Read a current science article and post a summary using the following format
on the online learning log using your secret number.
Remember to have the above mentioned parts clearly labeled in your response.
Post a response (should be one paragraph or more) to a critical thinking qs by 12/16. Respond to a question which is not answered so far to get credit for the response.
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The new planet found by the deep space telescope Kepler Space Telescope has found a planet that exists in the extremely optimal distance from a sun-like star. This planet named Kepler 22 is 2.5 times the size of the Earth. For this planet, it takes 290 days for it to orbit its sun. Kepler 22’s sun is so alike our sun that they could almost be solar twins. Among Kepler 22, 54 other planets were discovered to be rated habitable.
This planet is over 400,000 light years away. At our technology standpoint, we do not have the ability to travel there and back without dying. The planet’s average temperature is 72 degrees Fahrenheit. The weather, climate, and terrain are not certain. We have not sent anyone there so we do not truly know if it is gaseous or not. This planet shows how humans are one step closer to finding another habitable planet or planets. The trick now is finding out how we can get there and live there.
Reading this article, I found out that is was skeptical in our chances of finding another earth. Sure, we can find planets that may support life but I do not believe that we will find another Earth. My reason for choosing this article is because I wanted a little more diversity in my article picking. So far I have chosen articles about science, not space. I really love writing summaries to articles.
http://www.popsci.com.au/science/astronomy/kepler-team-confirms-first-Earth-like-planet-in-a-habitable-zone-and-finds-1-094-more-worlds
1. Do you believe that we will find a planet almost exactly like Earth.
No, I do not think that we will find a planet almost exactly like Earth. Everything in the universe in extremely different, so I highly doubt this would happen. Earth is very unique in many ways, like it’s size, design, and it’s variety of life. However, I do believe that we will find another planet with life on it.
I believe that we will find a planet almost exactly like earth. And scientists already have found a planet that has earth like qualities. They found it has water and an atmosphere. it is even said that the planet is so like Earth, that humans can live in it. The only bad news is that it is very far away and impossible to reach it.
I thought it was 600 Light years away here is the link I read it from:
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2JB0CO/mashable.com/2011/12/05/christmas-planet-earth-2%3Famp%3Butm_source%3Dnewsletter
Of course we will at some point. There are probably many earth like planets in the solar system yet we are just starting to get the right technology to see them. At some point we will probably in our life time to.
i belie that there are several planets just like earth. in out galaxy alone there are millions on solar systems some our just like ours. the universe is endless and i bet that out of the billions on galaxy’s and who knows how many solar systems there’s gotta be one more planet just like earth
I think we will find many more then just one planet that is exactly like earth. My reasoning, the universe is a big place, we simply can’t be the only ones out there. For example, look at your article! We have found a planet that possibly could be just like earth, Kepler 22-b.
i think that eventually we will find a planet that is able to have people live on it. it will come in use as the population of earth grows
Yes, I think in the future at some point we will definitley find a planet like EARTH. I think this because maybe in the future at some point, Earth may not even exsist, so maybe then another planet will come and replicate earth and be just like it. There will be another Earth sooner or later.
I truely beilve that in the future possibly 250 to 350 years from now we will because the technology in the future might be much
more advanced and extreme compared to technology now.
NASA will create faster ways to get to this planet. I know now it takes 600 years to get their but maybe in 80 years 500 due to technology change and in 200 years 300 years to get their.
I think that we might find a planet like Earth, but not exactly. This is because it would be very rare in my opinion, or it would be very far away. According to this summary, that there are 54 other planets that were similar to Earth. You would expect one of these planets to be able to support life.
The article that i read about was how rats help each other when in distress. In this case scientists put a rat inside of a cage and put another rat outside of the cage to see what would happen, after a couple of days that rat found a way to push open the box and get the other rat to ease the other rats pain. 23 out of 30 rats were able to get the other rat out of the cage. I think that it is remarkable how other animals than ourselves are able to help one another in need. Also the rat outside of the cage lest some choclate for the other rat so it could eat! I choose this article because it caught my attention with the”he is no rat thats my brother”, which drew me into the article. I learned that their are actually more intellegent beings than ourselves and that we can learn a lot from them.
Summary:
The article I read was about the new planet that we have found. It is called Kepler-22B. It looks like earth in every way exept that it is bigger. It has 72 degree temperatures and even has water. Scientist don’t knew if there is life on it but it is habitable for humans. The Kepler telescope has spotted 2,326 planets outside Earth’s solar system with 139 of them potentially habitable ones. This is incredible and i can’t wait to learn more about Kepler-22B. Mabye they should find a new name for it firtst though.
