Image: Drummer Jason Barnes with his robotic drumming hand

Technology

8 minute lesson

When Robotics and Music Collide!

Can robots really make music? The musician Jason Barnes would probably say yes, and then blow you away with his cyborg drumming hand. Here’s his story and how music and robots are colliding!

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Image: Hubble deep field image of deep space

Culture

6 minute lesson

Peering into Space: The Image that Changed Everything

Can an image change the way we think about ourselves? In 1996 an image that looked deep into space did! This is the story of the Hubble Deep Field image and how it changed the way we think about our place in the universe.

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Image: Purple crystal nano-flowers the size of a human hair

Math

5 minute lesson

Combining Geometry, Science, and Art to Create Crystal Nanoflowers

The natural world is filled with the beauty of geometry. Meet some scientists using chemistry to create crystal nanoflowers that push the limits of nature and explore new frontiers of science.

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Image: The first user of this device, Ian, hitched up to the sensors and using the computer

Health

7 minute lesson

NeuroLife Is Rebuilding Brains!

Ian Burkhart and the folks at NeuroLife are reconnecting brain to body even after the debilitating effects of a spinal injury.

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Image: Astronaut waving at camera above earth

Engineering

5 minute lesson

Astronaut Chic: Space Suits!

When astronauts leave Earth’s protective atmosphere, they need a little help from a space suit to keep them safe from the dangers of space

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Image: Tilly Lockey at the SingularityU The Netherlands Summit in 2016 with her bionic arm

Technology

5 minute lesson

Making People Into Superheroes with an Amazing Arm!

Open Bionics is creating open source bionic arm technology! The Hero Arm changes lives, looks cool, and is available to anyone with a 3D printer!

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Dragonfly wing closeup

Engineering

7 minute lesson

Biomimicry: Letting Nature Be the Teacher!

Biomimicry is taking inspiration from the elegant simplicity of nature’s design. Human technology that imitates the natural world works better!

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a child wearing virtual reality glasses

Technology

11 minute lesson

Bring Your Friends into Virtual Reality!

At the University of Illinois-Chicago, engineers are changing the way we experience virtual reality by making it a group experience!

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Image: Plant floating in the International Space Station Above Earth

Engineering

7 minute lesson

Did You Know We Can Garden in Space?

Gardening in space could be the key to living on other planets! Here’s how astronauts on the International Space Station are growing some of the first plants in space.

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Image: Colorful cross section slide of a Triceratops frill

Science

9 minute lesson

Seeing Dinosaurs from the Inside Out

Scientists are able to learn more about the lives of dinosaurs than ever before because they can look inside their bones! Look at these amazing discoveries…

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Image: Womans face painted in colors. Eyes peeking through fingers.

Technology

8 minute lesson

Helping the Blind See With Their Tongues

The BrainPort V100 is making it possible for people without sight to navigate the world better…by using their tongues.

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Image: Drones lighting up the sky with blue streaks

Arts

3 minute lesson

Drones Ignite a Creative Spark

Can you make art with drones? The performance of Drone 100 tells us yes. Take a look at this remarkable combination of technology and art.

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Image: Vintage photo of women programming ENIAC, one of the first programmable computers

Heroes

7 minute lesson

The Very Human Origins of the Modern Computer

The human computers responsible for modern computing are some of the great people lost to history. Here’s how they are inspiring a new generation of coders!

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History

8 minute lesson

The Playful History of Innovation

Necessity isn’t always the mother of invention, the history of innovation may be much more playful than we think!

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