Did anyone see the lunar eclipse last night? I couldn't keep my eyes open until 3 a.m. but I did see the other one back in April. It was definitely blood red and AH-MAZING! 

 I had a lot of fun taking those photos. I borrowed Wayne's fancy lens and set it up on the bbq outside (I don't have a tripod yet). It was pretty extraordinary and I DO regret not staying awake last night but thankfully Wayne snapped a pretty beautiful shot! It was taken at 3:53 a.m. 

I'll get the info about his camera and lens and update this post ASAP! 

Check out our new pillow which will be in the shop VERY soon! Us Gibberish Girls LOVE the bacon so we thought these 10 reasons would help justify it being part of our regular diet!

10. Nestling super-healthy vegetables in flavorful bacon makes them even more appealing!
9. A company in the UK is actually transforming bacon fat and grease into a powerful, low emission, environmentally friendly, all-natural, bio-diesel fuel that can be used to effectively and inexpensively run anything from motor vehicles to turbines.
8.  If it is NOT charred or burnt (Jenavieve's favorite way to eat it!) OR you cook it in the oven you can avoid the concern over nitrates/nitrites. Also, if you partake in some milk or OJ with your bacon, the vitamins A, D and E work to effectively prevent conversion of  nitrates and nitrites into dangerously toxic “nitrosamines” in the stomach, rendering them harmless to the body.
7. It’s considered a mood elevator because it makes you insanely happy when you eat it.
6. It is filled with essential vitamins and minerals: Vitamin B1, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B12,  Zinc, B6, Vitamin B2, Phosphorus, Pantothenate, Magnesium, and Iron...making it practically a health food!
5. Full of choline which helps with memory and intelligence.
4. Moderate amounts lower blood sugar and blood pressure.
3. It has less total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol than many popular cuts of beef and chicken.
2. Even though bacon has gotten a bad rep over the years, bacon contains Omega-3 fatty acids. Unlike the Omega-3 Fatty Acids supplements derived from fish sources, the ones that come from bacon aren’t chock full of poisonous mercury, like most of the popular fish oil versions are. So bacon Omega-3′s can not only help prevent heart disease, as well as lower your cholesterol, reduce inflammation and improve circulation, but also help you to avoid mercury and other toxic poisons being regularly spewed into our planet’s oceans.
1. Lots of protein, little carbs.

(This info was gathered from http://bacontoday.com/).

A Science Saying Saturday quote to celebrate Tesla's birthday! It was on July 10th but that's close enough! :) 

Photo courtesy of loving husband and stepfather, Waynard Huffman. Check out his 52 pictures in a year photo project! It's over now but still fun to look through!  

In case you've never made it before, then FYI, homemade play dough is absurdly simple to make! It's a really fun project for those really hot (or cold) parts of the day when you and your mini lab assistants need to hang out indoors but don't want to just sit around in front of the TV. 

Check out and share this really great explanation of the science of Play Doh!  http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/play-doh.htm

I've included a printable version of our instructions that can also be downloaded on your tablet. 

This our first "At Home Science Lab" post so check back for more fun DIY experiments!

Here's a video to brighten your Wednesday! Fainting goats. It's a thing. And it's strangely funny and adorable all at the same time. Enjoy! :)

Check out this interesting article on NPR about what extra-terrestrials might really be like...Fortunately, I think we're safe from dealing with any Jabba the Huts on Mars. Whoo! Personally, I'm not really all that excited about the day when we do find other life forms out in space. I think I've seen too many movies (Signs, Independence Day, Mars Attacks!, part of Alien...) and now I have an (un)healthy fear of aliens. My mother (Ms. Sciencepants) would probably disagree with me but I'm cool with not having a close encouter with an alien...Or I'd rather not have one burst out of my gut in a diner. Weird, right?

"It's not just that we've given up hope of finding intelligent beings, it's worse than that. The life we now expect (or rather hope) to find is usually imagined as depressingly small, pebble-sized, or even smaller, like the period at the end of this sentence."
Is There A Giant Life Form Lurking In Our Solar System? Possibly, Say Scientists

Welcome to Friday! Since the new school year starts next week, we are busy trying to eek out the last bit of irresponsible fun while we can. I’m sure the weekend will be filled with making fun stuff, hopefully going to the beach, and staying up way too late! 

Today we would like to introduce all of you to our newest necklace, the Sally.

It is named after one of the greatest women of science, Dr. Sally Ride. I was heartbroken last summer when I heard the news that Dr. Ride had lost her battle with pancreatic cancer. Not to wax too cheesy, but the stars were much dimmer that night. 

Dr. Ride, as the first American woman in space, provided numerous contributions to science and space exploration. She was a Mission Specialist on two space shuttle flights, became a professor of Physics at UCSD, the director of the University of California's California Space Institute and authored five children's science books. Go here to read more:http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/ride-sk.html

Jenavieve and I (and one of my dear science education friends, Rachael) were thrilled to have been able to meet Dr. Sally Ride back in 1997 in Omaha at a conference where she was the keynote speaker. I distinctly remember her intelligence, her enthusiasm for science education, and her humility. She even handled my babbling “new teacher” enthusiasm when I shook her hand and asked her a somewhat goofy question, “How can we encourage girls to follow a path into science, and science education?” She gave me a very gracious smile and said “I’m doing what I can…”  It was so profound and funny.

Dr. Ride left a legacy of science education through the work of Sally Ride Science   (an amazing science education organization dedicated “to educating, engaging, and inspiring all students.”
When you have a few minutes, watch this video Celebrating Sally. 

Thank you Dr. Sally Ride for all that you did for the advancement of science, science education and especially for women in science!