It was back in 2019 when scientists joined forces to produce the first ever picture of a black hole.  Now they’ve done it again using the same technology.  This new block hole discovery is not as big as the first one, yet it’s a lot closer to us. It’s at the center of our Milky Way Galaxy and is only 26,000 light-years away.

There’s no need to worry however, 26,000 light-years means that if you traveled at the speed of light in a space ship, it would take you 26,000 earth years to get there.  The first black hole picture was called M87 and is 55 million light-years away. It’s staggering to the mind.  Still, this latest picture of a black hole is no less amazing, especially with it existing in our own galaxy, which is just one of billions of galaxies throughout the world.

Lessons from Black Hole Picture

As long as we walk this earth, one thing we should all discover is this. The more you know, the more you know you don’t know. That’s a quote from Aristotle, the Greek philosopher who lived over 2300 years ago. It basically means that no matter how much we learn in school as kids and later in life as adults, we’ll find there’s always more to learn about everything.

If we decide that we know everything there is to know and stop being opening to learning, we become ignorant and miss out so much that our wonderful world has to teach us.

As smart as Aristotle was, many things have been discovered in the hundreds of years since he lived. Many great philosophers and scientists have followed, and each one as built upon the knowledge of people who have gone before them.

The First Picture of a Black Hole

With the two recent achievements by the world’s greatest scientists of our day to create real pictures of a block hole, we never cease to be amazed by incredible discoveries in space.  The first black hole discover confirmed many theories about the existence of black holes and how they work. It also proved that Albert Einstein was right about his Theory of General Relativity regarding the relationship between space and time.

With every new scientific discover and achievement we expand upon our knowledge. Each scientist builds upon the knowledge of those who went before them.

The pictures also prove that recent scientific calculations about black holes were correct. These discoveries, however, are more than a story about the advancement of technology that allowed humans to see an actual black hole for the first time. It’s also a story of how many scientists from all over the world worked together for many years to achieve this great feat.

For one, just to make the now famous black hole picture took many observatories from all over the world working together to create one virtual telescope the size of our earth.

How Far Away is the Photographed Black Hole?

The image we see of the block hole is like looking into the past. It’s light that started a journey to planet earth millions of years ago. Light from our sun takes an average of 8 minutes and 20 seconds.

The first black hole discover was named Powehi, which means ‘adorned fathomless dark creation’. Black holes have always fascinated scientists and students of astronomy because a black hole actually isn’t a hole. It’s a place in space containing a lot of matter closely packed together. It has accumulated so much gravity, that not even light can escape it. Therefore, it’s always black, even if it sucked our sun into it. And the black hole Powehi could easily do that because it’s about the same size as our entire solar system.

More Discoveries Yet to Come

While the first picture of a real black hole confirms many theories that were calculated using mathematics, (see NASA Education’s Black Hole Math the Students), scientists are the first to point out that this great discovery is the beginning of many more discoveries yet to come.

Producing the black hole image took over 200 scientists working together from all over the world. They all would be the first to tell you that as much as we know about the Universe, there is so much more we don’t know.

The lessons we learn from the first image of a black hole are many. One important lesson is to always keep learning. You never know what amazing discovery you will find.

How New Discoveries Change Our Perception of Space

Black holes are relativity new to us.  Even Einstein was not certain that they even existed.  Now there is proof of it because we have a picture to look at.   The study of planets and the proof they exist has been going on for hundred’s of years.  Still, ideas and scientific theories change.  Here’s an example of that.

Poor Little Pluto is no longer considered a planet.

Life can be confusing. People sometimes struggle with the idea of who they are and where they belong in the grand scheme of things. If Pluto had feelings, imagine what it has gone through in its 87 years. When first discovered in 1930, the small mass orbiting the sun at the edge of the solar system was called “Planet X.”

It wasn’t named until an 11 year-old girl suggested calling it “Pluto,” after the mythological Roman god of the underworld.

At that time, Pluto had the title of being the furthest object ever found that rotated around the sun. It was our solar system’s outermost planet, the deep dark member of Earth’s immediate family.

For decades, scientists, astronomers and students learned about the lonely planet Pluto.  Then, in 1979, Pluto got its first humiliation. Because the orbits of planets are not perfect, Neptune swung further out in the sky, making Pluto only the “second” furthest. It lost its title.

