Periodic Table with Videos

The famous chemical periodic table with each element linked to video about the element. Interesting online resource to keep handy.

Did you know?

Power corrupts

Today's 4corners on Australian ABC is about a former Federal Court Judge Marcus Einfeld who were sent to jail because of lying about a $77 speeding ticket. It seems that Marcus had a habit of lying about the drivers of his car when caught in traffic infringements.

It is amazing to contemplate how people, a judge in this case, would lie and thus committed crimes just to get out of some relatively small matter. I have met a number of nice people who changed into very nasty selfish person when put in a position of power. What corrupts people? Power? Position?

Whatever the reason, checks and balances must be in place to ensure a fair society.

Burning Mercury Thiocyanide

Mercury(II) thiocyanate (Hg(SCN)₂) is a chemical compound. It was formerly used in pyrotechnics for the long snake-like ash Pharaoh's serpent that forms when a pellet of this compound, often with a small amount of a sugar such as glucose added to serve as supplemental fuel, is ignited. This is extremely dangerous because it produces poisonous mercury vapors. [source]

Fun

That's a fun way of handling the unwelcome tele-marketer.

Walkalong Glider

Watch this to get motivated.

Want to make one for yourself. Here is how from instuctables.

This is a really simply one


The following videos demonstrate how to convert a dead butterfly into a walkalong glider. (a dead butterfly and nail polish were used.)






More info at sites.google.com/site/controllableslopesoaring/.

Play - and why it is important!

A very insightful talk on play. We should introduce more into our schools.

Along the River During the Ching- ing Festival

Click on the title of this post to view the argumented painting. Best view in full screen.

This is a very famous painting in China. This painting was originally painted, circa 1085-1145, during the Northern Song Dynasty. It was repainted during the Qing Dynasty. It measures 528 cm in width and 24.8 cm in height.

In this online version, artists have inserted three animations. Click on the small square on the bottom of the screen to scroll to the hot spot. Click on the hot spot to watch an animation clip showing more details of the time. Enjoy.

Science education view point

About 4:00 into this video, Richard Dawkins gave two insightful approaches of Science education: Carl Sagan's and NASA non-stick frying pan. Personally, I am the admirer of the beauty of the Universe. Enjoy!

Here are some photos which should be distributed widely to teenage girls

Many teenage girls are easily influenced by the images of celebrities they saw on magazine or catwalks. Here are some before and after images which should point them to a more realistic images of themselves. Enjoy.



[more]

Monkey Walking Upright

Although the following video is making round in blogsphere recently, it is in fact an old news[2004]: A monkey at the Jerusalem Zoo has been walking upright after recovering from a stomach flu that nearly killed her [see also]:


Back in 2001:

Monkeys walking on two feet have long been an integral part of circus acts. The way they waddle from side to side appeals to our sense of comedy.
Now, however, Prof. Shigemi Mori and other researchers at the National Institute for Physiological Sciences have succeeded in training monkeys to walk erect smoothly, as humans do, by working with them from the age of 2 1/2 years.
Through this research, the scientists have learned that there is a considerable difference in brain function when an animal walks bipedally and when it walks on all fours. [source]

How do you write the job description of a janitor?

While you are watching the video from TED below, take the following questions in the background.

What is the most difficult part of being a "good" janitor?
How to include the 'good' part of a janitor job into the job description?

How can we educate for a wiser generation?