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Out of Pod Experience

 
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Science/Engineering for children

Author
Kirjava
Lothian Enterprises
#1 - 2012-08-10 19:48:12 UTC
Okay - paydirt. I have finally found something that interests my younger sister (13 years old) in something beyond facebook and kittens on the internet. Whilst keeping in line with the "play it at their own pace" to stimulate her own interest in the subject, last night she was explaining how she added copper to a hydrochloric acid and zinc experiment.

And tonight, it was space.

Paydirt.

The downside is that my knowledge is geared heavily towards physics and computing, so I'm hoping to get a bit of advice from you guys (and hopefully girls) on how to show my sister more interesting stuff in these fields. So far I am looking up a basic telescope and some chemistry sets, though these appear to be heavily neutered now in comparison to what I thought these chemistry sets were supposed to be like for kids, ie volatile materials doing funky things.

Any and all advice is appreciated, there are not many girls who go for these sorts of things because of the "its for boys" thing.... I hope this works.

[center]Haruhiists - Overloading Out of Pod discussions since 2007. /人◕‿‿◕人\ Unban Saede![/center]

Selinate
#2 - 2012-08-10 23:32:13 UTC
I think, instead of chemistry sets, you can buy chemicals directly from suppliers if you would like to taylor your own experiments and such.

Is she also interested in math? If so, couple some math that's slightly more fun than just multiplying/dividing fractions (what I assume she's doing at her age, I don't know), and it can get REALLY interesting. I hated math until calculus. (I'm a guy BTW).
Sturmwolke
#3 - 2012-08-11 07:14:23 UTC  |  Edited by: Sturmwolke
Good luck. I remembered my younger sister (married now) was more into the dramas and movie stuffs when she was younger, besides all the girly things they do. Their female brains are sort of hardwired with those tendencies (as all the rest of the siblings gravitated towards the technical/engineering side), even when cut from the same cloth. It takes a certain amount of passion for these sort of things to create interest, if she's not wired that way, no amount of forcing (subtle or otherwise) will get her interested.

Best approach imo, is to find out what's she really into and figure out a way to tie that to its technical side ... then cross your fingers.
e.g. she likes looking at stars > show her the moons/planets/how to take close up pictures/learn the the constellation/schedule a star viewing vacation etc etc.
Shameless Avenger
Can Preachers of Kador
#4 - 2012-08-11 15:12:08 UTC  |  Edited by: Shameless Avenger
Just make sure you don't let certain eve pilot have any type on contact with your 13 year old sister.

That said, most chemistry sets on the market are very basic and kids who have the gift get bored with them pretty quick. I suggest searching for forums that dedicate to these topics as main hobby. Girls can do it, it's not a boy's thing. I dated a Chemical Engineer once (grown up BTW). She used her skills to make the best chemically engineered moonshine you could imagine.


Selinate wrote:
I think, instead of chemistry sets, you can buy chemicals directly from suppliers if you would like to taylor your own experiments and such.


^ and this ^

"This is the Ninja. He will scan you down; he will salvage your wrecks and there shall be no aggro"

Something Random
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#5 - 2012-08-11 19:07:37 UTC  |  Edited by: Something Random
At that age you very swiftly move through phases of interest.

Your onto a good thing though for this phase. We currently move through the comets tail again this weekend and if your in a good viewing zone with little cloud and light pollution you should get a 'crescendo' just before Dawn UK time tomorrow (Sunday 12th) - so that'll be from 3am i guess GMT+1.

Good telescopes are phenomenally expensive and i was told early on that for cost/viewing what you can ratio a good pair of Binoculars on a tripod are best. This here Internet is great for going further, without re mortgaging the house.

Likewise to begin the tie in for chemistry, go youtube crazy experiments - theres loads of funny ones, exploding gummy bears being awesome to start. Then get her into rocketry.

If you want her into maths, your going to have to get spacy one night and talk of all the things we cannot know but must calculate - add a little relativity - and if she goes for that i cant help but point her to 'Brief History of Time' to read and COSMOS to watch.

"caught on fire a little bit, just a little."

"Delinquents, check, weirdos, check, hippies, check, pillheads, check, freaks, check, potheads, check .....gangs all here!"

I love Science, it gives me a Hadron.

Surfin's PlunderBunny
Sebiestor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#6 - 2012-08-11 21:08:37 UTC  |  Edited by: Surfin's PlunderBunny
I had a chemistry set when I was little... then I created a test tube frag grenade and had to go to the hospital to get glass shrapnel removed.

God I miss childhood experiences Bear

*Edit: I'm pretty sure I did it wrong but I made something blow up, so it was awesome

"Little ginger moron" ~David Hasselhoff 

Want to see what Surf is training or how little isk Surf has?  http://eveboard.com/pilot/Surfin%27s_PlunderBunny

Micheal Dietrich
Kings Gambit Black
#7 - 2012-08-11 23:53:56 UTC
Surfin's PlunderBunny wrote:
I had a chemistry set when I was little... then I created a test tube frag grenade and had to go to the hospital to get glass shrapnel removed.

