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June 2016

Building agricultural STEAM

Close your eyes and take a moment to imagine a farm. What do you see? Do you see drones flying above fields? What about driverless tractors carefully combing wheat fields? Is the farmer using a cell phone to operate her equipment? 

While this might not be the first image that pops in your head, the face of modern agriculture is changing rapidly to be on the forefront of technology innovation. Here, we explore some of the ways in which STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics) is embedded in the lives and skillsets of modern agricultural communities.

Time & space

NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren has spent a lot of time in space – 141 days in fact. But once he got back to Earth, it felt like a dream. We caught up with Lindgren to learn more about how he experienced and spent his time in space. 

An even briefer history of time

How can one grasp time from the perspective of the universe? Carl Sagan approached this question by condensing the entire life of the universe down to one single year. So the Big Bang happened on Jan. 1, and we’re currently hanging out on Dec. 31 at midnight. The first galaxies would have begun to form around Jan. 22. It’s not until the March 16 that our galaxy, the Milky Way, forms. And our sun and our planets? Not until early September.

Art analysis

Art is a universal and integral part of life – but environmental impacts can take their toll on artwork. Acid rain can dissolve outdoor work like sculptures and statues. Indoors, air pollutants and ultraviolet light can cause deterioration and fading. 

Art conservation is the act of maintaining the quality of an artwork and protecting it from injury or decay. 

How do they do it? 

Human interaction with time

From the history of Daylight Saving Time to the mechanics of a clock, we look at some of the ways humans interact with time.

History of daylight saving time

1914-1918: World War I prompts European countries to adopt Daylight Saving Time (DST) in order to cut back on fuel costs used for artificial lighting. 

1918: President Woodrow Wilson officially implements DST across the United States. 

The science of memory

Can you remember the first time you went camping? What do you remember about it? Was it the color of the tent, the crackling sound of the campfire, the scent of pine trees? Together, all of these observations create a memory. 

Fiction vs. Nonfiction

Fiction often inspires us to explore subjects we might not have otherwise considered – but where should you start? Anythink buyer Jennifer Hendzlik shares her recommendations for nonfiction titles that will keep you engaged while remaining entertained.  

A dog's life

Research shows that somewhere between 15,000 and 27,000 years ago, dogs began to evolve from Canis lupis, the gray wolf. Why? There are a couple of hypotheses: 1) Wolves began to follow humans, domesticating themselves; and 2) Early hunter-gatherer humans caught wolf cubs, keeping them as pets and gradually leading to their domestication. 

What are you thinking?

“Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a nice girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That’s relativity.” – Albert Einstein