Thursday, December 4, 2008

Bearrrrs .... in .... spaaaaace ....

I had a major Muppet Show flashback when I heard the story about University of Cambridge launching teddy bears into space as part of lesson to teach some science to school kids. I'll have to admit that the Pigs in Space feature was one of my favorite parts of the Muppet Show. Oh hush, you know you watched it too. Kermit? Miss Piggy? Gonzo?? The wonderful guest stars?

Unfortunately these teddy bears weren't piloting their own spaceship and having wonderful Star Trekian adventures. They were just passive observers in an experiment. I think this was a great teaching tool for the students and a clever way to engage their interest. I wish they could have done something like this when I was in school but back then they were still launching chimps into orbit as a precursor to real space flight.

Hopefully the teddies found happy homes afterward for their retirement. The teds in space deserve it!

All together now: "It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights, it's time to get things started ...."

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