This Comic Book Shares Secrets of Everyday Hidden Systems

Artist Dan Nott joins Lab Out Loud to tell us about his new graphic nonfiction book called Hidden Systems. With the help of visual metaphors, Dan illustrates systems that we often take for granted, such as the internet, the electrical grid, and providing water. Hidden Systems reveals these difficult to understand and often hidden systems that we tend to care […]

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Read about Lindsey, the GIS Professional, in a free eBook

Our guest this week is GIS Specialist and author Tyler Danielson. As part of his work with civil engineering firm Bolton & Menk, Tyler has recently written a book geared towards helping children understand GIS in the world around them. In “Lindsey the GIS Professional – A GIS Mapping Story,” the title character Lindsey helps to explain what GIS is, […]

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Connect Students to NASA’s #LaunchAmerica with Online Resources and Activities

Our guest this week is Kris Brown from the Office of STEM Engagement at NASA. As a NASA engineer, Kris used to work with critical hardware used on numerous shuttle missions. Now, as Deputy Associate Administrator for NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement, Kris works towards creating unique opportunities for students and the public to contribute to NASA’s work in exploration […]

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The 2019 Engineering Gift Guide

Returning for a second year, we are happy to welcome Dr. Elizabeth Gajdzik and Dr. Tamara Moore back to the show to showcase the 2019 Engineering Gift Guide. Each year, Purdue’s INSPIRE Research Institute lab evaluates toys, games, and books that engage girls and boys in engineering thinking and design. Elizabeth and Tamara join us to talk about the selected […]

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Engineering Thinking and Design in STEM Toys and Books

This week we talk STEM gifts with Monica Cardella and Elizabeth Gajdzik from Purdue’s INSPIRE Research Institute. Each year, the INSPIRE lab evaluates toys, games, and books that engage girls and boys in engineering thinking and design. Monica and Elizabeth join us to talk about some gifts on the list, how they are evaluated and share some advice for educators who would […]

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Making in Cory Doctorow’s Walkaway

With the growing implementation of engineering principles and Makerspaces in our schools, we decided to reach out to science fiction writer Cory Doctorow to chat about his most recent novel Walkaway. Set in a near future ruined by ecological and technological catastrophe, Walkaway is a story about scarcity and surviving outside the default limits of societal norms. But Walkaway also […]

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Underwater Robot Takes STEM to New Heights

Fredi Lavjardi teaches marine science at Carl Hayden High School in Phoenix, where he is also coach of Falcon Robotics – an extracurricular high school STEM program that won the 2004 MATE National Underwater ROV championships with their robot “Stinky”, besting juggernaut teams such as MIT.  This inspiring story was originally covered by Wired Magazine, expanded by the same author into a book, and graced […]

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Invention-Based Learning with littleBits STEAM Set

At SXSWedu, we were fortunate to see littleBits founder and CEO Ayah Bdeir unveil the new littleBits STEAM set (watch here).  In fact, we were quite impressed to hear about their gender neutral design and see examples of students using the sets to solve real problems. We immediately knew that we had to find out more about this invention-based learning tool, so we are proud to welcome littleBits’ […]

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Episode 97 – The Focus Microscope Camera for iPad

Our guest this week is Exo Labs CTO and co-founder, Jeff Stewart. As a new startup in science education, Exo Labs recently released their Focus microscope camera and iPad App. Replacing the eyepiece on any standard microscope, the Focus camera streams a high quality image to the iPad screen where it can be recorded and shared. Jeff talks to us […]

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Episode 96 – What’s New in LEGO Mindstorms

This week we talk about LEGO Mindstorms with Caroline Hanson.  As teacher and member of the LEGO Education Advisory Panel, Caroline routinely uses LEGOs to teach her enrichment courses in reading, math, academic competition, and STEM topics to students at Aspen Middle School in Aspen, Colorado.   Catherine talks to us about her experience with LEGO Mindstorms in the classroom and gives us a preview […]

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