Why Pluto is No Longer a Planet

Things got worse for Pluto in 2006. At that time, the astronomers who oversee how objects in space are classified reviewed their rules. Under their new rules, Pluto was too small to be a planet. It was removed from the official list of solar system planets. Pluto was just another “mass” whirling through space.

But Pluto has fans. Many scientists who grew up looking at Pluto as the great distant planet were upset. They thought that Pluto’s history should give it special consideration. Because of their concern, the International Astronomical Union sat down and again looked at how they defined a planet.

Many hoped that a new definition would return Pluto to its previous glory. After all, it had moons and was a significant body at the very edge of our solar system. Still, Pluto is smaller than our moon and has very , very weak gravity.

The astronomers sat down and played with their numbers. Over the last few months, they created a new definition of what makes a body in space “a planet.” This new definition would again make Pluto one of the planets in our solar system.

But now Pluto has another problem. The new definition would mean that another 109 celestial objects (like asteroids) would also now be “planets.”

Poor Pluto. This mass orbiting the sun in space has gone from being the great edge of our solar system—named after the mythological god of the underworld–to a simple “mass.”

If any object in space could be considered an underdog, it would be this small, lonely body over 3 and a half billion miles from the sun and so very far away from our own world.

It’s not uncommon for parents is to be curious about how smart and creative their kids are. Of course, there are many IQ tests you can take to measure your IQ score, but remember that measuring kids’ IQ is a bit sensitive.

As the test’s result can impact their feeling and their future, you have to be more careful about it. It’s good to know some details before taking the tests.

Here are all you need to know about kids’ IQ scores and tests.

What is IQ?

A child’s or person’s IQ is a measure of their general intellect. The Binet-Simon test was created in the early 1900s by French psychologist Alfred Binet and physician Theodore Simon. The Binet-Simon test was created to assess the IQ of children with mental disabilities.

Testing revealed that as youngsters grew older, the difference between their mental and chronological ages expanded. The intelligence quotient was devised in 1912 by German psychologist William Stern to correlate with the gap (IQ).

The intelligence quotient is calculated by dividing the chronological age by 100 times the mental age (MA) (CA).

What does IQ measure?

IQ tests assess the following skills:

Verbal reasoning

Verbal reasoning is about understanding and using words – verbal concept development, reasoning, and expression.

Visual-spatial

Seeing visual details, comprehending spatial relationships and construction ability, comprehending the relationship between parts and the whole, and combining visual and motor abilities.

Fluid reasoning

Seeing the meaningful link between visual items and applying that knowledge utilizing the notion of fluid reasoning.

Working memory

Demonstrating attention and focus, as well as the ability to keep information in mind and work with it; comprises one visual and one aural subtest.

Processing speed

Visual scanning and object identification speed and accuracy, short-term memory, and visual-motor coordination are all factors in processing speed.

Kids’ IQ Scores

The average IQ is thought to be 100. The IQ of a youngster can range from 0 to 250. The bulk of the youngsters tested had IQs between 80 and 120.

There is a categorization for each IQ range. An IQ of 140 or more is called genius, 120-140 is regarded as extremely superior intellect, 110-120 is considered superior intelligence, 90-110 is considered normal or average, 70-80 is a borderline deficit, and below 70 is considered cognitively retarded.

For children aged 6 to 16, the WISC-V is regarded as the “gold standard” IQ test. As a result, it is a vital part of any psycho-educational assessment. It is usually given since it gives a clear picture of a kid’s strengths and shortcomings, as well as reasonable expectations for his or her performance: a youngster with average potential may expect to work in the average range.

It’s a popular misconception that the “IQ,” which refers to the Full-Scale IQ, is an essential aspect of an intelligence exam.

You must evaluate not just the Full-Scale number but also the consistency of the scales. Here’s a checklist:

Where to measure your kid’s IQ

You and your child can both take a variety of IQ tests, some of which are available online. The good thing is that many of them are completely free, so you won’t have to worry about money.

For your children, here are some of the greatest free online IQ tests:

IQ Exam

IQ Exam is a free online exam that is one of the most accurate in the world. IQ Exam is tougher than other IQ tests since it needs you to answer 30 questions.

