The Amazing and Incredible Human Foot

Painter, inventor, scientist, and all around smart guy, Leonardo Da Vinci, once said: "The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art."
True that Leo!
Consider for a moment all the things the human foot does to make our lives more interesting.
Field goals, tap dancing, drum sets, ballet, marathons, soccer, skateboarding, driving, reaching for that top shelf in the kitchen, karate, and showing off mad dance skills at parties are all possible because of the human foot.  26 bones working together to accomplish some amazing achievements step by step!  Props to the human foot!

Question Your World - Women In Science

Now is a great time for science. New inventions, discoveries, and groundbreaking research are constantly improving the quality of our lives. Women scientists have contributed greatly to our understanding of the world. Marie Curie helped us understand the very nature of the atom and radioactivity. Grace Hopper helped unlock the power of computers. Sally Ride and Mae Jemison helped us to understand the cosmos. Jane Goodall’s research on primates helps us better understand ourselves. Their hard work and contributions continue to be a fantastic source of inspiration for many generations of female scientists to come. Although women fill close to half of all jobs in the U.S. economy, they hold less than 25 percent of STEM jobs.
Imagine what our world will be like when women fill a greater share of STEM jobs? The Science Museum of Virginia is a place for girls to dream about the possibilities of their future. Programs like Girls in Medicine and Girls in Science invite hundreds of future female scientists to dream about how they can help make the world a better place through STEM. Now is a great time for progress…and a wonderful opportunity to inspire the next generation of scientists.

For more info on other females that have changed the world of science click here: Women in Science For even more info check out this page: Yesterday & Today's Women in Science

Question Your World - Some Hot Nascar Science

Have you ever thought about the numbers behind NASCAR?  We’re not talking about the number of your favorite driver; we’re talking about the amazing math and science behind these speedy racers.  For example those super powerful engines race around at incredible speeds. Some have even been known to go around 200 mph in a straightaway, thus producing a lot of engine heat.  Temperatures have been recorded at about 140 degrees INSIDE the car.  Compound that with the amazing about of heat from the friction of those wheels constantly rubbing against the track and we’re looking at some hot, hot, hot numbers!

So, 140 degrees inside the car and the heat of the track itself, we’re looking at some sweaty drivers!  In fact, some NASCAR drivers have been known to lose anywhere from 5 – 10 lbs simply from perspiration!

Those are some hot-hot rods! 

Want more info on the science behind racing? Click here! : http://www.buildingspeed.org/

Need even MORE info on the science of these fast machines?... MORE Nascar Science

QUESTION YOUR WORLD - WATER YOU TALKING ABOUT?

Water we talking about?!?!? We're talking about two hydrogen atoms forged together with one oxygen atom. The merging of these two elements has been monumental to life as we know it here on Earth! Every person you know and most every single living thing on this planet needs water. For us humans, we need about 8-12 glasses of delicious fresh water. So, how much fresh water is there on this planet anyway? Well, most of the Earth is covered in water. A beautiful blue liquid carpet coats nearly 70% of the Earth's surface. Despite its abundance, we can't actually use all of that. We humans need fresh water (not salt water that seems to own the monopoly on our oceans). It's pretty amazing to consider that only 2.5% of all the water on our entire planet is useable for drinking. Oh but there's more! That 2.5% fresh water statistic is accurate, but not very useful for us considering that it factors in all the water that's frozen in ice, running below our feet, in the atmosphere, plants, and animals. So, what even smaller amount is useable by us? A little less than 0.4% of the water on this planet is available for all of us to use for drinking! That's right, the seven billion plus global population has to share a little less than 0.4% of the water on this planet,thus making it one of our most precious resources. So, I guess it’s true when we're told to turn off the tap when we're not using it, because that water is a very special part of this Earth and our lives and we certainly should not be wasting it.

Aside from keeping humans hydrated, water serves a few other important tasks. We need fresh water to grow all of our delicious foods! Everything from your morning coffee to your late night ice cream snack requires the use of this awesome substance, water! Also, don't forget, we're not alone...your pets, those birds you hear when you go outside, the animals you see on TV, and most any other critter needs the same thing that keeps us going, yep...you guessed it, water!

