is distasteful and even toxic to many predators.

Many more fun facts and details on FireFly Watch can be found here. I just signed up. Happy counting and happy Fourth of July!

Loser: ME. I’m off to a theme park today–hooray!–where I will sneak away for one hour to participate in a conference call with scientists. Ok, the real reason I’m a loser is because I’m SO excited to be part of this call. Leaders in the world of science will talk about the findings of their poll showing voters (us) support candidates who are committed to advancing science and technology on a range of top-tier election issues. But I ask you: is that true? Does a candidate’s commitment to advancing science and technology factor in to your voting decisions? Let me know. Give me something to work with. 

The poll is part of a recently launched campaign by Scientists and Engineers for America and a coalition of America’s major scientific societies that highlights the importance of science in the elections this fall. The coalition has issued a series of science-based questions to candidates running for office. 

We chatted up one of the questions already here. I thought the subject of science education would be a big yawn but you proved me wrong. Your responses were awesome and they caught the eyes of some fat cats. Way to go! Spread the word and keep your comments coming because these folks REALLY want to hear from you. Look at it this way, there’s always a lobbyist or special interest fanatic chomping at the bit to speak on your behalf to Congress. They can and will do this if you don’t speak for yourself. Muzzle ‘em.

Soon, we’ll look at another question being posed to candidates. Wonder how your thoughts measure up to the candidates? Check out the questions and their replies here: SHARP.SEforA.org/Innovation2008/

More importantly, they should check out your replies on this blog!

Cheers!

He suggested the use of space exploration as a means to spark excitement in science teachers and the students they teach. He even included some examples.

Sonia, of Philadelphia, PA, wrote in with this:

“While our government is busy slashing [art, music, and horticulture] programs, our youth (aka future) suffer indoor boredom, while sitting unnaturally still and passively ‘learning’ abstract concepts that seem to have no relevance to their lives. And it shows in both their test scores and Ritalin prescriptions. So my suggestion is this: there is so much to be learned through the arts. Why not focus on music, art and gardening as seedling programs for our youth? Anyone who sticks with them long enough will gain so much with regards to math and science…”

As I mentioned here on Wednesday, decision-makers are listening to you.

Here’s a response to Sonia’s question from Susan Mason at the National Science Foundation (NSF). The NSF is an independent federal agency with an annual budget of about $6.06 billion–the source of funding for approximately 20 percent of all federally supported basic research conducted by America’s colleges and universities.

“What [many people] may not know is how much creative work is being funded through NSF. For example, our Informal Science Education program funds documentary films, interactive science museum exhibits and Citizen Science projects. Some of the recent awards made under this program are accessible here.

We fund projects to engage students in gardening/ecology, such as this one. 

There are projects to better understand the connection between art/creativity and science such as this project.

And we are funding projects that link music to science, such as the one described here. 

Through NSF, taxpayers are funding scientific research at institutions all over the country. They are also funding science, technology, engineering, and math education, with all its connections to creativity and artistic expression. I hope this helps.”

Thank you, Susan!

So, why don’t many people know this? Or, more importantly, how do how do we get these programs into our schools? One school at a time, I suspect. Forward this to your kids’ science and math teachers. Let them know these initiatives exist.

And keep those comments rollin’ in!
Cheers!

Predictably, you/the readers, replied with some terrific suggestions. Fact is, your comments are often better than my posts. As it should be. I’m just here to rally the troops and serve as a conduit between the public, government and science. Nothing will change without your reactions.

So, scan the comments, reply with your thoughts, and keep the conversations going. Never know who is reading them. Case in point: my last article prompted famed Professor Marvin Minsky–aka the Father of Artificial Intelligence and co-founder of MIT’s Media Lab–to post a comment. Earlier, David Brin–science fiction writer and author of The Postman–weighed in with some thoughts.

We’re all on an even playing field here. Your comments are as valuable as Minsky’s and Brin’s. They want to hear from you. So does Randy Atkins at the National Academy of Engineering. And Alan Leshner, CEO of the American Association of the Advancement of Science (I’ll post my recent interview with Alan, soon).

In the words of Bart, a Science Cheerleader subscriber, “if this site gets a conversation started on what sort of future we want and what is needed to get us there, more power to you!”

a) 1st
b) 8th
c) 13th
d)17th

How about in math scores?
a) 1st
b)10th
c)16th
d) 24th

If you guessed “d” both times, you’re right. 

Assuming this pattern carries across to other age groups, and not just 15-year-olds, what do you think the federal government should do to prepare K-12 students for the science and technology driven 21st Century? Currently, most education issues are handled by state and local policy makers. The Feds take a hands-off approach. Clearly, this approach isn’t working.