The exams were created and utilized in academic research, so they can reliably assess your cognitive abilities.

Although the test may appear tough to children, they have attempted to make it as convenient as possible for all participants.

You are not charged for taking this scientific IQ test as many times as you like.

One of the most crucial aspects of this test is that it has no time restriction. They don’t want to put any pressure on you since it can impact your performance.

There are no restrictions, and you or your children of any age can readily engage in this exam.

Free IQTest

Free IQTest is a basic online exam that is appropriate for children. There is no need to subscribe, and the results will be available shortly after you complete the exam.

They also include an HTML code for displaying your IQ score on your blog or CV, as well as your grade, categorization, and exam time.

The exam consists of 20 questions that are based on the WAIS formula. In this test, time is of importance, and your scores will reflect that.

Of course, you should not allow your child to become anxious in order to achieve the greatest potential result. The exam is completely anonymous, and you may take it as many times as you like.

123test

They’re providing several useful psychometric tests online. All of their psychometric tests are created by qualified psychologists and test developers, and all test results are provided for free.

123test is self-contained, and our tests are available to you. There is no need to create an account, and you may take exams entirely anonymously.

Every year, almost 30 million people throughout the world utilize 123test. They employ around 140 different assessments in five different languages.

They suggest that if you want a complete assessment of your child’s intelligence, have an IQ test for children administered by a qualified psychologist or educationalist in cooperation with the child’s school.

Conclusion

When you, as parents, want your child’s intelligence tested, it’s usually because your kid looks to have extremely low or extremely high intelligence. Regular school examinations and progress tests will likely serve in all other circumstances. Because an IQ test for children is only required in exceptional circumstances, the stakes for those concerned are higher. Is the kid in need of special education? Is the kid very brilliant, requiring remedial instruction? This sort of discovery can have far-reaching implications.

Regardless of a child’s IQ score, here are some free learning apps that can help them develop critical thinking.

Choosing a prep school can be a daunting task. With so many different schools to choose from, how do you know which one is right for your child? In this blog post, we will discuss the top insider tips on what to look for in a prep school.

We will cover everything from academics to campus life! So whether you are just starting your search or you have already narrowed down your options, this blog post is for you!

Look For An Energetic And Positive Team

When you visit a prep school, one of the things you should look for is an energetic and positive team. This includes the administration, faculty, staff, and students. A positive team creates a positive environment, which is essential for learning. If the team seems unhappy or disengaged, that is a red flag.

There are a few ways to tell if the team is right for your child. First, observe how the team interacts with each other. Do they seem respectful and supportive? Or are they rude and dismissive? Second, talk to the team members.

Ask them questions about their experience at the school, are they happy with the administration, faculty, and staff? Do they feel supported in their academic and extracurricular pursuits? Finally, trust your gut. If something feels off, it probably is.

Great Academic Results

Most parents send their kids to private schools in the hope that they’ll get a better education. And while there are many great private schools out there, not all of them are created equal.

When you’re looking for a prep school, it’s important to pay attention to more than just the school’s test scores and college placement rates. In New England for example, a lot of New Hampshire prep schools recommend looking for schools that are members of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC). This is a group of leading independent schools that have agreed to uphold certain standards, including academic excellence.

Another important factor to consider is the school’s curriculum. Make sure that it offers a broad range of subjects so your child can find their niche. And if your child has any particular interests or talents, look for a school that has programs and extracurricular activities that cater to those interests.

A Safe Learning Environment

When looking for a prep school, it is important to find one that provides a safe learning environment. This means that the school should have security measures in place to protect students and staff. The school should also have policies and procedures in place to prevent and respond to incidents of violence or bullying.

A safe learning environment is important for several reasons. First, it ensures that students are able to learn without fear of violence or bullying. Second, it allows staff to focus on teaching and supporting students without worrying about their safety. Finally, a safe learning environment helps to create a positive and supportive school culture.

Their Onboarding Process

You want to know that the school you’re considering has a great onboarding process. This is especially important if your child is coming from a public school. You want to be sure that they will be able to transition smoothly and that they’ll be able to get all the help they need along the way.

