Susan Rodrigues

Prof in Science Education. Education academic, formerly a school teacher. PhD. Interests: STEM, science/ICT research education, teacher education, higher ed.

[Physics In History @PhysInHistory]

Don't force your children into your ways, for they were created for a time different from your own.

-- Plato
(c. 427 BC – c. 347 BC)

[Al Jazeera English @AJEnglish]

More than 9,500 Palestinians have gone missing in the Gaza Strip, which includes about 4,700 women and children, since the start of Israel’s genocidal war in October 2023, says rights group report.

🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/W9CMAmI4h6

[World Meteorological Organization @WMO]

An El Niño is emerging. What do you know about it?

El Niño is a powerful natural climate pattern that warms ocean waters in the central and eastern Equatorial Pacific. It typically occurs every 2-7 years, but no two El Niños are exactly alike.

More ➡️ https://t.co/htyps0XfsE

[Historic Vids @historyinmemes]

When the first official measurement of Mount Everest came out to an oddly perfect 29,000 feet, surveyors worried people would assume it was just a rough estimate. To emphasize that it was the result of precise calculations, they reported the mountain’s height as 29,002 feet instead.

In the 1850s, Mount Everest was known to British surveyors simply as Peak XV. Long before it became a global symbol of exploration and endurance, its height was determined during the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India, one of the most ambitious mapping projects of the nineteenth century.

Because surveyors could not climb the mountain with their instruments, they measured it from great distances using triangulation. Observations were taken from multiple locations and adjusted for factors such as distance, temperature, atmospheric refraction, and the curvature of the Earth. The calculations took years to complete.

When the final figure came out to exactly 29,000 feet, officials worried the number looked too neat and might be mistaken for a rough estimate rather than a precise measurement. To emphasize that it was based on detailed calculations, the height was publicly reported as 29,002 feet.

The mountain was later named after George Everest, although he reportedly opposed having his name attached to it.

Today, the official height of Mount Everest is 29,031.69 feet (8,848.86 meters), based on a joint measurement announced by Nepal and China in 2020.

[NASA History Office @NASAhistory]

60 years ago today, Surveyor I made a three-point soft landing on the Moon—the first soft landing for America's space program—AND accomplished on its first try. Over the next 6 weeks it returned more than 11,000 images of the lunar surface including this one featuring its shadow.

The mission was one of the great successes of NASA's early lunar program.

[Susan Rodrigues @STEMexchanges]

https://t.co/FDw9oY7eRQ

[The Astronomy Guy @astrooalert]

🚨: You're looking at the rarest atmospheric phenomenon ever witness by humans, known as 'red sprites'.

Captured by @shuchang_dong/ig

[Tina Koskima 🕊️ @LoveSongs4Peace]

Aerial view of misty morning dawn over narrow Lake Wānaka, residing in a 45 km long deep basin at the Otago region of New Zealand 🇳🇿

[Natural History Museum @NHM_London]

Did you know that giraffes have around 170 bones?🦒
Come marvel at the world's tallest animal in Hintze Hall! You’ll also get to examine its impressive skeleton.

Have you seen this specimen in the Museum before?

[Science girl @sciencegirl]

The insanely clear ice of Alaska

📹John Derting

[Massimo @Rainmaker1973]

May is closing with one of the most captivating celestial events visible to the naked eye. On the night of May 30–31, the second full moon of the month will rise, creating what is known as a Blue Moon.

This will be the first Blue Moon since August 2023, with the next not occurring until December 2028. But this year’s event is especially memorable because it coincides with a beautiful alignment of planets.

As the Blue Moon shines, all four of the brightest planets visible from Earth, Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn, will also be on display. Before sunrise on May 31, Mars and Saturn will glow low in the eastern sky. After sunset, Venus and Jupiter will shine brightly in the western sky, with the full moon dominating the night.

Despite the name, a Blue Moon is not actually blue in color. The term simply describes the second full moon within a single calendar month. Because the lunar cycle is approximately 29.5 days, two full moons rarely fit inside the same month. On average, a Blue Moon occurs only once every 2.5 years.

The planetary “lineup” is an impressive sight created by perspective. While the planets are separated by hundreds of millions of miles in space, from our viewpoint on Earth they appear to line up across the sky alongside the brilliant Blue Moon.

