Mar 30, 2009
Posted by The Scientist | 0 Comments
Healthcare and the Family Budget – What is a Health Savings Account and Do you Need It?
Healthy children are easier on the household budget unfortunately not everyone is so blessed so what do you do? When considering the family budget and being a good parent, providing quality healthcare at a reasonable price is right up there with the mortgage payment, car payments and college tuition.
Health Savings Accounts can be simple and easy to understand. A Health Savings Account is a tax-favored savings account combined with a qualifying high-deductible health insurance plan. Health Savings Accounts allow you to legally avoid federal income tax by depositing 100% of the health plan’s deductible, up to $2,850 for singles or $5,650 for families, into your Health Savings Account. Health Savings Accounts, (HSA) touted as a way to lower health-insurance costs and broaden coverage, have fallen short of their promise. They are gaining popularity because they allow individuals, rather than an HMO or the government, to take charge of their health care. Also, they’re an excellent option for individuals and families without employer-sponsored health insurance. Health Savings Accounts are becoming quite popular for people who are generally healthy and they’re leading the way in this transition.
Savings can be used to help pay the deductible and for non-covered medical expenses, such as dental and vision. Savings reduce or eliminate annual out-of-pocket exposure. Savings not spent remain in the HSA tax-deferred. Savings and investments unlike premiums, unused HSA dollars remain in the HSA until you use them later. Day-to-day expenses come out of the health savings account, while catastrophic expenses are covered by insurance. Health Savings Accounts are gaining popularity because they allow individuals, rather than an HMO or the government, to take charge of their health care. A Health Savings Account combined with a High Deductible Health Insurance Plan gives individuals an economic incentive to become better consumers of health care services because they are now spending their own money up to the level of their high deductible. Health Savings Accounts are an excellent option for individuals and families without employer-sponsored health insurance.
If your employer offers a high-deductible health insurance policy, you may be able to make pretax contributions, like you would with a flexible-spending account. Legislation passed by Congress December 9, 2006, will let you make a one-time transfer of funds tax free from a flexible-spending account to an HSA. You cannot have an HSA if you use a flexible-spending account to pay health-care costs or if you have other medical coverage (say, through a spouse’s policy). You can keep the money in an HSA account even after you leave that job, similar to a 401(k). Keep in mind that you can continue to withdraw money from the account tax-free for qualified medical expenses after age 65. You can’t make new HSA contributions after age 65, but you can still use the money in your account tax-free for medical expenses at any age.
Deposits to an HSA may be made by any policyholder of a qualified High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP), by an employer on behalf of a policyholder, or any other person. Previously, the annual maximum deposit to an HSA was the lesser of the HDHP deductible or specified IRS limits. As of 2007 plan years, Congress has abolished the lower limit based on the deductible, and the maximum contribution will simply be the statutory limit. These include deductibles and coinsurance as well as many other expenses not covered under medical plans, such as dental, vision and chiropractic care; durable medical equipment such as eyeglasses and hearing aids; purchase and use of qualifying over-the-counter medications; and transportation expenses related to medical care. Contributions are deductible, the account accumulates tax-free, and withdrawals used for medical expenses are tax-free. Contributions and gains can be rolled from year to year – there’s no “use it or lose it”. Contributions to the HSAs are tax-deductible at the federal and state level.
Healthcare is the number one issue facing many individuals and companies in America. Now with the release of Michael Moore’s new movie, SICKO, the debate on healthcare in the USA in on. Many well-meaning people believe that a government take-over of healthcare coverage, called a “single-payer” system, is the answer. Health Savings Accounts are combined with a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) to offer a more affordable approach to healthcare. They were created to help give control back to consumers and lower healthcare costs. While most healthcare insurance clients say they are satisfied with their current plans, the landscape changes when major illnesses start. Alternatively, your HSA balance can be used to cover your post-age-65 healthcare costs including Medicare Part A and B premiums, Medicare HMO premiums, garden-variety health premiums, insurance deductibles and co-payments, prescriptions, long-term care insurance premiums, and so forth. But what about the person who lives pay check to pay check or the single parent trying to provide healthcare for themselves and children. Combine a tax-favored Health Savings Account (HSA) and an HSA-eligible health insurance plan to save money tax-free for healthcare costs.
Health Savings Account Plans help you take control of your health care expenses with a tax-favored savings account and quality medical coverage. Health Savings Account (HSA) Plans are an excellent choice for individuals and families who want to control their health insurance costs by combining a lower cost high deductible health insurance plan with a tax advantaged savings account and network discounts. Learn how to take advantage of the money-saving benefits of a Health Savings Account. By allowing you to deposit tax-deductible funds into a health savings account that you can use to cover medical costs, Health Savings Accounts enable you to take control of your own health care decisions. Once your insurance policy has become effective, you may begin to fund your Health Savings Account. Please note: To obtain the maximum tax benefit from your Health Savings Account in 2008 as well as lock in 2007 rates, you must have your HSA-qualified insurance plan effective no later than December 31. There are about 10 million people enrolled in “consumer-driven health plans,” and about 6 million of those are Health Savings Accounts. To really maximize your savings pair up a Discount Health Plan, for the everyday savings on you health care, with your HSA and HDHP. You may want to read my other article on Healthcare and the Family Budget – How to Get the Biggest Bang for Your Buck!
