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Five Things To Consider Before Pursuing a Degree As a Computer Programmer

Determine what kind of programming you are interested in. Decide whether you want to develop software for the Web, mobile devices or the desktop. You can do a wide range of programming from application or system to game programming.

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Learn the fundamentals of programming.  You must learn how to program and you must learn how to use programming language through consistent practice and dedication. The way to be an expert is by doing the things you know how to do over and over. Work on free and open source projects. Build your own stuff for fun.

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Choose a programming language. There are many computer programming languages such as C++, C#, Delphi, Java and Python. Take your time and explore some of these languages and determine if you like one more than the others. Solve a problem using one of these languages.

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9 Ways to Spot a Fake Nerd

They wear black-rimmed glasses — not because they’re prescription but because they’re “the trend.” Celebrities such as rappers Kanye West and Jay Z and singer Justin Timberlake have made the look popular in mainstream culture.

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They wear gingham prints. Elle Magazine’s article The Best Gingham Prints For Spring shows just how hipsters are commodifying nerd culture. You’re just as likely to catch the print on A-list celebrities walking the red carpet as you are to spot it on your local nerd.

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They do not know the name of the characters on their shirts. When Transformers actress Megan Fox wears a crop top Star Wars T-shirt, you know it’s just not the same as if Urkel would’ve rocked it.

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They only know the Marvel Comics and other characters from the movies. As Comic-Con culture catches mainstream attention, hipsters, posers and nerds alike converge, and the lines between them become even blurrier.

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A Look Back in History: Inventor Virgie M. Ammons

Virgie M. Ammons was born on Dec. 29, 1908, in Gaithersburg, Maryland. At a young age, her family relocated to West Virginia, where she spent the rest of her life. Ammons was a self-employed caretaker and a Muslim woman by faith, attending services in Temple Hills. She died on July 12, 2000, in Preston County, West Virginia.

Ammons invented the Fireplace Damper Actuating Tool, which allowed the chimney damper to be locked in the closed position. This prevents cold air and dust from blowing down the chimney and back into the house. She was granted a patent for her invention on Sept. 30, 1975.

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9 Ways to Encourage Your Children to Get Involved in Science

Provide all the equipment and materials necessary to allow children to explore scientific concepts themselves.

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Explore the outdoors, and provide children with tools to explore their own backyard up close and personal. Take a walk together, visit a local park, join a guided hike or plant your own vegetable garden.

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Support children’s natural curiosity by helping them conduct their own experiments.

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12 Black Scientists You Should Know Who Are Making an Impact Today

Aprille Ericsson

Aerospace Engineer, 
NASA

Aprille Ericsson was the first female to receive a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Howard University. She was the first African-American female to receive a Ph.D. in engineering at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. She was born and raised in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, and earned her bachelor’s in aeronautical/astronautical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

 

Lisa Stevens

Giant Panda Curator, National Zoo

Lisa Stevens became a familiar face, manning the giant panda program in 2005 when panda cub Tai Shan was born at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. Before joining the zoo’s staff, she held positions as a field research assistant, in pet and aquarium retail, veterinary clinic operations and insect zoo husbandry and interpretation. She has a bachelor’s degree in zoology and pre-veterinary medicine from Michigan State University and attended the AZA School for Professional Management Development for Zoo and Aquarium Personnel.

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James West

Acoustician and Inventor

James West was born in 1931 in Prince Edward County, Virginia, and studied physics at Temple University. After graduating, West worked in tech, specializing in microphones, and went on to author 200 patents. In 1962, with Gerhard Sessler, West developed the foil electret microphone. West was a research professor at Johns Hopkins University in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. West also founded the Association of Black Laboratory Employees.

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