Showing titles in Science & Technology

In 1862, balloons were the only way to reach the sky. But 14-year-old Otto Lilienthal didn’t want to fly in balloons. He wanted to soar like a bird. Scientists, teachers, and news reporters everywhere said flying was impossible. Otto and his brother Gustav desperately wanted to prove them wrong, so they made their own wings and tried to take flight. The brothers quickly crashed, but this was just the beginning for Otto, who would spend the next 30 years of his life sketching, re-sketching, and building gliders.

In 1752, the sky in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, darkened. A thunderstorm was coming. Benjamin Franklin was ready to perform an experiment. He wanted to show the electrical nature of lightning. His experiment was a success, but he didn’t discover electricity that day. Myths about Franklin and his experiment have been told for years. Discover what’s real and what’s fiction through infographics, primary sources, and expertly leveled text.

Stay curious with Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African American woman to travel to space and participate in NASA’s space program.

Dutch student Boyan Slat always loved inventing. A visit to the oceans of Greece inspired his greatest invention ever. Why were there more plastic bags than fish? How could he save the sea? Learn more about Boyan’s Great Pacific Garbage Patch project; The Ocean Cleanup and his plastic cleanup invention, System 001; and the challenges behind removing trash from our oceans and rivers.

In 1949, Dorothy Vaughan became the first African American woman to lead a team at NASA's Langley Research Center. Her work as a mathematician was an important part of helping the United States explore space. Learn more about Vaughan's life as a famous mathematician!

Scott Kelly, an American astronaut, went to space in the 1990s and 2000s. In 2015, he spent nearly a year in space. While there, his body was compared to his twin's on the ground. The data helped us learn about the impacts of space on the human body. Learn more about Kelly's life as an astronaut!

Nikola Tesla was a scientist and inventor in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Among his many inventions and experiments, he helped create the modern electricity system. Learn more about Tesla's life as a famous inventor!

How much do you know about Benjamin Franklin? Find out the facts you need to know about this Founding Father, author, and inventor. You'll learn about the early life, challenges, and major accomplishments of this important American.

Ilumina tu curiosidad con la Doctora Mae Jemison, la primera mujer afroamericana que viajó al espacio y participó en el programa espacial de NASA.

Stephen Hawking was one of the greatest minds of our time. His theories about the universe have changed the way we think about black holes and the Big Bang. Learn more about the physicist on wheels who traveled the world.

Embark with us on a powerful journey where we walk side by side with some of the most iconic entrepreneurs in history, both male and female!

How did a boy with limited resources and a curious mind change the world? Meet Lewis Latimer, the inventor who made train journeys more comfortable and brought brighter light to our homes! In Bright Ideas for a Better World—Lewis Latimer, listeners ages 4 to 8 discover the amazing story of this unsung hero of invention. Lewis started his journey surrounded by the blueprints and ideas of others, and his own inventions soon followed! His biggest breakthrough came when he joined forces with Thomas Edison to make better lightbulbs.

As a kid, Barrington Irving moved from Jamaica to Miami and played football—his ticket to success, he thought. But then Captain Gary Robinson swooped into his life. Barrington had never seen a Black pilot before. Captain Robinson showed Barrington a jet, a cockpit, and what it was like to actually fly a plane—WHOAAA! After that, Barrington had big plans, and two words: Let's Fly!

The daughter of a seamstress and a cobbler, Jeanne Villepreux-Power began her career as a dressmaker, sewing beautiful gowns for the Parisian aristocracy. But her heart longed for more, and when she moved to the seaside, she became fascinated by the ocean's mysteries.

De la serie Mis Pequeños Héroes, llega el audiolibro de la increíble historia de Isaac Newton, el científico que nos descubrió cómo funciona el universo, narrada por el astronauta Pedro Duque. La mayoría de héroes que conocemos son seres extraordinarios con poderes mágicos y una capa ondeando en sus hombros. Pero también existen héroes de carne y hueso, tan humanos como tú y como yo, que algunas veces se equivocan y otras aciertan a lo grande. Isaac Newton fue uno de ellos. Sus poderes fueron una inmensa curiosidad, un gran conocimiento de las leyes matemáticas y muchísima capacidad de observación.

This biography audiobook for kids ages 8-11 charts the major events of Amelia's life, including buying her first plane (a bright yellow bi-plane that she named "The Canary"), gaining her pilot's licence in 1923, becoming the first female air passenger to cross the Atlantic Ocean in 1928, and becoming the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1932, earning her the nickname "Queen of the Air". The story of a true feminist icon, DK Life Stories: Amelia Earhart is the gripping tale of a determined woman who broke the rules and followed her dreams skywards.

Women are an important part of science. In ancient times they did science as well as math, medicine, and teaching. There were some people who said that only men could do science. But, they were wrong. Women are just as good at science and teaching science as men are.

Emma Lilian Todd's mind was always soaring—she loved to solve problems. Lilian tinkered and fiddled with all sorts of objects, turning dreams into useful inventions. As a child, she took apart and reassembled clocks to figure out how they worked. As an adult, typing up patents at the U.S. Patent Office, Lilian built the inventions in her mind, including many designs for flying machines. However, they all seemed too impractical. Lilian knew she could design one that worked.

When Orville Wright (1871-1948) and his brother Wilbur set out to solve the problem of flight, they recognized that success would come with careful observation, perseverance, and ingenuity. From experiments in their Dayton, Ohio, bicycle shop to test flights over the beaches of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the amateur aviation enthusiasts risked their lives and worked tirelessly to solve the problems that had stumped the world's best scientists.

In the past and present, Black people have developed new products and created new processes in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Their work has addressed problems such as medical and healthcare inequality and the negative impacts of climate change. Celebrate the people who have made great achievements in STEM, including PlayVS founder Delane Parnell, astronaut, doctor, and engineer Mae Jemison, and environmental justice leader Peggy Shephard.