Vlog 1 ~ Its Magic!

      Hey guys, Cody & Alex here. We are here to tell you about our new vlog. In this vlog, Cody shows me an awesome card trick, and then shows you how you can preform the trick to! You can watch the vlog below, or on our youtube channel. Post questions in the comments, and we will answer them in a Q&A. I hope you enjoy it!

~ Cody & Alex

Where The International Space Station Is Right Now + LIGO Observatory in Washington

      Using the awesome website Astro Viewer, you can see the current position of the International Space Station. It uses a live google map to show it's position. Here is a picture of the map:

      As you can see, it shows the area that the international space station is above. It is very neat and it can help you find out when to see the international space station above where you live. I have seen the International Space Station once when I was stargazing at the LIGO Observatory in Washington. (I recommend checking out one of their stargazing nights if you are in the area.) When they pointed it out, I thought it was a star, but then I realized it was moving. It was really cool.

      I hope this website helps you find the ISS :)

~Alex~

 

Blog Changes

 Hey Guys!

            Alex Here, and I am here to announce a few changes being added to the blog. First of all, I am going to be posting a lot more, than I have done recently because I am on summer vacation :) Whoop Whoop! And secondly I am adding some contributors to the blog. Here are the new staff members:

~ Cody G.
   Admin & Author

~ Seth M.
   Author

          I hope you enjoy their company on here as much as I do! If you want to be a guest blogger (Not a full time author but write just a post or two) ask us in the comments below.

Bye!

~Alex~

Hey!!!!

         Hey guys! So, I'm Cody (One of Alex's friends) and I was invited to come help on the blog. Let me tell you about myself. I'm 15, play Minecraft, love card tricks, and I also am a fencer! I will be posting Minecraft and science stuff on the blog and a few magic tricks when Alex and I are hanging out. See ya laters!                        

                                                                       ~Cody~

Arduino Project For Beginners

What is Arduino?

        Arduino is a programmable circuit board that is used in many electronics and DIY projects worldwide. The company that sells Arduino says this is what Arduino is: "An open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible easy-to-use hardware and software. It's intended for artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments."

The Project

        This projects is sometimes called "blink." The object of the project is to make the built in LED of the Arduino to rapidly turn on and off. All you need for your project is your Arduino, a cord to connect the Arduino to the computer, and the Arduino software installed onto your PC.

Here Are the steps:

1. Connect your Arduino to your computer and open the Arduino Software.
2. Go to "Tools" and then "Serial Port." Select the port your Arduino is plugged into.
3. Type this code into the Arduino Software.

void setup()

{

  pinMode(13, OUTPUT);

  

}

void loop ()

{

  digitalWrite(13, HIGH);

  delay(1000);

  digitalWrite(13, LOW);

  delay(1000);

  

}

   4.   Select "Save" and call the project "blink."

   5.   Select "Verify." If it comes up all clear, skip to step 6. If it does not work, check the code for any                  mistakes.

   6.   Once you get it verified, select "Upload." A light on the Arduino should start blinking every second.

What The Code Means
        The "void setup()" is telling the arduino that whatever is between the two curly brackets ( {} ), only   preform the task once. The "pinMode(13, OUTPUT);" tells the Arduino to give an electric signal to pin 13 on the Arduino board. Pin 13 is the pin on your Arduino with the built in LED. The "void loop ()" tells the Arduino to preform the task between the two curly brackets over and over again. The "digitalWrite(13, HIGH);" tells the Arduino to turn on pin 13. The "delay(1000);" tells The Arduino to wait for one second. The "digitalWrite(13, LOW);" tells the Arduino to turn off pin 13. Then the "delay(1000);" tells the Arduino to wait for another second.
             
        Have fun with this project!

        ~Alex

Cryptid Hunters by Rolland Smith Book Review

Cryptid Hunters

Author: Rolland Smith

Interest Level: 6th - 8th

Reading Level: Later 4th Grade

Plot: Grace and Marty, 13 year old twins, are forced to live with an uncle that they had never met after their parents go missing during a helicopter crash. Turns out their uncle, whose name is Travis Wolfe, is a cryptozoologist or a study of cryptids, mysterious creatures whose existence has never been proven. Grace and Marty get whisked away into an adventure in the African Congo: The race to find the last dinosaur on earth.

 Review: I am a 12 year old and I love this book. It has so much adventure, excitement, and plot twists. My younger brother (Age 10) loves the book as well and is the reason I started reading it. I love how as you are reading the book you never know what is going  to happen next. I also love how Rolland Smith keeps the book appropriate. Whenever one of the characters swears, he just wrote "He Swore."                          

Star Rating: I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars!                        
                                                          

How To Make A Paper Helicopter

        Hey Guys!

        Today I made a really cool video about how to make a paper helicopter. The paper helicopters are really fun to build and play with. All you need to make one is 1 standard piece of copy paper, 1 paper clip, and scissors. Watch how to make it here:

        Make sure to subscribe to my youtube channel! All you have to do is click on the "My Youtube Channel" button on the top right corner of my blog. Then all you need to do is click the "subscribe" button. After that, if I make a new video, it will automatically be sent to your youtube homepage.

~Thanks For Watching~