By: Linda Shute
About the Author:
Read More
Health Savings Accounts can be simple and easy to understand. A Health Savings Account is a tax-favored savings account combined with a qualifying high-deductible health insurance plan. Health Savings Accounts allow you to legally avoid federal income tax by depositing 100% of the health plan’s deductible, up to $2,850 for singles or $5,650 for families, into your Health Savings Account. Health Savings Accounts, (HSA) touted as a way to lower health-insurance costs and broaden coverage, have fallen short of their promise. They are gaining popularity because they allow individuals, rather than an HMO or the government, to take charge of their health care. Also, they’re an excellent option for individuals and families without employer-sponsored health insurance. Health Savings Accounts are becoming quite popular for people who are generally healthy and they’re leading the way in this transition.
Savings can be used to help pay the deductible and for non-covered medical expenses, such as dental and vision. Savings reduce or eliminate annual out-of-pocket exposure. Savings not spent remain in the HSA tax-deferred. Savings and investments unlike premiums, unused HSA dollars remain in the HSA until you use them later. Day-to-day expenses come out of the health savings account, while catastrophic expenses are covered by insurance. Health Savings Accounts are gaining popularity because they allow individuals, rather than an HMO or the government, to take charge of their health care. A Health Savings Account combined with a High Deductible Health Insurance Plan gives individuals an economic incentive to become better consumers of health care services because they are now spending their own money up to the level of their high deductible. Health Savings Accounts are an excellent option for individuals and families without employer-sponsored health insurance.
If your employer offers a high-deductible health insurance policy, you may be able to make pretax contributions, like you would with a flexible-spending account. Legislation passed by Congress December 9, 2006, will let you make a one-time transfer of funds tax free from a flexible-spending account to an HSA. You cannot have an HSA if you use a flexible-spending account to pay health-care costs or if you have other medical coverage (say, through a spouse’s policy). You can keep the money in an HSA account even after you leave that job, similar to a 401(k). Keep in mind that you can continue to withdraw money from the account tax-free for qualified medical expenses after age 65. You can’t make new HSA contributions after age 65, but you can still use the money in your account tax-free for medical expenses at any age.
Deposits to an HSA may be made by any policyholder of a qualified High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP), by an employer on behalf of a policyholder, or any other person. Previously, the annual maximum deposit to an HSA was the lesser of the HDHP deductible or specified IRS limits. As of 2007 plan years, Congress has abolished the lower limit based on the deductible, and the maximum contribution will simply be the statutory limit. These include deductibles and coinsurance as well as many other expenses not covered under medical plans, such as dental, vision and chiropractic care; durable medical equipment such as eyeglasses and hearing aids; purchase and use of qualifying over-the-counter medications; and transportation expenses related to medical care. Contributions are deductible, the account accumulates tax-free, and withdrawals used for medical expenses are tax-free. Contributions and gains can be rolled from year to year – there’s no “use it or lose it”. Contributions to the HSAs are tax-deductible at the federal and state level.
Healthcare is the number one issue facing many individuals and companies in America. Now with the release of Michael Moore’s new movie, SICKO, the debate on healthcare in the USA in on. Many well-meaning people believe that a government take-over of healthcare coverage, called a “single-payer” system, is the answer. Health Savings Accounts are combined with a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) to offer a more affordable approach to healthcare. They were created to help give control back to consumers and lower healthcare costs. While most healthcare insurance clients say they are satisfied with their current plans, the landscape changes when major illnesses start. Alternatively, your HSA balance can be used to cover your post-age-65 healthcare costs including Medicare Part A and B premiums, Medicare HMO premiums, garden-variety health premiums, insurance deductibles and co-payments, prescriptions, long-term care insurance premiums, and so forth. But what about the person who lives pay check to pay check or the single parent trying to provide healthcare for themselves and children. Combine a tax-favored Health Savings Account (HSA) and an HSA-eligible health insurance plan to save money tax-free for healthcare costs.
Health Savings Account Plans help you take control of your health care expenses with a tax-favored savings account and quality medical coverage. Health Savings Account (HSA) Plans are an excellent choice for individuals and families who want to control their health insurance costs by combining a lower cost high deductible health insurance plan with a tax advantaged savings account and network discounts. Learn how to take advantage of the money-saving benefits of a Health Savings Account. By allowing you to deposit tax-deductible funds into a health savings account that you can use to cover medical costs, Health Savings Accounts enable you to take control of your own health care decisions. Once your insurance policy has become effective, you may begin to fund your Health Savings Account. Please note: To obtain the maximum tax benefit from your Health Savings Account in 2008 as well as lock in 2007 rates, you must have your HSA-qualified insurance plan effective no later than December 31. There are about 10 million people enrolled in “consumer-driven health plans,” and about 6 million of those are Health Savings Accounts. To really maximize your savings pair up a Discount Health Plan, for the everyday savings on you health care, with your HSA and HDHP. You may want to read my other article on Healthcare and the Family Budget – How to Get the Biggest Bang for Your Buck!
