The term “cyborg” was coined by NASA scientists Manfred Clynes and Nathan Kline in 1960 when discussing the hypothetical advantages of human-machines in space. Although such cybernetic organisms became the realm of science fiction, efforts to create real-life cyborgs began even before the term was conceived and continue to this day.

· In 1950 José Delgado of Yale University inserted electrodes onto a bull’s brain to gain crude control over its movements. He successfully demonstrated this control in Córdoba, Spain in 1963 when he stood in the path of a charging cyborg bull and steered it away at the last moment.

· The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) attempted to create its own cyborg in 1961 in Operation Acoustic Kitty, in which a cat was cut open and fitted with an array of wires (one to override feelings such as hunger) and a listening device that utilized its tail as an antenna. The project was disbanded as a failure in 1967 when the cat on its first mission (to eavesdrop on the Soviet compound in Washington, D.C.) was killed by a moving taxi sending more than five years of intensive training and $15 million down the drain.

Afterwards, cyborg research remained dormant until the late 1980s, picking up steam a decade later. By this time, science and technology had advanced significantly, especially with the miniaturization of devices and components.

As cybernetic technology is further developed and refined, the seamless synthesis of organic and artificial parts is likely to become widespread requiring modification of basic definitions of life and its associated rights, creation of applicable international protocols and an adjustment in thought perceptions. Cybernetic technology is likely to have three major applications:

Military/Intelligence/Law Enforcement:

Early efforts involving animal experiments were primarily aimed towards military/intelligence/law enforcement applications. A few of the notable experiments are listed below:

· Per an article by Bill Christensen of Technovelgy.com (Jack Into A Cat’s Brain) scientists successfully produced a video of a recognizable moving scene as observed through a cat’s eyes in 1999. This was accomplished through the use of electrodes that simultaneously recorded and catalogued responses in the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) and 177 selected brain cells of a sharp-eyed cat. Though the images were not as sharp as those seen by human eyes and recorded by camcorders, technology continues to improve. In the near future adjustments will likely enhance clarity and quality of feline vision and cats selected for surveillance operations may even have their natural eyes replaced with cybernetic devices equipped with miniature cameras (a moral concern).

· In 2002, a team led by John Chapin at the State University of New York (SUNY) created cyborg rats by implanting electrodes on their brains. They were then trained to move in accordance to impulses delivered via the electrodes and to seek specific scents (e.g. human, explosives, exploding dye, etc.). When tested, each cyborg rat was fitted with a tiny camera to provide indication of mission success. The rats were then successfully guided to a specific location via radio-controlled impulses. Afterwards, the implants were powered down and as soon as the rats realized they were free of their control, they went into a sniffing mode and successfully identified the source of a target odor. The process took only a few minutes and was successfully duplicated in additional tests.

· In 2005, a team of scientists led by Su Xuecheng at the Shandong University of Science and Technology in Qingdao, China, successfully controlled pigeon flight (direction and ascent/descent) via wireless signal transmitted to electrodes implanted onto their brains from a laptop computer. Similarly, in 2006, Jelle Atema of Boston University controlled directional movement of a spring dogfish (a small type of shark) via a neural implant that stimulated the left or right olfactory area of its brain.

In light of such success, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and U.S. Defense Advanced Projects Agency (DARPA), the latter which has been disbanded, have also made significant progress. The latest phase of the DoD’s efforts – the development of Hybrid Insect Micro-Electro Mechanical Systems (HI-MEMS) – is focused on “small” (to create inconspicuous cyborgs) and reliance on insect flight, which is unmatched with regard to agility. Experiments have been conducted on beetles, flies and moths.

Since 2008 several milestones have been accomplished:

· Tobacco hornworms fitted with miniature electronic implants survived and grew into adult Manduca moths with no complications. X-rays unveiled at the 2008 Micro-Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) conference held in Tucson, Arizona showed good tissue growth around probes that had been implanted where abdominal segments would have grown during the larval stage after a portion of their thorax was removed to make room for the implants. Hookworms fitted with cybernetic devices showed no signs of complications, adverse impairments or rejection during metamorphosis.

· A video, created at the Boyce Thompson Institute in Ithaca, New York documenting successful control of moth flight was also shown during the 2008 MEMS conference. Moth movement was controlled by a series of 5-volt shocks that stimulated their wing muscles delivered via tethered wires. Uniform stimuli determined wing-speed resulting in ascent/descent while stimuli applied to wing muscles on one side or the other determined direction.

· A similar process used by a team of researchers led by Michel Maharbiz of the University of California (UNC) Berkeley succeeded with Green June Beetles. Negative impulses from neural implants (transmitted via tethered wires) activated the beetles’ wings resulting in ascent; positive impulses halted their wing movement resulting in descent. Lift and descent were controlled by rapid switching between the two types of impulses. At the same time, directional control of beetle flight was achieved in two ways – via a mounted LED in front of their eyes and by impulses to either its left or right basilar muscle.

· The same UNC Berkeley team unveiled a wireless system that successfully controlled Rhinoceros Beetle flight during the 2009 MEMS conference held in Sorrento, Italy.

The present objective of the DoD funded research is to create insect cyborgs that can be remotely controlled from at least 100 meters away, directed to land within a maximum of 5 meters from a target subject, and remain there until directed to leave. When this is successfully mastered (overcoming barriers such as high winds), miniature cameras can be implanted for surveillance, sensors to detect biological, chemical, or radiological agents, and tiny weapons (utilizing potent poisons and hallucinogenic drugs) to attack potential targets.