Reaction:
I couldn’t believe this article. It’s amazing that we have been able to find a new habitable planet.
Reason:
I choose this article because the thought that there might be another habitable planet sucked me into the article.
Information:
I learned that there are over 139 planets that are potentially habitable. I didn’t even know if there was another one besides Earth!
Link:
http://www.thefloridanewsjournal.com/2011/12/06/nasa-finds-new-earth-kepler-22b-kepler-telescope-makes-discovery-planet-just-earth
Critical Thinking Question:
If we can live on this planet why doesn’t an astronaut go to the planet in the first place?
There are many, many reasons as to why astronauts aren’t shipped to planets like Kebler-22B as soon as they discover them. First of all, scientists don’t know enough about it to determine whether it is uninhabitable or not. There are still many questions that need to be answered before they send a team of astronauts out there. Secondly, the planet is too far away to travel to with current technology. It is 3540 trillion miles away (as stated in the article) and would take us 22 million years to reach it using a space shuttle. Lastly, it is probably too expensive. Instead of spending money on exploring a planet so far away, NASA and other space associations could use the money to explore our own galaxy, which we know very little about.
I think that there is an array of reasons why scientist didn’t go to the planet in the first place. First, I think that scientists need to know how the human body is going to adapt to the new environment, Although they said that it was very similar to Earth, even the slightest changes could affect some humans. Just think, when you go up in and elevator, your ears pop, imagine going billions of miles into newly – found parts of space. Also, scientist will have to find if there are any dangerous gases left on the planet. They also must investigate if there are any dangerous life forms on the planet. For all we know there can be man – eating butterflies…
Well we can’t reach the plant. If we were able to get a space ship to go as fast as light it will take us about 600 years to get there. It is so far away. If we go any faster then the speed of light we will slow down. So right now with todays technology it is impossibe. But maybe in the future we will be able to get there.
Many people don’t think of the holidays as a time for allergies, but it is. The symptoms are very similar to those of the common cold but are a little bit more intense. One sufferer, whose goes by the name of Jessica Aguiar claims that she has been allergic to pine trees since she was a kid, and her symptoms include watery eyes, sneezing, and if she touches it, she gets a skin rash. “Not the Christmas decorations I’d like to wear” she jokes.
These are some suggested ways to prevent these allergies, and help anyone with allergies get through the holidays. For tree allergies, a fake tree is the way to go. These are plastic replicas that look almost identical from far away. Next, comes scented candles, and they are never a shortage of these. They also come in every scent imaginable. These give you that holiday smell, and can help prevent allergies. Then comes the humidifier. Many families have these in their homes, but they can hinder more than they help. The suggest level of humidity is 50%, because any higher can cause mold, which is a big cause of allergies.
This is probably really helpful to many people that have seasonal allergies. I (thankfully) am not one of these people. I chose this particular article because the title was funny, and I never knew that people had allergies, that really seemed to be colds, but really aren’t. This I found to also be interesting, but I had one question that the article didn’t answer. This one happened to be about how you can tell if you have allergies that are caused by the season or if it really is a cold. On Comet on Cupid on Donner on Blizten!!!!!
Article Link: http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/08/on-comet-on-cupid-on-donner-and-wheezy/?hpt=he_t4
Question:
How else do you think people who have allergies during the holiday season can cope?
I think that there are many ways people with allergies can cope. First, if people are allergic to mold, or mildew. I think that they should buy fake christmas trees, because milddew and mold lies upon the trees. Also, people must know what food triggers allergies. If they do this, they can find out what foods to stay away from, like latkes, or other foods. To tame pet allergies, people should wash thier hands and face frequently. Also they should vaccum and clean more often, so fur is not all over the place.Another way to cope during the holiday season is that if you are allergic to dust mites to check and clean your filters very often. Lastly, you should always carry medicine with you in case of accidental allergic reaction! P.S: Stress affects Asthma and causing it to flare up. Take a breather once in a while!
I think that there are ways to enjoy the holidays even if you have allergies! I would definitly suggest to but a fake Christmas tree. A lot of people have fake Christmas trees and it is almost impossible to tell the difference, unless you touch it. In addition, if you are allergic to a particular food, you can always add different ingrediants and make some kind of special type of meal. You can always make a different kind of sweet for the holidays. In addition, if you have animals, which you are allergic to, you can always put them in a different room and make sure they are sanatized and you are sanatized before handling them. You should awlays have medicine near you for safe keeping. This way, you can enjoy the great holidays!
