Blog Post

Sky’s the Limit: James Bond and the Future of Jet Pack Technology

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By Bianca Longlisci, C2ST Intern, Loyola University

What if humans could fly? It’s a question almost every person has asked themselves, but it seems like the answer to it may no longer be something left for science fiction to decide. After a recent visit to the Museum of Science and Industry’s new 007 Science exhibit, I became fascinated by a unique technology that theoretically allows humans to soar through the air– jet packs. Jetpacks appear in several blockbusters like Star Wars and Asteroid City, but what is unique about the jetpack in the 1965 Bond film Thunderball is that it is fully functional in real life. How do jetpacks work, and are they still only free to be used by fictional super spies?

The jet pack used in Thunderball is known as the Bell Rocket Belt and is considered to be the first functional jetpack. It uses nitrogen to push hydrogen peroxide into a small chamber. Inside, a reaction occurs that produces a burst of steam, propelling the wearer into the air. It sounds simple, but the Rocket Belt cost roughly $200,000 to create (almost $2 million in today’s money) and could only keep a person in the air for 20 seconds before running out of fuel. The high input cost combined with such a short flight time are the main reasons why the Rocket Belt never really “took off” as a product.

Event

Kick-off to Summer Picnic

Join us at the Museum of Science and Industry’s Kick-off to Summer Picnic. We will be sharing some awesome space science and experimenting with stomp rockets to celebrate the launch of summer!

Bring your picnic blanket and sunscreen, play some lawn games, and enjoy hands-on activities with STEM community partners from across the city at this event on the Museum’s north lawn. Food and beverages will be available for purchase, while supplies last. This outdoor event is free and open to the public. Museum Entry requires a ticket purchase. 

Blog Post

Beneath the Surface: Unveiling the Ocean’s Secrets with Sonar Technology

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By Bianca Loglisci, C2ST Intern, Loyola University

Even though the ocean makes up 70% of our planet’s surface, most of it remains unexplored. With depths of up to 12,000 feet and a total surface area of 139 million square miles, the global ocean is truly enormous and may hold mysteries beyond human comprehension. I have always been fascinated by the mysteries of the ocean, but after a recent visit to the Field Museum’s new Unseen Oceans exhibit, I started to wonder what methods scientists are using to uncover these mysteries. Thanks to satellite imaging, we have a rough idea of what the ocean floor looks like, however, specific objects like shipwrecks and certain geographic formations are unable to be detected in this way. Scientists have precisely mapped the ocean floor with a scientific technique that utilizes sonar technology, which can help to create a much clearer picture of what lies beneath the surface.

Event

Spring into STEM: Family STEM Night at Hernandez Middle School

Communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking are important skills to develop for 21st-century careers. At Hernandez Middle School (HMS), all students work on developing these skills throughout their classes. At the STEM event, participants will engage in activities related to one of the 5C’s that shows connections between STEM, the Arts, and their daily lives. This nights theme is Spring into STEM and includes engineering challenges, maker space adventures and a catapult challenge. 

 *This event is closed to the general public and is only open to HMS families. If you would like to volunteer at events like this in the future or learn more about how to support future STEM nights, click the button above.

Blog Post

Tornado Terrain: Why is the US a Twister Hotspot?

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By Danielle Rodriguez, C2ST Intern, Waubonsee Community College

On a warm February night not too long ago, tornado storms swept through my college campus and hit surrounding towns. It was unusual to experience such a storm during a usually calm winter month. When I arrived at class the day after the storm, I saw uprooted trees, light poles completely knocked down, and traffic signs scattered. I began to wonder about how tornadoes form and why the United States experiences so many of them.

Continue reading “Tornado Terrain: Why is the US a Twister Hotspot?”

Blog Post

Navigating the Storm: Understanding El Niño’s Role in Midwest Weather

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By Bianca Loglisci, C2ST Intern, Loyola University

If you live in the Midwest, you may have noticed that the weather has been all over the place lately. From 70-degree days in mid-February to 20-degree days at the end of March, the fluctuating seasons may seem frustratingly unexplainable. Part of an explanation for this wacky weather falls to a natural phenomenon called El Niño.