Launch HN: Tappity (YC S20) – Keeping kids entertained with science

Most intro astronomy content, K thru undergrad, gets the color of the Sun either simply wrong, or handles it misleadingly. Resulting in even first-tier astronomy graduate students likely knowing it wrong. Clips from Tappity show false color photos and art of the Sun. Which if not handled carefully, is setting kids up for this morass of common misconceptions around Sun color. What might "handled carefully" look like? Good question. Do you know of any context where that gets discussed?

Similarly, the Tappity "exploded" layers of Earth graphic[3] is variously misleading and aphysically colored (better than many). Which is pervasive for such graphics. Do you know of any community which might say "variants of this common graphic abound, variously wrong - let's put in the collaborative effort necessary to create one correct, and open license it"?

Education content for kids often says the Sun warms the Earth. But that's only half the story, and I've never seen content which does the whole. Earth is doing a bbq roll between too hot Sun and too cold deep space. Even young kids might grasp the concept that with something uncomfortably hot, and another uncomfortably cold, you can attain comfort by alternating. But we don't say that. Does anyone know of a setting for "here is a commonly taught story that's incomplete - let's create exemplar content that fills it out"? Cold at night, at altitude, with cloudless skys, especially when dry... it's a story that's actionable, if not cut short.

Chemistry education content is famously bad. Chem ed research describes it using adjectives like incoherent, leaving both teachers and students steeped in misconceptions. But now XR content is coming. And some of it is nifty. But much of it is the usual wretched, now in 3D.

There seems a body of badly needed effort and work, very poorly incentivized, that's not getting well addressed. Do these examples bring to mind any efforts to address this need? Thanks!

[1] https://www.facebook.com/480316135473139/videos/821231864714... https://www.facebook.com/tappityapp/photos/a.803595309811885... [3] https://www.facebook.com/tappityapp/photos/a.803595309811885...

Also, a great point about kids swiping randomly in order to proceed forward. One thing we're getting better at is explaining why an answer may not be right, so even if a kid chooses an answer randomly, they'll learn why that's not the correct answer.