A good prep school will have a dedicated team to help new students and their families make the transition. They’ll be there to answer any questions you have and to help you navigate the process.

A Good Support System

A good support system is key when it comes to choosing a prep school. You want to make sure that the school has a solid support system in place for students, both academically and emotionally. This includes things like a strong guidance counseling program, academic tutoring services, and mental health resources. The last thing you want is for your child to feel alone and unsupported at school.

Mental health is often overlooked when it comes to choosing a prep school, but it’s actually one of the most important factors to consider. A good prep school will have a strong focus on mental health and will offer resources like counseling services, stress management programs, and social-emotional learning opportunities. This is important because it can help your child thrive both academically and emotionally.

A Diverse Community

When choosing a prep school, it’s important to look for a community that is diverse and inclusive. This means a school where students of all backgrounds feel welcome and respected. It’s also important to look for a school with a strong commitment to equity and social justice.

This means a school that is working to close the achievement gap and ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed. A diverse and inclusive community can be a great asset for your child, both academically and socially.

Choosing a prep school is a big decision. There are many factors to consider, but the three that we’ve discussed here are some of the most important. When you’re looking for a prep school, be sure to look for one that has high academic standards, a strong support system, and a commitment to diversity and inclusion. With these factors in mind, you’ll be sure to find a prep school that’s right for your child.

Read how to make sure safety of kids in school is a priority.

Software development and computer programming seem to be the most in-demand jobs in a variety of sectors. But learning to code could seem to be a daunting task. If you’re beginning from scratch, there’s a long road ahead, and some students get frustrated since they don’t know the process.

In this article, we discuss how you can learn java programming and other languages from the beginning. Keep scrolling to catch more.

What Is Programming

It is indeed a collection of commands that enables a programmer to carry out specific activities and deliver the required output in response to legitimate inputs. A computer is a piece of technology that can save and interpret data.

A computer’s language is binary, which is a sophisticated collection of ones and zeroes. Programming has been the broader technique of creating a complicated machine code that follows human instructions.

The fundamental connection between user intervention and computer results is programming. It is the method through which a system determines when and how to analyze information.

The Programming Fields and Languages Used

Before beginning on a professional track and developing your own program, you must first choose a coding language. And, there have been a number of computer languages to pick from, over 700 to be exact.

Server-Side Enterprise Apps Development

If you are looking to join this programming field, you need to master it. Java along with Python remain arguably the most flexible programming languages available. It has been the most widely deployed computer language for creating applications, which are employed by huge corporations all over the globe.

Java is intended to become a flexibly linked computer language, which means that a Java program may operate on any system that supports Java. As a consequence, Java is known as the computer language that allows you to “code once and execute everywhere.”

Back-end Web Development

This computer field is concerned with things that allow the front-end to function. This position is always about understanding how a website or software operates, how fast it runs, and how much it interacts with networks. You need to start learning different programming languages including PHP, Python, and Ruby if you want to be a back-end web developer.

Front-end Development

Front-end development is concerned with whatever a viewer sees on their display. This includes UI, software troubleshooting, and code. This position is responsible for the overall feel, appearance, and layout of software or webpage. Front-end development involves learning TypeScript and JavaScript.

Data Science

They have the professional capabilities to tackle complicated issues – as well as the interest to figure out what issues have to be addressed. Acquiring and processing massive volumes of unmanageable information into a more usable style. Python, Java, Scala, and R are all languages that can be learned to become a Data Scientist.

Mobile App Development

The design of programs for portable devices that are created to make use of the devices’ particular functionality and technology is known as mobile app development. Conventional software engineering seems to have a lot of influence on the way the portable apps look and their major functions. Various issues may arise during this process and the developer may face such aspects as creating intuitive UI (to make the process of using app easy), cross-platfrom accessibility, data security, fast user-authentification. One may refer to a bulk of front-end and back-end development tools in the process of app creating and it’s crucial to have at least middle level of the following programming skills available and constantly improving them:

Java

If you’re looking for the main Java features – object-oriented programming that helps you to use standard programs and reuse your code is one of them. You may opt for it if you need multithreading (complicated projects with a variety of tasks that are performing simultaneously) and secure language for development. It can be used within a network and is one of the most widespread programming languages at the market. You can visit Codegym to learn java programming and explore everything from the basics to the core parts, including API, control flow in programs, encapsulations etc.