Medical:

The second major application of cybernetic research is to develop technology to medically restore or enhance human capabilities (e.g. vision – limited with regard to distance, viewing and small objects, etc.; communication – limited to speech and writing).

In 2002, Kevin Warwick, a leading expert on cybernetic technology became the world’s first human cyborg (documented in I, Cyborg, University of Illinois Press, Chicago, IL, 2004) in an effort to facilitate research aimed at these objectives. A 3-millimeter-wide silicon square with 100 electrodes was implanted into his wrist to enable scientists to interpret nerve signals arising from movement and sensation with the hope of providing breakthroughs for the paralyzed.

Cybernetic technology is, at a minimum, from a medical standpoint, being directed at several areas. A summary of progress and future aspirations for these areas is listed below:

Sight:

· In February 2007 Gingersnap, a 4-year-old Abyssinian cat suffering from a condition similar to retinitis pigmentosa (an incurable genetic disease that attacks the eye’s photoreceptor cells leading to blindness) was implanted with 2-millimeter-wide artificial silicon retina (ASR) chips (each covered by 5,000 microphotodiodes that react to light. When these microphotodiodes react, electric signals are sent through the eye’s optic nerve to the brain allowing it to detect light impulses) manufactured by Optobionics to preserve her vision. As technology improves, additional data will likely be able to be transmitted enabling the brain to decipher complete images.

· Retinal implants are currently in use to combat macular degeneration (a disorder that results in loss of vision in the macula located at the center of the eye, which makes it difficult to see fine details).

· Contact lenses called “I, Contact” that interface with a computer mouse, in which eyeball movement controls cursor movement, have been developed to assist the disabled.

· Researchers at the University of Washington, having developed contact lenses with electronic circuits and red-LEDs, are working on lenses (ultimately to be powered by human neural electrical activity) that could one day provide tele/microscopic vision, enable people to view the infrared portion of the light spectrum, take pictures, make videos, and even superimpose images accessed from the Internet via WiFi.

Hearing:

· More than 100,000 profoundly deaf people currently use a bionic ear (cochlear implants that rely on a direct neural connection) that stimulates hearing nerves in the inner ear to understand speech and other sounds. Research is currently focused on enabling cochlear implant users to differentiate between speech and other background sounds.

Mind-Controlled Mobility:

· Although research to provide mobility to and the ability for quadriplegics (that make up about 1.25 million of the world’s population) to operate major appliances such as a television and computer is still in its infancy, significant progress is being made.

o In 2008 a monkey successfully moved a robotic arm via neural implants. In another instance, a rhesus monkey (Idoya) located in North Carolina operated a robot in Japan through thought alone as part of the Computational Brain Project led by neuroscientist Miguel A.L. Nicolelis with researchers at Duke University Medical Center and Japan Science and Technology Agency.

o Researchers at Osaka University in Japan are currently working with four human test subjects, each of whom has had an electrode sheet placed directly on their brain so that they can determine the brain wave activity associated with arm, elbow, and finger movement to discern intended activity to allow mind-controlled movement of future prosthetics. Currently the researchers can determine intended activity with greater than 80% activity.

o At the same time, European scientists have created a non-intrusive brain-computer interface (BCI) (though still in the research and development stage), that utilizes human brain activity and imbedded artificial intelligence to operate devices (e.g. computers, wheelchairs, artificial limbs). BCIs will eventually afford quadriplegics mobility and skills once unimaginable.

Cybernetic Limbs:

· Synthetic parts are routinely used for hip and knee replacements. With regard to the latter, a newly developed knee (presently under limited release in the United States and the Netherlands) that synchronizes motion with a user’s natural leg is so effective that its recipients can easily get up, climb stairs and even engage in extreme sports.

· An arm, dubbed the “Luke Arm” after Luke Skywalker’s character in Star Wars, was developed in which movement can be controlled by nerves, muscles, and Bluetooth®-activated shoe pads enabling armless users to eat, pick up tiny objects and utilize their prosthetic arms and hands in the same way people use natural arms and hands.

· An Australian woman was fitted in 2009 with the world’s first fully functioning artificial finger that can curl and grip like a natural finger through utilization of nerve endings.

· Research is ongoing to find a way to graft metal to bone so that skin can be grown around it creating combination synthetic/biological parts.
· Efforts are also being made to give prosthetic devices artificial intelligence in which micro-implants into muscles and nerves will enable users to move their new limbs solely by thought (consistent with human control of natural limbs).

Cardiac Treatment:

· Ventricular Assist Devices (VAD) are currently in use by patients who although they have some heart function, require artificial assistance to sustain their lives.

· Artificial hearts have been developed with the CardioWest temporary Total Artificial Heart (TAH-t) and AbioCor Replacement Heart having been approved for human use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, research and development is ongoing for a permanent device. Presently artificial hearts have been generally used on a temporary basis (until a donor heart could be found) with a few exceptions. In one such exception, a patient survived 512 days with an AbioCor device.

