Science 360

One of my goals of this podcast is that it can be used by teachers as a resource. By learning here, you can go into your classroom and teach something new and fascinating.

In this episode, I chose to explain several things about the Moon. By listening, a teacher may be more equipped to go into class and teach new concepts about the Moon. Now there may be a need to listen to it a few times to catch everything, and you may need to take notes and look a few things up. But this will get you going and give you some ideas of what you could research further.

This is how I learned to be an astronomy teacher. I listened to others and then went off and did more research. I hope this episode helps you feel more confident to teach about the Moon!

This conversation, I believe, is essential among academics. The reason is because when it comes to science, if we really think about it, to believe that the universe sprang by chance, solely through the laws of physics, is actually a faith-based position. And I have never been one to roll my eyes at the suggestion that there is design in the creation of the universe.

I wanted to have a conversation with someone about this and I knew that Mark Clark had to be that person. As lead pastor of the Village Church and author of two books on apologetics, I knew Mark would have insights into the age-old conflict that seems to exist between science and religion.

Anyone in the field of education knows that students will challenge the facts and assumptions of the great thinkers and disciplines. So knowing that this will happen, why not include it as part of your intellectual preparation. Rather than dismiss it quickly and unequivocally, study it and be prepared for a thoughtful discourse on the very thing that billions of Earthlings consider true.

This conversation will remind teachers that there is more to knowing your content area. We teach people, real people, who have thoughts and ideas of their own. Embrace them for who they are, accept their convictions, and celebrate our similarities and differences. That would be my advice coming out of almost three decades of teaching high school science.

Mark Clark on twitter: @markaclark
The Problem of Science: https://youtu.be/0DwVIxtYj08

I wanted to follow up with my last episode with Professor Orlando Rojas of the BioProducts Institute at UBC. Although his work is cutting edge and sincerely driven by the desire to switch off of fossil fuels for the sake of our planet, I was a little concerned about the potential pressure this will add to BC's forests.

So I did a little research and grabbed a few stats off of some government websites. Then I asked for some commentary by a respected conservationist, Ross Reid. and got his take on using our forests for the manufacture of biofuel to be shipped to European and Asian markets for energy.

I think this 20 minute episode will bring a lot of thinking to a science teacher's classroom to consider, debate and research further. When it comes to energy and the economy, there are no easy answers. But I am grateful for people like Professor Rojas and Ross Reid for their thoughtful discussion and urging to move us away from a dependency on fossil fuels.

BioProducts Institute: https://bpi.ubc.ca
Nerdy About Nature with Ross Reid: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLba3-S08_eD3vTCrPPbeGA
BC Ministry of Forests: https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/
Professor Andrew Friedland: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/dc-wns061113.php
Ed Hawkins: http://www.met.reading.ac.uk/~ed/home/index.php
The Narwhal: https://thenarwhal.ca/bc-pacific-bioenergy-old-growth-logging-wood-pellets/
Global News Report: https://globalnews.ca/video/7402923/environmentalists-cry-foul-over-logging-for-biofuel-company

In this episode, I interview Professor Orlando Rojas of UBC's BioProducts Institute. This is a facility researching the many ways biomass, particularly cellulose from tress, can become not only the next great energy source, but also fabrics, filters and biodegradable materials that can replace plastic.

Prof Rojas is a Canada Excellence Research Chair and I found him to be extremely engaging, passionate about finding a path to a sustainable future and a very good teacher. It was so great to hear him talk about scientific concepts that are discussed in a high school science class. It reminds me as a science teacher of the things that I should be emphasizing. Not just chemical or biological facts, but the way these things can be the solution to many of our world problems.

This talk reminds me to not just teach science but to bring it alive by showing how it is applied to global issues. The idea of using biomass to meet our energy needs, eliminating a dependence on oil is rich with possibilities but tied to the already stressed forest resources. So understanding of the basic science followed by discussion and a healthy debate, may lead to great ideas and passionate solutions.

It would be awesome to see some of our students end up at the BioProducts Institute to further this work. In a changing climate and deteriorating environment, science teachers have an obligation to inspire our students to join people like Prof Rojas in this great work!

www.bpi.ubc.ca

Why haven't we heard from other intelligent civilizations across the cosmos? Is it just too big? Separated by distances too great? Or is something greater that bears some thought? The Great Filter.

