When it is hot outside you need to take care of yourself. Here are some steps to stay cool in warm weather. 1. Limit your sun exposure in the hottest hours of the day between 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. 2. You should wear colored clothing that is light-weight and loose fitting. 3. You should stay hydrated, drink plenty of water even if you are not thirsty. 4. Keep cool…
Read MoreRiver City Rodeo Robotics
River City Robotics RCR is a cool robotics challenge. The Knights of Aksarben host this event as part of the River City Rodeo celebration. We even had a real cowboy stop by and ask us about our robot planning, engineering and programming because it looked like we were having so much FUN! We are up for the challenge this year working with coordinating two CEENBoTs to do the “heavy work”…
Read More2013 FLL Nature’s Fury Game Board
Hello readers of the Academy blog! This year’s game board appears to be very challenging, with challenges representing real life natural disasters and disaster recovery. As you can see, the game board has 9 colored zones. In the top-left corner of the game board is the tree, pets, and flashlight. The objective of the tree is to knock the loose branch off without making serious contact with the electrical wires.…
Read MoreFirst Lego League Nature’s Fury Challenge
Nature’s Fury Challenge may very well be one the most exciting FLL challenges I have met so far! Just take one look at the mission challenges on the game board. There are pets we have to place with people. A plane has to come in to land safely. I have no clue as to how it will get out of there after all the debris collect on the runway. There…
Read MorePorcupines are Coming This Way!
Porcupines are considered large rodents. Porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum) have been sighted recently in forested locations along the Missouri River. The porcupine is noted for its quills and extremely long guard hairs on its back and tail. It can easily weigh more than 30 pounds and appears as big as a raccoon because of the length of the hair and quills. Their coloration is a mixture of black, white, and grey…
Read MoreI Have a Dream by Martin Luther King
On 28 August, 1963, Martin Luther King delivered his magnificent “I have a dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. Some of us may remember listening to this live on radio. Fifty years have since passed and we may recognize the significance of these words for everyone. The full text of this MLK speech: I am happy to join with you today in what will go…
Read MoreSwift Migration
This morning at dawn the sky is filled with chimney swifts on their migration south. Beauty and sadness all in one view. No more peeps from the fireplace. It is quiet out in the yard. There are about one dozen starlings perched on the power line watching this impressive exodus southward.
Read MoreBroadcom Masters Semi-Finals
We are proud of our Broadcom Masters Semifinalist! There are about six thousand middle school science projects that are judged worthy enough to go on to Broadcom Masters national science and engineering competition. The top three hundred of these six thousand are selected after further extensive application submission from all Broadcom Masters worthy submissions. Of course the competition process is quite selective. Our Broadcom Masters selected science student has made…
Read MoreIce-proof Beam Bridges
Bridges Introduction Bridges are things for transportation to go over bodies of water, train tracks, roads, and etc. There’re seven types of bridges. One of them is beam bridges. Most of those bridges that don’t have support in the middle, but they have support on the two ends. There are many others bridges, but I would just like to talk about this one. The danger of a beam bridge is…
Read MoreSaving America’s Pollinators
How to Attract Pollinators: 6 Must-Have Plants Habitat loss, disease, and excessive pesticide use are responsible for the drop in pollinator numbers. Planting pollinator-friendly flora can help encourage their return. Different flower traits attract different garden guests. Butterflies, for example, are partial to purple flowers, while bees are especially attracted to bright white, yellow, or blue. Bats prefer musty smelling flowers that release their scent at night, while pollinating birds…
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