Happy Thanksgiving, science friends!  As a celebration of this delicious holiday, here are some yummy STEM experiments that you can try at home!

Homemade Butter
What you need:
Mason jar with lid
Heavy whipping cream

Process:
1. Fill your glass jar about halfway with cream.
2. Make sure the lid is closed tight and shake.
3. Shake and shake and shake and shake....
4. Observe the changes every five minutes or so.  After awhile, you will have a solid clump of butter!

What is happening?
Heavy cream has a lot of fat in it (which makes things taste delicious!).  Shaking the cream causes the fat molecules to separate from the liquid.  The more you shake it, the more the fat will separate and clump together, making butter!  The liquid that is left over is called buttermilk.  Don't waste that!  You can use that to make quick breads or tenderize chicken!

Bread in a Bag
What you need:
Gallon zip top bag
Large bowl
Parchment paper
Hand towel
3 cups plain flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
.25 oz packet rapid rise yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup of warm water
3 tablespoons olive oil

Process:
1. Open your zip top bag and place it in a large bowl.  You will be mixing your ingredients inside the bag.
2. Scoop 1 cup flour into a large zip top bag, with 3 tablespoons sugar, packet of rapid rise yeast, and 1 cup of warm water.
3. Squeeze the air out of the bag, then seal the bag closed and mix from the outside of the bag with your hands. Let the mixture sit for 10-15 minutes.
4. Open the bag and add 1 cup of flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Seal the bag, and mix again.
5. Add 1 more cup of flour, seal, and mix again.
6. Remove the dough from the bag and knead for 10 minutes on a piece of floured parchment paper to prevent the dough from sticking to the surface.
7. Cover with a warm damp hand towel for 30 minutes.
8. Place in a greased bread pan and bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

What's going on with the yeast?
Did you know that yeast is actually a living fungus?  This bread in a bag recipe uses a type of yeast that is dormant until you activate it.  When you combine the yeast with warm water and give it food (sugar), it "wakes up" and starts the fermentation process.  As the yeast eats the sugar, it gives off carbon dioxide, which causes the bread to rise as air pockets get trapped in the dough.  If eating a living fungus sounds gross, don't worry.  Cooking the bread kills the yeast.

Paper Bag Popcorn
What you need:
Popcorn kernels
Brown paper lunch bag
Salt and butter (optional)

Process:
1. Open a brown paper bag and pour in 1/3 cup popcorn kernels.  Fold the top of the bag down twice.
2. Place the popcorn in the microwave, and cook on high for about 1 1/2 minutes.  Listen to the popcorn.  When the pops start to slow down, remove the bag to avoid burning your popcorn.
3. Add melted butter and salt to taste.

Why does popcorn pop?
Inside each solid kernel of popcorn is a small drop of water.  When you add heat, the liquid inside the kernel turns to steam, eventually bursting the kernel when the pressure becomes too much for the hull to hold!

Happy eating!

STEM is used in all kinds of jobs, including solving crimes!  Here are some ways that police and investigators use their STEM skills in law enforcement.

Analyzing evidence: When forensic investigators collect evidence at a crime scene, they are using science skills!  An investigator might collect and test substances, weapons, and even biological evidence like fluids or hair.  All of these clues help them piece together what happened and who was involved in the criminal activity.  This could also include identifying bomb or other weapon components.

Using algorithms: Modern investigators rely heavily on computers to help automate examination of evidence.  Fingerprints, facial recognition software, and DNA databases are all used to identify perpetrators and others present at crime scenes.

Data analysis: Another way investigators solve crimes is by using computer data to identify commonalities in criminal activity.  This can help identify "hotspots" of crime and can even help analyze networks of organized crime.

Cryptanalysis: When investigators find a jumble of code or an unfamiliar gang tattoo, they use cryptanalysis to decipher its meaning.  Code cracking relies heavily on STEM analysis skills.

If you are interested in a career where you can utilize STEM skills while fighting crime, check out the FBI's STEM Careers website here.

NASA has had a long history with the United States Armed Forces.  Many astronauts have been selected from their ranks, and the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command currently provides support to NASA. While NASA's astronaut program is open to both military and civilian applicants, military training, particularly in fields like aviation and engineering, can provide valuable skills and experiences that are relevant in space.  Flip through this slideshow to learn about just a few of these heroes.

November is Native American Heritage Month, and we want to take a moment to appreciate people of Native American descent who have made great contributions to STEM.  Each of these individuals has made a great contribution to their field.

Unfortunately, while marginalized racial and ethnic groups still only make up a small percentage of people working in STEM, it is important to note that indigenous people in America are greatly underrepresented in the sciences.  American Indian and Alaskan Native (AIAN) peoples hold only 200,000 out of 34.9 million STEM jobs.  Click here to learn about initiatives to grow indigenous participation in STEM.