I think there are a lot of ways people can cope during the holiday seasons. I feel people can take different medicines and not always go near the things they are allergic too. Although that is hard and does not always work, it is one way that people with many allergies can get through te holiday season without an trips to te hospital or doctors office.
During the holidays there are a lot of food and cookies that if you have a peanut allergy it could be hard to deal with. But you can always find some cookies and food that don’t have peanuts in them. Before you go to a party you can as the host what she is having and if it has peanuts that way you know ahead of time and are not stuck when you relize you can’t eat them.
The article I read about was global warming and climate change. In the article it said global warming is the world’s leader’s most complicated problem. In 2010 carbon dioxide has jumped the most up according to the records. In the United Nations there had been global talks, known as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. In the talk shows they talk about ways on how to reduce global warming. Also in the talk show it says how to make the world a better place.
I think that we do need to act fast before global warming gets even worse. We should act now before there are no more glaciers and polar bears. What the United Nations is doing is good and everyone else should start talking about it too. I choose this article because I actually care about the Earth and global warming. If global warming increases then there will absolutely be more problems. When I was reading this article I learned that since 2010 global warming has been really high, but the number sort of decreased because now these days people are starting to ride bikes, to school, work, etc.
Critical Question: What do you think are some good ideas to reduce global warming/ helping the Earth?
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/globalwarming/index.html#
Well there are many ways we can help the earth. Like recycling more or throwing out a piece of garbage on the ground when you see it. Another way you can help is using eco-friendly light bulbs. And another way you can help is take a shorter shower. These are just 3 of the many ways you can help the planet.
There are many great ways to reduce global warming. One way to reverse global warming is to use energy efficient light bulbs which lower the amount of electricity used. Another way to alleviate global warming is to wrap insulation blankets around appliances such as hot water heaters. An obvious way to decrease global warming is to install solar panels. The best part about all of these ways to reduce global warming is that they also save money.
I think some ideas would be to indivdualy wrap items and wrap them in bulk. Also it should be marditaory that everyone uses energy efficent lightbulbs. Another point is that we should should production of plastic water bottles and just have reuseable ones. Last but not least we should use more technology to aviod printing on paper.
Very simple actions, can go a long way to lessening global warming. Move your thermostat down a couple degrees. If a place isn’t too far, walk don’t drive. Change a normal lightbulb to an incandescent bulb. But it isn’t just the actions to change. It’s the want to change. When people on our planet realize that we need to change, things will change. Until then the intelligent, impressionable youth need to pave the way.
I think we could help reduce global warming in many ways. Sometimes simple things like riding a bike instead of driving can go a long way. If your whole town rides bikes for one day, it could make a big difference. Also, recycling could really help. Instead of throwing something in the garbage, causing bad fumes, and can be reused, which is reducing the amount of garbage. There are many ways to help save the enviornment and help fix global warming.
Recently, tropical temperatures are melting the ice in Antarctica. There is higher-than-normal sea-level pressure north of the Amundsen Sea that sets up westerly winds that push surface water away from the glaciers and allow warmer deep water to rise to the surface under the edges of the glaciers. The two glaciers that are melting are important because they drain a large portion of the ice sheet. As they melt, they gain speed which will drain the ice sheet faster which will cause the sea level to rise. This could eventually lead to a global sea level rise. NASA scientists have discovered that a huge portion of the Pine Island Glacier, about the size of New York City, had begun to break off into a huge iceberg. Luckily, there were no new findings that clearly linked the thinning of Antarctic ice to human causes.
Some scientists do believe that Antarctic ice is thinning because of the changing of winds temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean. In October, NASA’s Operation IceBridge discovered a rift, or a crack in the Pine Island Glacier in western Antarctica. The crack is about 18 miles long and 50 meters deep. It can produce an iceberg that is more than 800 kilometers. IceBridge scientists have recently made the first ever detailed airborne measurements of this. Overall, the ice seems to be thinning due to the temperature of the wind.
I hope the Pine Island Glacier does not melt to the point of creating icebergs, because it can really affect the oc eans. Scientists cannot predict what will happen, so if it does happen, we must be prepared to face the worst. The melting of the Glacier can potentially ruin many habitats, endangering species. The melting of the glaciers can also lessen our water supply. If the glacier melts, it would be added to the sea, mixing it with salt. Glaciers store about 69% of the world’s freshwater. If the ice melted, we would lose a lot of freshwater, plus the sea would rise about 230 feet. All in all, it would be a big change that could be hard to endure if this happens.