By: Linda Shute
About the Author:
Linda Shute lives in New Jersey and works from home you can visit her websites at
http://www.momwontherace.com and
http://www.a1cashsecrets.com/
Mar 30, 2009
Posted by The Scientist | 0 Comments
Parental Involvement Leads to Success in Science
Early exposure to science is critical because science knowledge is cumulative. Learning science requires a solid foundation of knowledge that can be built upon through further study and exploration. Children should be introduced to science at home as early as possible. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that your child learns all the science they need to know at school. The truth is science education in school is limited and the subject is not usually a high priority for educators. As parents, it is important that we share our knowledge with our children. Every day activities such as growing plants, cooking and caring for animals involve science. Take a look around and you will see that science is everywhere. Parents can choose to engage in scientific activities with their children when they are not in school to build scientific comprehension, encourage scientific exploration and foster a love for science and the pursuit of knowledge.
There are aspects of science that are intellectually demanding, but often simple experiences produce insightful learning. To engage your children in science you need to introduce them to stimulating environments that provide opportunities for observing and discussing science. Zoos, nature centers, oceans, parks, yards and even kitchens are perfect educational environments. Children naturally learn through playful exploration. Educational DVDs, and toys provoke thought and develop skills. When children ask questions to satisfy their natural curiosity, it is an open opportunity to be seized by the parent.
For instance, if a child is fascinated by a light switch and wants to know how it turns the light on and off, inquire into the subject with your child. Find out why and how the switch works. Why does yeast make bread rise? How does a spider spin a web? Why do leaves fall? Why do the birds disappear in the winter?
Identify your child’s interests and encourage them. If a child develops an interest in rocks, study rocks, gems, mining and fossils and build on that curiosity moving on to fossil fuels, heat generation and environmental effects. You will find that one inquiry leads to another.
Fuel their natural curiosity. These activities should be challenging without being frustrating. Don’t force them to do things they are not interested in; rather, engage them in motivating activities that build desire for further exploration. Share your own science related interests and you will be amazed by the impact of genuine enthusiasm. Remember that discussion is a key component to developing scientific knowledge and uncovering additional areas of interest. Encourage your child to talk about their experiences, observations and interests. This discussion will help children to construct thoughts, to form concepts and to examine different relationships that are intermingled in their ideas.
Some simple activities that foster knowledge of and interest in science include: "Finding out how and why things work", "Sharing ideas and knowledge", "Making observations and writing or drawing those observations down", "Making predictions and seeking answers", "Starting collections -such as rocks or bugs- and observing similarities and differences", "Figuring out what causes things to change", "Having science parties with family and friends", "Enrolling your child in classes or extra-curricular activities involving science".
Your home, your environment and your surroundings are filled with opportunities to share science with your children. Through engaging their interests and encouraging their search for knowledge, you can ensure success in science!
By: Elva O’sullivan
About the Author:
Read More
There are aspects of science that are intellectually demanding, but often simple experiences produce insightful learning. To engage your children in science you need to introduce them to stimulating environments that provide opportunities for observing and discussing science. Zoos, nature centers, oceans, parks, yards and even kitchens are perfect educational environments. Children naturally learn through playful exploration. Educational DVDs, and toys provoke thought and develop skills. When children ask questions to satisfy their natural curiosity, it is an open opportunity to be seized by the parent.
For instance, if a child is fascinated by a light switch and wants to know how it turns the light on and off, inquire into the subject with your child. Find out why and how the switch works. Why does yeast make bread rise? How does a spider spin a web? Why do leaves fall? Why do the birds disappear in the winter?
Identify your child’s interests and encourage them. If a child develops an interest in rocks, study rocks, gems, mining and fossils and build on that curiosity moving on to fossil fuels, heat generation and environmental effects. You will find that one inquiry leads to another.
Fuel their natural curiosity. These activities should be challenging without being frustrating. Don’t force them to do things they are not interested in; rather, engage them in motivating activities that build desire for further exploration. Share your own science related interests and you will be amazed by the impact of genuine enthusiasm. Remember that discussion is a key component to developing scientific knowledge and uncovering additional areas of interest. Encourage your child to talk about their experiences, observations and interests. This discussion will help children to construct thoughts, to form concepts and to examine different relationships that are intermingled in their ideas.
Some simple activities that foster knowledge of and interest in science include: "Finding out how and why things work", "Sharing ideas and knowledge", "Making observations and writing or drawing those observations down", "Making predictions and seeking answers", "Starting collections -such as rocks or bugs- and observing similarities and differences", "Figuring out what causes things to change", "Having science parties with family and friends", "Enrolling your child in classes or extra-curricular activities involving science".
Your home, your environment and your surroundings are filled with opportunities to share science with your children. Through engaging their interests and encouraging their search for knowledge, you can ensure success in science!
By: Elva O’sullivan
About the Author:
You are free to use this article, in whole or in part, as long as you include the complete contribution, including a live web site link. Also, please send and email notifying me (Elva O’Sullivan at elva@sciencewithme.com) where and when the material will appear. Thanks.
