Robotics researchers have come up with some remarkable things, like this self-steering drone. Now a group from Stanford University has created 1-inch microbots, called μTugs (pronounced “micro-Tugs”) that can move some really big things. The researchers started by creating a
Alison’s Adventures: Close encounters of the reptilian kind
I had a close encounter with (captive) wildlife not long ago, when my family visited the Wild Discovery Room at the Crane Festival in Kearney, NE. There were all kinds of great critters there, including eight or nine raptors (owls,
Drones to the rescue
Researchers in Switzerland have created a “smart” drone (unmanned aircraft) that can follow a forest trail–all by itself. The drones use a camera to “see” what lies ahead. The scientists used a deep neural network to program the flying bot.
Scientists discover deep-water octopod
Given how much of the world people have explored, you would think that scientists had discovered all the species out there. But new discoveries continue to happen. Take this “remarkable little octopod” discovered at 5,000 feet below sea level —
Death Valley in full bloom
Death Valley is one of the hottest places on the planet, and most of the time, it’s sandy and barren. But when rain falls, all that changes. Seeds that lay hidden in the soil (sometimes for years) burst open and
First book signing!
Last week was a huge one for me. First we got the outdoor classroom installed at my kids’ school. Then on Saturday, I had my first book signing at the Bookworm Book Store in Omaha, Nebraska–and sold out of books
New outdoor classroom–now in!
Here it is, the culmination of something I have poured my heart and soul into for the past two years: the outdoor classroom is in! I applied for the main grant for this space two years ago. That school year,
Big project underway!
It’s been a long, crazy few months, but I am very excited about a project I’ve been heading up: my kids’ school is getting a spectacular sustainable outdoor classroom. The schools is one of 30 in Nebraska that is part
Just moosing around
This is the cutest thing I’ve seen this week, because moose … in a sprinkler.
Alison’s adventures: When bees swarm
Beekeeping! It’s a great hobby. And if your bees do well (which isn’t a guarantee), they’ll eventually get a bit crowded. When that happens, they rear up some new queens by feeding eggs a special substance called “royal jelly.” (Tasty