I chose this article because it looked very interesting. I was curious to see what it was about. The title pulled me in, because the ocean fascinates me. I learned that a lot of Earth’s freshwater is stored in glaciers. I also learned that a piece of a glacier is called an iceberg. I never realized that NASA was a part of glaciers, so I learned what they had to do with the ocean. Furthermore, I learned a lot from this article.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111206095649.htm
How do you think our lives would change if all of the world’s glaciers melted?
If all of the world’s glaciers melted, then our lives would definitely change very drastically. Because we lose fresh water when glaciers melt, that would lessen our water supply, and the water shortage would be even worse. There would most likely be water restricting laws on water consumption, not just in dry areas, but in the entire world. Furthermore, melting ice means more water in the oceans, rivers and lakes, and because of this, there will possibly be more floods. Low level areas would have to be evacuated much more often, and there would be more destruction of property, and, possibly, more deaths do to drownings. Finally, the ice provides a cold climate to many parts of the world, and if it melts, then the temperature will go up, which will affect global warming, and how we go about our lives. If the temperature is warmer, then many things in our lives- cold weather activities, etc, will no longer exist.
Japanese car creators have invented the SIM-LEI. This electric car has really good acceleration, control and can go over 200 miles in a single charge. The SIM-LEI is so unique because it has four different motors stored in the hub of each wheel. They give the car a total output of 260 kilowatts. It took 15 months to finish putting it together. Regular motors are heavy and take up lots of space inside the car, so that’s why this electric car has four separate motors in its wheels instead of underneath the hood unlike most electric cars. SIM-LEI also has low-friction tires to reduce drag. This new design for electric cars could inspire a revolution of how cars of this kind are made.
I never thought it was possible to put motors inside wheels of a car. I wondered what the company has to do to the wheels, so that they can put the motors inside. I think this new design is a good idea. It’s good for the environment and it makes electric cars more effective. I think more electric cars will start using this design. I thought this article was very informative about this new technology and how it’s changing electric cars.
I chose this article because it looked like an interesting science topic to read about. I wanted to learn more about electric cars and the new design that was invented. The headline made me want to find out for about motors in wheels because it sounded really cool. I picked this article because I wanted to find out more about its topic.
From the article about the SIM-LEI, I learned how a car company in Tokyo came up with idea to put its motors inside the hubs of the wheels. They did this to so that the car could have enhanced performance. This way, the motors wouldn’t be too heavy.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/12/tech/innovation/in-wheel-motor/index.html
Critical Thinking Question: Do you think non-electric cars could/should have motors in their wheels like this car? Why?
No, Non electric cars must have one central motor. If the parts are in the wheels then you would have four exhaust pipes which would not look good to the eye. Oil cannot be shared like electricity. Also, in car crashes the engine is the part of the car that explodes first. If you had the wheels with engines then you have quadrupled the chance of being killed by and explosion when you are hit from the side. Having the engine on the wheels is not a good idea at all, it is possibly the worst idea you could have.
The article I read talked about autonomous robotic quadcopters that can build structures out of polystyrene foam blocks. They can build nearly up to a 20 foot tower in a 33-by-33-by-33 airspace filled with sensors. Up to 50 copter drones can operate in this area. With only slight supervision, these drones fly through the air as a team to make anything they are programmed to. They even made a sculpture that opened on display at the FRAC Centre in Orléans, France.
I thought this article was very interesting. This idea could be used to make building things in the future very easy. It is amazing that robots that control themselves can interact with other drones as a team. I chose this article because the fact that flying robots could build a sculpture interested me. It amazed me that these copter drones could be used to make sculptures and other structures that could possibly could not have been made otherwise. I was also curious what the title meant by “Team of Swarming Autonomous Flying Robots”.
I learned a lot from this article. I discovered that it is possible for drones to cooperate with one another to perform a task. I also learned that art created by robots could be put in art museums. I even learned that a team of 50 flying drones can build structures as high as 20 feet without crashing into each other. As you can see, the article I read contains a lot of interesting information.
Critical Thinking Question: What other tasks do you think these copter drones are capable of performing?
To read more and see these drones in an air show, click on the link below:
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-11/art-installation-sculpted-entirely-team-swarming-autonomous-flying-robots
These drones are rather interesting. I think that they can be used for a multitude of tasks. One such tasks could be surveillance. These drones are small, so if they were to have a video camera of some sort attached to its underbelly, I should imagine that they would be quite handy in situations that would be dangerous for a human. If used in teams, these drones could gather much more intelligence then their human counterpart could!
