Current Events

  • Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm
    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm rep...Read more

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    Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm

    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm repeatedly. Daily levels of CO2 can vary due to weather, and there are seasonal trends as well. The level of atmospheric greenhouse gases continues to increase, now over 120 ppm since the Industrial Revolution began. For more on the Keeling Curve, see http://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/. Find out more about greenhouse gases and warming.
  • Massive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley
    The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Io...Read more

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    Massive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley

    The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. On May 20th, a massive tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, devastating communities - destroying over 100 homes and hitting two elementary schools and a hospital - with many casualties and deaths. Our thoughts are with our friends and colleagues suffering from these storms. For more on the May 20th storms, see the NOAA Storm Prediction Center Storm Report.
  • Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education
    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of ...Read more

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    Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education

    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of sustainability. Here is a link to the one-page bill: http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2013_14/measures/documents/hb2366_00_0000.pdf. See report on Bloomberg News.

Tour - The Myth of Jupiter and Callisto

The Ursa Major and Minor are represented as a big bear and a small bear.
Click on image for full size
(c) 1995 Visual Language. All rights reserved.

In due time Callisto bore a boy child named Arcas. When Jupiter's wife Juno saw this evidence of Jupiter's infidelity she became enraged, and changed Callisto into a bear. Callisto was ashamed and afraid, and fled into the woods, not to see her son for many years. One day, when Arcas was a young man, he decided to go hunting and went into the woods where his mother Callisto, the bear, resided. Callisto saw her son, whom she had not seen for many years. Forgetting she was a bear, she rushed forward to embrace him. Arcas only saw a bear rushing down on him. He lifted his bow and let fly an arrow to the mark. At the last moment Jupiter intervened and cast Callisto and her son into the heavens as the constellations Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, the big and little bears, principal parts of which are the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. Arcas became the ancestor of the Arcadian race in the Peloponnesus.

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Cool It! Game

Check out our online store - minerals, fossils, books, activities, jewelry, and household items!...more

The Myth of Jupiter and Callisto

Callisto was a river nymph, descended from the river god Inachus,TBD. Callisto was the favorite companion of the goddess Diana. She accompanied Diana on the hunt and attended her at her bath after the...more

Tour - The Myth of Jupiter and Callisto

One day the god Jupiter caught a glimpse of the beautiful Callisto and fell in love with her. Knowing that Diana had warned Callisto of the deceitful ways of men and gods, Jupiter assumed the guise of...more

Tour - The Myth of Jupiter and Callisto

In due time Callisto bore a boy child named Arcas. When Jupiter's wife Juno saw this evidence of Jupiter's infidelity she became enraged, and changed Callisto into a bear. Callisto was ashamed and afraid,...more

Europa

Europa was the beautiful daughter of the Phoenician king of Tyre, Agenor. Zeus (Jupiter), the King of the gods according to Greek mythology, saw Europa as she was gathering flowers by the sea and immediately...more

Apollo

In Greek mythology, Apollo was the son of Zeus (Jupiter) and Leto (Letona). He was the twin brother of the goddess Artemis. He was the god of the Sun, logic, and reason, and was also a fine musician and...more

Venus (Aphrodite)

Venus was the goddess of love and beauty. To the perfection of her figure and the purity of her features she added an innocent grace. On her sweet face she always wore a smile. ...more

Ahsonnutli

Ahsonnutli was the sky father and chief deity of the Navajo Indians. He created heaven, Earth, and the sky. Each of the four cardinal directions was supported by a giant. Each direction was also associated...more

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Arches National Park Geology Tour provides an extensive, visually rich description of the geology of Arches, by Deborah Ragland, Ph.D. See our DVD collection.

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