So, what do you think the President and Congress should do to fix the current state of affairs? I’d like to hear your thoughts.  

I’d also like to hear how my Congressional candidates would reply to that and six other questions a team of science organizations just announced. And they’ve made it really easy for me, and you, to do so.

In the words of the ScienceDebate 2008 team (which now includes me as their director of public engagement):

The November election will be a critical moment for U.S. science. It’s important that voters know where their candidates stand on issues such as climate change; the environment; innovation, education, research and the economy; and soaring energy prices.

Candidates are much more likely to answer if you ask, too! It’s simple; just find your candidates using the zip code search and email them from their profile pages. Let them know that you think science and technology policy is central to our country’

s future. Link here to get started.

We’d like to flood their in boxes with hundreds of emails from concerned citizens. Politicians pay attention to their voters, and together we can show that there is a constituency for science. We can make science and technology a prominent part of the 2008 elections.

Engineers are the source of technology. They take scientists’ basic (and critical) research and they figure out ways to apply that research. The common terms used to describe these two actions are “Basic Research” and “Applied Technology.” Each needs the other.

Society gives lots of credit to scientists but we often neglect the engineers. (Until recently, it should be noted, science and engineers neglected us, our input, our opinions.) In the spirit of teamwork–in my crusade to kick-start dialogue between scientists, engineers, and citizens–I reached out to a friend, Randy Atkins. Randy is the Senior Program Officer for Media and Public Relations at the National Academy of Engineering. He filled me in on some terrific public outreach programs his group is creating.

Here’s one I’d like to highlight today. More will follow.

Randy does weekly radio reports on Washington, D.C.’s most listened-to station, WTOP. You can listen online, here to some fascinating interviews including one with the creator of a new, Heart Attack Saliva Test–a quick test that looks at protein biomarkers in a patient’s saliva to rule out or diagnose a heart attack.

If you like what you hear, consider contacting your favorite news-format radio station to request they run his show.

Have an idea for a story topic? Randy wants to hear from you: atkins@nae.edu. Considering posting your suggestions on this site–I’d like to hear them, too. (How about a radio version of Survivor? A smackdown between scientists and engineers!)

Cheers!

Well folks, David Brin, winner of the prestigious Hugo and Nebula Awards for bestselling science fiction novels, wrote this terrific reaction to the post (thank you, David!). If you are a teacher, student or someone else interested in finding new ways to increase science literacy, I think you will find this very useful:

 

 

 

Getting science fiction more involved in encouraging kids has long been a simmering dream.  Can I point you to where you might join others discussing this?

First re: developing ways to use SF to encourage bright young minds… the core group is “Reading for the Future” http://readingforfuture.com/   (and there’s a WIKI:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_for_the_Future  )

See also www.aboutSF.com - the effort at the University of Kansas to develop an accredited course for teachers, plus a science fiction and futurist speakers bureau that can supply speakers to many local county libraries or schools… or to major corporations.

And here’s my old “defunct” web-curriculum contest: http://www.analogsf.com/wow   The resource list is good. 

I hope all this is helpful!  Please pass all this on to anyone you think appropriate.

With cordial regards,

David Brin

http://www.davidbrin.com

Women: Why does organic milk have a longer expiration date than regular milk? See Scientific American’s simple but comprehensive answer here.  

Men: Does jet lag cause Major League Baseball teams to lose games? See what Scientific American has to say here.  

Somewhere close to Baltimore, MD, the conductor announced, “Due to the excessive heat, we will be 15 minutes delayed at every stop.”  

I couldn’t help notice the confused, annoyed expressions on the faces of my fellow commuters. “What the [beep] does the heat have to do with the train?” I overhead one ask. I had to refrain from quipping, “I heard the trains unionized recently.  Now they’re authorized to take a 15-minute nap for every hour of working in excessive heat.”  I had the good sense to realize that comment would flop (as it just did).

I also realized this: Had the conductor elaborated on the reasons for the heat-related delays, the passengers would have learned a bit about science, politics and the benefits of being an informed citizen. May I elaborate? Dream a bit?

For argument’s sake, let’s say the conductor opted to maximize the impact of his monologue to this (literally) captive audience. Hypothetically, he shares with the commuters the basics of what he knows of the situation (his “local knowledge” as it’s sometimes called):

What: trains are delayed

Why: excessive heat causes overhead electric wires to droop. Trains need to travel at a fixed speed to avoid slicing these line.

