http://www.smete.org Newest 10 learning objects added at SMETE.ORG http://www.smete.org/smete/public/learning_objects/summary/?lo=F229F9F2-3310-4523-856F-768E1136B699 "On September 18, 2006, Anousheh Ansari captured headlines around the world by becoming the first female private space explorer. Anousheh earned a place in history as the fourth private explorer to visit space and the first astronaut of Iranian descent. Anousheh is a serial entrepreneur and cofounder and chairman of Prodea Systems, a company that will unleash the power of the Internet to all consumers and dramatically alter and simplify consumers' digital-living experience. Prior to founding Prodea Systems, Anousheh served as cofounder, CEO, and chairman of Telecom Technologies, Inc. The company successfully merged with Sonus Networks, Inc., in 2000. Anousheh immigrated to the United States as a teenager and did not speak English. She ultimately earned a bachelor's degree in electronics and computer engineering from George Mason University, followed by a master's degree in electrical engineering from George Washington University. She has an honorary doctorate from the International Space University. She is currently working toward a master's degree in astronomy from Swinburne University. She believes the key to a better future for humankind is in the hands of our young generation, and that it is up to us to provide them with the right tools, through education and through being good role models.'" Sat, 05 May 2012 16:06:18 GMT Unknown http://www.smete.org/smete/public/learning_objects/summary/?lo=F229F9F2-3310-4523-856F-768E1136B699 Unknown 2012-05-05T16:06:18Z http://www.smete.org/smete/public/learning_objects/summary/?lo=69976FCD-E8AC-4896-8352-242ED7AE131A ASEE publishes the leading data on engineering colleges in the United States including both individual college statistics and national trends. This data is published annually in the Profiles of Engineering Colleges book sent to all ASEE deans and available online. Wed, 02 May 2012 00:28:29 GMT Unknown http://www.smete.org/smete/public/learning_objects/summary/?lo=69976FCD-E8AC-4896-8352-242ED7AE131A Unknown 2012-05-02T00:28:29Z http://www.smete.org/smete/public/learning_objects/summary/?lo=824580DC-853F-49B2-90E7-31944915DCC3 National Academies workshop report. Abstract: "Evolution is the central unifying theme of biology. Yet today, more than a century and a half after Charles Darwin proposed the idea of evolution through natural selection, the topic is often relegated to a handful of chapters in textbooks and a few class sessions in introductory biology courses, if covered at all. In recent years, a movement has been gaining momentum that is aimed at radically changing this situation. On October 25-26, 2011, the Board on Life Sciences of the National Research Council and the National Academy of Sciences held a national convocation in Washington, DC, to explore the many issues associated with teaching evolution across the curriculum. Thinking Evolutionarily: Evolution Education Across the Life Sciences: Summary of a Convocation summarizes the goals, presentations, and discussions of the convocation. The goals were to articulate issues, showcase resources that are currently available or under development, and begin to develop a strategic plan for engaging all of the sectors represented at the convocation in future work to make evolution a central focus of all courses in the life sciences, and especially into introductory biology courses at the college and high school levels, though participants also discussed learning in earlier grades and life-long learning. Thinking Evolutionarily: Evolution Education Across the Life Sciences: Summary of a Convocation covers the broader issues associated with learning about the nature, processes, and limits of science, since understanding evolutionary science requires a more general appreciation of how science works. This report explains the major themes that recurred throughout the convocation, including the structure and content of curricula, the processes of teaching and learning about evolution, the tensions that can arise in the classroom, and the target audiences for evolution education." Tue, 01 May 2012 22:05:39 GMT Unknown http://www.smete.org/smete/public/learning_objects/summary/?lo=824580DC-853F-49B2-90E7-31944915DCC3 Unknown 2012-05-01T22:05:39Z http://www.smete.org/smete/public/learning_objects/summary/?lo=EA20FE7F-E0F1-4205-B1C8-B74046885299 Clever infographic of carbon footprint, in the shape of a footprint. "Originally conceived as one of my Myth Buster information graphics for Newsweek's International Edition, a piece on global carbon emissions showing both national and per capita data has found a home in the April issue of the Atlantic Monthly. The image of a footprint is composed of circles sized relative to the carbon emissions of each nation and color coded according to region. In the final version of this information graphic there will be a second footprint of per capita emissions by nations. That will be a very different picture. The leader in per capita emissions is Gibraltar followed by the Virgin Islands. The U.S. drops down to number twelve and China falls way down the list due to its large population. It appears that countries that don't grow or produce much have the largest footprint because they have to import almost everything they need." Sun, 22 Apr 2012 21:20:12 GMT Unknown http://www.smete.org/smete/public/learning_objects/summary/?lo=EA20FE7F-E0F1-4205-B1C8-B74046885299 Unknown 2012-04-22T21:20:12Z http://www.smete.org/smete/public/learning_objects/summary/?lo=1E277E9F-9E6F-401D-9071-830DC6BFCC94 YouTube video: The braking mechanism that limits the speed of the wind turbine broke during a storm in Denmark. Tue, 17 Apr 2012 19:04:28 GMT Unknown http://www.smete.org/smete/public/learning_objects/summary/?lo=1E277E9F-9E6F-401D-9071-830DC6BFCC94 Unknown 2012-04-17T19:04:28Z http://www.smete.org/smete/public/learning_objects/summary/?lo=15C8F112-EB22-4C77-AA25-440DD76CF047 YouTube video. "This is a demonstration called the rubber band heat engine. As the name suggests, you take rubber bands, apply heat to them and they do work for you... just not terribly much of it. But its interesting nonetheless." Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:47:06 GMT Unknown http://www.smete.org/smete/public/learning_objects/summary/?lo=15C8F112-EB22-4C77-AA25-440DD76CF047 Unknown 2012-04-17T15:47:06Z http://www.smete.org/smete/public/learning_objects/summary/?lo=41B5991B-EB71-4D3A-8085-43CC9B8849D3 Video from Scientific American: Temperature can dramatically change the properties of materials, as Yale University's Ainissa Ramirez shows. "The iceberg wasn't the only culprit in the Titanic's sinking. In this edition of Science Xplained, materials scientist Ainissa Ramirez of Yale University demonstrates how the metal rivets that held the ship together became brittle in the frigid waters and broke apart on impact with the iceberg, likely contributing to the enormity of the tragedy." Tue, 17 Apr 2012 01:39:55 GMT Unknown http://www.smete.org/smete/public/learning_objects/summary/?lo=41B5991B-EB71-4D3A-8085-43CC9B8849D3 Unknown 2012-04-17T01:39:55Z http://www.smete.org/smete/public/learning_objects/summary/?lo=4CB9BD8A-A1BF-432F-9B2C-E54934F13764 Abstract: "YouTube Fridays devotes a small fraction of class time to student-selected videos related to the course topic, e.g., thermodynamics. The students then write and solve a homework-like problem based on the events in the video. Three recent pilots involving over 300 students have developed a database of videos and questions that reinforce important class concepts like energy balances and phase behavior. A set of example problems and videos are presented from a sophomore level engineering thermodynamics course and a sophomore level material and energy balances course. Student evaluations found a vast majority (79%) of the students felt better at relating real world phenomena to thermodynamics from participating in YouTube Fridays. Overall, YouTube Fridays is a student led activity that provides practice of problem solving on open-ended, course related questions." Citation: ASEE, Advances in Engineering Education, Winter 2012, Vol. 3 (1). Mon, 16 Apr 2012 23:06:34 GMT Unknown http://www.smete.org/smete/public/learning_objects/summary/?lo=4CB9BD8A-A1BF-432F-9B2C-E54934F13764 Unknown 2012-04-16T23:06:34Z http://www.smete.org/smete/public/learning_objects/summary/?lo=F764197C-8ABB-4ADB-817D-96952B34CC9F Engineering Pathway's "today in history" blog for April 15. Excerpt: "Today in History - April 15, 1912 - The Titanic sinks after colliding with a massive iceberg three hours earlier. There were over 2,200 passengers and crew aboard for her maiden voyage from England to the United States. Only 705 survived. At the time of her construction it was the largest ship every built and the builders claimed the ship to be the safest ship in the world - so what went wrong? On September 1, 1985, oceanographer Bob Ballard and his crew found the wreckage of the Titanic about 350 miles southeast of the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. Since then several expeditions have uncovered fragments of the ship that have been used to reconstruct and perform a forensic investigation of what actually happened. There are many theories and some claim that if only one of these operational or engineering failures had not occurred the Titanic would not have sunk. Engineering student Vicki Bassett does a good job of summarizing the many theories the Virginia Tech's Engineering Review. My colleague Roger McCarthy has an interesting video of his perspective from a failure analysis conducted by Exponent. His video from the History Channel points to the low quality of the steel and the substandard rivets." Mon, 16 Apr 2012 16:39:27 GMT Unknown http://www.smete.org/smete/public/learning_objects/summary/?lo=F764197C-8ABB-4ADB-817D-96952B34CC9F Unknown 2012-04-16T16:39:27Z http://www.smete.org/smete/public/learning_objects/summary/?lo=C4EF95AB-9C38-4F18-895F-F168B4FA4CC7 Paper published in Virginia Tech's Undergraduate Engineering Review. Abstract: "On April 14, 1912, the R.M.S. Titanic collided with a massive iceberg and sank in less than three hours. At the time, more than 2200 passengers and crew were aboard the Titanic for her maiden voyage to the United States. Only 705 survived. According to the builders of the Titanic, even in the worst possible accident at sea, the ship should have stayed afloat for two to three days. This article discusses the material failures and design flaws that contributed to the rapid sinking of the Titanic. In addition, the article addresses the changes that have been made in both the design of ships and the safety regulations governing ships at sea as a result of the Titanic disaster." Sun, 15 Apr 2012 17:48:43 GMT Unknown http://www.smete.org/smete/public/learning_objects/summary/?lo=C4EF95AB-9C38-4F18-895F-F168B4FA4CC7 Unknown 2012-04-15T17:48:43Z