Bones of Turkana

The Leakey paleontological team uncovers a fossil in the Turkana Basin.

Bones of Turkana, the stunning new National Geographic Special, follows Richard Leake’s astonishing life and investigates four decades of exploration and discovery in Africa, alongside Meave and Louise, both paleontologists and National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence.

Robots Spark Dreams and Future Careers, Part II

Team Sparky 384

Congratulations to Team Sparky 384 from Henrico County, who joined teams from Martinsville, Va. and Raleigh, N.C. to become top winners in the 2012 FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Virginia Regional, a “varsity sport for the mind.”

With the purpose of inspiring future engineers and scientists, this year’s contest brought together 59 teams from Virginia, The Carolinas, Connecticut and Washington, DC to face off at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Stuart C. Siegel Center to compete in a two-day robotic basketball tournament. The top performers qualified to compete at the FIRST World Championship in St. Louis on April 25-28.

Join Richmond City School Students in Saving the Wood Thrush

Lucille M. Brown Middle School

What do you know about the Wood Thrush? Do you know this small bird has one of the most beautiful songs of any North American bird? Do you know how to imitate the Wood Thrush’s flute-like two note trill that sounds like a yodel? Do you know why the Wood Thrush is rapidly declining in numbers? Some very engaging students at Lucille M. Brown Middle School in the City of Richmond certainly do and they intend to involve us all in Saving the Wood Thrush.

Follow The 3 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

R3 Mascot

R3 reminds you to follow the 3 R’s--Reduce, Reuse and Recycle! R3 is Central Virginia Waste Management Authority’s (CVWMA) recycling mascot and CVWMA is Central Virginia’s Recycling Authority. Many communities throughout Virginia and the U.S. have recycling programs in place. But, recycling is just one part of the equation. Reducing, reusing and recycling go hand in hand to help us all improve our environment.

Dinosaur Train One Hour Special: “Dinosaurs A to Z”

Don’t know your Apatosaurus from your Zigongosaurus? Meet all 26 species that make up the rollicking, rock-and-roll Dinosaur Train hit song “Dinosaurs A to Z” in the all-new, one hour “Dinosaurs A to Z” special premiering Monday, May 14 at 9:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on WCVE PBS.

Thinking Like a Scientist: Answering the “Why” Questions

Do you have an inquisitive child? Do they explore the world around them? Do they amaze you with all the questions they have? Do they sometimes ask a few too many questions? Well here is a proven scientific method that will help you answer all those wonderful, inquisitive, yet sometimes draining, ‘why’ questions.

Learning through Nuclear Science

Teachers explore Nuclear Science

Nuclear science is part of our everyday lives – from the energy that powers our world to applications in medicine and food safety.

This summer, Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Engineering is again collaborating with the Virginia Section of the American Nuclear Society, and other professional societies, to conduct a four day Science Teacher Workshop on the “Science of Nuclear Energy and Radiation.” Now is the time for teachers in grades 6 through 12 across the US to apply for the 2012 summer program.

Meteor Showers and the Largest Full Moon of the Year

eta Aquarids

The eta Aquarid meteor shower will be visible in the early morning sky on Sunday May 6. The meteors are bits of dust left behind by Halley’s Comet, which last passed this way in 1986. Viewing should be best just before dawn. This shower’s radiant point doesn’t rise over our horizons until around 2:00 or 3:00 a.m. The meteors are few and far even then, but the wee hours are a time for catching earth-grazing meteors in this shower.

NOVA: Deadliest Tornadoes

Joplin

In 2011, the worst tornado season in decades left a trail of destruction across the U.S., killing more than 550 people. Why was there such an extreme outbreak? How do such outbreaks form? With modern warning systems, why did so many die? Is our weather getting more extreme - and if so how bad will it get?

First Hispanic Astronaut Hopes to Inspire Students to Achieve their Dreams

Hispanic Astronaut

Former NASA Astronaut Dr. Franklin Chang-Diàz told a story about turning hopes and dreams into reality. It’s a story the retired astronaut, mechanical engineer and physicist knows well, since his own career keeps taking off!