Revive your algebra skills at Khan Academy

American educator Salman Khan, a graduate of MIT and Harvard, started the Khan Academy in 2006 for the purpose of making “a free, world-class education available for anyone, anywhere.” Khan, a mathematician by training, features videos of an electronic blackboard on which he works out math problems while explaining them in voice-over. His site has expanded its offerings until now it not only hosts lessons in math, but also computer programming, economics and even art history. Site registration is free, and those who complete courses can earn “badges” for their accomplishments. The lessons are aimed at a college preparatory level. Still, if I had to brush up my algebra, I would click right in to Khan Academy. Khan Academy lessons are available through free apps, too.

Khan Academy
http://www.khanacademy.org

Take science classes from MIT for free online

MIT began to offer virtually all of its course content over the web for free in 2002 through its OpenCourseWare (OCW; http://ocw.mit.edu) program. Many of the classes have been translated into eight languages, including Chinese, Spanish and Turkish. OCW has a separate program for independent learners called OCW Scholar (http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/ocw-scholar/). These courses are more complete than typical OCW offerings and feature supplemental multimedia materials. Subjects covered include biology, mathematics, and microeconomics.

MIT OpenCourseWare
http://ocw.mit.edu

Play Phylo to help scientists sort DNA.

The Internet Book of Life

It just seems like you are matching square colors in a pretty Flash game. But the colored squares represent the four nucleotides of DNA. You are actually comparing sections of genetic material across species, looking for the best alignment (and possibly mapping areas that cause disease.) The site is Canadian and so can be played in both French and English.

http://phylo.cs.mcgill.ca

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How do I prepare for an earthquake?

I live in California, where earthquakes are a fact of life. Other parts of the country can also be jolted by the occasional quake. The U.S. Geological Survey, a branch of the Department of the Interior, offers tips about what to do before, during, and after an earthquake. Hint: Don’t stand in the doorway, get under a table!

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/prepare

Folding@Home lets your computer solve disease.

When proteins do not fold correctly (i.e. “misfold”), there can be serious consequences including many well known diseases such as Alzheimer’s and many cancers. Run  Folding@Home on your home computer or on your Playstation 3 to help scientist figure out these diseases. To fold proteins on your PS3, download the “Life with PlayStation” application and then choose “Folding@home” channel. Stanford University runs this project.

http://folding.stanford.edu

Play Phylo to help scientists sort DNA.

It just seems like you are matching square colors in a pretty Flash game. But the colored squares represent the four nucleotides of DNA. You are actually comparing sections of genetic material across species, looking for the best alignment (and possibly mapping areas that cause disease.) The site is Canadian and so can be played in both French and English.

http://phylo.cs.mcgill.ca

Find deep space objects at Galaxy Zoo.

Take a close look at some of those gorgeous photos from the Hubble Telescope. Look at the stars and galaxies…and then classify them. Afron Smith, Technical Lead of Galaxy Zoo, recalls, “There was the user Hanny van Arkel, who did just that, went a little bit beyond just looking at the task that she was assigned. And she noticed something a little bit unusual in one of the photos, and she wrote to the project staff and asked them, what is this thing?”

Miss van Arkel had discovered a new astronomical phenomenon! “And it’s since been named after her. It’s called Hanny’s Voorwerp,” says Smith. (“Voorwerp” is Dutch for “object.”)

Will you be the next Hanny van Arkel?

http://www.galaxyzoo.org

EteRNA lets you design new RNA in an online game.

Compete online to design new viable patterns of ribonucleic acid or RNA. You know, those chains of four bases: adenine, cytosine, guanine and uracil that stick together in specific pairings to turn genes on or off. You fold ‘em, you match ‘em to make unique structures. The best designs are chosen every week to be synthesized in an actual laboratory to see how well they would hold up in real life. Don’t worry if you know nothing about genetics. There are tutorials to show you what to do. This online game was developed by scientists at Carnegie Mellon University and Stanford University.

http://eterna.cmu.edu

Blinded by science: How Everything Works!

Louis A. Bloomfield, professor of physics at the University of Virginia, has been answering readers’ questions regarding the physics of everyday things since 1997. Students can search Bloomfield’s archive of revealed wisdom by keyword or topic. Find out why coffee seems warmer after you stir in cream, even though the cream is cold (transfer of energy). Discover the reason that paper towels absorb water (cellulose binds to water easily). And finally, uncover ways to make your coffee so hot in the microwave that the cup explodes. Science is fun!

http://www.howeverythingworks.org/

Understand science with lectures from the Khan Academy

Watch 15 minute lectures that walk you through the basics of math, science (chemistry and biology), and some history. Brush up or learn for the first time from Salman Khan. He’s a terrific teacher!

http://www.khanacademy.org/