Visit our website :
Science for Kids
Mar 30, 2009
Posted by The Scientist | 0 Comments
Forensic Science Jobs in the UK
Forensic Science is a job sector that has become widely popular amongst new generation of scientists. Thanks to crime shows like CSI, Medical Detectives and others, people have realized the need and importance of Forensic Science in the society.
With the advent of new enhancements in medical sciences, the job market for Forensic Science has radically widened. Forensic Experts and other forensic professionals are greatly demanded in all over the globe including countries like UK, US, Australia.
What Qualifications you require for Forensic Science Jobs in UK?
To be a forensic expert in the UK you must be hold a bachelors degree in forensic science or a relevant life science degree. This is because of the delicacy of the work done by the forensic experts. For a forensic expert, theoretical and practical knowledge are both very important.
Career Scopes in Forensic jobs in UK:
Forensic Science offers a wide range of job profiles. Genetics Experts, Environment Analyst, Technicians, Forensic Medical Examiners and others are some of the main job profiles in Forensic Sciences in UK. Forensic experts are highly recruited in police, investigation companies, research agencies and many more. The field offers a safe and long term career along with a bright professional growth. In addition, the wide range of profiles gives one plenty of options to choose from.
Why choose UK for Forensic Science Jobs? Availability of modern infrastructures
Good colleges, institutes and other education centers places
High number of job openings, recruitments and placement assurance
Good Salary Packages for everyone whether a fresher or an experienced holder
Ample of encouragement from government for forensic studies and its scholars
By: Amarendra
About the Author:
Read More
With the advent of new enhancements in medical sciences, the job market for Forensic Science has radically widened. Forensic Experts and other forensic professionals are greatly demanded in all over the globe including countries like UK, US, Australia.
What Qualifications you require for Forensic Science Jobs in UK?
To be a forensic expert in the UK you must be hold a bachelors degree in forensic science or a relevant life science degree. This is because of the delicacy of the work done by the forensic experts. For a forensic expert, theoretical and practical knowledge are both very important.
Career Scopes in Forensic jobs in UK:
Forensic Science offers a wide range of job profiles. Genetics Experts, Environment Analyst, Technicians, Forensic Medical Examiners and others are some of the main job profiles in Forensic Sciences in UK. Forensic experts are highly recruited in police, investigation companies, research agencies and many more. The field offers a safe and long term career along with a bright professional growth. In addition, the wide range of profiles gives one plenty of options to choose from.
Why choose UK for Forensic Science Jobs? Availability of modern infrastructures
Good colleges, institutes and other education centers places
High number of job openings, recruitments and placement assurance
Good Salary Packages for everyone whether a fresher or an experienced holder
Ample of encouragement from government for forensic studies and its scholars
By: Amarendra
About the Author:
If you also want to make a career in forensic science in the UK then log on to scienceprospects.com. Scienceprospects.com is the leading online science job portal from the UK offering plenty of science job profiles according to your needs and desires.
Mar 25, 2009
Posted by The Scientist | 0 Comments
Behavioral Sciences: One Degree, Many Job Options
What Exactly Are the Behavioral Sciences?
The behavioral sciences fall somewhere between social sciences and natural sciences, absorbing some components of each. It’s a big category, so it typically gets broken down into two smaller ones: Neural-Decision Sciences and Social-Communication Sciences.
Neural-Decision Science studies the relationship between biology and decision-making, and disciplines in that field include psychology, ethology, psychobiology, social neuroscience, and management science.
Social-Communication Science focuses on communication. Specifically it deals with how both language and communication can affect the individual, relationships, and social interaction in general. A common discipline in this field is anthropology, but other disciplines include organizational behavior and behavior finance.
What Can You Do With a Behavioral Sciences Degree?
Here are just some of the careers you can choose to pursue and, briefly, what’s involved in each:
Anthropology: Anthropologists study the physical, social, cultural development, and behavior of human beings. Within anthropology several specialties exist such as sociocultural, linguistic, or biophysical. A bachelor’s degree in the behavioral sciences can be a strong starting point to continue on to a master’s degree or PhD in anthropology.
Ethology: A zoological science, ethologists study animal behavior, specifically instinctual rather than learned behavior. Ethology, as a part of behavioral science, instead looks at instinctual behavior in humans.
FBI Behavioral Science Unit: You can work for the FBI with a degree in this field. It typically does involve criminal profiling, made popular by TV and films, but it also has several other components, including studying the behavior of criminals in general and even working to better the operational effectiveness of the FBI itself.
Psychology: Since psychologists study human behavior, it makes sense that this field fits neatly within the behavioral sciences category. To become a practicing psychologist, you almost always need to have a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) or PhD. All states traditionally require psychologists who see patients to have a license or certification.
Sociology: Sociologists look at society and social behavior. Sociology examines groups and organizations, different cultures, and social institutions. A master’s degree or PhD. in sociology is usually necessary, but majoring in behavioral sciences at a university can provide a solid educational beginning.
Interestingly, significant job growth has occurred in surprising areas that either didn’t previously exist or weren’t traditionally linked with the behavioral sciences:
Neuromarketing: This new field uses neuroscience to study consumer behavior, but it’s extremely small in the private sector at this time.
Public-Opinion Research: Behavioral science can better explain influences on public opinion and how it forms.