Solutions: Short term, travel at reduced speed. Long term, the only way we know to solve this problem is revamp the mechanics of the lines through much of the Northeast corridor so we, like the Europeans, can depend on a reliable, faster mode of public transportation. Particularly of interest these days due to the high cost of fuel and environmental concerns. It’ll cost a ton of money–your tax dollars–to make it happen so if you know of a better solution, share it with us.

Why might Amtrak take this approach? 1) At the very least, it would help soothe the soul. No point getting angry at Mother Nature.  2) Amtrak is subsidized by the federal government. Revamping the lines requires substantial support and financial appropriations from Congress–the folks who manage our federal tax dollars.  The more commuters understand what the problem is and how it can be solved, the more likely they are to voice an informed opinion on this policy issue, if given the opportunity to do so. 3) It’s possible an informed commuter may incorporate his/her own local knowledge (or area of expertise) and propose a completely novel solution to the problem.

Sharing local knowledge can help form balanced, sound science policy and each of us possess some form of this knowledge. But we need more opportunities to share our perspectives with the scientists and policy makers. “Challenging knowledge hierarchies,” by Dean Nieusma of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, examines some dangers of dismissing local knowledge.

But alas, not surprisingly, the conductor did not take this idealistic approach. Indeed I learned about the reasons for the heat-delays from a trusted source: my brother, a safety engineer at Amtrak. He’s a great example of someone not formally trained in the sciences yet capable of understanding and explaining complex science and engineering concepts.  I asked him to explain how the heat affects the trains. Here’s his reply (bear in mind he works for Amtrak so there may be some lobbying efforts threaded in his closing remarks!):

It’s because the wires sag in the hot weather and would rip down if the speeds were not reduced.

The wires (catenary) are tensioned at 5000lbs psi (per square inch). When the weather gets cold the tension could reach as hi as 9000 lbs psi. When the weather get hot (above 95F), and the metal expands, the tension can be as low as 500 lbs psi. This causes the wires to sag. When you have a sagging condition the pantograph (the part on the top of the train that rides along the wire providing the engine with electricity -11,000 volts AC/ 25 hertz) pushes against the sag. If the trains do not reduce their speed, no higher than 85 mph, the pantograph has the potential to pass the ’sag’. If this happens it will cause the pantograph to become entangled in the trolley wire (the wire that actually touches the pantograph) and could rip down the catenary. You would then be more than 15 minutes late and the union guys would have a lot of wok to do to get everything back in running order.

There is a way to prevent the sagging. It’s called ‘constant tension’. Constant tension is a system of pulleys and weights. The weights keep a constant 5000 lbs of tension on the catenary system thereby eliminating any potential for sagging.

We have constant tension north of New Haven, Ct. to Boston, only because this area was recently electrified. The railroad south (or west in RR terms) was built back in the 1930’s and is deemed too expensive to modify. Europe has constant tension. The reason for that is during WWII we blew most of Europe up and after the war gave them money to rebuild their RR’s, of course with only the best.

Good enough?

Kym Murphy, a retired Sr. VP at Disney, recently posted an interesting suggestion in reply to the post: Benefits and Challenges of Engaging the Public:

“Many years ago I read an exciting fictional novel about World War II. It was riveting, heart wrenching, sexy and full of accurate information regarding this important historical chapter that has stuck with me to this day.

Then came, “Pillars of Earth”, Di Vince Code”, etc., etc. All works of fiction but amazingly thought provoking and educational. I refer to reading novels such as these as, “inadvertant learning.” 

I bring this up, because I believe this form of learning (stimulation) is rarely used by our country’s science teachers/professors. I’m sure there are those who would scoff at this approach, but what better way to learn than through enjoyable experiences!”

Thank you, Kym. Hey, no need to concern ourselves with scoffy educators*. The majority of the visitors to this site have completed school (I have absolutely no data to back that up) so we can think aloud here as independent, free-thinking adults. Shake off Sister Mary’s elements chart and say tootles to Mr. Zapparo’s pickled pig-in-a-jar.   We’re starting over. Learning science from scratch. Social Network Science we’ll call it. For now. Until I’m sued for some copyright infringement. 

I say we give your idea of learning science through science fiction stories a shot and raise the stakes a bit by posing a challenge. A free Science Cheerleader t-shirt to the first size-medium person who reads at least one science fiction book and reports back here what (if any) “real science” was learned.

To get you started, here’s a list of top science fiction books, compiled by Business Week.

*Note to NEA attorney: We are fortunate to count among our visitors intelligent, innovative and non-scoffy science educators.

Cheers!