Alzheimer’s/Parkinson’s Disease and Epilepsy:

· Per the BBC (13 August 2008) researchers (in 2008) at the University of Reading, in Reading, UK created a multi-electrode array consisting of about 300,000 neurons extracted from a rat fetus to control robotic movement. The cells, kept separate from the robot in a temperature-controlled container (filled with a pink broth solution) fitted with electrodes communicated via Bluetooth® short-wave radio. The objective is to gain a better understanding of neurons with the hope of discovering effective treatments for Alzheimers’s, Parkinson’s Disease (both debilitating neurological disorders; Alzheimer’s adversely impacts memory while Parkinson’s disease is characterized by muscle rigidity, tremors, slowed physical movement, and impaired speech and involuntary functions), and epilepsy (a common neurological disorder characterized by repeated, spontaneous seizures).

Robotics/Computer Technology:

Future robots and computers are likely to utilize living and non-living components alike. Potentially, this could be extremely problematic if such technology is applied in a malevolent or unethical way since it could lead to a new generation of slaves. Accordingly, international protocols (including those pertaining to the ethical treatment of animals) and other safeguards will be required to address these issues as cybernetic technology evolves.

In the meantime, a team of scientists led by Charles Higgins of the University of Arizona Tucson is seeking to transform insects into “high-level sensory robotic controllers [since] artificial vision (which is costly) [currently] can’t beat living systems, which are honed to recognize objects or detect motion”[1]

At the same time, scientists at IBM’s Almaden Research Center and the California Institute of Technology are in the process of developing a new generation of microprocessors that utilize living DNA with the objective of creating smaller, faster, and cheaper devices.

Conclusion:

Cyborgs, once relegated to science fiction have become scientific reality providing vast military/intelligence/law enforcement, medical, and technological prospects. If cybernetic technology is used benevolently and ethically where human thought remains the primary driver in lieu of imposed mind-control, it will open new windows of opportunity – providing greater freedom and improved standards of life, to quadriplegics trapped in their own bodies, to the blind imprisoned in a world of darkness, to the deaf confined in a prison of silence, and to people who with age or injury, will need seamless synthetic replacement parts for those worn down or destroyed. It will also expand human capabilities with regard to speed, sight, communication, and endurance. Finally, when such technology gains widespread acceptance and use, it is likely that the majority of the human race will be cyborg, though not in the way envisioned by science fiction.

_________

[1] The cyborg animal spies hatching in the lab. New Scientist. 6 March 2008.

Additional Sources:

Amanda O’Brien. One giant leap for robokind: cyber limbs. The Australian. 15 August 2009.

William Sutherland is a published poet and writer. He is the author of three books, “Poetry, Prayers & Haiku” (1999), “Russian Spring” (2003) and “Aaliyah Remembered: Her Life & The Person behind the Mystique” (2005) and has been published in poetry anthologies around the world. He has been featured in “Who’s Who in New Poets” (1996), “The International Who’s Who in Poetry” (2004), and is a member of the “International Poetry Hall of Fame.” He is also a contributor to Wikipedia, the number one online encyclopedia and has had an article featured in “Genetic Disorders” Greenhaven Press (2009).

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It was a monumental accomplishment that galvanized the nation’s fascination with science and technology and inspired the creation of an educational video series known as the Science Screen Report.
Developed to enhance curriculums throughout our nation’s schools by stimulating students curiosity in science, it’s no coincidence that as it approaches its 40th anniversary, the Science Screen Report is more relevant than ever.

“Students are far more immersed in their studies when they can experience the world beyond the written pages of their textbooks and see it live, in full color and in three dimensions,” says Cleveland Middle School Librarian, Grace M. Dyrek.

Apparently many educators across the nation agree. When the Science Screen Report made its debut in 1970, less than 100 schools nationally were utilizing its services. Today nearly four decades later, more than 10,000 school districts use the series as an essential tool to help promote science as an invaluable subject.

“We cannot do enough to engage students in science. The sciences have never been more important to society than they are now,” says Scott Forman, President of Allegro Productions whose company produces the series from Palm Beach County, Florida. That advocacy is also shared by President Obama who stated, “Today more than ever before, science holds the key to our survival as a planet and our prosperity as a nation.” These are high stakes that will require a much deeper commitment to science than previously shown by U.S. schools, students and parents.

According to the Washington Post, science scores from the 2006 Program for International Student Assessment – a test given every three years – showed that U.S. 15 year-olds trailed their peers from many industrialized countries. It’s a trend that’s mirrored in American middle schools as well.

To help close and overcome that gap, Science Screen Report and its companion series, Science Screen Report For Kids, is designed to get students engrossed in science as early as possible – science is not a subject to simply just pass. “We’re trying to get kids interested in careers in science; show them it can be challenging, rewarding and full of opportunity,” adds Forman whose company produces eight programs per school year for each series.

Roughly 15 minutes in length and produced to directly address National Science Standards and Science Literacy Benchmarks, both series cover a variety of topics ranging from chemistry to the environment to physics, biology, medicine, ecology, engineering, space science, energy and oceanography.

Visually captivating to capture the attention and imagination of today’s technologically advanced kids, each Science Screen Report is accompanied by a thoroughly researched teacher guide. Prepared by a committee of educators, the guides provide background information, suggestions for critical thought, a glossary, career possibilities, resource and reference material, and tend to provoke lively classrooms discussions regarding the featured subjects.

Having worked for decades with the National Science Foundation’s Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the Science Screen Report continues to receive accolades. Series materials have also been used in the Smithsonian Institute’s Teacher Resource Center, and are listed in the resource guides of the Eisenhower National Clearinghouse, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of Education, and many other state and local agencies.