Health Education/Public Health: Behavioral science comes into play here in helping people make healthier choices for themselves. This can often involve community-wide education initiatives on topics as diverse disease prevention, nutrition, drugs and alcohol abuse, or even the quality of life for senior citizens.
Job Prospects and Salaries for Behavioral Scientists
Salaries vary throughout behavior sciences, however in 2007 these occupations earned the following annual median salaries:
• Sociologists: $61,140
• Anthropologists: $53,080
• Clinical Psychologists: $62,210
• Health Educator: $42,920
With so many career options, you should have plenty of job prospects with a behavioral science degree.
By: Kelli Smith
About the Author:
Read More
The behavioral sciences fall somewhere between social sciences and natural sciences, absorbing some components of each. It’s a big category, so it typically gets broken down into two smaller ones: Neural-Decision Sciences and Social-Communication Sciences.
Neural-Decision Science studies the relationship between biology and decision-making, and disciplines in that field include psychology, ethology, psychobiology, social neuroscience, and management science.
Social-Communication Science focuses on communication. Specifically it deals with how both language and communication can affect the individual, relationships, and social interaction in general. A common discipline in this field is anthropology, but other disciplines include organizational behavior and behavior finance.
What Can You Do With a Behavioral Sciences Degree?
Here are just some of the careers you can choose to pursue and, briefly, what’s involved in each:
Anthropology: Anthropologists study the physical, social, cultural development, and behavior of human beings. Within anthropology several specialties exist such as sociocultural, linguistic, or biophysical. A bachelor’s degree in the behavioral sciences can be a strong starting point to continue on to a master’s degree or PhD in anthropology.
Ethology: A zoological science, ethologists study animal behavior, specifically instinctual rather than learned behavior. Ethology, as a part of behavioral science, instead looks at instinctual behavior in humans.
FBI Behavioral Science Unit: You can work for the FBI with a degree in this field. It typically does involve criminal profiling, made popular by TV and films, but it also has several other components, including studying the behavior of criminals in general and even working to better the operational effectiveness of the FBI itself.
Psychology: Since psychologists study human behavior, it makes sense that this field fits neatly within the behavioral sciences category. To become a practicing psychologist, you almost always need to have a Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) or PhD. All states traditionally require psychologists who see patients to have a license or certification.
Sociology: Sociologists look at society and social behavior. Sociology examines groups and organizations, different cultures, and social institutions. A master’s degree or PhD. in sociology is usually necessary, but majoring in behavioral sciences at a university can provide a solid educational beginning.
Interestingly, significant job growth has occurred in surprising areas that either didn’t previously exist or weren’t traditionally linked with the behavioral sciences:
Neuromarketing: This new field uses neuroscience to study consumer behavior, but it’s extremely small in the private sector at this time.
Public-Opinion Research: Behavioral science can better explain influences on public opinion and how it forms.
Health Education/Public Health: Behavioral science comes into play here in helping people make healthier choices for themselves. This can often involve community-wide education initiatives on topics as diverse disease prevention, nutrition, drugs and alcohol abuse, or even the quality of life for senior citizens.
Job Prospects and Salaries for Behavioral Scientists
Salaries vary throughout behavior sciences, however in 2007 these occupations earned the following annual median salaries:
• Sociologists: $61,140
• Anthropologists: $53,080
• Clinical Psychologists: $62,210
• Health Educator: $42,920
With so many career options, you should have plenty of job prospects with a behavioral science degree.
By: Kelli Smith
About the Author:
Kelli Smith is the senior editor for www.Edu411.org. Edu411.org lists colleges and career institutes that offer training and programs in Behavorial Sciences. Schools listed offer free information packages or academic consultation.
Mar 24, 2009
Posted by The Scientist | 0 Comments
Learning Science Together In A Fun Way
As a parent, whether or not you are good in science or if it just has been a really long time since you studied the topic, finding activities to help teach younger children might be difficult. Despite science not being your best subject, the level of difficulty for a girl or boy in the younger elementary school levels is reasonably low and easy for anyone to understand. Learning and doing cool science experiments together can also make it fun for both you and your child.
Some parents have difficulty helping their children with homework if they are not good in the subject, but it is still important to be there in the event that they ask for help. Make homework fun by going over what they learned in class and finding information in their schoolbooks so that you can learn along with them.
Being a parent, you can also help boys and girls realize that learning can be fun and exciting. Doing fun summer projects that are educational as well as recreational are perfect for those summer months when the kids are not in a classroom. Providing science experiments can also show kids that the subject is not hard, but rather interesting and useful in everyday life.
Spend time together with fun experiments like making “Gooey Ooze” for them to play with. Make the ooze by putting cornstarch in a bowl and slowly mixing in water until it becomes thick but manageable like putty. You can also add a few drops of food coloring to make it a bit more playful, and you can also show them how the addition of water can change different items. This is not only a chance for your kids to make a mess, which they love doing, but also to clean it up afterwards together with you. This way you can instill some other household values into the fun.
Take the children to a science center so that you can learn information with them. There are many exhibits and presentations that can help you show your children how things work and why. These exhibits can also help you understand ideas that may have been long forgotten. Children add creativity to almost everything, so going with them on field trips or partaking in science experiments can be even more entertaining.