Kotlin

If you want to create server-side applications and be able to work with IntelliJ IDEA that is used in Java as well you may inspect the basics of Kotlin. Whether you’d like to develop some Android games, compile on Java Virtual Machine or even use with JavaScript you can do it both ways. Also, Kotlin is considered to be more lightweight and compile faster in comparison with other programming languages. Official Android support is a huge bonus too. More features are available at Kotlinlang.

Swift

Programming for IOS-based devices is impossible without Swift. It’s friendly for junior developers due to its clean syntax and powerful technology. Moreover, it provides extra safety cause memory is automatically managed and objects in Swift can’t be nil. So runtime crashes are eliminated this way. In case you’re interested in a modern cross-platform approach to mobile app development you may explore Swift pros and cons at Hackingwithswift.

Tips on Learning Programming Faster

It’s common knowledge that consistency is the key to successful learning. But there are some tips to speed up the process and make the most of it.

Code Daily

It makes no difference what degree of coding knowledge you have. It makes no difference if you are a newbie, moderate, or expert developer. Each programmer needs to do some type of coding exercise daily. It is not necessary for the code to be complicated.

You can learn to code for half an hour every day to improve your programming skills. Learning programming languages solely on weekends will not improve your skills enough to apply them in a conventional way. While taking a half-hour every day to code is beneficial, if you’re doing more, do so. .

Look for the Codes Made by Experienced Programmers

Checking the code of other programmers and finding the flaws in their programs can help you improve your programming concepts. There are several communities that you can join to check the programs of other developers. GitLab and Bitbucket are the highly recommended communities to join.

Moreover, you can join several forums like GitHub and Stack Overflow to interact with the programming community.

Use helpful blogs about programming

It’s always important to stay up to date with the latest coding news. Nowadays emerging trends in the app development industry can be easily tracked by following the leading blogs and websites in this niche. Do not underestimate them, because very often such resources publish important tips for programmers, with the help of which you can learn new tricks. You can also check blog for java developers to know more about Java programming and get guided in the world of coding.

Common Mistakes

It’s crucial to know the difference between good and poor practices while learning to code. Understanding what mistakes programmers make as well as how to prevent them might assist you to improve your coding skills. Here are some typical mistakes to avoid.

Ignoring the Java Libraries

Novice sometimes overlooks the diversity of Java libraries provided. Try searching for accessible libraries; some of them are refined over time. These might be monitoring libraries or networking libraries.

Piece of Advice

• You can save your time by using the given libraries.
• You can do a lot of activities with relative simplicity. It may be filling out a form, submitting a request, reviewing a document, or setting the calendar.
• Libraries give you access to a broad variety of web app features, leading to an application that is much less subject to problems.

Ignoring Debuggers

Debugging seems to be a valuable technique that may save you a lot of time and effort when addressing issues or even other people’s programming. You can master basic debugging techniques and methods, as well as how to identify and replicate bugs. Debugging is simple if you understand how to filter out parameters and pinpoint the problem.

Piece of Advice

• It promptly indicates an erroneous state. This enables early fault identification and simplifies the development life cycle trouble-free.
• It also gives the most important details about data structures and makes analysis simple.
• Debugging helps the programmer in eliminating unnecessary and unnecessary data.

Lack of Backups

Data backups are an important part of any disaster response strategy. Data in the workplace is subject to operating system failures. Setting up a data backup system seems to be critical to ensuring that your operations run smoothly.

Despite the fact that data backups require infrastructure and might require days to complete, the advantages of using one must exceed the risks of not possessing it. Malfunctions or file corruption, hacks, unintentional deletion, disasters, and more are all potential risks.

Piece of Advice

• Pick a solution that is beneficial for you and utilize it on a regular basis. You can start using Github or Gitlab for data backups.

Conclusion

The fundamental connection between user input and computer output is coding. It is the method through which a system determines when and how to analyze information. It is interesting to examine irrespective of one’s background. You’ll never realize whether you like something unless you give it a try. I’m glad you’ve taken the first step toward learning java programming and how to code. Good luck with your programming!

Learn how block programming can help develop computational thinking.