Found physics: joule thief

"101114-1200240"
Waifer X
flic.kr/p/8UVKH3

Joule thief (wki.pe/Joule_thief), built with Radio Shack parts and a mint tin, circuit diagram based on Make magazine's how-to tutorial (makezine.com/2007/11/02/make-a-joule-thief-weeken-1/).

Astronomy current events question: extra-galactic planet

Astronomy 210L, Fall Semester 2010
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)

Alan MacRobert, "Planet from Another Galaxy," November 18, 2010
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/108739724.html

Astronomers were able to determine that the star HIP 13044 and its orbiting planet may have come from beyond the Milky Way galaxy by analyzing their:
(A) trajectory.
(B) metallicity.
(C) gravitational wobbles.
(D) orbital motion.
(E) absorption and emission spectra.

Correct answer: (A)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 5 students
(B) : 10 students
(C) : 8 students
(D) : 4 students
(E) : 3 students

Astronomy current events question: Rhea's thin atmosphere

Astronomy 210L, Fall Semester 2010
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)

Jia-Rui C. Cook, "Thin Air--Cassini Finds Ethereal Atmosphere at Rhea," November 26, 2010
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/whycassini/cassini20101126.html

The NASA Cassini spacecraft has detected a thin atmosphere around Saturn's moon Rhea, containing oxygen that may be released from:
(A) pockets containing pristine solar nebula gas.
(B) high energy particles bombarding its icy surface.
(C) subsurface organisms capable of photosynthesis.
(D) chemical processes that may eventually evolve into life.
(E) radioactive decay processes.

Correct answer: (B)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 4 students
(B) : 22 students
(C) : 7 students
(D) : 14 students
(E) : 8 students

Astronomy current events question: Jupiter's south equatorial belt

Astronomy 210L, Fall Semester 2010
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)

Emily Lakdawalla, "Jupiter's Outbreak is Spreading," November 22, 2010
http://planetary.org/blog/article/00002784/

Amateur astronomers have been observing recent rapid changes in Jupiter's:
(A) two moons that may soon collide.
(B) polar ice caps.
(C) lightning storms.
(D) magnetic field.
(E) weather patterns.

Correct answer: (E)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 0 students
(B) : 1 student
(C) : 0 students
(D) : 5 students
(E) : 20 students