Remaster the Golden Record
Nearly 40 years ago, two Voyager spacecraft left our planet carrying gold-plated records of information about Earth’s organisms and cultures. This activity challenges your students to craft a contemporary Golden Record of sounds, images, and information portraying the diversity of life and culture on Earth.
Discuss the Applications and Implications of Metal Foam
What responsibility, if any, do scientists and the public have to make sure new technologies are developed for the purpose of good? Have students discuss this issue by brainstorming possible uses for a new metal foam and then deciding who should address unintended uses of that technology.
How Do You Create Moral Robots?
As we move towards self-aware artificial intelligence, engage students in discussion and writing about teaching robots the difference between right and wrong.
Media Guide: The Bouba-Kiki Effect
The Bouba-Kiki effect describes the tendency of people to identify certain sounds with specific types of shape. Students will test out the Bouba-Kiki Effect, learn about current research, create their own sound-shape pairings based on the theories behind the Bouba-Kiki effect, and evaluate different explanations for the effect based on their observations.