Month:

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

How Do We Measure Slope?

  • September 9

Slope is a way of describing the way that a line or plane – like a sidewalk – changes over a distance. Using these principles, we describe the way the grounds around us were built. Join talkSTEM and UT Southwestern faculty and grad students as they explore the STEM concepts on their campus.... CONTINUE READING

What is the Slope of this Staircase?

  • September 9

We explore how to use slope, the ratio of height to horizontal distance, to better understand how stairs are designed based on international building codes to keep us safe. Supplementary Activity Guides for this video to extend student learning for K-12 grade levels are freely available here: https://talkstem.org/talkstem-activity-guides/ We invite all interested groups to reach out and find more informat... CONTINUE READING