Because children watch how you behave and react, it is important to encourage interest and curiosity in science. If you don’t seem interested in a subject, why should they? Encouraging them to think that all subjects in school are fun and interesting allows them to strive harder to understand. Try to organize experiments to the interests of the child, since girls might be more hesitant to participate in science activities. Using food or plants in experiments might suit girls better than examining bugs, unless you’re like me, who loved to play with bugs when I was a child. My parents thought it was gross but allowed me to explore my interests anyway.
Plan trips to the park, planetarium, zoo and other educational centers so that both you and your child can have fun while learning. Check out books on science or fun science experiments for children from the local library and set aside time to do these activities with the kids. No matter how young or how old, the idea is still the same: All subjects can be fun and interesting as long as parents encourage that attitude!
By: Sara Jones
About the Author:
Read More
Some parents have difficulty helping their children with homework if they are not good in the subject, but it is still important to be there in the event that they ask for help. Make homework fun by going over what they learned in class and finding information in their schoolbooks so that you can learn along with them.
Being a parent, you can also help boys and girls realize that learning can be fun and exciting. Doing fun summer projects that are educational as well as recreational are perfect for those summer months when the kids are not in a classroom. Providing science experiments can also show kids that the subject is not hard, but rather interesting and useful in everyday life.
Spend time together with fun experiments like making “Gooey Ooze” for them to play with. Make the ooze by putting cornstarch in a bowl and slowly mixing in water until it becomes thick but manageable like putty. You can also add a few drops of food coloring to make it a bit more playful, and you can also show them how the addition of water can change different items. This is not only a chance for your kids to make a mess, which they love doing, but also to clean it up afterwards together with you. This way you can instill some other household values into the fun.
Take the children to a science center so that you can learn information with them. There are many exhibits and presentations that can help you show your children how things work and why. These exhibits can also help you understand ideas that may have been long forgotten. Children add creativity to almost everything, so going with them on field trips or partaking in science experiments can be even more entertaining.
Because children watch how you behave and react, it is important to encourage interest and curiosity in science. If you don’t seem interested in a subject, why should they? Encouraging them to think that all subjects in school are fun and interesting allows them to strive harder to understand. Try to organize experiments to the interests of the child, since girls might be more hesitant to participate in science activities. Using food or plants in experiments might suit girls better than examining bugs, unless you’re like me, who loved to play with bugs when I was a child. My parents thought it was gross but allowed me to explore my interests anyway.
Plan trips to the park, planetarium, zoo and other educational centers so that both you and your child can have fun while learning. Check out books on science or fun science experiments for children from the local library and set aside time to do these activities with the kids. No matter how young or how old, the idea is still the same: All subjects can be fun and interesting as long as parents encourage that attitude!
By: Sara Jones
About the Author:
Sara Jones was a fine student but science was a source of frustration she didn’t want her kids to suffer. She met Rick and Amanda Birmingham and realized their grasp of everyday science was the secret to making science fun. To learn more about the solution to science visit http://SupeFunScience.com
Mar 24, 2009
Posted by The Scientist | 0 Comments
Funding for Science
No country is against the development of science and scientific research.
It has been recognized by everyone that without science there is no development.
Therefore, promotion of scientific research in all area is taken up seriously.
Research both in basic and applied sciences is essential to achieve national and international developments.
In fact, basic science is costly as compared to the applied science.
In a recent article on science for sustainable development published in Current Science (Curr. Sci.) Dr. I. P. Abrol mentioned that low level of funding is frequently cited as one of the major factors for the declining state of science in India.
Not only Dr. Abrol, many other Indian scientists used to tell the same ‘low level funding’ for the poor science in India.
It was the state of affair once, but now the situation is considerable improved.
All branches of science, agriculture, engineering, medicine, veterinary, biotechnology, nanotechnology, information technology do not suffer from ‘low level of funding’ nowadays.
In fact, most of the research institutions are not able to spend the allocated fund for scientific research in time.
Anyway much of the fund goes for salaries, some for the upkeep of the building and other infrastructures and the rest only is used for scientific research.
In the name of research projects funded by various foreign agencies and also the Government of India itself, amounts to over funding sometimes.
I still remember some of the World Bank funded projects in Agricultural Sciences.
Crores of rupees allotted to Agricultural Universities and National Agricultural Research Institutes.
In addition to it large number of projects in the name of National Fellows and Professor of Eminence are also in place.
Plenty of money for science, but no one appears to appreciate these good days of science.
We are certainly well off as far as the funding position for science is concerned.
We all know that the project fund is mostly spent for buying costly equipments which are invariably imported from foreign countries.
These instruments cost lakhs of rupees.
So, there are series of procedures to be followed for buying these equipments.
Tenders are called, opened, compared, placed orders, credited the amount in a bank and finally received the instruments.
Sometimes the scientist who placed order forgets to include a small piece of accessory for operating or maintaining the instrument.
While the instrument is installed, such mistakes are found out and intimated to the scientist by the installing engineers of the Sales Company.
They start thinking about the mistake so late and make a representation to the funding agency to sanction additional amount required for the missed accessory.
