Allen's Science Stuff



Most recent update: 1/19/2012

Allen Marquette is the Community Education Program Coordinator at the Prince William Sound Science Center, managing the weekly community education lecture series, which occurs Tuesday evenings from September through May at 7:00 pm in the Forest Service conference room. Researchers and scientists from various agencies and organizations in Cordova and visiting scientists from outside the area give one-hour presentations on science related topics.  Allen also presents the “Sound Science and Binocular Astronomy” program on KLAM, on the 1st Tuesday of each month, about 8:05am.   The show is a call in program about what can be seen during the current month in the night skies around Prince William Sound, and also what's coming up as far as terrestrial opportunities for science education.  Often, he will also share links to information on the internet that might be of interest, and this section of cordovaradio.com is dedicated to those links, pictures, and other web resources Allen provides.

If you ever have science questions, Allen is happy to take them at 429-4444, or email amarquette@pwssc.org

Enjoy!

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Hello Everyone,

Over the last week or so, I have had over 20 conversations with folks by email, phone and around town asking what is causing all our snow here in Alaska.  If you go to the link listed below sponsored by Science by Nasa, it will explain what is happening nation wide as well as why Alaska has been hard hit this year with the white stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdUa820fT1g

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I wanted to share a short video segment with you that was made by the BBC.  A student in the marine biology class at Cordova High School discovered it on the internet.  You might want to check it out......The things that happen in nature are truly amazing!


http://gizmodo.com/5862229/this-unreal-slow+motion-ice-tornado-kills-everything-it-touches?autoplay

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If you like seeing images that space craft have taken while looking down on Earth from space, you might like to check out this recent NASA link listed below.... The image was taken at night from the International Space Station and shows the lights of several major cities in the Midwestern U.S, lightning from a thunder storm and aurora in the Earth's upper atmosphere.  If you look carefully in the upper part of the photo, you can see the underside of the International Space Station too......Allen

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=76201&src=eoa-iotd

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I thought you might like to check out this new type of 3D technology.  I did some research on this subject and this video is legitimate!  Pretty amazing technology we have available these days!  At just $5,000.00 and weighing less than 100 pounds, this could be your next printer!

Just click on the link below and start the short video!

http://www.wimp.com/functionaltools/

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For all of you in Cordova that are bird lovers, I thought you might like to check out this short three minute video about a young man that rescued an injured baby hummingbird.  After nursing it back to health, it decided to stay with him........Quite an amazing and inspirational video for young folks to see!  The link is listed below...........
 
http://www.wimp.com/babyhummingbird/

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Robonaut

The advanced space station robot we talked about on the 2/1/11 talk show




Learn more here: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/31jan_r2/

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COMET ENCOUNTER UPDATE: NASA's Deep Impact (EPOXI) probe has just completed its 435 mile flyby of Comet Hartley 2's nucleus. The spacecraft has turned its high-gain antenna toward Earth and data are being transmitted to mission control at JPL. The first raw images have just arrived and, even without processing, they are spectacular:

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Fluke Footage Catches Whale In the Act                 http://www.sciencefriday.com/videos/watch/10225
 
For years, longline fishermen in Alaska have complained that whales have been stealing their sablefish catch. A team of researchers, including Aaron Thode, Delphine Mathias and Jan Straley, mounted a video camera to a fishing line and caught a sperm whale stealing. Thode, a research scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, explains what the video reveals about whale behavior.

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Seeing Through The Eyes Of An Armadillo          http://www.sciencefriday.com/videos/watch/10249

Sam Easterson has refined the art of the critter cam. He is the curator of the Museum of Animal Perspectives--an online repository of remotely-sensed wildlife imagery. All the footage comes from cameras implanted in the landscape or strapped to the backs of animals.

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CDV HS Arizona Geology Trip pt 1------    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgusrcXQ8SY
CDV HS Arizona Geology Trip pt 2------    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9y_q6XsLHE

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Spectacular Aurora Shot!!

 Summary: Solar activity continues to increase after a two-year solar minimum that ranks among the century's deepest. The return of sunspots and a resurgent solar wind is good news for aurora watchers, who are seeing some of the best displays since 2006.

Photo by Grant Bisset was taken near Mt John Observatory, Lake Tekapo, New Zealand. 0806:24 UTC
Canon 5D, 35mm lens @ 2.8, for 20 sec ISO 1600  - "1st Aurora I have seen of this Solar Cycle".

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Field Notes audio program -- received 5/20/2010 -- CLICK HERE

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Summertime doesn’t have to mean hours behind the lawn mower, at least for shade-dwellers. David Benner, horticulturist and moss enthusiast, cut grass out of his life 40 years ago. In its place, he cultivated moss. He now has 25 different species of moss growing on his property near New Hope, Pa. Benner, whose son Al Benner runs Moss Acres, shares tips for moss cultivation.

http://www.sciencefriday.com/videos/watch/10228

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There is a new enhanced Field Notes podcast on the research that Dr Richard Thorne is doing on herring.  Please check it out and let me know if you have any questions......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4O1pNCXz36A

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Hello Everyone,

If you ever wondered just how big the International Space Station really is, you might want to take a look at this short video provided by the folks at "Best of Science", it is truly amazing....
Just click on the link below and once it starts to play, you might want to pause it for a few minutes to let it buffer.  The video won't start and stop on you if you let it buffer long enough!

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=H8rHarp1GEE

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Hello Everyone,
 
The satellite image listed below is from NASA and shows how much the oil from the Gulf oil spill has spread out over the area.  Considering how little of the oil has actually washed ashore, it looks like it will be around for a very long time.

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=44375&src=eoa-iotd

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Aurora Australis Observed from the International Space Station

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There is a great photo attached to this email of a satellite image taken over the CRD during the last big windstorm that records the combination of blowing dust and snow out into the GOA.  The link listed below will take you to the science center blog page where Dr. Rob Campbell explains a little about what is going on with a short informational article and higher resolution image of the event.

http://www.pwssc.org/news/archives/359

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