Learning

Because of its universal nature, the droplet computer can theoretically perform any operation that a conventional electronic computer can crunch, although at significantly slower rates. Stanford Engineers, however, have a more ambitious application in mind. "Our goal is to build a completely new class of computers that can precisely control and manipulate physical matter." more »

Roberta McReynolds Updates: I rescued a fledging sparrow about a month ago. It had been attacked by a Scrub Jay and I literally snatched it away. Poor little thing was in shock and bleeding from her beak. I would have bet money that she was going to die within minutes. I wrapped her in a towel and warmed her up. After an hour she was still hanging in there. I found a box and lined it with more towels and tucked her inside, warming the outside of the box with one of those gizmos you heat in the microwave. She survived the night! more »

40 maps that explain outer space; For those interested in STEM education, there is much to ponder on an interesting site; Video clips accompany many of the Timeline items, bringing the history of WWI to life. The Edublogger, which serves as the community blog for Edublogs and CampusPress, is designed to help educational bloggers with emerging technologies; Companion piece to the Women's Adventures in Science biography series; Browse the Darwin Manuscripts Tree, a visual representation of his theories; Longform connects readers to new and classic non-fiction from around the web; Wix.com is one of the most popular website builders on the market ... and others. Enjoy! more »

Julia Sneden wrote: I once had the father of a 5-year-old ask me: "On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate my daughter?" When I protested that I wasn't in the business of rating kindergarten children, he persisted: "But if you were? Where would you put her?" "As compared to what or whom?" I asked. "As compared to her academic potential? Her social skills? Her satisfactoriness as a daughter? Her athletic ability?" "You know what I mean," he said. "Compared to the rest of your class, 1-10, where does she stand?" There seemed to be no point in giving a serious answer to something like that, and I gave him what he wanted to hear. "She's a 10, of course," I said cheerfully. And mentally I added: "And you, sir, are a minus 3." more »