VERNIER UPDATE

I saw the new Go! Motion in action today at the Ohio Section of the American Association of Physics Teachers meeting, and it looks slick.

The setup is easy (plug into the USB), the cost is low ($ 99.00, no additional parts needed), and the software is Logger Lite (shown displaying the Go! Temp data below.

---

Another great science toy presented today was the World Wind software. In the words of the NASA site

World Wind lets you zoom from satellite altitude into any place on Earth. Leveraging Landsat satellite imagery and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission data, World Wind lets you experience Earth terrain in visually rich 3D, just as if you were really there. I've placed a sample screen shot below.

TECH THAT'S NOT-SO HIGH

When we think of technology, there is a tendency to limit ourselves to the high end of the tech. But, there is a great deal of science that can be best learned from low-tech applications.

Crystal radio is one of those low-tech apps. Despite advancements in radio - transistors, solid state electronics, and satellite broadcasts, to name a few, building a crystal radio provides a way for students to understand the fundamentals of communications and wave physics.

This link will take you to a page that makes an argument for including Crystal Radios into science classes, as well as including links to plans, kits, lessons, and community resources.