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Monthly Archives: April 2010

It’s Not About the Robot

The 19th annual FIRST national robotics championship was held in Atlanta last week, with teams from Redondo Beach, CA; Milford, MI, and South Windsor, CT taking top honors. More than 500 teams from 30 countries competed. FIRST founder, inventor Dean Kamen, presented awards to winning teams, joined by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. (Obama, Kamen […]

Defense Goes on Science Education Offensive With LabTV

Yes, it’s total military propaganda. But it’s also a pretty innovative approach to getting people — young people especially — excited about science. LabTV, a component of the National Defense Education Program’s website, focuses on scientists and engineers working in the U.S. Dept. of Defense, giving teachers, students, and science geeks a look at what’s […]

The Mars Shot

Real-Life Robinson Crusoes, by Choice

The New York Times has a nice article and great set of photos on voluntary, apparently sane modern “recluses.” Who have beer and computers and stuff. (This guy brews his own for trade.)

Emergent Playground Architecture

My friend Erin at the Cooper-Hewitt museum recently showed me a video about this collaboration between nonprofit playground builder Kaboom and architect David Rockwell, called the Imagination Playground. Got a bunch of press last fall, which I somehow missed. But this system of “loose parts” for kids play looks great. Official kits are kinda pricey, […]