Jurassic Friday

TERRIBLE LIZARDS: Today's recap is going to be brief, because it's getting late and I'm sick and tired.

We went to West Seattle this morning, where both of the kids are now in the computer programming class using MIT's Scratch as the platform/language.

We did some math and some reading, of course. But most of today's excitement surrounded going to see the re-release of Jurassic Park. I can't believe it's been 20 years since that movie premiered. Time flies. 

We went to see it on the biggest IMAX screen in town, at Pacific Science Center. We were a little

early, so we had a few minutes to cruise through PSC. We pretty much stuck to the dino exhibit, given the theme of the day.

Above, Annabelle reads up an apatosaurus. 

We checked out the animatronic triceratops. It looked like he was checking us out, too, with his glassy eyes.

The kids feigned fear in front of an allosaurus, a strange lizard indeed.

This guy looked like he was smiling at us (and every other PSC visitor).

The kids have seen all these displays dozens of times by now, but they still find them interesting.

The main attraction was the movie. It has held up well. Super suspenseful, and CJ declared it the scariest movie he's ever seen. Annabelle spent a good part of the show with her face buried in my shoulder. 

Tomorrow we're heading back to PSC for Paws on Science weekend. Can't wait!

And now, I'm hitting the hay and dreaming that the stolen car is returned to us.

Going, Going ...

GETTING OUR BEARINGS:  This week, we dutifully, thoughtfully and carefully listened to the lectures of University of Virginia professor Lou Bloomfield for our "How Things Work" physics class through Coursera. The topic has been wheels, and it has been interesting and challenging.

We've learned about sliding friction, static friction and more about thermal energy. We learned that wheels are simple machines, and about differences between  how free wheels and powered get going (a front wheel and rear wheel of a bike was used to describe that). Kinetic energy was covered. We learned that frictional forces acting along surfaces are parallel to the surface, while support forces are perpendicular. We learned why sliding a box across a floor is usually hardest at the start (the surface of the bottom of the box and top of floor actually settle into each other a bit - they're interdigitated, perhaps my favorite new word). And we learned that tribology is the science and engineering of interacting surfaces in relative motion. (I think being a tribologist would be fascinating.)  Prof. Bloomfield also let us know that we can find coefficient of friction tables, which show the frictional relationship/relatively between different types of materials/surfaces.

We now know that Newton didn't write all the law of physics. For instance, there's Amonton's First Law of Friction, which states that frictional forces between two surfaces are proportional to the support forces between them (and we knew that an example involving this law would be on the test).

One of the things we learned was that though there's static friction between the rubber and the road, so to speak, and that's good, because that static friction allows you to start and stop moreso than sliding friction. There is, however, some sliding friction where the axle spins in the wheel's hub. Bearings (ball or roller, for instance), can be used to eliminate this sliding friction. But that's for more sophisticated wheel set ups than this rolling hamster or Happy Meal toy.

We also did a few computations involving W(ork) = F(orce)xD(istance), and Kinetic Energy= 1/2Mass x Speed².

I was soooooo happy when I hit the submit button on the quiz and saw that I scored 100 percent (especially considering I felt confident about three out of 10 of the answers). We all did a happy dance.

Speaking of bearings, in a happy coincidence, yesterday NASA was kind enough to email me a story about the major tune up their crawler-transporter (CT-2) has been undergoing for the last year-plus. The work was prompted by the greater loads NASA anticipates having with its new rocket (the SLS) designed to take astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit.

We read the story on their site, but all it had was still photos, like the one above, showing the whole crawler, and the one below, one showing where upgraded roller bearing assemblies were installed (in the blue circle below, both photos credit: NASA)

The photos are fine, but wanted to see the mammoth crawler in action! Fortunately, I found this neat-o time lapse video of it rolling from the Vehicle Assembly Building to the launch pad.


We also watched this short, informative video about the crawler and the people whose job it is (or was) to make sure the spacecraft get to the pad in one piece, so to speak.


IN OTHER NEWS: Christian got his car stolen today, along with his wallet and our identities. Happy Thursday.

Ponies and Particles

MALL RUN: We did something today I'm loathe to do on any day. We went to the mall (shudder, shudder). Either I'm in the minority or a whole bunch of other people forced themselves to go to the mall today, because the place (Alderwood) was absolutely packed. We got the last parking spot between Sears and Macy's.  You would have thought it was Christmas Eve.

Inside, as I watched the crowds mill around, I wondered why the place was so darn busy on a Wednesday in April around noonish. I'll never know the answer. Maybe everyone was there to check out the limited edition My Little Pony offerings at Build-a-Bear Workshop. That's why we were there, and there was a sizable line snaking through the store of kids waiting to get their lifeless ponies stuffed.

CJ and Annabelle snatched up their ponies (Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash, the only two ponies offered, but fortuitously the kids' favorites, and got right into that line. 