A perfect opportunity to look up this weekend and enjoy one of nature’s rarest sky shows.

[Black Hole @konstructivizm]

Nuclear Fusion: The Engine That Could Get Us to Mars in Weeks Imagine slashing the journey to Mars from a grueling 6–9 months one way down to just a few weeks.That’s the tantalizing promise of nuclear fusion propulsion — a technology that could revolutionize human spaceflight and make the Red Planet feel like a neighboring city instead of a distant world.From 500 Days to 30–90 DaysTheoretical studies and mission concept papers show that advanced fusion-powered spacecraft could reduce a full round-trip mission to Mars from roughly 500 days (using today’s chemical rockets) to as little as 30 to 90 days under optimistic but plausible engineering scenarios.Instead of burning chemical propellants in short, powerful bursts, a fusion drive would harness the same energy source that powers the Sun: controlled nuclear fusion. By smashing light atomic nuclei together, it releases enormous energy and generates exhaust velocities far beyond anything chemical rockets can achieve.Why Fusion Changes EverythingThe real game-changer is continuous thrust. A fusion spacecraft could accelerate for weeks or months, then flip and decelerate — creating a fast, efficient trajectory instead of the long, coasting Hohmann transfer orbits we use today.Because propulsion efficiency grows non-linearly with exhaust velocity, even modest improvements in energy density deliver massive reductions in travel time. In other words, fusion doesn’t just make things faster — it makes the impossible feel almost within reach.The Road AheadOf course, challenges remain huge. We still need:Stable net-energy-gain fusion reactions
Compact, lightweight reactors suitable for space
Advanced radiation shielding to protect the crew

Concepts like those studied by NASA and research teams draw inspiration from Earth-based experiments such as ITER, but scaled and optimized for propulsion rather than stationary power generation.If we succeed, fusion propulsion could become one of the few realistic pathways for crewed missions across the Solar System on human timescales — turning months-long voyages into routine trips and opening the door to the rest of the planets.The age of fusion-powered exploration may still be a decade or two away… but when it arrives, Mars will suddenly feel a lot closer.

[The Conversation - Australia + New Zealand @ConversationEDU]

New research into the ancient Whakamaru supereruption reveals how multiple underground magma systems combined to unleash one of Earth’s most explosive events. https://t.co/EqFdxO5KHS

[Susan Rodrigues @STEMexchanges]

https://t.co/3pGNWlcucG

[Science girl @sciencegirl]

When it gets hot, snails start climbing upward to escape the scorching ground. Once they find a safe, comfortable spot, they enter a state called aestivation, a wonderful word that describes their summer survival strategy.

It’s similar to hibernation, but instead of enduring winter cold, they’re protecting themselves from intense summer heat and dryness.

To do this, they seal the opening of their shell with a membrane of mucus known as an epiphragm. In certain species, such as the Roman snail (Helix pomatia), this barrier is reinforced with calcium for added strength. The seal contains a tiny hole that allows oxygen to pass through while preventing precious moisture from escaping.

The length of aestivation depends heavily on temperature, humidity, and rainfall. In hot, dry conditions, some snails may remain dormant for weeks or even several months until moisture returns. In Mediterranean and warmer climates, this can commonly last through much of the summer.

📷George Konstantinou

[OECD Education @OECDEduSkills]

Teachers who know more about pedagogy tend to be less stressed and make better use of class time.

See what the latest data reveal about teachers’ knowledge around the world: https://t.co/I8qYkg8XW5

[Mr Turnbull's Physics @TurnbullPhysics]

A new series of GCSE Physics revision sessions. Going through key content, analysis of question trends, key content questions and past paper questions. Perfect for upcoming exam revision: https://t.co/Hb8U2ZHzva

[SpaceX @SpaceX]

Starship V3 takes flight for the first time → https://t.co/2gZQUxS6mm

[BBC Bitesize for Teachers @BBC_Teach]

Do you know the story of Wangari Maathai?

This animated film explores her life and achievements, from founding the Green Belt Movement on World Environment Day (5 June 1977), to becoming the first African woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize: https://t.co/esBSyoiTOI

[The Conversation - Australia + New Zealand @ConversationEDU]

The companies that drilled these cores decades ago couldn't have known the scientific treasures inside. @maxlechte @Sydney_Uni https://t.co/pTrIufFtwM