When my friend Akemi, mom to the awesome Maker Kid, Lucas, asked if I'd heard of Two Bit Circus, the answer was a resounding yes. They seem really cool! Then she asked if I planned on heading to their new San Francisco Bay Area STEAM Carnival. Is there a "sad trombone" emoji? College visits aside, I'll be here in Chicago for the foreseeable future, but I asked Akemi if she'd report on the event. She'll let us know how it goes. In the meantime, ... [ Read More ]
Interview with Andy Weir, Author of The Martian
When I received an offer to interview Andy Weir, author of The Martian (affiliate link), I knew enough to say yes even though I hadn't read the book. I only had a handful of hours between that offer and the interview, so when I saw my friend, science fiction lover and author Karen Smith, mention the book in a Facebook post, I offered her the opportunity and she eagerly accepted. I'm currently reading the book in preparation for this week's ... [ Read More ]
Brainstorming, STEM and Beyond with Post-it Products
When the Post-it® Brand asked me to create an original STEM activity using their products, it only took a quick look around my office to confirm that this would be a natural partnership. I received several items from the bright, new Post-it® Brand World of Color Rio de Janeiro collection, including Super Sticky Notes, Flags and Tabs to get my creative juices flowing. They worked. I set to brainstorming with the colorful products as you’ll see ... [ Read More ]
Tadpoles Develop into Disabled Frogs near Chicago
There's a lot of nostalgic talk about childhood summers in the 1970s. The kind where kids ran rampant and unsupervised throughout the neighborhood, especially during the summer. One thing I did as a kid in the Chicago area was capture tadpoles and raise them into frogs. Last year, when I was out walking Tesla one late spring day, we came upon a large puddle filled with tadpoles. I stopped to watch them for a while and later brought my niece to ... [ Read More ]
Hexbug VEX Robots You Build Yourself
When he was in elementary school, The Young Maker Teen, was a big fan of Hexbug Nano, those tiny robotic bugs that are essentially gussied up bristlebots. I recall looking at him one day surrounded by various "habitats" spread out in our basement with lots of the critters buzzing around thinking, "Wow, he's spent a lot of his gift money on Hexbugs." I'm quite certain I thought it and didn't speak it, but a few seconds later, as if he reading my ... [ Read More ]
Best STEM Gifts for Kids: 2014 Picks!
Click here for my 2015 list of great STEM gifts for boys and girls, tweens and teens. And don't miss 2015's 8 Crazy Days of STEM Giveaways! In 2015 I also created a list of wonderfully unique STEM-themed gifts for adults, many of which are produced by artisans who are also women with STEM careers. One of the joys of writing this blog is getting previews of new books and products. If they spark something in me, I share them here. I also get to ... [ Read More ]
Disney Animation’s New Movie and the Big Hero 6 XPrize Challenge
A handful of bloggers will soon be going to a red carpet premiere of Disney's latest film, Big Hero 6. I won't be among them. However, last week I got the chance to talk with two top executives at Disney Animation, Andy Hendrickson and Hank Driskill, from the comfort of home, wearing jeans and, likely, the t-shirt I slept in the night before. Clearly, I'm winning. The interviews were lively and interesting. I didn't actually ask a lot about ... [ Read More ]