Science is ...umm...important.

... and we have an...um...close? no... amicable? no... distant? closer...respectfully disinterested and slightly resentful but grateful relationship.  I mean, I'm thankful for the internet and cameras and medicine and airplanes and all, but would I like to talk about molecules?  pass.  One of the worst days of my life was one summer when I looked up into the beautiful blue sky and told my dad that I would love to bounce on the fluffy clouds.  He replied that you can't bounce on clouds because they're made of water molecules and look like fog when you reach them.  Fog?  No bouncing?  The nerve! He broke my heart. Another bad day was when I asked my dad where wind comes from.  He proceeded to explain that the warm air rises and the cold air...zzzzzzzzzzzz.  That's not magical at all.  I've taken some science classes in my day, but certainly not more than I needed to graduate.  I even married a chemist to balance out the gene pool for my posterity, but that doesn't mean I have to like it or talk about it, right?

So on to motherhood.  I have made little to no contributions to my children's scientific education.  Thanks to their dad, one would hardly notice that they hail from a science delinquent mothered home.  And after the last couple of years, if you count my bumped up science fair attendance hours, I could be labelled as downright supportive.

Ah, science fair.  This is an event that all potential mothers, I'm talking any female 3 yrs. old and older, need to start planning for your future.  Sooner than you know, your darling will come home to you and say, "What should I do for science fair?  I need to have my outline by Friday."  When you hear this you will want to fly to Fiji, but thanks to my warning you will not, because you have prepared.  You have written every science question you've ever had in your life in your journal on a special page.  "Does red clay come out of clothes better with a pre-soak?  Does rock music affect plant growth?  Does Orville Redenbacher popcorn really yield more pops?"   Only your questions will be better, because you like to think about science.  And you can happily make suggestions for your children to pique their interest.  It will be a rewarding and fascinating journey.  A lot like mine.

If you need some ideas to get started here are some projects that Stoker children have submitted.  My first born studied propulsion.

The next year he and his partner used dry ice to make rootbeer.  It was more of a demonstration than a study and did not score as well with the judges, but it was a hit with the kids.

Subsequent projects have involved crystals, a tornado demonstrated in connected pop bottles, reflex, depression and weather, ice, weight of air, home-made soap, evaporation of salt water, and  electromagnetic force.

In our current school the science fair participants are older, and I found that I didn't hardly need to get involved at all.  My daughter and her partner, who are both musicians, worked together on a project last year that studied the effect of wind speed on the frequency of sound.  It sounded cool and most of the work was done at Rebecca's friend's house and Rebecca doesn't whine about homework so the whole process didn't even cause a blip on my radar.  (That sounded scientific, right?)  We went to the event, (we had to pick up the poster after all) and found that the project had received a first place ribbon and would be moving on to the county level.  Those little girls ended up going all the way to state.

The judges suggested doing the study again and maybe asking Georgia Tech to help.  Then  each of the girls went to a different high school and Hannah convinced Rebecca that Rebecca should continue on with the study.  Little Rebecca spent time on the phone talking to professors at Georgia Tech, but they didn't think she needed to use their lab.  So her dad hooked up the air compressor, (last year they used a leaf blower) and she ran the test again.  By the way, the hypothesis is that the wind effects frequency of sound and changes the pitch as to make music altered on a windy day.  Once again she received positive data and put it together on the required tri-fold.  Once again she competed all the way to the state level.  She received a 3rd place ribbon in her division and can I say that I was very proud?

As one would imagine, this high level scence fair scene is a little out of my comfort zone but it was educational.  For one thing, picture 200 high school kids in a crowded room for one hour with nothing to do but watch Bill Nye the Science guy reruns.  I though maybe someone would bust out a rebellion, or start throwing things or yelling (that's kind of what I wanted to do) but no.  This is regional science fair, people.  The students did not get here because they are stupid or rowdy.  They were doing their homework.

These students to the left were having a little physics convo.

The girls on the right were working on their English

Then we went to the State Science Fair in Athens, GA, home of the dawgs.  Since Rebecca and I had spent 2 days there last year, we had seen the historical buildings, shopped the hip downtown and toured campus a bit. This time we dropped off the project, ran a few errands, grabbed lunch and avoided the parents and teachers of the 600+ students who had infiltrated Athens. Then I dropped little girl off for her interviews.  She was not stressed at all, and if she's not worried I don't have to worry, unless I want to.  Five and a half hrs. later I picked her up and we headed home for the night.

The only picture I have of Friday.
"Oh, I forgot to take your picture.  Hold still."

 Saturday we drove back for the public showing and awards.  Last year I talked to a lot of students about their research.  This year I went around looking at the boards and saw that there is a new method that uses power point. The student can produce headings and tables and fit them to the size they need.  They take it to a print world or whatever and have them print it glossy or matte on a big poster that is just taped to the tri-fold board.  You're welcome.

Anyway, I worry a lot about children and education and if they are applying themselves enough.  After walking the state science fair aisles, I'm happy to report that there are some committed, capable, and confident students out there who are thinking about big ideas and using their talents to make good things happen.  

As for my daughter and her future in science, she said, "Okay.  I've experienced that.  I don't need to do it again.   It's music all the way."  Of course I don't blame her, but there goes our dream of the "Hannah-Rebecca Postulate" printed in college text-books everywhere.  And by the way, a piano tuner came by and said, "You're right you know.  It does make a difference."  

The End

What scientists do when they're not talking about their project.  Science homework.

The grand event

H2O
(What kind of a blogger would I be if I didn't take a picture of the refreshments?)