Although delivered to schools using the latest technology such as video streaming, supporters of the Science Screen Report face an age-old problem – funding. The series which augments an existing school’s curriculum is often subject to budget cuts. Currently it’s sponsored by hundreds of companies that enable thousands of school districts around the country to receive the program for free. Program sponsors receive a PBS type opening and closing message that appears at the beginning and end of every program that is viewed in the classroom.

Yet in this turbulent economy where cutbacks are the norm, Forman is optimistic that corporations will continue to see the value that Science Screen Report brings to the classroom. It’s an ideal situation; schools receive the award winning content at no cost, and corporations have an appropriate method for reaching their future employees and customers. It’s a logical way for these companies to invest in their own communities.

A small investment that Forman hopes will continue to provide American students and teachers with the tools they need to regain their place at the forefront of science and technology, and remain there for generations to come.

Steve Waxman

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_Forman

In the field of Science and Technologies many things have been manufactured e.g Television, computer, phone etc

Medically, some apparatus like thermometer, Barometer, and lots more have been produced for use.

Science Knowledge is Important to Man and his environment.

Science knowledge is useful in many areas industries, Laboratories etc

ITS IMPORTANCE IN INDUSTRIES

It is used in producing some chemical which are used in the industries.

Its also help in the production of some domestic chemicals e.g in pesticides and many other acids for domestic and industrial uses.

And nowadays people have discovered a way of using Solar energy in industries and domestically. All the materials used in manufacturing this things are created through the knowledge of science and technologies. In Manufacturing of Electricity science and technology knowledge is used, and talking of electricity, its something people cannot do without.

It is useful at home, offices, industries etc…

And it is one of the factors to consider in choosing industrial location, because electricity is very important thing for use domestically and industrially.

People would agree that science and technology are great of importance in the universe and in the community of people in this world. Majority of the countries in this international community are trying continuously to increase their annual budget for science and technology. This development clearly suggests that decision-makers both in government and private sector industry are strongly convinced of the importance of developing science and technology.

Read more at http://www.projectdonetoday.blogspot.com

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1. North West universities play a key role in Science and Technology, and have a combined turnover of over £1.2 billion, almost 1% of the region’s total economy. Leading companies, including those in the Aerospace Business, automotive supply and manufacturing companies, nuclear energy and medical research are closely linked to North West universities. More than 50,000 North West students graduate every year, including 25,000 with life science degrees. Over 69,000 science students are trained every year.

2. The Aerospace Business in the North West has a turnover of £6 billion, and is responsible for producing military and commercial aircraft and components which are used both in the UK and exported worldwide. Extensive R&D programmes ensure that the latest technologies are available to create the most advanced planes in the world. Countries all over the world rely on the North West Aerospace Business for their military and commercial aircraft requirements

3. The Chemistry Industry plays a vital role in the North West, and sales of chemicals contribute over £10 billion to the economy, equating to approximately 20% of the UK chemistry industry. Approximately 220,000 people are employed in this sector. In 2005, the Department of Trade and Industry announced that as part of the Technology Programme, one of the 19 new Knowledge Transfer Networks (KTNs) would be in Chemistry in the North West. KTNs help to share knowledge and research between businesses, academic institutions such as universities, and trade associations.

4. The North West and Cumbria in particular, is widely acknowledged as the centre of the UK Nuclear Energy industry, and is home to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. The research and development work done in this region has led the Government to conclude that utilising nuclear energy is part of a viable solution to meeting the energy needs of the UK.

5. There are over 50 research institutes, many of them multi-institutional, as well as traditional R&D departments. The North West is home to the Research and Development departments of several of the worlds leading companies, and business R&D investment in this region is greater than in any other part of the world except Asia. Recent reports show that 4 of the top 10 companies by R&D spending have significant facilities in the North West. Pharmaceutical development, including the largest cancer drug research centre in the UK, Aerospace Businesses, manufacturers of consumer products, as well as the Chemistry Industry and Nuclear Energy are well represented in the North West.

6. The North West’s seven science parks are home to many knowledge-based companies in diverse industries ranging from providing education to Nuclear Energy and decommissioning. Strong links to universities as well as research institutes and centres of knowledge, in the UK and abroad, help to ensure that Science and Technology in the North West is second to none.

7. Dedicated Strategic Science and Technology sites have been set up throughout the North West, and Manchester is aiming to become one of the UK’s first six Science Cities by 2015.

Manchester Science Park is internationally recognised as a centre of excellence, and is one of the most successful of its kind. Tenants include specialists in healthcare, telecoms, and digital media.

The Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus, near Warrington in Cheshire, is home to leading companies in diverse industries ranging from healthcare research to business support services. The nearby Daresbury Laboratory is one of the best-resourced science facilities in the UK.

Liverpool Science Park, right in the centre of Liverpool, is the fastest growing science park in the UK, and contains computer games, website design and software companies as well as solicitors specialising in intellectual property and technology law. Speke, also in Liverpool, is home to the National Biomanufacturing Centre, which is set to become the leading biopaharmaceutical design centre in Europe, and helps to create and develop new medicines

West Cumbria Science Park, near Whitehaven, has over 60 companies on site, ranging from ecology to engineering, many of which are involved in the Nuclear Energy Industry.

A Science Park in Lancaster is scheduled for development this year, and will be located close to the top-ten ranked university. This exciting new project will combine the renowned academic knowledge and resources of the University with local businesses know-how and the Lancaster Environment Centre.

