Tennis is a global sport well known for its complicated scoring techniques and how fast the ball can fly. The subtleties in technique and footwork are admired in tennis players when newcomers enter the court for the first time. On campus, there is a group of students that seeks to improve on their these techniques while experiencing the fun and joy that comes with the sport.
Austin, Texas: A new study has found that the brain mechanisms engaged when people allow their minds to rest and reflect on things they have learned before may actually boost later learning. Researchers at University of Texas at Austin have concluded that mental rest strengthens and consolidates memories from recent learning tasks that will in fact boost future learning. Margaret Schlichting, a graduate student researcher, and Alison Preston, an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience, gave participants in the study two learning tasks in which participants were asked to memorize different series of associated photo pairs. Between the tasks, participants rested and could think about anything they chose. Brain scans showed that threads of information were making connections that helped in absorbing information for a later use. Preston suggests that this can be applied to everyday learning. Teachers or professors can spark initial thinking of what students already know before actually teaching a new topic, in order to help students’ transition and connect their knowledge with new topics.
The Ebola scare continues, and, even with positive stories such as Nina Pham being cleared from her Dallas hospital, the cultural and economic strain of the virus is having a continued effect. In the end the greatest effect of the virus may be on the American economy as travel bans and fearful citizens have already caused airline stocks to drop and predicted economic losses swell to over $32.6 billion.
“The Maze Runner” is based on the best-selling young adult novel by James Dashner. Like so many movies before it, it is distinctly about a dystopian future, think along the lines of “The Hunger Games” and “Divergent”, although that is not revealed until the end of the movie. Like many movies based on books, “The Maze Runner” does not always accurately reflect the book that it is based off of. That’s probably to be expected, it’s rare these days that a movie really encapsulates the book it is based on.
At first it would seem like a pretty regular afternoon in the library with students scattered around with piles of books and frantically typing on laptops. But off to the side a small gaggle of 9 girls is in the corner of the Boettcher Room wearing matching black polo shirts embroidered with the words “Melodic Miners” on a music staff. The ladies cluster together, giggling nervously as students, teachers, and faculty gathered to hear their tunes. As 12:00 rolls around the girls straighten up and stand in a line. A pitch pipe is played quietly and suddenly a beautiful chorus breaks free. Toes are tapping, hips are swaying to the beat as the bouncy backup to the Little Mermaid classic “Kiss the Girl” enters the library.
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From designing lunch boxes for consumers in India to working in Silicon Valley, Leslie Light is an engineer who has experienced the career many Mines students dream of. Officially the Teaching Associate Professor and Director of EPICS, Leslie Light is now using her engineering experiences to enhance the EPICS design course sequence here at Colorado School of Mines.
Nothing says fall quite like a tasty piece of pumpkin pie. Halloween tends to bring out pumpkins sitting on people’s front steps, and fall in general brings out pumpkin flavored everything. But there is nothing quite so traditional as eating a piece of pumpkin pie while wearing a scarf and probably some hot chocolate, coffee or tea in a mug nearby. Whether or not it is a tradition or brings back nostalgia, or even if you have never had it before, it is a great treat any day. It seems weird that we cook up what is technically a vegetable into a delicious sweet pie but there is no arguing that it is a phenomenal creation. Brace yourself for the icy winter that is surely coming and eat some pie and enjoy the lovely fall weather.
Dr. Anita Peil, a graduate from Colorado School of Mines with a BS in Mineral Engineering Chemistry in 1971, recently gave a speech regarding the career path that she chose and how it has impacted her and her ideas. Dr. Peil founded the SWE section at Colorado School of Mines and served as the first president. Then, she went on to obtain a PhD in Food Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After her studies, she went on to work in the pharmaceutical section and now currently has over 30 years of global leadership in both public and private companies across the world.
“The Magicians” is the first book in a trilogy written by Lev Grossman and published in 2009. Its sequel, “The Magican King,” received much acclaim, and the final installment, “The Magician’s Land,” was just published this year.