Stuff You Should Know
Kickstarting Space Exploration? Crowdfunding is becoming a very popular alternative to finding traditional investors. Individuals and companies with projects or products ask the public at large people for money, usually through crowdfunding websites like Kickstarter. Project creators set up an account, then choose a deadline and a minimum fund-raising goal. Projects must meet their goals […]
Stuff You Should Know
Tornadoes in Oklahoma On May 20, deadly twisters touched down in the town of Moore, Oklahoma, a suburb located near Oklahoma City. Twenty-four people were killed and more than 120 were injured. The tornados were approximately a half-mile in width and caused major damage to homes and local businesses. President Obama officially declared the area […]
Stuff You Should Know
Education Reform Marks Anniversary On April 11, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) into law. This historic education bill was part of President Johnson’s War of Poverty initiative. Johnson believed that government could play an effective role in areas such as health care and education. ESEA provided equal access […]
Stuff You Should Know
New Premier of China On March 15, Li Keqiang became China’s new premier. Like in England, the premier acts as the head of the government, while the Chinese president functions mainly as a figurehead, similar to Great Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. Unlike Great Britain or other countries that have democratic elections, China has only one […]
The Sky Was Falling! (Just Pieces of it Though.)
It was like a scene out of a sci-fi/action movie: mass confusion as the earth shook, glass shattered, and people scrambled to take cover. But for the citizens of Chelyabinsk, Russia, this situation was a recent reality. On February 15th at 9:20 am, a meteor exploded over the city of one million, located approximately 950 […]
Stuff You Should Know
Ongoing Debate on Gun Control In the wake of last December’s shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, President Obama moved gun control to the top of his agenda. He proposed a number of new gun laws, including a renewed ban of assault rifles as well as stricter background checks. Lawmakers in Washington are deeply divided on both […]
Armstrong Admits to Doping
In August of last year, btw reported that American cyclist Lance Armstrong would not contest charges made by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) that he both used and distributed performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career. Armed with more than 1,000 pages of sworn testimony from 26 people, the USADA had opened a formal action against […]
How Did We Get Here?
When was the last time you actually asked somebody for directions? While we are starting to lose the charm of relying on people (“Turn left where the Laser Tag Palace used to be”), our chances of getting where we want to be are much greater than ever before. Where the tools of cartographers (map makers) […]
It’s Your Turn: Understanding Game-Based Learning
Rhea checks the cargo hold of her sailing ship. Everything has been loaded exactly as she directed. Grain from nearby farms bulge from linen sacks. Coal, iron ore, and stone are loaded into neatly stacked crates. These goods will fetch a high price at the market town two islands to the west. Rhea is eager […]