jfy1966

I'd love to hear what everyone has to say about this.....please post. Even though this is still in the "dreaming" stage, I think that enterprises with a focus on mining asteroids have great potential; using mined materials to facilitate further space travel, developing new technologies as we learn how to mine asteroids, creating whole new industries, etc. For me the best part of all of this just getting our collective butts out there more and more. When I was young I envisioned grand explorations of the solar system (which we do pretty well, but could be more) and establishing outposts near other planets, etc. Now I would be excited about roughnecks mining asteroids for water (i.e. hydrogen and oxygen). Should space exploration be more "pure" or are commercial endeavors equally good if they get us 'out there'? Your thoughts?

I teach 8th grade physical science. Many of my students get really....freaked out...when these types of events occur. It's a good learning opportunity for them, though. My experience is that many of the parents of my students have similar reactions so a lot of misconceptions are passed down before my students enter the classroom. Are there any teachers out there with similar experiences? How do you approach misconceptions in science? What works and what doesn't? Thanks!