Science

Just a few weeks ago, my wife, Jess, and I took a few days to create a long weekend in Washington, DC. Drivable within a day, chock full of history and culture, and certainly different from our everyday lives, we agreed that this was just the right place for our quick adventure.

I am one of those people who says “Happy New Year” for far too long in the month of January.  The month of February is already here, but for me, there is something about New Year’s resolutions that I find both inspiring and enjoyable.  Some people use the new year as an opportunity to make small improvements to their lives, whereas others resolve to make changes that completely alter the trajectory of their lives.  Of course, I realize that, for many, these resolutions are short lived. 

Don’t forget to look up this month to catch the rare sight of 5 planets aligning. This celestial event has not occurred since 2004, and we won’t see it again until 2041. 

Spring is right around the corner, which means the Vernal Equinox will be happening this March 20th. On this special day, the amount of daylight and darkness is nearly the same length. 

March heralds the RETURN OF SPRING--which many consider the MOST IMPORTANT event of the month! We celebrate the Vernal Equinox on March 20, 05:37 am EDT. That's when the Earth is at its point in orbit where both hemispheres (north and south) of our precious planet receive equal amounts of sunlight. What else is March known for?

It’s the coldest time of the year in the northern hemisphere, and time to think a bit about how that happens and what it means to us. Of course, it mostly means it’s going to be cold! But it also means things for our biology and for the way the earth turns. Literally.  

On Thursday, October 24, 2019, the Talcott Mountain Science Center hosted a panel discussion as part of its ongoing On the Shoulders of Giants lecture series. WATCH THE VIDEO. 

Helping our Four-Legged Friends Flourish: The New Science Behind Animal Health

In just a few weeks, students will bound out of their classrooms with unbridled enthusiasm—excited to head home and begin winter break. This weeklong holiday is a favorite for students, but what about parents? 

With children home day-after-day, many parents find themselves either playing ‘activities director’ to keep their child entertained; or scrambling to find childcare because most employers don’t offer employees week-long ‘winter breaks.’ (Wouldn’t it be great if they did?!)

Earth science by its very name has been a catch-all for geologic, atmospheric and space phenomenon.  Not a pure science like physics, this subject has been subjugated to a back seat, in the overall science curriculum and now it has been relegated to a few elementary lessons in our state standards. The very nature of Earth science, however, is happening all around us--whether it be the slow processes of rock formation, or the sudden fury of a tornado or hurricane.