LEGO Mindstorms NXT robots are being increasingly used in undergraduate courses, mostly in robotics-related subjects. But other engineering topics, like the ones found in data acquisition, control and real-time subjects, also have difficult concepts that can be well understood only with good lab exercises. Such exercises require physical…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to summarize and discuss the results from the LIVING LAB design study, a project within the 7th Framework Programme of the European Union. The aim of this project was to develop the conceptual design of the LIVING LAB Research Infrastructure that will be used to research human interaction with, and stimulate…

Techniques are developed to find all periodic solutions in the simple pendulum by means of the homotopy analysis method (HAM). This involves the solution of the equations of motion in two different coordinate representations. Expressions are obtained for the cycles and periods of oscillations with a high degree of accuracy in the whole range of…

We present a laboratory experiment for advanced undergraduate or graduate laser-related classes to study the performance of a neodymium laser. In the experiment, the student has to build the neodymium laser using an open cavity. After that, the cavity losses are modulated with an optical chopper located inside, so the Q-switching regime is…

Weekend plans...every family has them. Whether it's fishing, swimming, or simply picnicking by the river, water plays a significant role in many recreational endeavors. Encouraging students and their families to use their "scientific eyes" to explore these wonderful wet places is what Weekend Science Project is all about. Weekend Science Project…

Family science nights are fantastic, but planning one can be overwhelming, especially when one considers the already overloaded schedule of a classroom teacher. To overcome this challenge, the authors--colleagues with a mutual love of science--developed a much simpler annual event called "Lab With Dad." The purpose was for one target age group of…

An interesting, quick, and inexpensive lab that we do with our students is to tape one end of a string just less than halfway around the back side of a uniform solid cylinder m[subscript 1] and attach the other end of the string to a mass m[subscript 2] that is below a pulley (Fig. 1). Data can be collected using either an Ultra Pulley (Fig. 2) or…

Plant tissue culture is becoming an important technique for the mass propagation of plants. Problems with existing techniques, such as slow growth and contamination, have restricted the practical work in plant tissue culture carried out in schools. The new protocol using garlic meristematic stem discs explained in this article addresses many of…

The integrated absorbance areas of vibrational bands of CO[subscript 2], CO, and CH[subscript 4] gases in cigarette smoke were measured from Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra to derive the partial pressures of these gases at different smoke times. The quantity of the three gas-phase components of cigarette smoke at different smoke times…

This report describes a novel, inquiry-based learning plan developed as part of the GENA educational outreach project. Focusing on mitochondrial genetics and disease, this interactive approach utilizes pedigree analysis and laboratory techniques to address non-Mendelian inheritance. The plan can be modified to fit a variety of educational goals…

Business leaders in Louisiana cannot find the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) talent they need to stay competitive. Students' lagging performance in K-12 is a critical reason why. The good news is that the nation's most effective STEM education programs can help turn the tide. Louisiana students have made some progress in…

Business leaders in New Hampshire cannot find the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) talent they need to stay competitive. Students' lagging performance in K-12 is a critical reason why. The good news is that the nation's most effective STEM education programs can help turn the tide. New Hampshire students have made some…

Business leaders in North Carolina cannot find the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) talent they need to stay competitive. Students' lagging performance in K-12 is a critical reason why. The good news is that the nation's most effective STEM education programs can help turn the tide. North Carolina students have made some…

Business leaders in Michigan cannot find the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) talent they need to stay competitive. Students' lagging performance in K-12 is a critical reason why. The good news is that the nation's most effective STEM education programs can help turn the tide. Yet there is much work to do. Students have made…

The Tribal Marine Science Workshop has run annually since 2010. The workshop takes place at the Kasitsna Bay Laboratory, owned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and operated by NOAA and the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, near Seldovia, Alaska. It is hosted by the Seldovia Village Tribe, sponsored by the Bureau of…