8. With Manchester recently voted the most creative city in the UK, and Liverpool’s reputation as one of the leading cities for computer game design, the North West is at the forefront of new technologies as well as traditional Science and Technology. The use of ICT in education, website design and internet technologies, TV and film production, as well as other media industries, is all flourishing in the region, thanks to Science and Technology.

9. As well as looking to the future, the region’s scientific history is preserved through museums such as the World Museum in Liverpool, Quarry Bank Mill in Styal, Cheshire, and Wigan Pier. Visual displays as well as hands-on activities, demonstrations and different media show how Science and Technology has changed our lives, from mechanising everyday tasks to revolutionising manufacturing methods.

10. As well as the outstanding Science and Technology facilities, the North West is a popular business location thanks to its fantastic infrastructure. Within reach of 3 international airports, and a great motorway system, the North West is closer than you may think. In addition, the North West has many Areas of Natural Outstanding Beauty and the standard of living is high.

There has never been a better time to see how North West Science and Technology can help you.

To find out more about North West Science and Technology, and Research Institues, please visit www.NorthWestScience.com

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Although women make up approximately 50% of the general work force in the U.S., they only represent 9% of workers in the science and engineering community. With such a low percentage of female interest, the government is expecting increased worker shortages through the first decade of the 21st century for the information technology (IT) industry.

The core worker in the IT industry are computer engineers, systems analysts, programmers and computer scientists, which includes database administrators, computer support personnel and all other computer scientists. These are all careers that relate directly back to high school math and science, in addition to computer science studies.

Growth projections by The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ indicate that the current graduation rate of those in undergraduate computer, information sciences and technology programs aren’t high enough to sustain the industry’s growth. In addition, they acknowledged that the even greater decrease of women into the computer science pipeline will have a profound effect on the industry.

These researchers believe that the low representation of women in computer science at the undergraduate level is inherited from the secondary school level, where girls do not participate in computer science courses and related activities as much as boys. Although girls are often well represented in earlier computing courses, they shy away from advanced courses. One possible reason for this is because of the increased focus on the technical and math course requirements.

This leads us back to math and science studies in elementary and high school, and yet another growing concern within the scientific community.

We currently believe that our nation’s future economic prosperity and global competition depends on both scientific progress and our adaptability in the fields of science, technology and engineering. As our society shifts from a resource-intensive society to a knowledge-intensive economy, it is critical for all of us to develop the knowledge and skills needed to contribute to this new community.

With this in mind, knowledge of math and science has now become essential for those pursuing a high-status and well-paid job in our new technologically advanced workforce.

Again, the science community is concerned that industry growth in the early 21st century will far out pace that of graduates. Once again, research has suggested that the root of this problem can be traced back to elementary and high school classrooms.

In going back to the classroom, a study by the National Assessment of Education Progress discovered that girls score below the national mean on all science achievement items and express negatives attitudes towards science. The study acknowledged that societal, education and personal factors all contribute to this funding, but stressed that differences within the science classroom may be one of the biggest contributing factors.

So what factors are discouraging girls from excelling in math, science and computer science studies in high school? Research has shown a number of different issues that need to be addressed. They believe that girls are not presented with adequate information about science-related career opportunities and their prerequisites, and that high school counselors often do not encourage further courses in math and science. In addition, texts, the media and many adults often project sex-stereotyped views of science and scientists.

A lack of development of spatial ability skills may also be an issue, which could be fostered in shop and mechanical drawing classes. Girls also have fewer experiences with science activities and equipment, which are often stereotyped as being masculine.

In order to encourage girls in the pursuit of math and science, teachers are encouraged to maintain well-equipped, organized and perceptually stimulating classrooms, use non-sexist language and examples, include information on women scientists and stress creatively and basic skills and provide career information.

In addition, math and science teachers should use laboratories, discussions and weekly quizzes as their primary modes of instruction or teaching strategies and supplement those activities with field trips and guest speakers. If possible, teachers should also encourage parental involvement.

Studies have also shown that teachers, both male and female, who were successful in motivating girls to continue to study science, practiced what is called “directed intervention”. They asked girls to assist with demonstrations, which required these students to perform and not merely record, in the laboratories, and in science-related fieldtrips.

When it comes to computer science studies, a similar approach can be taken. Although these studies do involved math, programming and technical issues, computer science educators need to be aware that working with computers involves much more than that. It also requires fully developed verbal and interpersonal skills – an area in which girls tend to excel at.

In order to attract more girls to the study, teachers should concentrate on applications and not just on math or programming. That’s because girls generally don’t get as excited about computers for their gadget value, as boys do. Instead, girls become more interested and engaged when technology is discussed in terms of it’s usefulness for problem solving.

Computer science educators should also impart to girls the important need for women in the industry and outline more career options. For example, jobs are not just limited to programming; individuals are needed to help solve business problems with technology solutions. The industry itself is focused on solving problems, and developing solutions to help business continue to grow.

Conclusion:

By introducing science, math and computer science in a positive manner to girls in all levels of education, we may be able to turn the tide and see more and more women choose careers in these important fields. If we truly believe children are our future, now is the time to ensure that they have a place in the future we have created.

