The BP Solar Decathlon just ended, with the team from Technische Universität Darmstadt taking first place. The contest involved 10 teams from around North America and Europe, all competing to build the most efficient solar house. Each team was made up of students from a variety of disciplines, including architecture, engineering, economics, and more. Once relegated to the land of hippies, solar power is once again receiving attention as the impact of global warming is felt around the world. This was the third decathlon since the event was founded in 2002, and as in previous years, teams built their solar houses at home, tested them, and then transported them to the National Mall to form a solar village. Their task was to run their entire house using only energy from the sun. Visitors to the Mall were able to interact with the teams there and check out the houses themselves. The event was sponsored by BP, which offers residential solar solutions to help make every house solar-powered. You can get a quote online, or visit your local Home Depot for information on purchasing a BP solar system. (It is unlikely, though, that the store itself will be solar-powered, even though BP does offer business solutions as well.)

I was just talking with A last night about how I refused to dissect animals in Biology class in 10th grade. But I do remember peering through microscopes to draw amoebas or whatever they were - of course I’m not much of an artist, so I found looking back and forth between a lens and the paper very difficult. But I just discovered something at OpticsPlanet that eliminates the need to draw on paper - a digital microscope with PC link! You can hook up the microscope to your computer via USB, and take pictures of whatever it is you’re peering at.

OpticsPlanet also offers hobby microscopes, gemology microscopes, a buyer’s guide, and a Microscopes Blog that’s a lot more interesting than you might have expected such a topic-focused blog to be. I was amused to read about cell phones that are so tiny you need microscopes to see them, and I enjoyed reading about how to view snowflakes under a microscope.

With the holiday season coming up, OpticsPlanet is a great place to buy presents for kids who are fascinated by science and all things small. They have gifts for children that are both affordable and educational. And really, wouldn’t you prefer your kid to be studying microbes than playing the latest video games?