Jim Cronin's Blog: Books, Science, and Random Stuff

Why are the textbooks used in most schools so incredibly boring? I spent thirty-five years as a classroom teacher and never did find one I would recommend for anyone's free-time reading list. Why can't the textbooks spark a student's interest with fun and interesting stories to provide the basics of a topic?
This is why I am currently working on a series of short stories. My stories will convey some actual scientific concepts but through the use of a science fiction or fantasy tale. I hope that these stories can be used either to introduce a unit of study or summarize one while inviting students to discuss how what is happening in the story relates to the actual science of the unit.

Do you like Science? Looking for some just plain fun? Some of my colleagues at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science put together this Tik Tok video. Can you find all the different bit of science happening in this chaos? Click on this link to try.
https://tinyurl.com/2p9a43ju

This is a new thing I am trying so let's see how it goes.
First of all, today is the first Snow Day I have had in years! I work at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science as a part-time educator, and we NEVER close. But today's storm shut down everything so here I am enjoying an unexpected day off.
For author news, my book, Aeon Rises, has just been released in audiobook format! This joins my Brin Archive series having an audiobook format option. Also, My latest novel, The King of Gems is available on Amazon now and starting to get great reviews.
As far as what I am reading, I am trying Kurt Vonnegut for the first time: The Breakfast of Champions. I am finding this one to be a bit confusing at times and very different from other scifi novels I have read. I guess that is not unusual for Vonnegut from what I hear. I am enjoying it though.
And for today's interesting science fact: Saturn's rings may be over 100,000 miles across, but can be as thin as only 30 feet when viewed edge-on.