Valerie Giles owns and operates Cyber-Prof: Teacher Resource Site an educational web site that specializes in resources for school and teacher supplies . Free stuff for teachers, teaching strategies, K-8, educational toys and games, back to school, classroom technology and home school curriculum. http://www.cyber-prof.com

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Today, classroom teachers may lack personal experience with technology and present an additional challenge. In order to incorporate technology-based activities and projects into their curriculum, those teachers first must find the time to learn to use the tools and understand the terminology necessary for participation in projects or activities. They must have the ability to employ technology to improve student learning as well as to further personal professional development.

Instructional technology empowers students by improving skills and concepts through multiple representations and enhanced visualization. Its benefits include increased accuracy and speed in data collection and graphing, real-time visualization, the ability to collect and analyze large volumes of data and collaboration of data collection and interpretation, and more varied presentation of results. Technology also engages students in higher-order thinking, builds strong problem-solving skills, and develops deep understanding of concepts and procedures when used appropriately.

Technology should play a critical role in academic content standards and their successful implementation. Expectations reflecting the appropriate use of technology should be woven into the standards, benchmarks and grade-level indicators. For example, the standards should include expectations for students to compute fluently using paper and pencil, technology-supported and mental methods and to use graphing calculators or computers to graph and analyze mathematical relationships. These expectations should be intended to support a curriculum rich in the use of technology rather than limit the use of technology to specific skills or grade levels. Technology makes subjects accessible to all students, including those with special needs. Options for assisting students to maximize their strengths and progress in a standards-based curriculum are expanded through the use of technology-based support and interventions. For example, specialized technologies enhance opportunities for students with physical challenges to develop and demonstrate mathematics concepts and skills. Technology influences how we work, how we play and how we live our lives. The influence technology in the classroom should have on math and science teachers’ efforts to provide every student with “the opportunity and resources to develop the language skills they need to pursue life’s goals and to participate fully as informed, productive members of society,” cannot be overestimated.

Technology provides teachers with the instructional technology tools they need to operate more efficiently and to be more responsive to the individual needs of their students. Selecting appropriate technology tools give teachers an opportunity to build students’ conceptual knowledge and connect their learning to problem found in the world. The technology tools such as Inspiration® technology, Starry Night, A WebQuest and Portaportal allow students to employ a variety of strategies such as inquiry, problem-solving, creative thinking, visual imagery, critical thinking, and hands-on activity.

Benefits of the use of these technology tools include increased accuracy and speed in data collection and graphing, real-time visualization, interactive modeling of invisible science processes and structures, the ability to collect and analyze large volumes of data, collaboration for data collection and interpretation, and more varied presentations of results.

Technology integration strategies for content instructions. Beginning in kindergarten and extending through grade 12, various technologies can be made a part of everyday teaching and learning, where, for example, the use of meter sticks, hand lenses, temperature probes and computers becomes a seamless part of what teachers and students are learning and doing. Contents teachers should use technology in ways that enable students to conduct inquiries and engage in collaborative activities. In traditional or teacher-centered approaches, computer technology is used more for drill, practice and mastery of basic skills.

The instructional strategies employed in such classrooms are teacher centered because of the way they supplement teacher-controlled activities and because the software used to provide the drill and practice is teacher selected and teacher assigned. The relevancy of technology in the lives of young learners and the capacity of technology to enhance teachers’ efficiency are helping to raise students’ achievement in new and exciting ways.

As students move through grade levels, they can engage in increasingly sophisticated hands-on, inquiry-based, personally relevant activities where they investigate, research, measure, compile and analyze information to reach conclusions, solve problems, make predictions and/or seek alternatives. They can explain how science often advances with the introduction of new technologies and how solving technological problems often results in new scientific knowledge. They should describe how new technologies often extend the current levels of scientific understanding and introduce new areas of research. They should explain why basic concepts and principles of science and technology should be a part of active debate about the economics, policies, politics and ethics of various science-related and technology-related challenges.

Students need grade-level appropriate classroom experiences, enabling them to learn and to be able to do science in an active, inquiry-based fashion where technological tools, resources, methods and processes are readily available and extensively used. As students integrate technology into learning about and doing science, emphasis should be placed on how to think through problems and projects, not just what to think.

Technological tools and resources may range from hand lenses and pendulums, to electronic balances and up-to-date online computers (with software), to methods and processes for planning and doing a project. Students can learn by observing, designing, communicating, calculating, researching, building, testing, assessing risks and benefits, and modifying structures, devices and processes – while applying their developing knowledge of science and technology.
Most students in the schools, at all age levels, might have some expertise in the use of technology, however K-12 they should recognize that science and technology are interconnected and that using technology involves assessment of the benefits, risks and costs. Students should build scientific and technological knowledge, as well as the skill required to design and construct devices. In addition, they should develop the processes to solve problems and understand that problems may be solved in several ways.

Rapid developments in the design and uses of technology, particularly in electronic tools, will change how students learn. For example, graphing calculators and computer-based tools provide powerful mechanisms for communicating, applying, and learning mathematics in the workplace, in everyday tasks, and in school mathematics. Technology, such as calculators and computers, help students learn mathematics and support effective mathematics teaching. Rather than replacing the learning of basic concepts and skills, technology can connect skills and procedures to deeper mathematical understanding. For example, geometry software allows experimentation with families of geometric objects, and graphing utilities facilitate learning about the characteristics of classes of functions.

Learning and applying mathematics requires students to become adept in using a variety of techniques and tools for computing, measuring, analyzing data and solving problems. Computers, calculators, physical models, and measuring devices are examples of the wide variety of technologies, or tools, used to teach, learn, and do mathematics. These tools complement, rather than replace, more traditional ways of doing mathematics, such as using symbols and hand-drawn diagrams.