Fortunately, the Build a Bear staff are friendly and efficient. We didn't have to wait much longer than five minutes before it was time to bring the floppy ponies to life.

First, a friendly salesperson suggested we add chips to the ponies that play the MLP theme song (that's called upselling, right?) . Of course the answer was 'yes.' The inserts to give the ponies a heartbeat were free,' however.

Annabelle and CJ each got a turn stepping on the pedal that pumped fiberfill into their ponies. 

They (the ponies) plumped up right before our eyes.

After the ponies had theme songs, hearts, stuffing and were sewn shut, it was over to the grooming station. 

After they were cleaned and primped, it was time for them to get dressed. (Yes, ponies need clothes apparently. Gala gowns, specifically.)

Dressed to the nines, the ponies were now ready for their paperwork. The kids input the data to get them (the ponies) proper birth certificates. 

And after paying a fortune for them (the ponies), I was free to leave the store, two happy kids and two pretty ponies in two. 

Actually, CJ and Annabelle still had about $50 apiece from Christmas, so we're counting this splurge as burning those bucks up.

All things considered, the ponies are super cute, and the Build a Bear Workshop staff and set up do a nice job of making it an 'experience' rather than 'just' buying a super expensive stuffed animal. But we won't be going back there any time soon. Well, at least until August - a staffer tipped the kids off today that two more  limited edition pony would be introduced then. 

KEEPS ON GIVING: As we walked to the park tonight, I noticed a bunch of tall, bushy carrot tops sticking up from our garden. 

Those carrots just keep growing and growing. 

Which reminds me, we probably need to get some seeds started pretty darn soon!

MEANWHILE, OUTSIDE THE ISS: At 10:30 this morning we tuned into a press conference on NASA TV. The presser was news of the first Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) results. AMS is a cosmic ray particle physics detector on the exterior of the International Space Station. AMS was taken to station on the very last shuttle (Endeavour) mission, STS-134, on May 16, 2011.

CJ was super interested in the news, especially when they started talking dark matter, as he's had an interest in dark matter for years now. While the experts at today's press conference stopped short of saying they have conclusive evidence of dark matter, the AMS has spotted millions of particles of antimatter, with anomalous spikes in positrons, which certainly have their attention. AMS principal investigator Samuel Ting said, "These observations show the existence of new physical phenomena," and told viewers there would be other announcements after scientists have time to study the data further. 

If you visit the AMS Web site (http://ams.nasa.gov/), you can see a meter showing how many cosmic rays AMS has measured to date, as well as learn lots more about the spectrometer. 

There's a neat video (16 years in 3 minutes) of the AMS being built: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jcBTfTScl_M

And this video will give you a brief overview of AMS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KrAk0KmDwwE

Back at the Ballpark

 
HOME FIELD: Yesterday was the first game of the 2013 season for most Major League Baseball teams. Although the Mariners started their season on the road, in Oakland, Safeco Field was home to an open house Monday evening. My oh my, was that a bunch of fun!

As we walked up Occidental, past CenturyLink stadium and toward Safeco, it was fun seeing smiles on faces and the spring in the step of other die hard Mariners fans, all of us headed to a stadium where there weren't even going to be any ball players! We'd be watching the game on Safeco's enormous new HD LED screen in center field.

We arrived at the field just a little after 6 p.m. Admission was free, and we each got a free "True to the Blue" t-shirt, to boot!

There were no assigned seats. We chose to sit in section 146, on the third base side, so we'd have a good view of the screen.

It was our first chance to see the moved-in fences in left field, and the perimeter of the field was open for people who wanted to make a circuit 'round the field. Kennedy accompanied CJ and Annabelle on the tour.

Their bright yellow King Felix shirts made them easy to spot. Here was our view of them from our seats. 

And if you look closely, you can see them standing behind home plate, watching the first pitch of the season.

They had a great view of the batter's box from the on deck circle.

And they got to be bench warmers in the Mariners' and visitors' dugout.

The kids looked tiny all the way across the field. Here they are under the Hit it Here Cafe. Can you spot CJ?

They got to smoosh up against the outfield wall. Bet they wish they had baseball gloves and cleats on!

And here is a pic of the first pitch of the 2013 season. Go Mariners! Have I mentioned that the scoreboard's big? Over 5-stories high and wider than an Olympic swimming pool.

It was a lovely evening in every way. Sunny and unseasonably warm, the roof was open. At one point, I spotted some Ducks flying over the field. ...

We had garlic fries, of course. In fact, I Tweeted a photo of the fries, and it wound up on the big screen. The kids and Kennedy also wound up on the big screen, dancing to "We Got the Beat."

It was a party atmosphere in the stadium, with a crowd of 15,000 plus on hand, according to the Mariners. It was a bit different sitting in a ballpark, watching a televised game with no players on the field, but it was an absolute blast. We stayed until the very last pitch, and celebrated mightily when the Mariners got the win and, per tradition, "Let Me Stand Next to your Fire" blared over the loudspeakers. Good times!

