STEAM (STEM + ARTS) News in Review: 08/07/20

Our STEAM (STEM + Arts) News in Review for this week. Below are the articles we read and wanted to share. Enjoy!

Feeling like things around your house or apartment are getting cluttered? Our environments influence more than just our attention, research shows our moods and hormones are affected too. Read this piece in to learn some helpful tips on how to kick the clutter. One recommendation is to cultivate a mindfulness practice around your cluttered thoughts if you find them distracting you.

National Geographic: Why pandemic stress breeds more clutter--and how to break the cycle.

All too often children's needs are overlooked when designing public spaces. This report showcases projects from around the globe that take kids' needs into account and design streets just for them! It is fascinating to see how other countries have created street spaces just for kids and think about how we might take inspiration and build on it in our own communities. 

Global Design Cities Initiative: Design Streets for Kids Report

Did you know baking powder has seen a 450% increase in demand compared to this time last year? It’s interesting to look at the things that have surged during this pandemic and wonder why we are all doing similar things like gardening, crafting, and baking. Self-Determination theory might have something to do with it.  Learn about why we are all craving autonomy, mastery and belonging. And then go make something!

Outside: Why we are all gardening and baking so much.  

Are you concerned about the amount of hours your child has spent gaming this summer? Don’t worry too much! In fact, this article brings to light the benefits that come with playing video games and research behind it - believe it or not!

Verizon: Should I be worried my kid is gaming too much?

With COVID-19 in place, there are new guidelines and procedures for keeping public spaces clean, safe, and germ-free! As a matter of fact, a revolution is ahead of us regarding how public spaces will operate in the future. Such demands look toward engineering, with the possibility of finding ways to make sanitation more efficient through the use of new operating systems and machines. This article discusses a robotic floor scrubber, which was originally introduced back in 2016 but its demand has surged since. Read this article to learn more about the mechanisms behind this robot, along with others, in addition to its potential.

NYTimes: For Robots, It’s a Time to Shine (and Maybe Disinfect)

Tired of listening to your children’s music? Looking to show them what you listened to back in the day? This article discusses how to introduce your children to “the good stuff,” and what to introduce them to!

DallasObserver: (Home) School of Rock: The Cool Parent’s Guide to Classic Hip-Hop for Kids