Technology, used appropriately, helps students learn mathematics. Electronic tools, such as spreadsheets and dynamic geometry software, extend the range of problems and develop understanding of key mathematical relationships. A strong foundation in number and operation concepts and skills is required to use calculators effectively as a tool for solving problems involving computations. Appropriate uses of those and other technologies in the mathematics classroom enhance learning, support effective instruction, and impact the levels of emphasis and ways certain mathematics concepts and skills are learned. For instance, graphing calculators allow students to quickly and easily produce multiple graphs for a set of data, determine appropriate ways to display and interpret the data, and test conjectures about the impact of changes in the data.

Technology is a tool for learning and doing mathematics rather than an end in itself. As with any instructional tool or aid, it is only effective when used well. Teachers must make critical decisions about when and how to use technology to focus instruction on learning mathematics.

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And with good reason.

The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) tested one-half million students from 41 countries. On the science portion, American fourth graders came in third, but slipped to 17th place in grade 8 and sixth from the bottom in grade 12. In advanced science, our kids came in last.

In math, our fourth graders placed 12th, our 8th graders placed 17th, and our 12th graders scored sixth from the bottom.

It is for such reasons that the Obama administration has launched its “Educate to Innovate” campaign, focusing on improving America’s performance in these STEM subjects and gaining the support of major corporations, foundations and non-profits–even Discovery Communications and Sesame Street.

Their aim: every child. Yes, even your preschooler. It’s coming, of that you can be sure. Reassuringly, though, Temple University’s Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pacek says, “Efforts to expand preschool science teaching need not necessarily conflict with young children’s need for playtime. Science can be taught in the context of play.”

And you can support those efforts at home by doing simple experiments right there in your kitchen, starting with your toddlers and then continuing as they get older. Such activities serve to pique curiosity and engage youngsters in seeking answers, as they learn more and more about how the world works. And that’s crucial.

As President Obama has said, “Reaffirming and strengthening America’s role as the world’s engine of scientific discovery and technological innovation is essential to meeting the challenges of this century.”

As you know, science has been included in the No Child Left Behind testing mandate since the 2007-08 school year. And now with “Educate to Innovate,” there’s an even stronger push to engage all of our students in thinking deeply and critically in STEM subjects, boosting our international standing and informing our kids about careers in related fields–opening up possibilities for girls, as well as boys.

According to the National Science Foundation, while women make up 46% of the American workforce, they hold only 25% of the jobs in engineering, technology, and science.

Helping to change those numbers is the stated purpose of the non-profit organization Expanding Your Horizons, which says it is “encouraging young women to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers.” To that end, EYH coordinates 85 hands-on math and science conferences annually-and one is sure to come your way.

For instancee, open to middle school girls, an Expanding Your Horizons conference will be held on March 20th at Swarthmore College. “All workshops are led by female role models who not only have a deep knowledge of the topics they teach, but also serve as positive examples of successful women in technical fields… Our conference is perfect for girls who have already discovered a passion for math or science, but it is also a great opportunity to reach those who may be beginning to lose interest in these typically male-dominated fields. We hope you or the special young women in your life will consider spending a day learning and discovering with us.” Average cost to participants: only $10.65.

Meanwhile, Wilkes University has received a $2.9 million Pennsylvania Department of Education grant to train middle-level teachers from five counties in math and science, including those in Montgomery County’s Springford, Upper Perkiomen, and Perkiomen Valley school districts. This specialized program integrates content with teaching skills, thus enhancing our students’ classroom experience in these core subjects–and the timing couldn’t be better.

Says John Holdren, Obama’s science advisor and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, “America needs a world-class STEM workforce to address the grand challenges of the 21st century, such as developing clean sources of energy that reduce our dependence on foreign oil and discovering a cure for cancer.”

Carol is a learning specialist who worked with middle school children and their parents at the Methacton School District in Pennsylvania for more than 25 years and now supervises student teachers at Gwynedd-Mercy College. Along with the booklet, 149 Parenting School-Wise Tips: Intermediate Grades & Up, and numerous articles in such publications as Teaching Pre-K-8 and Curious Parents, she has authored three successful learning guidebooks: Getting School-Wise: A Student Guidebook, Other-Wise and School-Wise: A Parent Guidebook, and ESL Activities for Every Month of the School Year. Carol also writes for examiner.com; find her articles at http://www.examiner.com/x-6261-Montgomery-County-Wise-Parenting-Examiner For more information, go to http://www.schoolwisebooks.com or contact Carol at carol@schoolwisebooks.com.

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Effect of giant collision

This broadly accepted model, known as the nebular hypothesis, was first developed in the 18th century by Emanuel Swedenborg, Immanuel Kant, and Pierre-Simon Laplace. Its succeeding development has interwoven a variety of scientific disciplines as well as astronomy, physics, geology, and planetary science. Since the dawn of the space era in the 1950s and the discovery of extrasolar planets in the 1990s, the models have been both challenged and refined to account for latest observations.

The Solar System has evolved considerably since its earlier formation. Many moons have formed from circling discs of gas and dust around their parent planets, while other moons are believed to have formed separately and later been captured by their planets. Still others, as the Earth’s Moon, may be the effect of giant collisions.

