STEAM Saturday
The End of the iPod, Gender Bias in Parasites, and Underwater Spiders
May 14, 2022
In this edition, Apple ends the iPod, parasitology hides gender bias, and a spider hides underwater.
The end of the iPod holds special significance for me. Since the device and iTunes debuted, I have owned five generations of the music player. Two of those were stalwart companions on deployments when I was in the Navy, bringing me a slice of home with music, television episodes, and podcast novels.
It was those iPods that opened my eyes to what used to be Podiobooks.com, introducing me to the likes of Tee Morris, Philippa Ballantine, J.C. Hutchins, Nathan Lowell, Scott Sigler, and P.G. Holyfield. That was my springboard to writing for The ScapeCast and starting my journey with podcasting and writing.
There are a lot of fond memories in those bricks of glass and metal.
BBC – Apple to discontinue the iPod after 21 years (May 10, 2022)
Apple has announced it is discontinuing its music player, the iPod Touch, bringing to an end a device widely praised for revolutionizing how people listen to music.
Science.org – Do species names perpetuate gender bias in science? (May 10, 2022)
When it comes to christening parasites, men almost always get the honor.
ScienceDaily – Spider can hide underwater for 30 minutes (May 9, 2022)
A tropical spider species uses a ‘film’ of air to hide underwater from predators for as long as 30 minutes, according to new research.
Physics Girl – Hosted by Dianna Cowern, a science communicator and physics alumna from MIT, this show was part of PBS Digital Studios until 2020. She uses her platform to explore complex physics, astronomy, and science-related topics in simple terms.
Kyle Hill – Kyle Hill is a science educator with degrees in civil and environmental engineering and science communication. He previously hosted the popular Because Science YouTube series, but now runs The Facility.
Ask a Mortician – Caitlin Doughty is a mortician, author, blogger, and YouTube personality known for advocating death acceptance and the reform of Western funeral industry practices. You got death questions, she’s got death answers. Ask a Mortician was suggested by Sue Kisenwether. [S]
Jerry Rig Everything – Zack Nelson has used his love of repairing, simple explanations, and brief tutorials to help millions of people with repairs of their own. Outside of YouTube, his ‘to-the-point’ style of teaching has created instructional and informational videos for manufacturers and factories around the world.
Practical Engineering – Grady Hillhouse is a civil engineer in San Antonio, Texas. His channel aims to increase exposure and interest in the field of engineering by highlighting the connection between the world around us and the energy, passion, and thought that goes into making it a nicer place to live.
Shop Time – Peter Brown is a geek with a full set of power tools, and he uses that knowledge to experiment, craft, and have fun. [A]
The Smugglers Room – Building something out of nothing with a Star Wars flair is the order of the day in the Smugglers Room.
Ben’s Worx – Ben is a maker from Queensland, Australia who has always had an interest in woodworking. He makes all kinds of things from wood, metal, plastics, and epoxy resin, and loves to experiment in the name of entertainment.
Moonpie Creations – Ken is a woodworker and creator who likes to have fun. A combat veteran, he uses his tools as a way to relax and deal with everyday stress. He loves to try new things, think outside the box, and stay cool.
8-bit Music Theory – This YouTuber loves music, video games, and analyzing and talking about music from video games. He promises that if you are a big nerd, you’ll love it too!
Smarter Every Day – Mechanical engineer and aerospace engineer Destin Sandlin explores the world using science in this series. He was one of three YouTube personalities chosen to conduct a one-on-one interview with President Barack Obama after his final State of the Union address. His secondary channel provides additional details and interviews to supplement his primary channel’s videos.
Mark Rober – An engineer and inventor, Mark Rober presents popular science concepts and do-it-yourself gadgets in easy-to-understand terms. He was previously a NASA engineer (where he worked on the Curiosity rover) and a product designer at Apple’s Special Projects Group (where he authored patents involving virtual reality in self-driving cars). One of his best-known series involves the development of a glitter bomb to combat porch pirates and internet scammers.
Emmymade – Whether it’s trying to figure out if it’s really worth it to wait a hundred hours for a batch of brownies, finding out what Ranch gummies or giant centipedes taste like, making mayonnaise from a vintage gadget, or tasting desserts and dishes from around the world, Emmy wants to learn about our world through food.
U Can Beat Video Games – U Can Beat Video Games is a YouTube channel for all of us! Have you ever wanted to get better at video games, but every video requires players to have superhuman abilities? On UCBVG, watch Kylo take on titles like Castlevania, Mega Man, or Zelda, and learn strategies that anyone can use for these games and more! UCBVG also discusses the history and technology behind these games during his tutorials.
Game Maker’s Toolkit (GMTK) – Game Maker’s Toolkit is a deep dive into game design, level design, and game production, hosted by Mark Brown.
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STEAM Saturday is a celebration of curiosity and imagination through science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics, the very building blocks of the universe around us.
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