Some more info on this amazing and rare resource: water facts
Also, water's good for you!!: water for the body

QUESTION YOUR WORLD - the amazing BRAIN!!

How many different brains were involved in making it possible for you to read this blog entry? Whew! That's a tall order to even look into!

Think about all the amazing things the human brain has done, yet it's a pretty small organ. The brain takes up about 2% of your body mass, that's it! Despite its small size it sure does carry out a lot of vital functions that keep you going — such as: breathing, eating, walking, thinking, sleeping, sitting, showering, brushing your teeth, and so on...

The brain also uses up about 20% of the oxygen we take in!
On average a human brain is about 77% water!
The brain also works on about 20 watts of power (the same as a laptop or the bulb in your fridge)!
Need more brains? Here's more info on the brain!!
STILL need more brains?? ...even more info on your brain!!!

So since these things are so important, make sure you keep your brain safe!! Helmets are our friends!!

Question Your World - Question Your Coffee

Did you have any coffee today? A lot of people did. The United States moves about 400 million cups of coffee every day! Everything from intricate gourmet coffee to the basic cup of plain coffee. Even the basic cup of coffee is still very complex, holding over 1500 chemicals! The most familiar is caffeine, of course. It takes caffeine about 30 minutes to be fully absorbed by our bodies. Once in the bloodstream, it actually does enhance thought process and the body's capacity for physical activity.

Also, coffee contains antioxidants. Actually, Americans get more antioxidants from coffee than any other food or beverage!

Several studies have suggested that coffee may even reduce the risk of various diseases such as type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's!

For more coffee info check out this link: COFFEE also, check out some coffee-health-facts here, MORE COFFEE!!!

QUESTION YOUR WORLD - What's Pi all about?...or..Pi-nailly, Pi-day has pi-rrived!!

We're ready to get a little irrational about Pi in hopes to make your knowledge of this tasty number a bit more well rounded.

π = Pi

So, what is Pi? Well, for starters Pi is an irrational number in that it cannot be expressed as a ratio of integers. Pi is an infinite number because it is without end – it keeps going…and going and going….so pi is both an irrational and an infinite number! The most commonly known digits of Pi are 3.14 (hence the March 14th as the celebration of Pi-Day!), but in 2011 the calculated digits of Pi went to ten trillion digits!! I know, you may be saying to yourself "Pi can' believe it!!", but its true. Remember, its an irrational number...it never ends!

So, why Pi? Why fill our March 14th with tons and tons of Pi stuff? What's Pi ever done for us?
Well, Pi is known best for finding Diameter and Circumference of circles, but think about what that really means...
Where would wrist watches be without Pi? Pi helps determine the amount of space between the symbols on your clocks and wrist watches!! Okay okay, we're going digital and time is easily told on your mobile phones, so perhaps the wrist watch has not convinced you on how important Pi is, but would your mobile phones be able to receive a signal without that satellite floating in the right place in orbit around the Earth? No! Pi is a very important portion of getting the info needed to put the satellite in orbit around the Earth. The Earth's curve is a sphere so we do need Pi to calculate the position of our mobile phone satellites. We would not want to send it to a part of the world that is too far for your signals to reach right?

There sure is a lot of cool stuff happening in the world of basketball these days right? Well, again, Pi is a big behind-the-scenes player in the game of basketball. Those hoops, those basketballs, and even the lids to all the beverages people drink at basketball games are all created and manufactured by folks that have to factor in Pi to get their exact shape! A square hoop, an oddly shaped basketball, and a lid that does not match the container of soda would make for a pretty lousy experience. Be sure to thank Pi the next time you're watching the game in person or on TV!

Speaking of TV, if you've ever watched a DVD you should be grateful for Pi. Ever thought about what would be needed to not only manufacture the disc, but also the way that data is put onto the disc in circular form?...yep, you guessed it, Pi!!

For science to explain things like rainbows, ripples in a pond, waves, geometry, the DNA double helix strands, and much more we have to employ our amazing and irrational mathematical friend, Pi.

We hope you guys have an awesome Pi day!

Oh and yes, to create the circular pan that all your tasty pie's are made on, you're going to need π

OMP!!...100,000 digits of Pi!!!