So I am watching my Tivo’ed episode of 7th Heaven from last night. After this week there is only one more. They kept showing a scene from the first episode and then would come back to the current. So of course, I am tearing up but why? I don’t like Eric and Annie Camden, matter of fact I want to know what denomination he is a minister in. They never mention Christ or God, I would never want to go to their church;). It hits me why I am so teary (no, not just because I am a chick;). This was one of the first shows NerdDad and I started watching when we first got married. We have gone from being newlyweds to parents of 3. 10 years later, 3 kids, it has been a long time and a show like 7th Heaven reminds us of this. You see the kids growing up into adults and it reminds you of how time has past.

This tape is very cool and very practical. It looks like it restarts every 12 inches. If not it isn’t quite as useful but with a little simple math it is the same deal. It would be neat to use in home improvement and crafts.
(HT: BoingBoing)

The Thinking Mother: 18th Carnival of Homeschooling: A Cornucopia of Wisdom is up! As usual a wonderful job was done. I particularly liked the piece on the strong willed child over at Higher Up and Further In. Not that i havce any of those;). I am still reading through the carnival, so I am sure I will be commenting on more articles later!

The Common Room: The Turtle
This was to cool! Go over to the Common Room and read all about it!

So we are always looking for ways to get kids interested in math and science. What could be better that doing that and teaching them practical life lessons. I originally found this site because it has a cool conversion calculator over at the Science of Cooking site. If you further explore the site, there are cool kitchen lab experiments. They even break down the structure of the Maillard Reaction and how to make salt sculptures. Even in the most basic issues, they deal with both the practical and the scientific. One example of this is their answer to why hardboiled eggs have the green ring and how to avoid getting it. So get your kids in the kitchen doing math, science and eating!

Here are the answers to the Wednesday feature and remember that they are not according to me;). They are according to the Star Tribune. Let me also say that Julie from Family Jules rocks because she got the most!

1. About 71 percent of the earth’s surface is covered by water.

2. The single cells in the brain communicate through electrical and chemical signals.

3. No. Dinosaurs went extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period, 65 million years ago. Modern humans did not appear until around 200,000 years ago.

4. Darwin’s theory of species origination says that natural selection chooses organisms that possess variable and heritable traits and that are best suited for their environments.

5. A year, 365 days, is the time it takes for the earth to travel around the sun. A day, 24 hours, is the time it takes for the earth to spin around once on its axis.

6. Solar radiation sunlight is scattered across the atmosphere by a process called diffused sky radiation. The sky is blue because much more short-wave radiation — blue light — is scattered across the sky than long-wave radiation — red light.

7. Rainbows can be seen when there are water droplets in the air and the sun is shining. Sunlight, which contains all colors, is refracted, or bent, off the droplets at different angles, splitting into its different colors of red, yellow, blue, etc.

8. Influenza viruses and others continually change over time, usually by mutation. This change enables the virus to evade the immune system of its host so that people are susceptible to influenza virus infection throughout their lives. Bacteria mutate in the same way and can also become resistant if overtreated with antibiotics.

9. About 3.8 billion years; they’re bacteria-like organisms.

10. Adding salt to snow or ice increases the number of molecules on the ground surface and makes it harder for the water to freeze. Salt can lower freezing temperatures on sidewalks to 15 degrees from 32 degrees.

Extra credit: Seasons occur because the earth is tilted at an angle of 23.5 degrees. At certain times of year the top half of the earth leans to the sun and therefore gets more sun and has summer. When that same half of the earth leans away from the sun it gets less light and has winter.

Here is a little nerdy quiz to take the place of the quote feature. I will be posting the answers Friday. This is from the Star Tribune in St. Paul, Minnesota

Think you know you know your science? Recently, several science gurus — Nobel Prize winners, institute heads, teachers and others who spend most of their time thinking about science — were asked, “What is one science question every high school graduate should be able to answer?”

Take their quiz and see how you do.

1. What percentage of the earth is covered by water?

2. What sorts of signals does the brain use to communicate sensations, thoughts and actions?

3. Did dinosaurs and humans ever exist at the same time?

4. What is Darwin’s theory of the origin of species?

5. Why does a year consist of 365 days, and a day of 24 hours?

6. Why is the sky blue?

7. What causes a rainbow?

8. What is it that makes diseases caused by viruses and bacteria hard to treat?

9. How old are the oldest fossils on earth?

10. Why do we put salt on sidewalks when it snows?

Extra credit: What makes the seasons change?

If you dare, post one or more of the answers (or your guess;)! I haven’t even given NerdDad the quiz yet!

I love it but what does everyone else think?

Today is Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. This is an Israeli holiday but is observed by many everywhere. This is a day in which you remember the 6 million Jews and millions of others killed in the Holocaust. There are a few places to learn more including the Wikipedia and about.com. I recommend reading up on it because the history was very interesting (ok, I’m history nerd). There is also a good editorial in the Jerusalem Post. A question you may have reading this is, “I am not a Jew, I wasn’t part of WWII, why should I care?” Well, America and the church stood by while all of this happened. There were many postns at which someone could have effected the outcome. I am not just speaking of military options. I am speaking of the heart. When I think of the extermination of the Kurds or of the outrage in Darfur. What are we to do? These atrocities happened in Eastern Europe and nothing was really said. So what can we do to prevent this terror from being revisited bu anyone. I know that we as a church can support the efforts the US to introduce freedom into the Middle East. Just today I read about an effort to send school supplies to Afgan children. I know that there are missions going on in Darfur. These may seem like little things but if we mobilize it will speak to the world governments. It causes me to think about some of the points in Bono’s speech to the National Prayer Breakfast. I just ask everyone to reflect on the reason for the holiday and to think of our roles to prevent these tragedies from occuring again. Be grateful if you live in freedom and pray for all those that don’t.

The 17th Carnival of Homeschooling is up. Go on over to the Common Room to check it out!