Archive | Skinner West

Atlantis has landed safely at Kennedy Space Center, and we will soon be reunited with our space-fish!  Depending on when the samples are unloaded from the shuttle, we should have the embryos in hand either tomorrow or Saturday.  Dr. Mark … Continue reading →

Our eggs are in SPACE!!  We had a fantastic time at the launch yesterday. The sky cleared up just in time.  It was breathtaking to watch.  In case you missed it, here is a video from NASA Television.  STS-135: Final … Continue reading →

We are down in beautiful Florida for the launch!  Everything has gone perfectly so far…except the weather. As of this morning, there was a 70% chance of a weather-related launch delay.  Right now we are still a go, but there … Continue reading →

Joe from Blackwater Creek Koi Farm hand delivered our samples to Kennedy Space Center this morning.  Thanks, Joe! We were so excited to learn that the fish Joe used for our eggs are a special breed of goldfish that are … Continue reading →

A beautiful picture from NASA’s website.

We have been having a very hard time fertilizing Atlantis’ eggs.  One big problem is the possibility that our male fish, Endeavour, is actually a female.  It is very hard to tell.  We have attempted to harvest milt from Endeavour … Continue reading →

Here is a nice editorial about the end of the space shuttle program, from the Chicago Tribune. Mission’s end.

We’ve been observing our eggs frequently, and Eric and Eren are getting good at identifying and describing the appearance of goldfish eggs under the microscope.  Also, our project got funded on Donor’s Choose!  So we are expecting a shipment of … Continue reading →

We have created a project on Donors Choose to try and obtain the rest of the equipment we will need for this experiment.  Check it out here, and please donate if you can!

We at the Skinner West Science Department have always been loyal PetSmart customers, shopping at our local store (Canal and Roosevelt, for Chicagoans!) every week for live crickets to feed our firebelly toads and for bedding and food for our … Continue reading →