There should be a lot of carbon in space, but surprisingly, it’s not always easy to find. While it can be observed in many places, it doesn’t add up to the volume astronomers would expect to see. The discovery of a new, complex molecule (1-cyanopyrene), challenges these expectations, about where the building blocks for carbon are found, and how they evolve.
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The U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) is working with scientific, academic, and industry partners across the country to find solutions, as part of the NSF-Simons AI Institute for Cosmic Origins (NSF-Simons CosmicAI), a five-year program made possible by funding from the NSF and the Simons Foundation.
OCEAN Kids vs. The Nurdles
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New Interactive Audio-Course on Nurdles in Development
Nurdles are small pellets used to make almost all plastic products and they are the second largest source of microplastic pollution globally.
You may have never heard of them, but they have surrounded you and your community. Nurdles are small pellets used to make almost all plastic products and they are the second largest source of microplastic pollution globally. OCEAN Kids brings together the expertise of Associated Universities Inc. (AUI), Tumble Science Podcast for Kids and the citizen science project Nurdle Patrol to create a new interactive citizen-science educational audio course on nurdles for students in grades 3-5.
“Each year an estimated 445,970 tons of nurdles wash up on beaches and riverbanks and can also be found near storm drains and freight train lines,” said Jace Tunell, founder of the Nurdle Patrol and director of community engagement at Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. “We’ve been working with communities, scientists and policy makers over the last six years to locate nurdles, remove them from the environment and raise awareness of the issue. We are excited to increase awareness through OCEAN Kids!”
Through funding provided by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), OCEAN Kids is creating an interactive audio-course about microplastics in their communities and around the world. Microplastics are a critical issue students can explore where they live, coastal or not.
“AUI and Tumble Media continue to develop new and creative ways to engage young learners,” said Sara Robberson Lentz, a STEM education officer at AUI and co-creator at Tumble Media. “We reach broad and diverse communities through accessible audio content and conduct research to understand the impact this relatively new media creates.”
This project seeks to raise awareness about microplastic pollution by immersing children in a journey of discovery, empathy and action. OCEAN Kids will be a standards-aligned audio course designed to increase students’ science literacy and interaction with their communities. This learner-centered audio course will be freely available online. It launches young listeners on a mission to solve problems through tinkering, investigating, argumentation and communication of core concepts. Students will be empowered to explore their own environments and come up with collaborative solutions to plastic pollution problems facing their communities.
About AUI
AUI is an independent, not-for-profit corporation founded in 1946 that specializes in designing, building and managing cutting-edge research facilities and the development and implementation of innovative approaches to education, outreach and workforce development. Currently, AUI manages two U.S.-funded research and development centers: The National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and the Green Bank Observatory (GBO). NRAO is the North American partner in the management of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile. In addition, NRAO includes the Very Large Array (VLA), and the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), and GBO is home to the 100-meter Green Bank Telescope.
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Astronomers Discover New Building Blocks for Complex Organic Matter
There should be a lot of carbon in space, but surprisingly, it’s not always easy to find. While it can be observed in many places, it doesn’t add up to the volume astronomers would expect to see. The discovery of a new, complex molecule (1-cyanopyrene), challenges these expectations, about where the building blocks for carbon are found, and how they evolve.
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An international team of astronomers has observed evidence that massive stars can be born from rapidly collapsing clouds of gas and dust, challenging long-held assumptions about star formation.
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The U.S. National Science Foundation National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) is working with scientific, academic, and industry partners across the country to find solutions, as part of the NSF-Simons AI Institute for Cosmic Origins (NSF-Simons CosmicAI), a five-year program made possible by funding from the NSF and the Simons Foundation.