Sam Harrelson

From Scientific American…
An international team of astronomers has discovered a new class of stars–massively compressed old neutron stars that seem inactive but for intermittent bursts of radio waves. Dubbing them rotating radio transients (RRATs), the researchers note that their isolated outbursts last for as few as two milliseconds and are separated by gaps as [...]

Sweet!
A futuristic flexible material that instantly hardens into armour
upon impact will protect US and Canadian skiers from injury on the
slalom runs at this year’s Winter Olympics.
The resulting material exhibits a material property called "strain
rate sensitivity". Under normal conditions the molecules within the
material are weakly bound and can move past each with ease, making the
material flexible. [...]

Awesome!  Velocity, balanced forces, and lots of fun!…
Link: The mystery of the skipping stone (February 2006) - Physics World - PhysicsWeb.

Sorry for the lack of posts today and yesterday!
My wife made me watch Gilmore Girls since it was Valentine’s Day (YUCK!!  HORRIBLE SHOW!!!  UGGGGHHH).  Now I’m watching my favorite show (besides Lost and Family Guy), House.  That’s a quality show.  He also wears red Converse, so he must be cool!
Anyways, good luck on the Spring [...]

Newton would be proud…
It’s a question that has taxed
generations of the finest minds in physics: do humans swim slower in
syrup than in water? And since you ask, the answer’s no. Scientists
have filled a swimming pool with a syrupy mixture and proved it.
"What
appealed was the bizarreness of the idea," says Edward Cussler of the
University of Minnesota, [...]

My cell phone and my IPod are really scratched up.  Maybe there is help on the way…
Link: Wired News: Nano Coatings Paint Green Future.
We’re actually going to be studying how this works as part of the Machines Unit!

• More people each year are killed by hippos than are killed by lions, coatis, tigers, sharks, crocodiles, impalas, leopards and antelopes combined.
• The energy contained in just one tank of gasoline, if applied all at once, is enough to lift a VW Bug into orbit.
More here.
 

It’s the first day of winter break! 
I hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoys today and Monday.  I’m going up to the mountains to do some hiking and camping (yes, I’m probably going to freeze!). 
On Tuesday, we start the machines project.  Be thinking of who you want in your group, what roles [...]

Here is a great article from one of my favorite sites, Lifehacker.  For all your projects, I urge you all to actively use our own Manning Library at Hammond (Mrs. Barron and Mrs. Hopkins are more than helpful!) along with the Richland Library (there’s even a branch just down the street). 
Enjoy your break!
http://www.lifehacker.com/software/feature/get-the-most-of-your-local-library-online-153821.php
Get the [...]

When we return from Winter Break next Tuesday, we will begin our machines.  This is my favorite part of the year because I get to see you put all of your creativity and knowledge into the construction of these. 
You have to apply what you learn about levers, pulleys, wedges, inclined planes, wheel/axles and screws [...]