It take awful lot of time to get a positive reply, till then the instrument remains as a dead elephant in a corner of the laboratory which are not generally rat-proof and not even air- conditioned.
By that time the sanction for the additional amount reaches, and the accessory bought, the main instrument is damaged by rats which are fond of the pleasant smell of the plastic wires and chips attached within the instrument.
What I describe here may look like a story, but it is really not a fiction, but a fact which is always untold, kept secret and hidden.
Generally, no one question our scientists because they are in a higher scale of pay and position enjoying the perquisites offered by the government.
By that time, the senior scientist either retires or gets transferred to another institute.
The poor equipment becomes an orphan and no one takes care of it in that non-working condition.
Thus the fund for science is wasted once for all.
These dreams are known to the administrative officers and the comptrollers.
They try to underestimate the credibility of the scientists.
But that is generally taken as professional jealousy.
Anyway this is one side of the whole affair.
In the other side, the allotted fund is not properly released to the scientist to spend for his project unless and until he meets the administrative rules for buying the equipment.
If the Director or the administrative officer does not like a particular scientist, then the story becomes very serious.
Thus the fund is not spent within the stipulated time of the famous March end.
Knowing such difficulties scientists try to spend the allotted fund urgently by placing orders for easily available items such as steel almyrahs, fans, air-conditioners, refrigerators, plastic chairs, hot plates, room heaters, computers etc., etc.,
When I was a student and later a staff I could see truck loads of steel almyrahs, book cases, and refrigerators unloaded in science departments towards the end of March every year.
It looked very strange to me, but later on I could understand the circumstances under which they are bought.
Funding science is done by every government every year.
Who looks into the spending aspects of the funds?
Also who looks into the scientific research results due to such levels of funding?
The spending aspect is always looked into by the auditors checking the bills, dates and the correctness of spending according to the government audit rules.
The scientific research based on the funding and the equipments are not strictly monitored, although it is said that there are many committees established for this sake.
The outcome of scientific findings should have a direct bearing on the fund spent and the scientific instruments used.
But invariably most of the scientific research ends up in reports and publications either in Indian journals or in few so called international journals which are very rarely read by other scientists.
Sustainable science activity is desired by retired scientists, but I doubt that is possible to achieve.
Most of the scientific researchers are fed up over time and their thinking is outmoded.
They started with a sharp thinking in handling problems basic or applied, but over time their thinking lose the sharpness.
If you talk to any senior or junior scientists today, they spend more time in discussing their administrative difficulties rather than their scientific output.
Even if they talk about their outputs which will be a repetitive work or some one’s results confirmed.
These are facts every one of us – scientists – fully know.
Some of these facts are fashionably written in Curr. Sci. published by Indian Academy of Sciences.
When I read those comments, I feel very sad because this journal is found in libraries of almost all Universities of the world and also in the net free of cost.
The publishers of Curr. Sci. escapes cleverly saying that all articles published in Curr. Sci. especially editorials, opinions and commentaries, letters and book reviews are deemed to reflect the individual views of the authors and not the official points of view, either of the Current Science Association or of the Indian Academy Sciences.
Those who read Curr. Sci. journal knows very well the views of various scientists expressed in the ‘Correspondence’ section.
Exposing the setbacks in scientific world of India is a welcome step, but I do not know by doing so how many are rectified so far?
All the setbacks expressed make good reading, sometimes they are funny too.
The contents of the Correspondence section continue to be the same setbacks for the past decades and I hope it may be for the future decades too.
In a country like India, science and scientific research are not treated the way they have to be treated.
They are in the hands of the auditors who are not scientists but they count the money not the outcome of science.
In their eyes, whether one is scientist, business man or anybody – all are thieves.
Their job is only to find out the mistakes committed in spending the fund.
They do not know some of those mistakes are to be committed to carry out scientific research.
But who has to change the Government Secretariat administration which is still the same inherited from the British?
A new administration is absolutely needed for scientific institutions for better utilization of fund.
Indian science will remain with the same setbacks of the past decades forever if we follow the same set of account rules.
I feel it is an urgent matter the science administrators of Government of India have to look into seriously for the benefit of science in India.
By: NARA
About the Author:
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It has been recognized by everyone that without science there is no development.
Therefore, promotion of scientific research in all area is taken up seriously.
Research both in basic and applied sciences is essential to achieve national and international developments.
In fact, basic science is costly as compared to the applied science.
In a recent article on science for sustainable development published in Current Science (Curr. Sci.) Dr. I. P. Abrol mentioned that low level of funding is frequently cited as one of the major factors for the declining state of science in India.
Not only Dr. Abrol, many other Indian scientists used to tell the same ‘low level funding’ for the poor science in India.
It was the state of affair once, but now the situation is considerable improved.
All branches of science, agriculture, engineering, medicine, veterinary, biotechnology, nanotechnology, information technology do not suffer from ‘low level of funding’ nowadays.
In fact, most of the research institutions are not able to spend the allocated fund for scientific research in time.
Anyway much of the fund goes for salaries, some for the upkeep of the building and other infrastructures and the rest only is used for scientific research.