We can't wait until next Monday night, when we go to the Ms' home opener and real live ballplayers take the field! 

MEANWHILE, IN THE MICROWAVE: We finally got around to an activity that CJ has been asking about for a few days now. It's called Peep jousting.

It's not complicated, you just take a couple Peeps, arm them with toothpicks, put them in the microwave and watch to see who stabs whom first.

Our only problem? The light in our microwave doesn't work. :( And so, we just stuck the Peeps in, 'waved 'em for 30 seconds and opened the microwave up to find this. ...

For those of you scoring at home, we called it a draw.

Actually, by my eye, they both look like they lost.

MUSIC MAKERS: CJ started talking about Mario Paint at about 6:30 this morning.

I can't say that I blame him, really. It's a neat-o game, originally for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). Though we don't have the game cartridge, thanks to the magic of the Internet, the kids were each able to download an emulated copy of the game to their laptops.

The game gives you a treble clef staff and a set of stamp icons that represent different instruments/sounds. The stamps are placed on the staff to create a song. It can be as simple or as complicated as you wish.

Before CJ got started, I printed out a chart of chords on the treble clef staff. He worked for a couple of hours, placing notes in the right chord combinations to make a Mario Paint version of "Call Me Maybe." He did a great job, it was spot on.

After that, he took on some Pink Floyd,and came up with a nice version of "Breathe."

Annabelle worked on a couple of songs from "My Little Pony."

They each spent a couple of hours working with the program today. Before you know it, they'll probably be producing more sophisticated projects, like this guy's Mario Paint take on "Bohemian Rhapsody" on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO_70TBTTiY

Opening Day

HOPPY EASTER:  We made a fast, rather last minute trip down to Vancouver for Easter. The weather was lovely, which helped make the drive faster and easier. 

Fun was had by all. Here are the kids striking out into the green, green grass, in search of eggs and treasures.

JOKE'S ON YOU:  This morning a friend tipped me off to an amazing new tool Google debuted today - Google Nose (BETA). 

Per Google, it "leverages new and existing technologies to offer the sharpest olfactory experience available," You can even use Android Ambient Odor Detection to collect smells "via the world's most sensible mobile operating system." Their SMELLCD™ has 1.8+ high-resolution compatible for precise and controlled odors. 

The kids watched this video to learn more: 

Naturally, they were eager to try it. They could hardly wait to smell the waffles!

Annabelle went first, but reported not being able to smell anything, so CJ gave it a shot.

Sadly, he didn't smell the waffles, either. So, we clicked on the "need help?" link. There, they suggested

If you are experiencing problems with Google Nose^BETA, please note the following:

• "418: Scent transfer protocol error" indicates system congestion; please try again later.

• Due to technological constraints, not all smells are compatible with all devices.

• Refrain from licking or biting your screen.

• Try upgrading to a modern browser, such as Google Chrome.

• It is April Fools' Day.

The kids laughed, but then they were disappointed it wasn't. real.

Later in the day, as I was checking Facebook, I came across a couple of eye raising posts from Cmdr. Chris Hadfield of the CSA, aboard the ISS. First, he shared a photo of 'space debris' they spotted near the mammoth space laboratory.

         Photo from Chris Hadfield, CSA

And then a bit later, Hadfield discovered a visitor aboard the ISS.

        Photo courtesy some astro and space agency associated with the ISS
He said the creature kept saying, "Sloof Lirpa." 

When I showed the kids, CJ thought for a moment and said, 'You might want to reverse that."

And so when we did, imagine our surprise when it spelled April Fools. :)

ROAD TRIP: We made a whirlwind trip southbound this weekend. Left home about 11 on Saturday and got home about 4 p.m. on Sunday. The pups were very happy they got to go.

MY OH MY:  Though the 'Stros and the Rangers played a game last night, today was the official nationwide Opening Day for Major League Baseball. 

Welcome back, baseball ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clRZOM4K8ws

Baseball season makes us think of Dave Niehaus, the voice of the Mariners, until he had his final "season over" in November of 2010.

Today, we went out to his burial site in Bellevue. It's a pretty cemetery  on a hill, and the sun was shining. We left a baseball and set back upright a pot of flowers which had been left by another visitor.

And this afternoon we watched some of his speech when he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame - something he was so very proud of. You can see it here: 

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=3209053&topic_id=&c_id=mlb&tcid=vpp_copy_3209053&v=3
And tonight, we went to an open house at Safeco Field. The Ms were playing down in Oakland, but the game was on Safeco's brand new, ginormous, high def LED screen. It's 1,201.5 feet wide - that's wider than an Olympic-size swimming pool is long. And it's more than 5 stories tall, with a surface area of a quarter of an acre and bigger than 2,100 42-inch flat screens placed side by side. Yowza.

Photos and recap of tonight's festivities will be posted tomorrow.

Go Mariners!