Relating Science Education to Everyday Life

As the K¹² Senior Science Content Specialist, one of my jobs is to take 
somewhat abstract knowledge and bring it down to earth to show how science 
helps people. A recent visit to the dentist reminded me just how useful 
science can be! 
 


First, let me back up. In our K¹² Science curriculum, we teach students that there are four states of matter, three of which are around us all the time. 
Solids, liquids, and gases make up our world—just think of ice, liquid water, and the water vapor that is in the air around us. There is a fourth state of 
matter called plasma. It consists of atoms whose electrons have been stripped away. Plasma consists of a sea of atomic nuclei in an ocean of electrons. Kind 
of an esoteric concept, isn’t it? It can be, and for many students it’s just 
an annoying word on a quiz. But an article I came across recently showed that 
scientists have come up with a brilliant way to use jets of plasma in place of 
a drill to remove tooth decay.

Plasma seems so “out there,” yet its applications have and will change the way 
we live. It’s interesting how studying the basics of the natural world can 
lead to such futuristic delights. This is another great reason for studying 
the sciences. 
 


Today’s Science Question

Speaking of teeth, does this critter, called the Blue Linckia, have teeth?
 

Answer next week!

Answer to the previous Science Question

We asked, “Why does the Asian carp have such a big, round mouth and such low-set eyes?

Well, I haven’t seen this fish in its natural habitat, but lets start with the assumption that what a living thing 
looks like confers upon it some kind of advantage for living. My hypothesis is 
that this fish is a bottom feeder. It may even nearly stand on its head to 
feed. The big round mouth is an advantage in scraping and pulling food off of 
the bottom of a river or lake. The eyes would get in the way if they were 
front-and-center. Well, a hypothesis is an educated guess. So now it’s time to 
get out the scuba gear and see how the carp feeds in the Mississippi River.