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Fast Company
27-05-2025
- Health
- Fast Company
How to inspire future generations of innovators
Technological innovation continues to change our lives in seismic ways. But what will the technological advances of the future bring us? That depends in large part on the people helping to drive technology forward. Will they have the math and science training they need? Will they have the values of cooperation and the drive to work toward the societal benefits that innovators truly need? Recently, Texas A&M University sponsored a panel entitled 'A Force for Good: Visionaries Redefining the Future' at the Fast Company Grill during SXSW in which industry leaders discussed ways to drive interest in STEM fields and create a fertile environment for problem-solving and innovation. Here are three takeaways from their conversation. (Scroll to the bottom to watch the entire panel discussion.) 1. Innovation begins with aspiration. One of the major impediments to technological innovation is that many who might excel in science and engineering never seriously consider capitalizing on those skills. This challenge is particularly acute among girls and young people whose parents struggle financially. 'The problem is that we have kids, particularly girls, that don't believe science, technology, engineering, mathematics is fun, accessible, rewarding,' said Dean Kamen, an entrepreneur and inventor known for creating the Segway. 'They need to start seeing the world of science and technology as part of their future.' Texas A&M University, the nation's largest land grant university, is helping to bridge that gap, which means working with kids early in their educational journey. 'We used to target high schoolers,' said Dr. Amy Waer, dean of the Texas A&M University College of Medicine. 'But data shows that for young girls and young boys to feel empowered to go into STEM fields, you've got to [target the] third grade.' This introduction to STEM can be simple. Texas A&M has a program that asks third graders to teach kindergarteners how to use a stethoscope. Providing young children with this basic medical tool—and asking them to teach younger kids about it—can be the spark that puts math and science on a child's radar and eventually leads them to pursuing an education or career in those fields. 2. Strong values are critical. Encouraging an interest in science may be the first step in creating the next generation of innovators, but instilling strong core values is equally important. 'Part of our students' education takes place in the classroom with world-class faculty and staff, but another part of it is learned in student organizations and student leadership,' said Col. Michael E. Fossum, chief operating officer of Texas A&M University at Galveston and a former astronaut. He added that students must be exposed to experiences that further develop Texas A&M's Core Values: excellence, integrity, leadership, loyalty, respect, and selfless service. Those skills are crucial for visionaries and creators in the real world. Kamen, for instance, sponsors a youth robotics competition involving 82,000 teams through his nonprofit organization FIRST. Each team is given a specific kit of parts and a set amount of time in which to build a robot. Organizers are careful to stress that winning the competition is not the same thing as succeeding, he said. Rather, participants succeed by learning together and collaborating. 'Almost every robot will lose, but all the kids will win if they learn how to share, cooperate, and teach each other,' Kamen said. During the competition, individuals regularly help competitors repair broken axles or make design changes that improve each other's robots for the next round. 'Destroying your competition is not a way to improve the human condition,' he continued. 'In the real world, the public benefits when we get to see all the different good ideas that people have.' 3. Innovators can be a force for good. Educators have a responsibility to ensure that young people think about how their decisions, actions, and work can benefit communities and the world at large. Texas A&M encourages this type of introspection, for example, by requiring all new medical students to participate in a rural-medicine elective. This class gives students firsthand experience in resource-strapped communities that may not have good access to medical care. 'Not everyone's going to practice in rural Texas,' Waer said. '[But] whether they're going to be practicing as a cardiothoracic surgeon in Dallas or elsewhere, they need to know what may not be there in terms of medical care.' Understanding this need can have a big impact on students' decisions when they graduate. In fact, the first three students who participated in the program—all from major cities—decided to concentrate on primary care in rural communities. 'Service is important,' Kamen said. 'We need to inspire students. We need help them understand the value of serving your country, serving your community, serving your state in some way—the value of giving back.' Watch the full panel: "
Fox News
23-05-2025
- General
- Fox News
Mysterious 18th-century warship unearthed at Ground Zero site gets new home
A lost Revolutionary War-era ship that was unearthed at the site of the World Trade Center will finally be exhibited in a museum over a decade after it was found. The New York State Museum announced in a mid-May press release that the ship will be housed in its Albany headquarters. The 18th-century vessel was found during an excavation of Ground Zero in July 2010. But details about the boat have perplexed historians until now – just in time for America's 250th anniversary. With help from Texas A&M University historical preservationists, experts have been working for 14 years to gather facts about the ship while preserving it carefully. The ship, which measures 50 feet long and 18 feet wide, has been identified as a "rare" American-built gunboat. The vessel was likely built in the Philadelphia area in the 1770s. It was used during the Revolutionary War but was decommissioned after roughly two decades. "[B]y the 1790s, the ship was out of commission and repurposed as landfill to expand New York City, ultimately ending up beneath what would become the World Trade Center," the New York State Museum said. "Today, it stands as one of the few American-built Revolutionary War ships to be identified, studied and preserved in New York State." In total, 600 pieces of wood and roughly 2,000 artifacts were found at the site, including musketballs. After years of carefully preserving each piece of wood and artifact, the preservation team began the process of reconstructing the vessel at the New York State Museum on May 14. In a statement, New York State Historian Devin Lander said the exhibit is "history in its rawest, most thrilling form." "We're not just unveiling a ship – we're resurrecting a lost relic of the American Revolution, right before your eyes," Lander said. "New York stood at the epicenter of our fight for freedom, and this gunboat is a physical reminder of that courage and grit." The historian added, "To watch it rise again, plank by plank, is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to witness the intersection of archaeology, storytelling and national identity."
