NASA Citizen Science

This is something attendees at the STEM group could get involved with and use the group as a meet point to discuss projects and ideas being worked on.

Lets put Torbay on the map by building an active science community

Citizen Science Projects

NASA’s citizen science projects are collaborations between scientists and interested members of the public. Through these collaborations, volunteers (known as citizen scientists) have helped make thousands of important scientific discoveries. More than 410 NASA citizen scientists have been named as co-authors on refereed scientific publications. Want to work on some real NASA science? Click on one of the 34 projects below to get started. NASA citizen science projects are open to everyone around the world, not limited to U.S. citizens or residents. Projects with the
icon can be done by anyone, anywhere, with just a cellphone or laptop. 

If you're note quite ready for this yet, then perhaps form a community so we can help each other build the skills and support each other.

• NASA Citizen Science

Tags

#NASA,#CitizenScience,#STEMGroup,#Science,#Research.

State of human GENOME Catalogue

The human genome project is continuing at pace, here is an update on current status of the project.

Links

• ArXiv Paper
  • Science Forums

Tags

#Map,Human,#Genone,#ArXiv,#Paper,#Biology,#Science

Artemis II Mission

The crew to take NASA and humans back to lunar orbit has been announced. This is the second mission which will take a human crew around the moon and back to Earth.

Links

• [NASA]((https://www.nasa.gov)
  • Crew Announcement (Youtube)

Tags

#NASA,#Science,#Artemis,#Mission,#Moon,#Crew,#space,#spaceflight

The Universe is Broken

This is an interesting podcast from Awesome Astronomy looking at a how a recent James Webb telescope discovery could force us to re-write what we know about the evolution of the universe.

Dicuss further on Fedi or on Science Forums

Tags

#Science,#Astronomy.#Cosmology,#JamesWebb,#Universe,#History

STEM Group 11/3/2023

At the stem group today we are going to be looking at Red Cabbage indicator.

I have prepared some solutions we can test, Jess, one of the librarians had prepared some red cabbage indicator for us.

This uses a different preparation method, but the result is the same, a universal indicator.

So we will be undertaking this at Paignton Library, in room 12, as this is more suitable, has sinks, running water etc.

Some of the items we can test include:-

• Tap Water
• Bicarbonate of soda solution (known concentration)
• Citric Acid (known concentration)
• Lemon Juice
• Lime Juice
• Sodium Carbonate Solution
• White Vinegar

Discussions

I am happy to discuss or try and answer questions on

• Science Forums
• [Mastodon] @[email protected]

I am also hoping to make some videos on Saturday, these will be shared on my Peertube account.

#Science,#STEM,#RedCabbage,#Indicator,#Chemistry

Home Chemistry – 12 update

I have some equipment on order from Better Equipped for myself to help support the STEM group, this is mostly some 100ml glass regent bottles to properly store various solutions.

Also sent off for another test tube brush and a flask brush for use at the library.

I am also putting together some kit to create a very simple distillation rig, which is mostly a 2L plastic bottle, a measuring cylinder, and a bag of ice, so that this helps to condense water in to the cylinder. This is very basic but should do the trick. At least according to the manual I got with a chemistry set bought for £2.50 from a charity shop.

If this works, then I can replicate the same set up, perhaps in schools to help children understand this process and discuss why it is important.

#STEM,#Science,#Chemistry,#Distillation.

Exoplanet Watch

NASA are looking for help from citizen scientists to find exoplanets. This was posted to fedi, so am sharing here to help with reach and hopefully find people to take part.

Links

• NASA
  • NASA Exoplanets

Tags

#NASA,#Science,#ExoPlanet,#Search

Home Chemistry 11 – Making a Citric Acid solution

Further to the previous post on making molar solutions I am going to make up a 250ml solution of Citric acid.

So based on my previous calculations

1 Molar solution is formula weight in 1 litre of Water

Molar Weight of Citric acid 192.19 Amount of Water = 250ml (0.250 l)

Therefore

192.19 / 4 = 48.03g

I can weigh this out easy enough now that I have got some small scales (which are actually used for weighing jewellery) but are really good as they measure to 2 decimal places. Granted max is about 200g, but for what I am doing in chemistry this doesn't matter too much.

The first task is to weigh out the required amount of Powder.

Given I wanted 48.03g, I think for the purpose of home chemistry this is fine.

For the next step I mixed the powder with about 200ml water, stirred well then poured (via funnel) in to a conical flask and topped up to about 250ml (note the flask is approximate.) I may be just over. in a proper laboratory, I would have access to a volumetric flask, which is more accurate. I am making do with what I have.

I would probably have access to some help with this too.

Finally, the solution is poured (via funnel) in to a suitable bottle, that I have already put a label etc on.

This is now stored safely before being taken down to the Library.

We can then use this for various experiments such as adding to alkalis, using indicator (paper or liquid) or whatever else we decide to do).

There is a really nice calculation tool which you can use to help or at least double check calculations.

#HomeChemistry11,#Chemistry,#Science,#HomeChemistry,#CitricAcid,#Solution,#Molar,#Concentration

New Science discoveries 1

Something else found on the Fediverse. This was posted by Science Alert. The links should work from here too, if not you will need an account on a Mastodon instance. So lots of interesting things happening

Links

• Viruses and neuro
• Reviving dodos
• Pollinating robot
• Exoplanet time-lapse
• Ancient goo
• Bigfoot explanation

Other links

• ScienceForums

Tags

#Science,#News,#ScienceAlert,#TWIS #robotech #FlyingRobot #pollination #physics #dodo #biotech #exoplanets #space #astronomy #health #brain #memory #neurology #neuroscience #mummy #egypt #AncientEygpt #history #burials #death #afterlife #biology #BigFoot #science #ScienceAlert #STEM

Exoplanets

Another interesting article posted to Fediverse. This is about new exoplanet discoveries. I think this suggests we have found a Jupiter like planet around another star. However this is even further away than the previous planet discovered by Kepler. Another discovery by the Kepler Telescope, which I would guess one day will be observed by the HST, JWST or both.

• Mastodon post

A really good time to study STEM and get involved in resarch and new discoveries.

Info graphic

Links

• Kepler Telescope

Tags

#Science,#Astronomy,#Planets,#ExoPlanets