STEM Fun Facts

Did you know that in STEM…

You Can See a Space Station With Your Eyes From Earth

The International Space Station is so big that you can see it from Earth without a telescope. It travels around Earth at about 17,500 miles per hour and completes one full orbit every 90 minutes. Astronauts from NASA and other space agencies live and work there, doing experiments in space to help improve life on Earth.

STEM Around the World

Interactive STEM Timeline

Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin after noticing mold killing bacteria in a petri dish. This discovery changed medicine forever because antibiotics started saving millions of lives from infections.

1928
The Discovery of Penicillin

James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the "Double Helix," which is the twisty ladder structural shape of DNA. This allowed humans to understand how the body's instruction manual is written, opening up the entire field of modern genetics and DNA testing.

1953
Discovery of DNA Structure

Jacques Cousteau and Émile Gagnan co-invented the "Aqua-Lung," the first open-circuit SCUBA set. This allowed humans to breathe underwater for the first time without being tethered to a boat, opening up the entire ocean for scientific exploration

1943

The Invention of the Aqua-Lung

Scientists confirmed that Earth's crust is made of large moving plates that shift over time. This theory explains earthquakes, volcanoes, and the movement of continents.

1967
Plate Tectonics

In 1970, inventors used tiny computer chips to make the first handheld calculators. These battery-powered devices solved math problems in a flash. Within one year, they became small enough to fit inside a pocket.

1970
Pocket Calculator