@3liza genius video (Sketchbook Sweatshop live > http://ustre.am/3PIM)

RT aristocat123 RT @mommadona: “We’re fisherman we know that only dead fish go w/ the flow”~Sarah Palin :: proving she doesn’t know fish.

watching @3liza sketch in realtime over the net – excellent stuff. http://ustre.am/3PIM

This is an important book on an important topic. While one may disagree with some of his conclusions as to “why”, the data and overall picture is  bleak. And as both natural disasters and warfare continue to displace millions of people every year, it will continue to get worse. Already over one billion people live in slums – and that figure will double over the next decade. And although we in the US have a relatively small (under 6 percent of the urban population) percentage in urban slums, in absolute terms it is still more than many of the poorer countries have.

From the sprawling barricadas of Lima to the garbage hills of Manila, urbanization has been disconnected from industrialization, even economic growth. Davis portrays a vast humanity warehoused in shantytowns and exiled from the formal world economy. He argues that the rise of this informal urban proletariat is a wholly original development unforeseen by either classical Marxism or neo-liberal theory.

via Planet of Slums.

This is a pretty fantastic program, and crucial for thousands of children and teens who have literally NO access to science labs. That is started as a “help out kids with homework in a garage” is even better.

Imagine – kids actually learning that science is fun! What a concept.

Since 1996, we have served over 60,400 students and over 4,000 teachers.  Each of these students on average participates in 20 workshops a year resulting in over 1,019,735 student contacts since our founding.  In the 2007-08 academic year we served 20,273 preK-12th grade students. In the 2008-09 academic year we will serve over 25,000 preK-12th grade students at 120 schools in 28 school districts.

We are a partnership of students, parents, teachers, scientists and science professionals who have come together to help foster this interest in science. SSW networks with professors, scientists, and educators throughout the USA. A Schmahl Science Workshop goes on-site, off-site, any site —anywhere. We will take our program to anyone who wants to learn.

http://schmahlscience.org/