![Several longhouse and other stone structures on Pamiok Island, in Ungava Bay, Quebec](/sites/default/files/styles/resource_card_image_360x300_/public/2020-02/Pamiok_historic_site.jpg?itok=qMAFJMRh)
The Dating Habits of Archaeologists
STEM Explained
Radiocarbon dating is a method of radiometric dating. Learn how archaeologists use carbon isotopes to find the age of organic materials at archaeological sites.
![Wasted food on the ground](/sites/default/files/styles/resource_card_image_360x300_/public/2019-10/food_waste_on_ground.jpg?itok=Hpl8H3ev)
The Environmental Impact of Wasted Food
STEM Explained
One-third of all food produced is wasted. Learn about the environmental consequences of food waste, and what you can do about it.
![Screen capture from the TED Ed video “The genius of Mendeleev's periodic table”](/sites/default/files/styles/resource_card_image_360x300_/public/2019-09/Mendeleev_video_screen_shot.jpg?itok=LmlKtLid)
The Genius of Mendeleev's Table
STEM Explained
Dmitri Mendeleev’s version of the periodic table was brilliant - find out why!
![AeroVelo's winning flight](/sites/default/files/styles/resource_card_image_360x300_/public/2019-10/Aerovelo%27s_winning_flight.jpg?itok=LW292kJO)
The Hovering Human
STEM Explained
Learn how a team of Canadian engineers used Bernoulli’s Principle to design a human-powered helicopter. It set a world record for human-powered hovering flight!
![Finger with a drop of blood](/sites/default/files/styles/resource_card_image_360x300_/public/2019-10/Finger_with_a_drop_of_blood.png?itok=9rIlbgSt)
The Immune Response
STEM Explained
When you cut your finger, your immune system kicks in to protect you from pathogens.
![The rocky planets](/sites/default/files/styles/resource_card_image_360x300_/public/2019-11/Rocky_planets.jpg?itok=5IsUrgOh)
The Inner Solar System
STEM Explained
Earth is covered in rocks. So are Mercury, Venus, Mars and the Moon. Does that mean the rocky planets are all the same?
![Keplers Supernova. Image © NASA](/sites/default/files/styles/resource_card_image_360x300_/public/2019-09/Keplers%20Supernova.jpg?itok=VFbU-ykR)
The Life and Death of Stars
STEM Explained
The life and death of stars form the chemical elements that make up Earth, making stars critical to life as we know it.
![Milky Way galaxy as seen from Australia (Brett Ritchie via Unsplash)](/sites/default/files/styles/resource_card_image_360x300_/public/2019-09/Milky%20Way%20galaxy%20as%20seen%20from%20Australia.jpg?itok=OevuZWGV)
The Milky Way
STEM Explained
In 2019, scientists discovered that our galaxy, the Milky Way, is not the shape they thought it was. How do astronomers use astronomical distance to understand the shapes of galaxies?
![The newest chemical elements](/sites/default/files/styles/resource_card_image_360x300_/public/2019-10/new-chemical-elements-nihonium-moscovium-tennessine-and-oganesson.jpg?itok=DnC4xsXM)
The Newest Elements on the Periodic Table
STEM Explained
The periodic table was last updated in 2016 with four new chemical elements. What is a chemical element? What is the atomic structure of the newest chemical elements? How did they get their names?
![Cartoon woman on a surfboard](/sites/default/files/styles/resource_card_image_360x300_/public/2019-09/Woman_on_surfboard.png?itok=nK6so4x3)
The Physics of Surfing
STEM Explained
Learn about the history of surfboards, and how different materials and designs over the years affected the physics at work in surfing.
![Peyto Lake, Banff National Park](/sites/default/files/styles/resource_card_image_360x300_/public/2019-09/peyto-lake-banff-national-park.jpg?itok=0_N90Ej4)
The Rock Cycle in Canada
STEM Explained
Products of the rock cycle are visible all across Canada.
![Heat pump diagram](/sites/default/files/styles/resource_card_image_360x300_/public/2020-01/Heat_pump_diagram.png?itok=0BIHVWMg)
Tapping Underground Energy with Heat Pumps
STEM Explained
Using the heat of the Earth’s interior, you can heat your home with a ground source heat pump. This kind of heating is cheaper and better for the environment!
![The Parkes Observatory in New South Wales, Australia](/sites/default/files/styles/resource_card_image_360x300_/public/2019-10/Park_Observatory_NSW_Australia.jpg?itok=K11hu9qK)
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence - and How You Can Help!
STEM Explained
When astronomers search for extraterrestrial life, they often have to listen for radio waves coming from deep space. If you’re interested, you can help!
![Mars Science Laboratory Parachute Qualification Testing](/sites/default/files/styles/resource_card_image_360x300_/public/2019-09/Mars_science_lab_parachute_testing.jpg?itok=Ly8xx3i5)
Testing Parachutes for Mars
STEM Explained
NASA engineers apply kinematics and dynamics to test parachutes designed specifically to help space probes land safely using aerodynamics.
![man sick with the flu](/sites/default/files/styles/resource_card_image_360x300_/public/2019-09/man_sick_with_the_flu.jpg?itok=5C2Zm7yV)
The Surprising Reason You Feel Awful When You're Sick
STEM Explained
Viruses can make you feel awful! This article explains how feeling bad might be your immune system’s way of helping you heal.