Scientists in the country of Israel have found another use for 3D printers. What is believed to be the world's first tiny heart was produced using cell containing "bioink""! The heart has the necessary functions to actually work including cells, blood vessels and chambers.Although the heart is only about the size of a rabbit's heart, it is thought that it is a step to possible human hearts being printed. Imagine creating a human heart, when needed, on a 3D printer, saving lives of many people who die every day because a needed replacement heart is not currently available. Amazing!

Photograph from nbcnews.com

Fire has badly damaged the famous cathedral in Paris, France, called Notre-Dame. It is thought that an accident during renovations started the fire in the "forest". This is the nickname for the wooded roof that used 1300 trees to construct. Dating back to the Middle Ages, the cathedral was begun in the 12th century and took about 200 years to finish. Author Victor Hugo's, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, tells a story about a man, named Quasimodo,with a physical handicap, who worked in the bell tower. The beautiful stain glass in the windows was removed during World War 2, numbered and stored to protect them during the war. After the war, like a jig-saw puzzle, the glass pieces were reinstalled in the windows. Sadly,is believed that many, but not all, the stain glass was damaged in the fire. Many religious relics were saved by emergency crews. As the fire blazed, hundreds and hundreds of people gathered to sing hymns. Authorities say that Notre-Dame WILL be restored.

Scientists are very excited with the release of the first ever direct image of a black hole and scientists are calling the black hole "an absolute monster"". The black hole is massive, about three million times the size of the planet Earth! It is located about 55 million light-years away from Earth. Scientists describe a black hole as an area of space where the pull of gravity is so great that not even light can escape. The image was created using eight different telescopes, part of a network of telescopes called Event Horizon Telescope. Congratulations to MIT graduate student, Dr. Katie Bouman, whose algorithm made the image possible. Kind of looks like a donut, doesn't it?

Image from bbc.com

The oldest pyramid in Egypt dates back to 27 BC. Called the Step Pyramid (also called the Pyramid of Djoser), it needed some TLC after a 8.5 magnitude earthquake damaged it in 1992. It was feared that the pyramid might collapse. Engineers from Great British began working on repairing the 4,700 year old pyramid, in 2010. Steel rods were used to help support the many stones. They are just finishing up their efforts to support the landmark so that future generations can appreciate it.

Photograph from dailymail

PAST NEWS STORIES

Click here:Past News Stories
"The school is the last expenditure upon which America should be willing to compromise."FDR "If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest."(Ben Franklin) "You must be the change you want to see in the world."(Mahatma Gandhi) "School is a building that has four walls-with tomorrow inside."(Lon Watters) "We know the future will outlast all of us, but I believe that all of us will live on in the future we make."(Senator Ted Kennedy) "The purpose of life is a life of purpose." (Robert Byrne)
Special thanks to EducationWorld for letting me use this image of my "alter ego" as Mrs. "Waffenschmidt!

About Gail:

I have retired from teaching after 33 1/2 years in the classroom. Of that time, I taught Grade 6 Social Studies teacher for 31 1/2 years.I earned my BA in early secondary education with a concentration in social studies from SUNY Oneonta, New York, and my MST in social studies education from Binghamton University in New York. In 1988, I was awarded the Outstanding Elementary Social Studies Classroom Teacher of the Year Award from the New York State Council for the Social Studies. Additionally, in 1988, I was also awarded the Outstanding Elementary Social Studies Teacher of the Year Award by the National Council for the Social Studies. I am the author of 8 books for teachers and over 30 books for children(Purple Turtle Series by Aadarsh Publishing). In 2019, my new series of three books, "Odd History" will be published by Red Chair Press.

My work has appeared in most children's publications including:
Appleseeds,Scholastic's Super Science,Scholastic's Science World,Highlights for Children,Jack and Jill,National Geographic World, Ranger Rick, Cobblestone, Faces, Muse Magazine,Contact Kids, US Kids,Action Magazine(Scholastic),Girls' Life,Boys' Life,American Girl, Instructor,Creative Classroom,Middle Years,Time for Kids,Scholastic News,Scholastic News Zone, Time for Kids , Ask Magazine, Dig,Calliope, Cobblestone, FACES, Studies Weekly, Glo Adventurer, and more.

---