Recording Polar Sounds

February 16, 2023

On this week's episode: Finding earthquake survivors; recording polar sounds; and a robot learns to paint!

Earthquake
Polar Sounds
Robot

On this week's news update…

Finding earthquake survivors…

… recording polar sounds…

… and a robot learns to paint!

First up…

Türkiye and Syria are located close to fault lines, where earthquakes can often occur.

Last week, a powerful earthquake shook both countries.

Tragically, thousands of people died after becoming trapped under collapsed buildings.

However, a piece of everyday technology is helping to save many lives.

If someone trapped under rubble uses their cell phone to call for help…

… electronic data from their phone can be used to find their geo-location.

This information can be used to pinpoint exactly where they are on a map.

The numbers on this map signal how many people in each location need to be rescued.

The redder an area is, the more people there are to be rescued.

Search and rescue teams then use the map to find exactly where people are trapped.

Knowing precisely where to look saves time when searching for survivors, helping rescue crews to save more people.

Up next…

The north and south poles are home to awe-inspiring natural sights.

Although many of us have seen images of these remote polar regions, few of us know what these icy parts of our planet sound like.

Recently, researchers have released sound recordings taken from beneath the freezing polar seas.

From the unique sound of ross seals…

… to the epic crashes of icebergs colliding.

Researchers hope the strange sounds will inspire people to take more interest in the wonder of polar environments.

Are you surprised by the strange clicking of narwhals?

Or do you enjoy the soulful singing of humpback whales?

And finally…

Artists have been creating paintings of people, landscapes, and the world around us throughout history.

Now, technology is bringing in a new artistic age.

Meet Frida…

An artist uses a computer to programme what style of art they would like Frida to create.

Frida then uses a process called machine learning to decide exactly how to create the painting - much like a human artist would.

… and an electronic arm then precisely layers on the paint.

And ta da!

Frida can even recreate famous paintings and photographs.

Although Frida's painting skills are pretty impressive, the robot is designed to work alongside human artists, rather than replace them.

Do you think robots could ever create paintings as well as humans?

That's all for this week, we'll see you next time!

Teaching Overview

Learning Points

Geo-location technology is being used to rescue survivors from a devastating earthquake that has struck Türkiye and Syria.
Researchers have recorded the hidden sounds of nature from beneath polar ice sheets.
Engineers have designed a robot called Frida that can create artistic paintings.

Curriculum Keywords

Earthquake
Polar Sounds
Robot

Credits

Earthquake Rescue: Earthquake Help Project
Polar Sounds: Cities and Memory
Robot Painter: Carnegie Mellon University

Discover More About Topics Covered in This Week's Episode

Classroom Resources

Use these resources to get the most out of the episode and engage your class in topical science!

Video Viewing Guide

This graphic organizer supports your students to capture their thoughts and questions as they watch the episode.

Access the Guide

Make Your Own Science Episode

This simple guide helps your students to create their very own science episodes.

Access the Guide

Language and Literacy Activities

This guide gives you ideas for how the episode can be used to support language and literacy activities.

Access the Guide

Twig Science: A Complete Pre-K–8 Program for the NGSS

Immersive Investigations With High-Quality Multimedia

Investigating, designing, building, and understanding phenomena
Hands-on, digital, video, and print investigations
Synchronous/asynchronous distance learning

Explore Now