Science & Discovery
How did our Universe begin? How did life appear on Earth? How did human civilization develop, and what is our relationship with nature today? These are the questions we’ll explore here.
Earth is the one planet we all share, our spaceship traveling through space and time. Its fate is tied to ours.
Let’s find out how this remarkable planet works, how its systems are connected, and what we can do to keep our spaceship running for a very long time.
Platform: Windows PCs & Chromebooks (Optimized for mouse or trackpad; Chrome or Firefox recommended)
Сurriculum
-
The Big Bang Theory
How do scientists know what happened billions of years before Earth existed? Follow the evidence behind the Big Bang theory, investigate cosmic microwave background radiation, and discover how stars are born, evolve, and die. In this interactive astronomy activity, reconstruct the life cycle of a star, compare the fates of stars of different masses, and identify real nebulae in astronomical images. Discover how scientists piece together the history of the universe from clues we can still observe today.
- Earth and Cosmology
How has our picture of Earth and the Universe changed over time? Compare ancient Egyptian and Babylonian ideas with later scientific models, examine Earth from space, explore its internal structure, and investigate what makes our planet suitable for life.
- Geologic Time Scale and Fossils
How has life on Earth changed over billions of years? The geologic time scale helps us follow the evolution of life, while fossils and rock layers reveal clues about the past. From the earliest organisms to the diversity of life today, this interactive lesson shows how life and our planet have changed together.
- Mythical Creatures: Create a Dichotomous Key
What happens when people try to describe animals they've never seen? A horse with wings? A lion with an eagle's head? Explore strange creatures from medieval bestiaries, discover the real animals hiding behind old legends, and see how easily imagination can turn a familiar animal into a monster! Then put on your scientist's hat: identify key traits, compare mythical creatures, and create your own dichotomous key to classify them.
-
Cryptid Stories and Methods of Rationality
Bigfoot, Mothman, the Loch Ness Monster, and other mysterious cryptids have fascinated people for generations. But why do their stories sound so convincing? Can you tell reliable evidence from clever storytelling? Listen to spooky cryptid stories and urban legends. Some details are real, others are rumors, and some are carefully chosen to fool you. Can you spot the tricks? Look for logical fallacies, questionable evidence, and misleading claims. Then try making up your own cryptid story. How convincing can you make it without telling the whole truth?
-
Everyday Inventions: How Human Technology Developed
Soap, buttons, clothing, tools, and countless other ordinary objects had to be invented sometime. Trace the development of everyday technology and explore how human needs shaped new ideas.
-
Think Like a Scientist
Scientific discoveries often begin with an observation that does not quite fit. Investigate real cases from biology, chemistry, physics, and Earth science, make predictions, analyze evidence, and decide which explanations best match the facts.
-
-
Humans and Nature: From Survival to Environmental Impact
Follow the changing relationship between people and nature, from early human survival to modern agriculture, cities, industry, and resource use. Practice predicting the environmental consequences of human decisions.
-
IUCN Red List: Why Species Become Endangered
Why do some species become rare or disappear altogether? Explore the causes of extinction risk and learn how conservationists evaluate which species need protection most urgently.
-
You have enough resources to protect only a few wild places. Explore protected areas around the world, discover what makes each one valuable, and decide where conservation efforts are needed most.
-
Understanding Natural Phenomena
The natural world is full of clues. Practice observing patterns, forming explanations, and using evidence to work out why familiar natural phenomena happen.
-
Where Does Soil Come From?
Leaves fall, plants die, and organic material disappears into the ground. Explore decomposition, soil formation, and the organisms that recycle dead matter into new resources.
-
Indicator Species
Plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms can reveal what is happening in their environment. Learn how bioindicators can provide clues about water, soil, weather, pollution, and other environmental conditions.
-
Home and Outdoor Safety
Everyday life comes with small risks and occasional big ones. Some hazards are right in your own home, while others come from nature. What would you do if you noticed something dangerous at home, got lost outdoors, or found yourself in trouble near water? Learn to recognize natural hazards, explore fire and water safety, and practice making sensible decisions in situations you might actually encounter.
-
Biological Laws and Patterns
Living systems follow recurring biological principles, whether organisms know about them or not. Explore patterns that shape survival, growth, reproduction, and interactions between organisms.
-
Levels of Organization
The living world can be explored at many scales, from molecules and cells to organisms, ecosystems, and the biosphere. Move through these levels and discover how smaller systems fit inside larger ones.
-
Plant Parts
Botany is full of surprises! Take a closer look at plant parts, from flower anatomy to the incredible variety of fruits, leaves, and stems. Learn how botanists classify plants and discover why a cucumber is a fruit, a pear is a pome, and a juniper produces berry-like cones.
-
Rocks and Minerals Identification Lab
Learn to observe the features of rocks and minerals closely and use visible properties to identify them. Explore how different minerals form and where they can be found.
-
Physics is happening everywhere, even when nothing looks particularly dramatic. Use simple experiments to explore force, motion, balance, pressure, and other physical laws hidden in ordinary situations.
-
Chemistry in Everyday Life
People were using chemical reactions long before chemistry became a science. Explore how humans learned to make glass, metal, soap, fermented foods, and other materials, then investigate how chemistry gradually became a science based on prediction and evidence.
-
Water Cycle
Can an ocean really disappear down a leaking faucet? Follow water as it evaporates, condenses, falls as precipitation, moves across land, sinks underground, and returns again through the global water cycle.
-
Biology Logic Puzzles
Thinking involves breaking problems apart, comparing information, finding patterns, and testing possible explanations. Practice these skills through puzzles and challenges drawn from biology, psychology, and everyday life.
-
Bionics: Engineering Inspired by Nature
Nature has been solving engineering problems for billions of years. Explore inventions inspired by plants and animals and see how engineers borrow biological ideas to create new materials, structures, and technologies.