In the name of research projects funded by various foreign agencies and also the Government of India itself, amounts to over funding sometimes.
I still remember some of the World Bank funded projects in Agricultural Sciences.
Crores of rupees allotted to Agricultural Universities and National Agricultural Research Institutes.
In addition to it large number of projects in the name of National Fellows and Professor of Eminence are also in place.
Plenty of money for science, but no one appears to appreciate these good days of science.
We are certainly well off as far as the funding position for science is concerned.
We all know that the project fund is mostly spent for buying costly equipments which are invariably imported from foreign countries.
These instruments cost lakhs of rupees.
So, there are series of procedures to be followed for buying these equipments.
Tenders are called, opened, compared, placed orders, credited the amount in a bank and finally received the instruments.
Sometimes the scientist who placed order forgets to include a small piece of accessory for operating or maintaining the instrument.
While the instrument is installed, such mistakes are found out and intimated to the scientist by the installing engineers of the Sales Company.
They start thinking about the mistake so late and make a representation to the funding agency to sanction additional amount required for the missed accessory.
It take awful lot of time to get a positive reply, till then the instrument remains as a dead elephant in a corner of the laboratory which are not generally rat-proof and not even air- conditioned.
By that time the sanction for the additional amount reaches, and the accessory bought, the main instrument is damaged by rats which are fond of the pleasant smell of the plastic wires and chips attached within the instrument.
What I describe here may look like a story, but it is really not a fiction, but a fact which is always untold, kept secret and hidden.
Generally, no one question our scientists because they are in a higher scale of pay and position enjoying the perquisites offered by the government.
By that time, the senior scientist either retires or gets transferred to another institute.
The poor equipment becomes an orphan and no one takes care of it in that non-working condition.
Thus the fund for science is wasted once for all.
These dreams are known to the administrative officers and the comptrollers.
They try to underestimate the credibility of the scientists.
But that is generally taken as professional jealousy.
Anyway this is one side of the whole affair.
In the other side, the allotted fund is not properly released to the scientist to spend for his project unless and until he meets the administrative rules for buying the equipment.
If the Director or the administrative officer does not like a particular scientist, then the story becomes very serious.
Thus the fund is not spent within the stipulated time of the famous March end.
Knowing such difficulties scientists try to spend the allotted fund urgently by placing orders for easily available items such as steel almyrahs, fans, air-conditioners, refrigerators, plastic chairs, hot plates, room heaters, computers etc., etc.,
When I was a student and later a staff I could see truck loads of steel almyrahs, book cases, and refrigerators unloaded in science departments towards the end of March every year.
It looked very strange to me, but later on I could understand the circumstances under which they are bought.
Funding science is done by every government every year.
Who looks into the spending aspects of the funds?
Also who looks into the scientific research results due to such levels of funding?
The spending aspect is always looked into by the auditors checking the bills, dates and the correctness of spending according to the government audit rules.
The scientific research based on the funding and the equipments are not strictly monitored, although it is said that there are many committees established for this sake.
The outcome of scientific findings should have a direct bearing on the fund spent and the scientific instruments used.
But invariably most of the scientific research ends up in reports and publications either in Indian journals or in few so called international journals which are very rarely read by other scientists.
Sustainable science activity is desired by retired scientists, but I doubt that is possible to achieve.
Most of the scientific researchers are fed up over time and their thinking is outmoded.
They started with a sharp thinking in handling problems basic or applied, but over time their thinking lose the sharpness.
If you talk to any senior or junior scientists today, they spend more time in discussing their administrative difficulties rather than their scientific output.
Even if they talk about their outputs which will be a repetitive work or some one’s results confirmed.
These are facts every one of us – scientists – fully know.
Some of these facts are fashionably written in Curr. Sci. published by Indian Academy of Sciences.
When I read those comments, I feel very sad because this journal is found in libraries of almost all Universities of the world and also in the net free of cost.
The publishers of Curr. Sci. escapes cleverly saying that all articles published in Curr. Sci. especially editorials, opinions and commentaries, letters and book reviews are deemed to reflect the individual views of the authors and not the official points of view, either of the Current Science Association or of the Indian Academy Sciences.
Those who read Curr. Sci. journal knows very well the views of various scientists expressed in the ‘Correspondence’ section.
Exposing the setbacks in scientific world of India is a welcome step, but I do not know by doing so how many are rectified so far?
All the setbacks expressed make good reading, sometimes they are funny too.
The contents of the Correspondence section continue to be the same setbacks for the past decades and I hope it may be for the future decades too.
In a country like India, science and scientific research are not treated the way they have to be treated.
They are in the hands of the auditors who are not scientists but they count the money not the outcome of science.
In their eyes, whether one is scientist, business man or anybody – all are thieves.
Their job is only to find out the mistakes committed in spending the fund.
They do not know some of those mistakes are to be committed to carry out scientific research.
But who has to change the Government Secretariat administration which is still the same inherited from the British?
A new administration is absolutely needed for scientific institutions for better utilization of fund.
Indian science will remain with the same setbacks of the past decades forever if we follow the same set of account rules.
I feel it is an urgent matter the science administrators of Government of India have to look into seriously for the benefit of science in India.
By: NARA
About the Author: