STEM
December 11 - December 17, 2013

Find the latest educational resources from Iowa Public Television.

Foldit: A Protein Puzzle Game
Grades: 6-12

In this video excerpt from NOVA scienceNOW, learn about Foldit, an online game in which players contribute to scientific research by solving puzzles. The objective of the game is to fold proteins into optimal 3D configurations. By identifying the structural configurations of proteins, scientists can make advances in the treatment of diseases and other problems. One of Foldit's creators describes the challenge of creating a game that nonscientists could play and take an interest in without necessarily understanding the science of proteins. In 2011, Foldit players identified the structure of a protein that helps HIV reproduce. This was a major accomplishment and will help researchers develop treatments for HIV.

The Art of Creative Coding

Grades: 9-12

Programming plays a huge role in the world that surrounds us, and though its uses are often purely functional, there is a growing community of artists who use the language of code as their medium. Their work includes everything from computer generated art to elaborate interactive installations, all with the goal of expanding our sense of what is possible with digital tools. To simplify the coding process, several platforms and libraries have been assembled to allow coders to cut through the nitty-gritty of programming and focus on the creative aspects of the project. These platforms all share a strong open source philosophy that encourages growth and experimentation, creating a rich community of artists that share their strategies and work with unprecedented openness.

Blueprint for the Brain

Grades: 9-12

How can three pounds of jelly inside our skulls enable us to do everything that makes us human? For centuries, scientists have been fascinated and puzzled by the

mysterious workings of the brain. Now, for the first time, they can re-create in the computer the shapes of every one of the billions of nerve cells that make up our brains- the component parts of the intricate neural circuits that allow us to move, see and hear, to feel and to think.

Can a Computer Read Your Mind?
Grade Range: 6-12

In this video from NOVA scienceNOW, learn about a computer program that uses MRI brain scans to decipher what a person was thinking. Correspondent David Pogue, New York Times technology columnist, visits Carnegie Mellon University to find out about a mind-reading computer experiment conducted by psychologists and computer scientists. Particular areas of the brain are associated with thinking about certain words. The computer analysis identifies what object a person was thinking about based on brain scans that show the areas that were activated.

Luis von Ahn: Computer Scientist
Grade Range: 6-12

In this video segment adapted from NOVA scienceNOW, meet Luis von Ahn, a computer scientist and a professor at Carnegie Mellon who is already at the top of his field at age thirty. Learn about one of his most successful ideas-CAPTCHA-a test that humans can pass but computers cannot, which has been used to improve the security of Internet sites. Explore how he comes up with his innovative ideas, and how CAPTCHAs have been reinvented to help digitize old books.

Aiming For the Basketball Hall of Fame
Grade Range: 5-8

In this video segment from TV411, two professional basketball players plan a trip from Atlanta, Georgia to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. Using a road map of the United States and a ruler, they figure out the distance they must travel. To calculate how long the trip will take, they focus on the map's legend and their predicted driving speed.

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