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My favorite part of winter is a gentle snowstorm! I love to stand very still and watch the flakes fall around me. My black wool coat makes a great backdrop against which to observe the delicate symmetry of the flakes. While each flake IS unique, their formation does follow a very specific and scientific pattern. A snowflake is just one of many fractals found in nature. A fractal is a complex geometric pattern in which small details of its structure, viewed at any scale, repeat elements of the overall pattern. This video is a great verbal and visual depiction of the science behind snow! Here's hoping we can make many scientifc observaiton of snow this winter. Let it snow, let it snow, oh please let it snow.

Somethings happen so quickly that we never see the actual event unfold. This year, from all of us at the Saint Louis Science Center, we decided to share a little holiday cheer by taping the installation of the Plantarium's large, red holiday bow. This large undertaking goes on often unnoticed but the tradition of the bow and its undenyable charm are is evident.

Wishing you and yours Happy Holidays!

Earlier this week FOX 2 news called us up and wanted some fake snow. At first we were like, “How in the world do we make fake snow!” A little bit of research later and this is what we came up with! Check me out, Jet Stream Josh on FOX 2 news making fake snow!

The holidays are approaching quickly. For many this means sharing time with friends and family and eating rich food.

Here at the Science Center, holidays also mean fun Holidazed Camps! Take the time in your relaxing break to engage with many hands-on science activities. Each three hour camp touches on a different science topic. Spend time learning through play at the Scince Center and share the fun with friends and family at home. We also offer before and aftercare for busy parents. A couple days of Science Center camp make great Christmas gifts. (hint, hint)

Holidazed Camp is also a perfect way to keep learning and still enjoy the holidays. View our schedule and sign-up for camp soon. I hope you can join us, after all, ‘tis the season for science!

Maybe it’s my terrible sweet-tooth or maybe it’s the Halloween seasons but this looks like candy! The picture to the right IS candy called nougat- a confectioner’s treat made of nuts suspended in egg whites and sugar or honey. Nougat has been around for centuries and is a traditional Christmas treat from the European continent.

Now turn your attention to the image on the left. This isn’t a heavenly dessert; it’s a little piece of meteor. It originated from a chunk of the Fukang Meteorite, found in China's Gobi Desert in 2000. Similarly suspended like the nuts in the nougat, those shiny "nuts" are bits of the mineral olivine, encased in nickel-iron. Scientists state that this rare meteor is 4.5 billion years old, originating from the birth of our solar system. (That’s what I call a leftover.)

This week the scientific community celebrates 2012’s newest Nobel Laureates. The prizes have already been awarded in two categories;

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2012 was awarded jointly to Sir John B. Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka "for the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent." As they experiment with “reprogramming” cells they can better treat disease. Also because Gurdon and Yamanaka use cells from adults they bypass many of the moral and ethical issues directly associated with embryonic stem cell research.

The Nobel Prize in Physics 2012 was awarded jointly to Serge Haroche and David J. Wineland "for ground-breaking experimental methods that enable measuring and manipulation of individual quantum systems." Richard Harris of NPR explains that this is important because it allows scientists to understand how those particles behave, which in turn could lead to breakthroughs in quantum computing.

The following categories will be awarded later this month: Chemistry Prize (October 10th), Literature Prize (October 11th), Peace Prize (October 12th), and Economic Sciences Prize (October 15th). Find out more about the history and humanity behind the 2012 Nobel Prizes!