27 March 2013
Posted in Our Planet, Our Universe

NASA scientists have broken the record for the smallest planet beyond our solar system! The newly-found planet, Kepler 37b, is rocky and only slightly larger than our moon at a mere 3865 kilometers in diameter. It is hellishly hot—it’s so close to its host star that it has a 13-day orbit. This planet may be tiny, but it’s making a big splash in the realms of science!

Kepler 37b’s host star, Kepler 37, is one of about 150,000 stars being watched by the space-based Kepler Observatory every minute of every day. The mission was launched in 2009 to look for Earth-sized planets positioned in “habitable zones” where liquid water, believed to be necessary for life, can exist on their surfaces. In the beginning, the Kepler team could only find large planets similar in size to Jupiter and Neptune. However, the recent success in finding small planets like Kepler 37b is indicative of amazing technological achievements.

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25 March 2013
Posted in Science Park

Orlando just got a whole lot more tech-savvy! This year, the Orlando Public Library opened their new Fab Lab, a fabrication laboratory adjoining the new Dorothy Lumley Melrose Center for Technology, Innovation & Creativity.

As proponents of lifelong scientific learning, the Orlando Science Center is excited to announce that along with opening labs for visual arts, film, digital media, graphic design and audio engineering, the library began offering hands-on technology workshops this month!

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19 March 2013
Posted in Science Challenge

They brought the science; we brought the challenge!

On Saturday, March 16, Orlando Science Center held the 2013 Science Challenge! Presented by Bright House Networks, Science Challenge encourages excellence in science education and provides an intermediate event between the county science fairs and the state science fair. Participants are the first place winners in the physical science competitions in county Science Fairs in the nine surrounding counties (Brevard, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole, Sumter and Volusia). These middle and high school students bring their A-game as they strive to win top honors.

Check out the photos from the competition!

18 March 2013
Posted in Corrosion: The Silent Menace

On Saturday, March 16, Orlando Science Center, the U.S. Department of Defense and other partners unveiled “Corrosion: The Silent Menace” during a VIP ceremony. In attendance were special guests LeVar Burton (“Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Reading Rainbow”) and Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL).

Presented by the U.S. Department of Defense Corrosion Policy and Oversight Office, this exhibit examines the natural phenomena that lead to corrosion and material degradation and intends to inspire the next generation of infrastructure preservationists.

The exhibit will be on display at Orlando Science Center through spring 2014.

18 March 2013
Posted in Corrosion: The Silent Menace

If you've been following our weekly installments about “Corrosion: The Silent Menace,” you already know that corrosion is a serious issue in the U.S. America’s infrastructure gets a report card every year, and its current grade is a D!

This problem is met with dire consequences. The corrosion that is attacking America’s infrastructure is causing more than 25 percent of our bridges to fail. 800,000 corroded water pipes are ready to burst, and these rusty pipes are leaking seven billion gallons of drinking water every day! Sadly, these issues aren't even the half of it.

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18 March 2013
Posted in NatureWorks

Have you ever wondered what your brain looks like when you think? Science just got one step closer to solving the mystery!

Scientists at Japan's National Institute of Genetics announced last month that they have succeeded in catching the thought of a young zebrafish on camera!

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