This would be a barrier that perhaps all advanced civilizations would ultimately evolve towards. It would present a filtering system that would end their advancement and could be the reason we have never heard from them. They just aren't there anymore!

Is this the direction we here on Earth are heading? Of course, nobody knows, but is an subtle warning that may be worth considering.

I hope that this sparks your own curiosity and for teachers, I hope this is material that you can use in your classroom to ignite great discussion and further inquiry.

Each year in January, the Earth makes it's closest approach to the Sun. But that seems odd because it happens in the coldest and dreariest month of the year!

So this episode will give an explanation of this unusual aspect of Earth's orbit. Towards the end, I also give an interesting bonus fact about the Sun's special place in the sky in the month of January.

If you have any questions you'd like me to feature, connect with me on Instagram and Twitter @astrostephenson or on my website: www.astrostephenson.ca

I'm publishing a short clip here just as a promo for this podcast for 2021.

This podcast will be great for teachers. It can be a way to learn new things about space or the environment and lots of other topics...BUT...it can also be something that teachers can use with their students to spark conversation, introduce a topic or maybe inspire them to create their own content.

I'm looking forward to '21 and all the possibilities it holds for all of us in the field of education. If you'd like to contact me regarding topics you'd like to see or just to talk about teaching, you can do so through my website www.astrostephenson.ca

Please consider subscribing and sharing this podcast to any and everyone! Have a great day...

Tim

As we approach the end of 2020, I've been reflecting on my podcast Science360. I have some fun plans for the coming year that include a number of "shorts" and some great interviews lined up. I'll be covering topics like cosmology and the stars, climate change and the glaciers, future tech and the internet of things and special guest from the National Geographic lined up!

Today's episode is perhaps a taste of some of the things to come. As an avid podcast listener myself, I have developed preferences in what I listen to. I'm going to apply some of those preferences to this podcast in the new year. I think it's going to be great!

In this episode, I reference the Instagram account @pictureorganicclothing and the film they produced called Made In Voyage. I loved the message at the end of the film, basically stating that life isn't made in a moment, but in the collection of moments of life. So I copied it out and I've read it here.

Have a listen...replay it a couple of times...let the message sink in...apply it to your life.

I'll be adding to this podcast in the new year. It will be fresh, it will be listenable, it will be fun and it will be informative, thought-provoking and even insightful. I'm looking forward to it...I hope you are too!

Click the subscribe button and maybe add a review and a rating. I'd appreciate that...Tim

Made In Voyage:
https://youtu.be/nUGhtuV42Vo

This episode is the final in a three part series where I had my students record an audio of some aspect of the universe. This is after we have learned a lot of different things about space and this was their chance to be the "teacher".

This episode focuses on cosmological issues like dark energy, the expanding universe, the Drake equation, and telescopes used for sensing the vastness of the cosmos.

These students WILL teach you something and I am very impressed by the work they did for this series. I hope you enjoy what they have to say. Remember to keep looking up at the stars!

Patrick is an incredibly intelligent agriculturist working in Chiang Mai Thailand with an organization called Echo. He works with local farmers to assist them with modern farming techniques, training on sustainable practices and introduces viable crops to help them maintain their farm's productivity.

Patrick got his undergrad and graduate degrees in America as he is originally from Louisiana. But he was raised most of his youth on the island nation of Mauritius. Having also spent some time in Southern Africa, Patrick is very aware of the multitude of cultures, each having unique needs.

Patrick loves to work with people and uses his university education to put himself in places where he can support others and serve them at their place of need. It really is a great story of how he puts others needs before his own, and what is so unique about him is he is using his science platform as a way to help others.

He has great insights, just as you would expect from someone who has travelled the world the way he has. In this episode, Patrick tells us of the agricultural needs of the farmers, some of the innovative ways they are finding solutions towards sustainability and offers up advice on how others can find their own passions.

It's been said that he who serves the most, reaps the most. Patrick is a great example of this as he uses his education and scientific knowledge with a servant attitude.

Instagram: @trailstales
Echo: https://echonet.org
Study in Thailand: https://isdsi.org