Photo by Lisa George pour Ultra-lab [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia CommonsHave you ever wanted to invent something but had no idea where to start? What if there was an electronic platform that was easy to use, complex, expansive, and visually pleasing all at the same time? Meet LittleBits. LittleBits is an electronic platform made up of various tiny modules. These modules can be linked together in different formations and accompanied with arts and crafts to create anything from a simple slide-dimmer light to a remote controlled flying miniature house. Each module, called a “bit”, is brightly coloured, approximately the size of a 2 by 4 stud Lego brick, and is equipped with magnets on one or both ends, so that the bits easily snap to each other to create the circuit of your choice. Different coloured bits perform different functions. Blue bits provide the energy from outlets or batteries that power the circuit. Pink bits, or “input bits” make it possible to control your circuit with the push of a button or the slide of a switch. Some input bits can even sense a change in temperature or sound. Green bits are the action bits, the ones that make an invention move or light up. And finally, there are orange bits. These are the wires that spread out and connect the circuit over a distance; the railways of the whole operation. My brother and I are homeschooled so my mother is always trying to find different ways to learn about science, history, and other school subjects. We had (and still have) a physics kit with some plastic building planks, a weak motor, and some accessories. Every time we had science class we would try to build a simple project. It was extremely frustrating trying to connect the poorly fitting pieces and when we had finally completed the project, it would sputter to life, and promptly fall apart. Now when I have a sudden flash of inspiration I just need to figure out, “how will I build this?” Instead of assuming it simply can’t be done. Bits are also great for repurposing toys like Lego or old bikes. Their website sells Lego adapters which connect bit circuits to Lego models, making them move, or light up. So if you want to make the ladder on your tree house model come up and down by itself, than with Lego adapters, you can do it without a whole bunch of tape. The LittleBits Company is based on the mission to inspire the next generation. They have created an online community of “bitsters”, other people who also like to invent with bits. On the littleBits website, inventors can share positive feedback and be encouraged by each other’s creations. The company’s wish is for kids to “learn how to be more than just consumers of technology.” I recommend LittleBits to anyone who has a problem, a way to improve the world or an idea how they can just make life more fun. LittleBits technology isn’t just for math geniuses and computer whizzes. It’s for anyone who’s ever wanted to try.
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
Alice Waters, Pottery on the Hill, and people who are the best at what they do
Alice Waters (with a bowl of cherries) at Vader Vineyards, Napa, 2007. Image by David Sifry, courtesy of wiki commons.org. The lamps glowed and the audience sat, anticipating, as Alice Waters made her way up to the stage. She sat down, and the crowd of forty went silent. As she started to talk in her quiet calm voice, the whole world seemed to be listening. I went to go see Alice Waters, a renowned cook and owner of Chez Panisse, said to have changed the way we eat in the U.S., at the Hill Center on October 25. She talked for sometime about France, politics and how they are dealing with the way we eat, how to eat organic, and the impact that education has on food. As a child, she said that she grew up eating “american” food, canned, fried, and frozen food with which the only preparation would be to warm it up. This all changed when she went to France. As she said, “France was kind of a revelation to me.” With its farmers markets, fresh meals, and good food at home, France went on to change the way that Alice would live the rest of her life. Alice spent most of the night talking about children and food. “85 percent of the country doesn’t eat with their family anymore,” she stated boldly, her soft voice rising with disgust, “We have to feed our children real food.” Her solution was schools. “I think it all comes back to education.” she said, right from the beginning. The key for her was for schools to teach other food related classes–gardening, cooking, and so on–that relates back to all of the “normal” classes. Her point was actually that food ties in with every part of life, home, work, school, everywhere, every moment, everyone. I spent the weekend after I saw the Alice Water’s lecture at the Pottery on the Hill show. Dan Finnigan, the potter who started it, has a studio on my family’s farm, and the pottery show is something that our family looks forward to and spends the weekend at every year. I love the pottery show because I get to see people who are amazing at what they do, who are able to sit down with a tool and make something beautiful, or useful, or something that will change the world in some way. There is something amazing about seeing people who are the best at what they do. They walk through life with such confidence, knowing that they have found what they can make a difference in the world at. From the Alice Waters lecture to the Pottery on the Hill show, these people are pushing and making something they love. You don’t need to be a potter or a cook to recognize someone who is amazing at what they do. They all have one thing in common—passion. Next time you see someone who is really amazing at what they do, take note of it, and if you are willing, leave a comment on this page. What drives their genius?
Being on the Debate Team
Plato (left) and Aristotle (right), from a detail of ‘The School of Athens’, a fresco by Raphael at the Vatican in Rome (image courtesy of wikicommons.org) On the day of my first debate competition, nerves bounced around in my gut. I was scared that I would stumble over words or freeze up when being interrogated about what my speech said. I was also excited, though. I was eagerly awaiting the moment when I showed my team and our opponents what I could do in my speech. I couldn’t believe myself how far I came to get to that moment right before I stood up and talked about why a government should prioritize civil liberties over national security. I have always been a very shy kid, so announcing that I wanted to try out for the debate team came as a surprise to many. Knowing me, no one would have thought that I would be brave enough to speak and be cross examined in front of people. After I joined the team, at first, I was more interested in writing and researching, because that is what I do best. I am good at retrieving and analyzing evidence, as well as putting them into persuasive pieces of writing. But soon after we began to prepare and formulate arguments, I wanted to try to speak. I would watch other kids, because they were much more forceful, loud, and clear. I learned by watching these talented kids speak and defend their arguments. I saw how they always looked out at the audience, and no matter how loud they were afraid they could be, they always spoke in a persuasive and raised voice. I listened to their critiques and applied them to my own speech. One day, one of the teachers told me to go up. I was certain that I would fail. But I did it anyway, because trying doesn’t hurt anybody. Even though I was shaking when I tried out, when it was my turn to finally speak, it was almost as if I had been speaking the whole time. To my astonishment, everyone loved it. I was then chosen to represent my team for one speech at the debate. This made me proud and showed me that I could be like many of those on my team. My team won our first competition. After a lot of hard work, it finally paid off. I had made myself proud as well as the rest of the team. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget. Through debate, I learned how to do things that I never thought I could do before. I learned how to speak persuasively and how to not be afraid to speak up. I came into debate as a smart girl who really just wanted to write and do research. But in the end, I had grown as a person and was ready to convince the judges that my side was the better one. If it weren’t for the debate team, I would still be a shy girl who was too afraid to express her opinion. A note from the Stone Soup team: Thanks Lucy! How many other readers have felt shy about speaking up and overcome their fear, like Lucy? Tell us about your experiences!