Planetary migration of Solar System

Collisions between bodies have occurred continually up to the present day and have been middle to the evolution of the solar system. The positions of the planets often shifted, as well as planets have switched places. This planetary migration now is supposed to have been responsible for much of the Solar System’s early evolution.

Approximately 5 billion years, the Sun will cool and expand outward to many times its current diameter (becoming a red giant), previous to casting off its outer layers as a planetary nebula, and leaving behind a planetary corpse known as a white dwarf. In the far-away future, the gravity of passing stars step by step will whittle away at the Sun’s retinue of planets. Some of the planets will be destroyed, others ejected into interstellar space. Eventually, more than the course of trillions of years, it is probable that the Sun will be left alone with no bodies in orbit around it.

John Battelle is an expert author, who is presently working on the site Earth Solar System. He has written many articles in various topics. For more information about International Space Station. Visit our site Moon and Mars.

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Inquiry Based Teaching and Learning

If you are looking for K-12 science lesson plans, web resources, and references to support inquiry based teaching and learning, you have probably found this search difficult. Like other web resources it takes time to surf the web and find them. What is needed is a directory of science inquiry based resources categorized into topics that support K-12 science teaching and learning. What is needed is for someone to do this for you.

Directory resources that are most valuable to K-12 science educators include lesson plans, assessment guides, curriculum guides, standards guidelines, search engines for science, and more. Also there is a need for online resources that support all science content areas.

Teaching Science using Technology

There are many types of technology strategies for teaching K-12 science. These include the use of web resources, online simulators, WebQuests, real-time data bases, online interactive websites, and many more options. A website that provides a directory of a wide variety of web based resources is very helpful to K-12 educators.

This type of website would be used to support their teaching strategies. Actively engaging students in learning, instead of being passive learners. You can take students on virtual field trips to places all over the world: zoos, volcanos in other countries, and more.

Additional Resources

Other K-12 online science education resources needed by teachers and parents include access to journals, current science news topics, and online science teaching research books. One particular resource that is needed is a guide for recommended reading books to support science at all grade levels. Reading is stressed even more today to meet state and national education requirements and an online resource would help educators save time trying to find books that meet content standards.

Because of the emphasis on standards and testing today, teachers do want to go to a website that waste their time. All resources need to be pre-screened to ensure that they meet national science standards’ guidelines for teaching science using inquiry based practices. Also, that the technology based resources on the website meets national technology and science standards.

A directory that has updated links is especially important to provide resources. Teachers and parents are tired of going to science directories that are full of dead links. It wastes their time and frustration sets in, because more valuable time has been wasted.

What is needed is an online science education resource website that is specifically designed for K-12 science educators and home schooling parents.

Science Inquiry and Technology website: http://www.science-inquiry.org

Technology and Writing Blog: http://drwetzel.wordpress.com

David R. Wetzel, Ph.D. – Currently a FreeLance Writer, Retired Science Education University Professor and Public School Science Teacher.

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In the internet we can find various resources dedicated to learning. But since the information remain disorganized, finding those resources even with the power Search Engine giants like Google becomes a difficult task. There are thousands of books and guides, tutorials and blogs. However, whether they contain casual information or personal thoughts or educational valued information cannot be predicted. Nowadays, education can be availed online, and of course you can learn both formally and informally. For a formal online education, you can do this by signing up for an online course offered by various universities.

These online course, are as usual as offline courses, been taught by professors in their respective fields. You will get access to lectures in the field you have chosen ranging from Engineering, Science and Technology, Health etc., You can also opt for levels ranging from certificate courses to Masters and obviously these are paid services.

However, recently top universities have started offering their courses online for free. This means anybody whether a housewife or aged parent can sign-up for those courses for free. There is no restriction of eligibility or a time-table to study. You can learn at your own pace and of course at your convenient times. Only thing required is an inquisitive to learn and accessibility to Internet Service.All human beings are endowed with capabilities to learn, improve and progress.The basic concept behind these educational offerings is that educational opportunity is a mechanism to attain that capacity.

OpenCourseWare is a free and open digital publication of high quality education materials. These materials are organised as courses. Some universities term it as OpenLearningInitiative. OpenCourseWare Consortium was established which has collaborated with more than 200 universities around the world, creating a broad educational content.Open and Free courses are freely available online courses and course materials that enact instruction for an entire course in an online format. Some of the Top-notch universities that are offering such free online education.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Open Course Ware (OCW) – MIT

Utah State Open Course Ware (OCW) – USU

Carnegie Mellon University Open Learning Initiative (OLI)

Apart from these universities, Open Educational Resources (OER) which are not affiliated to any of the above educational institutions have also taken the initiative to link teaching and learning resources to you. One such OER is oercommons. They offer new way to engage with learning content.

Conclusion

Whether it is an OCW or OLI course or something provided by OER, they do not offer a formal certification after passing the tests at the end of each course, you have joined. You will not earn credits either. Practically, you will be spending hours of your precious time studying these freely offered online courses, just to note an increased Internet Bills. But possibly, you have learnt something which interested you and which you were not able to learn before. Though there is a lot of criticisms about these Free Online Courses, I would like to end it up saying that the time you spent to learn is more better than wasting your time at game parlors or some leisurely places. So, give a tryout to these free online courses and you have enormous topics to learn and you can learn plenty.

Indusekar, the author of this Article is an aspiring Affiliate Marketer from Chennai, India. Visit the Reviews of Top 30 CPA Affiliate Networks Affiliate Networks and Affiliate Programs Directory

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