Writing and numbers key students’ interest
This is the time that I think about what new ideas I have tried in my classes this spring term. Which ones have failed or fizzled? Which ones have shown some promise? The latter will be continued in my summer and fall classes.

How well do you know our planet?
Do you know your planet?

How can we handle these skyrocketing fuel costs?
What can we do?

Understanding the seasons, Earth’s tilt
Variety versus constancy

We’re just one of 5,000 mammals
Humans are among nearly 5,000 species of mammals, the class of the animal kingdom whose members have a remarkable ability to adapt to their environment. Mammals are warm blooded, enabling them to live over a greater variety of habitats than the other classes.

Being plugged in can hurt listening ability
A decade ago, the people you saw with headphones were primarily runners or joggers, listening to their favorite music.

With gas prices rising, why push gas guzzlers?
With the price of a barrel of crude petroleum higher than ever and retail gas prices near an all time, it seems strange that most of new vehicles being reviewed are ‘muscle cars or power SUVs’ that get less miles per gallon than the average car or truck on the road.

Here are reasons why students fail to learn
Earlier in the year, I presented the factors that ensure learning in a class or course; now it’s time to face the other side, why some students learn far below their capabilities

Don’t eat too much, and mostly plants
There is another interesting book on eating called “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto” by Michael Pollan.

Here’s update on solar system and the galaxy

Finding shadow length
The crispest shadows are those made by the sun. The higher the sun is in the sky, the shorter are the shadows produced.

The sky offers an unrivaled tapestry
Dawn and dusk, the hour of twilight that begin and end the day are the great times to see sky beauty. It’s then that the sunlight is striking the air and clouds high over our heads, resulting in some delicate tints that you are not likely to see any other time.

What determines how much we learn in class?
Having taught for decades, a key question comes to me when I write my course guide: How can my students learn as much as they can in my classes?

Three ‘streams’ needed to provide our energy
Our three “streams” of energy are fossil fuels, renewable sources and conservation

America has a love affair with consuming energy
It is amazing to learn how much energy our country consumes each year as well as the energy breakdown between the different segments of our economy.

A look at our heavenly dogs and the dog family
Most books about dogs tell you how to train your dog so it will fit in with the family, with other pets and our suburban way of life. A common insight in most books is that dogs, like their wolf ancestors are pack animals; so we must teach our dogs that we are the pack leader and they must submit to us.

Don’t take ideas from sci-fi films too seriously
Planet exploding

Here are the best sky sights for next year
JANUARY-MARCH: Venus will be the brilliant morning “star” in the southeastern dawn. You can tell Venus by its steady light. Venus is also much brighter than any night star. In late January and early February, Venus and Jupiter, the two brightest planets will appear close together with the brighter Venus appearing brighter than Jupiter. Afterwards, Jupiter will creep above and to right of Venus.

Here’s how you can deal with numeric fog
Making numbers less scary

Researchers seeking new opportunities in W.Md.
What is WMRCD?

Energy shortfall lies ahead for America
Last month, U.S. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (6th Dist., Maryland) gave a House talk reviewing the difficulties our country and the world face due to the increasing demand for petroleum.