CNA
18-05-2025
- Health
- CNA
How healthy are mangoes? They're high in sugar but packed with fibre, Vitamin C and potassium
In India, the mango is known as the 'king of fruits.' The fruit, and its tree and leaves, are symbols of prosperity, good luck and love. There's a lot to love nutritionally, too. Mangoes are rich in Vitamin C and potassium. And they freeze well, making them a year-round smoothie staple. Here's what to know about their health attributes. THEY'RE HIGH IN SUGAR (BUT IT'S NOT LIKE EATING A COOKIE) One half of a peeled mango contains about 23 grams of sugar, which is more than twice what you get in a typical store-bought chocolate chip cookie. But the natural sugar in mangoes doesn't spike your blood glucose the way the added sugar in cookies does, said Jessica Higgins, a dietitian in the Lifestyle Medicine programme at NYC Health + Hospitals Woodhull. That's because your body has to break down the beneficial fibre in a mango to access the fruit's sugar. This takes time, which gives your body a chance to gradually process the glucose. In a cookie, she said, the refined sugar is immediately available, which is why it can cause a spike. One half of a mango has around 10 per cent of your daily fibre needs, said Stephanie Rogus, an assistant professor and extension nutrition specialist at Texas A&M University. Mangoes aren't quite as high in fibre as fruits like apples or pears – in part because we typically don't eat the fibrous mango skin – but they still cross the 'good source of fibre' threshold, Dr Rogus said. Beyond slowing down your digestion, the fibre in mangoes can help keep your blood cholesterol in check and support the good bacteria in your gut, said Maya Vadiveloo, a dietitian and associate professor of nutrition at the University of Rhode Island. THEIR VITAMIN C LEVELS ARE UP THERE WITH CITRUS FRUITS One half of a mango contains 61mg of Vitamin C, similar to what you'd get from one half of a navel orange or a grapefruit. Beyond Vitamin C's well-known immune-boosting properties, it can also help your body absorb iron from plant-based foods, Dr Vadiveloo said. The iron in foods like leafy greens and beans isn't as easily accessible as the iron you get from eating animal products, she said. Pairing these foods with Vitamin C-rich foods like mango can help convert the iron into a more usable form. THEIR POTASSIUM COULD HELP LOWER YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE Bananas may be the most famous potassium-rich tropical fruit, but mangoes aren't that far behind. One half of a mango contains 282mg; a medium banana has 422mg. Potassium can help to counteract the heart disease risk that comes with consuming too much sodium, Higgins said. Excess sodium can cause your body to retain fluid, which can raise your blood pressure. Over time, high blood pressure can increase your risk for heart attacks and strokes. Potassium helps to balance your body's fluid levels, she said, so it can help bring your blood pressure back down. WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO EAT MANGO? Try it frozen. If a ripe mango is nowhere to be found, DrVadiveloo recommended buying frozen chunks. As long as the frozen kind doesn't contain added sugar, it's just as nutritious as fresh mango, she said. Don't overdo it on the dried mango. One-half cup of dried mango contains 255 calories and 53g of sugar – far more than the 50 calories and 11g of sugar you'd get from the same amount of fresh fruit. 'When we take all the water out, we're concentrating the sugars and the calorie-containing macronutrients,' Higgins said. 'That's a pretty big difference.' Higgins recommended using what she called the 'press method' to select a perfectly ripe mango. When you gently press your thumb into the fruit, you should feel just a slight give.
