Written by Kristin Kish, Digital Marketing Intern.
Between school, homework, practice and spending time with loved ones, it’s easy to miss out on the latest in science, technology, engineering, art and math. But don’t worry, Thinkery’s got you covered. Here are some of our favorite STEAM discoveries from the previous week. It’s fuel for your weekend.
October 24–31 is Bat Week! This special week is dedicated to bringing attention to the wonderful world of bats. And boy, are there a lot of them—there are more than 1,300 species of bats that live worldwide. Want to learn more fun facts about bats? Well, meet the Bat Squad! Comprised of eight kids from across the U.S., the Bat Squad! was formed to inspire an interest in bat education, research and conservation efforts. They have created a series of four, 15-minute informative webcasts that cover a variety of amazing, action-packed topics. Check ‘em out!
Meet Kengoro. Standing 5½ feet tall, Kengoro is a humanoid robot build by the University of Tokyo’s JSK Robotics Laboratory. 108 motors allow Kengoro to do push-ups for 11 minutes straight, but that’s not what makes him special. Not only is Kengoro super strong, he can sweat. SWEAT. Click here to watch Kengoro in action!
Spiders have a new trick up their hairy sleeves. Since spiders don’t have ears, scientists thought they were only able to sense using sight and touch. It turns out, that’s not the case. One particular species of the jumping spider, Phidippus audax, can hear noises from up to 10 feet away. How can these spiders hear without ears? Scientists have found that they’re able to pick up on air movement associated with audible signals using the sensory hairs that cover their bodies. Scientists believe that Phidippus audax developed long distance hearing as a predatory response to parasitic wasps. Learn more!
Ray Villafane is a professional sculptor who carves pumpkins for a living. He got started carving when a kindergarten student brought him a pumpkin to try carving. Throughout the years, Villafane’s carvings have improved and now he’s able to carve out intricate designs. He carves everything from monsters to presidential portraits. Head over to MakeZine for his pumpkin carving tips and tricks.
Paper artist Chie Hitotsuyaama creates amazing animal sculptures out of densely rolled strips of wet newspaper. These acclaimed life-size sculptures, which range from snow monkeys to iguanas, are deeply detailed and highly realistic. We’re incredibly impressed. Take a look!