Month:

Recipe Ratios: Which recipe uses more chiles?

• September 9

When using recipes, determining how much of each ingredient is needed is an important task - particularly if you're making an amount different than what the recipe directly instructs! By looking at two different recipes for salsa, and using ratios and unit conversions to make them more easily comparable, we can begin to determine how much of these wonderful garden ingredients we'd need to use for each dish. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant... CONTINUE READING

What determines where leaves are positioned on branches?

• September 9

Leaves are what plants use to gather sunlight, necessary for plants to grow and thrive. This means that it is to a plant's advantage if their leaves' position is such that all leaves receive the most possible sunlight - minimizing overlaps and shadow wherever possible! Different plants use different strategies and arrangements to make this happen, though there are some common trends across many different species. By using a protractor to measure the angles between leaves, we can tease out some o... CONTINUE READING

Is it possible to measure an animal’s behavior?

• September 9

Animals have a wide varieties of behaviors, many of which can be difficult to analyze. To make animal behavior research easier, scientists use ethograms - tables of possible behaviors that they can check off as the observation goes on. The ethogram used by zoo employees to study their elephants is discussed, and ways of making use of and presenting that data investigated. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant DRL 2115393. Any opinions, findings... CONTINUE READING

Is there anything mathematical about a visual pattern like the giraffe coat pattern?

• September 9

The spots on a giraffe's coat are made up of various geometric patterns,. Each giraffe has their own unique pattern of spots; additionally, each type of giraffe has their own pattern-determining rules. Properties of these patterns, and differences between them, are discussed, as well as how these differences can be used to identify different types of giraffe. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant DRL 2115393. Any opinions, findings, and conclus... CONTINUE READING

Is there a mathematical pattern to the way that penguins use their nests in South Africa?

• September 9

The guano that African penguins use as a nesting resource has depleted in recent years; alternate nesting methods, including man-made artificial nests, are being tested out at Dallas Zoo. To track how well these nests work, the amount of eggs laid month by month must be compared to that of natural nests. Analysis of these patterns is valuable information for helping these penguins continue to survive! This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant DRL 2... CONTINUE READING

Do animals all walk with the same pattern, or are there different walk patterns?

• September 9

Quadrupeds – animals that walk on four legs – move their limbs in many different patterns as they travel. These walking patterns are known as gaits, and each type of gait can be described mathematically and compared to gain insight into animal locomotion! This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant DRL 2115393. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily r... CONTINUE READING

What is the Engineering Design Process?

• September 9

Join Katie, an engineering student at Duke, as we investigate what the engineering design process is here at Abele Quad in Duke University. Read her blog post about creating this design-themed tour here: https://talkstem.org/designing-a-tour-about-design-thinking-and-engineering-what-i-learned-while-creating-walkstemduke-unive... CONTINUE READING

How Does Design Impact Capacity at the Bryan Center Plaza?

• September 9

Duke University engineering student, Katie takes us on a tour through the Bryan Center Plaza, and shows us how design can impact the capacity of a space - particularly important when social distancing rules are in place! You can access supplementary student activity sheets here: https://talkstem.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/walkSTEM-at-DukeUniversity.pdf .... CONTINUE READING

What is a Makerspace?

• September 9

Duke University, engineering student, Katie shows us the Design Pod, a dedicated makerspace on campus. But what is a makerspace, and how can we use one? Let's discuss! Read her blog post about creating this design-themed tour here: https://talkstem.org/designing-a-tour-about-design-thinking-and-engineering-what-i-learned-while... CONTINUE READING

What Shaped the Design of the Duke Engineering Quad?

• September 9

We join Duke University engineering student, Katie as we investigate the design principles at play in the Harrington Engineering Quad, and what historical precedents those designs grew out of. Read her blog post about creating this design-themed tour here: https://talkstem.org/designing-a-tour-about-design-thinking-and-enginee... CONTINUE READING