How Long Does It Take To Remember Something?

By thinknut.blogspot.com
How Long Does It Take To Remember Something?

 

Objective:

In this experiment, students will discover the average time it takes for a person to remember something completely.

Research Questions:

In this experiment, we will give each test subject a passage to memorize to the best of their ability, in one sitting. Some people say that a person has to recite something 20 times for it to be permanently stored in their brain. But is this true?

Materials:

• A chosen passage of about 50 words (you can create one yourself or pick a pre-written passage, but remember not to choose a popular passage that some people may have already memorized)
• Test subjects
• A watch/timer
• Pen and paper for notes

Experimental Procedure:

1. Hand out the chosen word passage to your test subject and ask them to remember it to the best of their ability. Instruct them to tell you when they are comfortable with reciting the passage. Begin timing.
2. When your test subject is ready to recite it, record the time.
3. As your subject recites the passage, take note of any pauses or mistakes in your notes. If your test subject makes excessive mistakes, give them more time to study the passage, record the additional time, and then have them recite again.
4. Do steps 1-3 for all your test subjects.
5. Calculate the average time it took for all your test subjects to recite the passage with 100% accuracy.
6. Evaluate your results.

Terms/Concepts: Memory; Sensory memory; Short term memory; Long term memory

 

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Are Frequent Facebook Users Less or More Lonely?

By thinknut.blogspot.com
Are Frequent Facebook Users Less or More Lonely?

Science Fair Survival Guide

 

 

                

Objective:

This project explores whether people who are frequent users of Facebook feel less or more lonely than infrequent Facebook-users.

Research Question:

• Do people who are frequent users of Facebook feel less or more lonely than infrequent Facebook-users?

Facebook has been hailed as a revolution in bringing people - especially people previously separated by time and distance - together. On the other hand, working on a computer is an inherently solitary activity.

Materials:

• UCLA Lonliness Scale
• 50 or more test subjects, half of whom log onto Facebook at least once a day, half of whom log onto Facebook less than once a day

Experimental Procedure:

1. Locate appropriate test subjects.
2. Administer UCLA Lonliness Scale.
3. Score scales.
4. Analyze and compare results for frequent and infrequent Facebook users.
5. Extension: Interview test subjects about the amount of time they spend socializing face-to-face with other people and/or participating in clubs, sports, or other group activities. Determine if there is any correlation, either positive or negative, between Facebook use and face-to-face socializing.

Terms/Concepts: Facebook, UCLA Lonliness Scale
References:

• Facebook
• UCLA Lonliness Scale

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By thinknut.blogspot.com

How to build a Solar Bottle Bulb ???

          Light up dark areas in your home during daytime using this green and sustainable concept. Recycle used clear plastic soda bottles, add water+bleach, then install. After installation this solar light bulb can provide approximately 55 watts of light from the sun! T

 

he communities who benefit from this idea live in areas where the houses hardly have windows and live in darkness even during daytime. Their solution up until this innovation was to turn on the light bulb and use electricity.

You Will Need :

• PET soda bottle
• Galvanized Iron (GI) sheet
• Rubber sealant
• Bleach
• Filtered Water

Process :

Cut approximately 9 x 10 inches of GI sheet (corrugated or flat). 

At the center of the GI sheet, draw 2 circles.

And Cut the internal circle.

Cut the 1 cm difference radially, making strips and bend upwards, perpendicular to the GI sheet.

Using sandpaper, scratch the surface around the upper third portion of the soda bottle where the GI sheet will be placed, to allow the rubber sealant to stick better.

Insert the bottle into the GI sheet until the upper third.

Apply rubber sealant on the strips above and around the area below. Wait to dry.

Fill the soda bottle with filtered water and ~10 mL (2 capfuls) of bleach.

Cover with its original cap.

The solar bottle bulb is now ready for installation !

Installation :

Cut a hole on the roof, similar to the bottle circumference.

Place the solar bottle bulb into the hole. Make sure it is firmly in place.

Drill 4 holes on each side of the solar bottle bulb using Bosch lithium-ion cordless drill and put in the rivets.

Apply rubber sealant around all edges of the GI sheet of the solar bottle bulb to avoid leakage. Make sure to cover the rivets.

Place a protective plastic tube on the bottle cap and apply rubber sealant.

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By thinknut.blogspot.com

How to Make a Door Alarm ???

It can be very annoying when your siblings enter your bedroom without permission. If they keep on going inside, despite your threats and pleas, make a door alarm!

You Will Need :

• Buzzer
• Battery 
• Wires
• Clothes Pin

Process :

Place the battery and buzzer on the wood as shown in the picture. Tape them down with electrical tape.

Wrap the ends of the clothes pin with bare, non-insulated wire.

Connect one of the free ends of wire around the clothes pin to a wire coming from the battery.