God I miss childhood experiences Bear

*Edit: I'm pretty sure I did it wrong but I made something blow up, so it was awesome



I miss the old days when we could make explosives and get stitches for it rather than a terrorist rap.

Out of Pod is getting In the Pod - Join in game channel **IG OOPE **

Surfin's PlunderBunny
Sebiestor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#8 - 2012-08-12 01:55:58 UTC
Micheal Dietrich wrote:
Surfin's PlunderBunny wrote:
I had a chemistry set when I was little... then I created a test tube frag grenade and had to go to the hospital to get glass shrapnel removed.

God I miss childhood experiences Bear

*Edit: I'm pretty sure I did it wrong but I made something blow up, so it was awesome



I miss the old days when we could make explosives and get stitches for it rather than a terrorist rap.


And throw 3 lb. darts straight up in the air Big smile

"Little ginger moron" ~David Hasselhoff 

Want to see what Surf is training or how little isk Surf has?  http://eveboard.com/pilot/Surfin%27s_PlunderBunny

Xenuria
#9 - 2012-08-12 23:49:28 UTC
You let a 13 year old on the internet?!
Straight

Kirjava
Lothian Enterprises
#10 - 2012-08-13 09:22:36 UTC
Xenuria wrote:
You let a 13 year old on the internet?!
Straight



Yea.

What could go wrong?

Also thank you all for replying, I would have done so earlier but moving house and trying to find a neighbour with an open wifi is a spot tricky...

[center]Haruhiists - Overloading Out of Pod discussions since 2007. /人◕‿‿◕人\ Unban Saede![/center]

Shameless Avenger
Can Preachers of Kador
#11 - 2012-08-13 09:29:01 UTC
Kirjava wrote:
Xenuria wrote:
You let a 13 year old on the internet?!
Straight



Yea.

What could go wrong?

Also thank you all for replying, I would have done so earlier but moving house and trying to find a neighbour with an open wifi is a spot tricky...


Pringles are your friend.

"This is the Ninja. He will scan you down; he will salvage your wrecks and there shall be no aggro"

Kirjava
Lothian Enterprises
#12 - 2012-08-13 09:34:34 UTC
Shameless Avenger wrote:
Kirjava wrote:
Xenuria wrote:
You let a 13 year old on the internet?!
Straight



Yea.

What could go wrong?

Also thank you all for replying, I would have done so earlier but moving house and trying to find a neighbour with an open wifi is a spot tricky...


Pringles are your friend.


Waaaaaay ahead of you *nomnomnom*

[center]Haruhiists - Overloading Out of Pod discussions since 2007. /人◕‿‿◕人\ Unban Saede![/center]

Louis deGuerre
The Dark Tribe
#13 - 2012-08-14 09:59:00 UTC
Science chicks from history
Found this today
Telegram Sam
Sebiestor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#14 - 2012-08-14 16:05:41 UTC
Something Random wrote:
At that age you very swiftly move through phases of interest.

Your onto a good thing though for this phase. We currently move through the comets tail again this weekend and if your in a good viewing zone with little cloud and light pollution you should get a 'crescendo' just before Dawn UK time tomorrow (Sunday 12th) - so that'll be from 3am i guess GMT+1.

Good telescopes are phenomenally expensive and i was told early on that for cost/viewing what you can ratio a good pair of Binoculars on a tripod are best. This here Internet is great for going further, without re mortgaging the house.

Likewise to begin the tie in for chemistry, go youtube crazy experiments - theres loads of funny ones, exploding gummy bears being awesome to start. Then get her into rocketry.

If you want her into maths, your going to have to get spacy one night and talk of all the things we cannot know but must calculate - add a little relativity - and if she goes for that i cant help but point her to 'Brief History of Time' to read and COSMOS to watch.

+1 one on checking before you buy a telescope. A cheap is just a disappointment and worse than worthless. And if you have much light pollution around your house, you won't be able to see much anyway. I'd go with the binoculars and tripod. You can see a surprising amount of detail of the moon and planets with regular binoculars. And you can also use them for sport events, bird watching, spying on the neighbors, etc.
Micheal Dietrich
Kings Gambit Black
#15 - 2012-08-14 16:33:40 UTC
Louis deGuerre wrote:
Science chicks from history
Found this today



I don't see Kari Byron on that list.

Out of Pod is getting In the Pod - Join in game channel **IG OOPE **

Charles Baker
Aliastra
Gallente Federation
#16 - 2012-08-14 16:56:37 UTC
Sit her down with a physics textbook and whack her with a stick until she can math hard enough.
Surfin's PlunderBunny
Sebiestor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#17 - 2012-08-14 17:34:26 UTC
Micheal Dietrich wrote:
Louis deGuerre wrote:
Science chicks from history
Found this today



I don't see Kari Byron on that list.


Or Typhoid Mary P

"Little ginger moron" ~David Hasselhoff 

Want to see what Surf is training or how little isk Surf has?  http://eveboard.com/pilot/Surfin%27s_PlunderBunny