I’m a huge fan of NOVA Science Now. They produce short 12 minute videos that spark people’s natural curiosity and inject some solid science explanations. Two videos that I have recently watched are worth viewing and using in the science classroom.
The first video “Capturing Carbon” showcases a company that is trying to create an “artificial tree” to extra excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The lead researcher got the idea from his daughter’s science fair project. She investigated if gaseous carbon dioxide could be extracted from the atmosphere. She inserted a tube, that was attached to a fish filter pump, into a container of sodium hydroxide. Carbon dioxide did indeed mix with the sodium hydroxide making the pH lower (more acidic). The father was intrigued by the results and wondered if he could scale it up successfully. The video indicates that they have made some substancial progress. This would be a good video to supplement the teaching of acids/bases and photosynthesis.
The second video covers some of the biological chemistry that the Phoenix Mars Lander is investigating. The water ice discovery is discussed, but less reported on is the nutrient and pH content of the soil. The pH is surprisingly slightly basic and the soil contains sodium, potassium, magnesium, and chloride levels similar to Earth, conditions that are favorable to microscopic organisms. This would be a good video supplement in the teaching of acids/bases and chemistry of living systems.
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