Connect the wire around the clothes pin to the buzzer.

Connect the remaining free wire from the battery to the buzzer.

Test the switch by opening and closing the clothes pin. When the clothes pin is closed, the buzzer should turn on. If not, check the wiring again.

Place a piece of cardboard or other insulative material in the clothes pin to separate the wires so that the buzzer does not go off anymore when it closes.

Glue the clothes pin to the wood, as seen in the picture.

Attach the string to the piece of cardboard between the clothes pin things.

Attach the other end of the string to your door. Place the alarm so that the string is taut between the alarm and the door. When the door opens, the string should pull the cardboard out, setting off the alarm.

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How to Power a TV with AAA Battery ???

By thinknut.blogspot.com
How to Power a TV with AAA Battery ???

 

     In the event of a power outage, you can temporarily charge and power your TV using a basic AAA battery. Powering a TV with a battery could even come in handy on a camping trip, or even just to show your friends that it's possible! However, the charge for the TV will not last for very long, because AAA batteries cannot power the TV for extended periods of time. The procedure to power a TV with an AAA battery only requires a few basic household items.

You Will Need :

• Wrench or Pliers
• Audio Cable (RCA)
• AAA Battery
• Duct Tape
• TV

Process :

     Use a wrench or pliers to remove only two prongs from an audio cable. You can use any standard RCA audio cable that has red-and-white colored ends, as featured in the picture here. The audio cable should have a total of four prongs--a red and a white prong on each side of the cable. Remove only the red and white prongs on one side of the cable, by gripping each prong with pliers and pulling it sideways to break it off. A few strong tugs with the pliers should break off the prong. Spread open the leftover metal casing to leave a large enough opening for the AAA battery.

     Insert one side of an AAA battery into one of the open holes of the cable and then do the same for the other side. Keep the battery firmly in place by pushing the spread-open metal casing around the edges of the battery.

     Wrap duct tape around the AAA battery and onto the cables. Secure the duct tape tightly onto the audio cables to keep the battery in place.

     Insert the two prongs on the opposite ends of the audio cable into the two holes of the TV plug. You can find the holes on the ends of the actual prongs of the TV plug. The audio cable prongs fit tightly the two holes and should not fall out easily. The charge from the AAA battery will temporarily charge and power the TV.

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How to Perform a Card Force Trick

By thinknut.blogspot.com

Card Force Trick

A card force trick results in the magician (you) knowing the position of a card which you have selected. This position may be "top of the deck", "bottom of the deck" or a more advanced position such as the "fingernail cut". You then "force" this card on a victim who thinks he is picking of his own free will.

Steps

1. 1
   Allow your victim to completely shuffle a deck of cards.
   
   
2. 2
   Fan the cards, and say "As you can see, these are now in no particular order" When you do this, quickly observe the last card in the fan. This is the card you will be "forcing" on your victim. If you know any deliberate shuffling techniques, you can throw some in here for sizzle... just keep the force card at the end.
   
   
3. 3
   With the force card at the top of the deck, it is time to perform the force. Two options are fairly simple. If you are better with your hands or have done a number of card tricks before, the "Riffle Force" is for you. If you're charismatic and like to talk your way through tricks (a con artist type) and not very good with your hands, you may prefer the "count force".
   
   
4. 4
   For the count force:
   • Ask the victim to pick a number between one and ten. One is not ideal, but people never pick one.
     
     
   • Say "Ok, do exactly what I do: Count down off the top of this deck like '1, 2, 3, 4, 5'" (up to the number they choose) and deal a card face down for each number you say.
     
     
   • Pick up the pile from your "example" and lay it on top of the deck. When they repeat your action, they're actually moving the force card back to the top of the pile.
     
     
   • Have them choose the top card, which is the force card.
     
     
5. 5
   For the ruffle force:
   • Hold the deck between your thumb and ring finger with the nails of your first two fingers lightly touching the bottom card.
     
     
   • Hold the bottom card in this position facing your victim/audience.
     
     
   • Angle the deck so that there is a slant about 1" long between the top of the deck (closest to you) and the bottom of the deck (furthest from you.)
     
     
   • As you arrange this, smoothly lower the very last card (the force card) to the level of the very first card. If you do this properly, it will not be visible to your audience.
     
     
   • Say: "I'm going to riffle through these cards, and I want you to tell me when to stop."
     
     
   • Use the thumb of your free hand to riffle the slanted part of the deck over your free forefinger.
     
     
   • When they say "stop", pull the cards in your hand out of the pile. This will leave the front half of the deck and the very last card between your thumb and ring fingers, with open air between.
     
     
   • Flop your hand down horizontally, while extending your first and second fingers. If you do this naturally, the force card will smoothly line up with the rest of the deck.
     
     
   • Have the victim choose the top card.
     
     

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