science

It’s no secret that kids learn best by doing – by using all of their senses to explore and discover through exciting, hands-on activities that truly engage them with the material at hand.

Lots of kids love bugs, and if yours are fans of the crawling creatures, the Saint Louis Science Center has the buggy adventure for them, complete with thousands of live insects, bug cuisine (gulp), and a live insect petting zoo.

The Science Center will open its doors for an insect invasion this week with its new exhibit: Harry’s Big Adventure: My Bug World! The exhibition is a multisensory experience that immerses visitors into the world of bugs by introducing them to thousands of live insects.

When it comes to entertaining your kids on a rainy day in St. Louis, a trip to the Saint Louis Science Center can’t be beat. Even if you’ve explored this beloved local destination many times before, there’s always a new exhibit to see, or a favorite attraction (in our family, the giant hamster wheel) to enjoy once again. It was with this in mind that my children and I headed there a few weeks ago to check out the Lost Egypt exhibition currently on display.

The Saint Louis Science Center invites you to join the party celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the James S. McDonnell Planetarium with a new exhibition, special programs, laser shows and retro prices for star shows in the Planetarium.
 

A few weeks ago we reported on the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Regional Competition. Under strict rules, time constraints and limited resources, teams of 25 students built a robot to perform tasks against a field of competitors. Students from more than 40 high schools in Missouri and eight other states battled their bots at the Chaifetz Arena in March. The top performing teams not only earned bragging rights but also a ticket to the preeminent celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) at the National Championships.

Luckily for us St. Louisians, the worldwide FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Championships are being held next week at the Edward Jones Dome.

When you first hear the term “robotics,” thoughts of fun, high-spirited competitions and unique social and cultural interaction likely don’t come to mind.

That's about to change. Around St. Louis you’ll soon be hearing a lot about robotics.
 

In the mail the other day I received a letter asking if I’d be willing to sign my son up to be poked and prodded for the good of science. His clinic is participating in a study about asthma, and because he’s been treated for breathing problems a couple of times, they wanted to take a look at him.

He’ll get a free medical workup and I’ll have to answer a bunch of questions. But, because his clinic is in the control group, he won’t get any special treatment, drugs, or information. All we get (aside from a little stipend) is the feel-good knowledge that we have helped doctors learn a bit more about a medical problem that affects thousands of children around St. Louis.

If you have a baby younger than 6 months of age, you can do your own part for the good of science by signing up to be part of a control group in an autism study. Washington University is part of the Infant Sibling Study, a nation-wide look at babies who have an older sibling with an autism diagnosis as well as babies who have an older sibling who is typically developing.

The study’s local organizers are actively seeking children in that latter group, according to Beth Prusaczyk of the Washington University Medical Center.