They could probably be used for war if they added more to it. the could make it fly into enemy area and maybe even attack
There have been recent studies with mice that shows that they feel sorry for other mice. What they did was let one mouse roam free through out a certain place the mouse unlocked the cage and set the other one out to come with it. As humans we also feel sorry for others and want to help them. What they did was put the mouse out for a couple of weeks then put a real mouse in a cage and the mouse let the real mice leave not the fake one. What they also did was did forty tests and five learned how to unlock the cage while twenty three of thirty unlocked the cage.
I learned that even animals can feel remorse for other just like humans can. http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/336819/title/He’s_no_rat%2C_he’s_my_brother
GREAT APE LANGUAGE
Research into non-human Great Ape language has generated a great deal of evidence suggesting that apes are capable of using sophisticated communication with humans and other apes.
Gorillas and chimpanzees have been taught to form signs in sign language, arrange physical tokens in specific sequences, and operate lexigrams (keyboards with symbols on them).
Analysis suggests that meaningful information is being conveyed by these behaviors, but it is disputed whether this phenomenon is truly language. Sign language and computer keyboards are used in primate language research because non-human primates lack vocal cords and other human speech organs.
However, primates do possess the manual dexterity required for keyboard operation.
My Reaction to this article was amazed because I did not realize how sophisticated the speaking of these animals could be. I chose this article because it sounded interesting and it had a very nice picture. I learned that animals can have human like qualities though we can’t see it at first.
How, and how much, do animals’ abilities to learn language differ from those of humans?
Animals’ abilities to learn language differs from humans quite a bit. Though teaching an adult ape could be similar to teaching a toddler, it seems like they have to learn through a slow process of communication and symbols. But, toddlers in pre-school are also taught how to speak and recognize objects through interactive electronics games and pictures. Therefore, you could actually compare the animals’ abilities to young humans. Other animals, like maybe a cat, are not sophisticated enough to use speech and writing mechanisms. They don’t have thumbs, for starters, and cats probably couldn’t handle a lesson on behavior with their short attention spans.
However, I feel a teenage or human learning process is totally and completely different than animals learning language. We have the full ability to speak with words and get our points across. That would be difficult to compare with an animal that couldn’t find a common language to use. The barrier of animal life and human life comes in the way. Apes wouldn’t connect to the way we teach people who are old enough to speak well.
Well, animals’ have a different way of learning how to communicate. We have a way to teach little children, by using pictures, and sounding out words. Then we teach them rules like “I” before “E” except after “C”..and stuff like that. But apes use symbols and and by repeating the sound (or what they would call words) to teach babies how to speak. Plus apes can’t write…(well if we gave them pencils maybe) so they can only communicate by speaking and vocalization. This would pose to be a big problem when communicating with humans
,since their words don’t make any sense, and plus, our languages are completely different.
The Article I read was about the new planet scientists found called Kepler 22-b. Kepler 22-b is twice the size of earth and has a 290 day orbit around its star. The climate is estimated to be a balmy 72 degrees F. Scientists also say that it is about 600 light years away, so traveling to it is going to take some while. The terrain on this new discovered planet is still unknown due to the disadvantage of being so far away from it.
I think this is an amazing opportunity for humans to find another habitual planet! I just have some concerns since it is so far away from earth its impossible to get there in this day and age.
My question:
If we were able to go to Kepler 22-b, and it was habitable, what would you do with the newly discovered planet? Would you start a new civilization? The possibilities are endless.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2JB0CO/mashable.com/2011/12/05/christmas-planet-earth-2%3Famp%3Butm_source%3Dnewsletter
I would make my house and bring all my belongings because there I could not be bothered by any one. Also I would bring 2 cows for meat and vegtabale seeds so I could grow my own crops. Then I would not have to pay any taxes. And other people couldn’t annoy me.
If I was able to go to Kepler 22-b, and it was safe, I would move there. I use it as a place to escape if any tragedies happen here on our planet, Earth.
35 i would use it for studies. i would first see if it was safe. Then i would make it either a new civalization or an evacuation root. If i really needed to i would keep important stuff there too.
This article talks about so much its hard to know where to start. It talks about this new theory that if is proved true will explain matter in particles. The article talks about the sub-atomic Higgs boson particle. It explains that if that particle is found it would make physicist rethink every thing they know about the universe. It was also said that if it exists then it would have a range of 116 to 130 gigaelectronvolts. Even if this is proven true it will not be much people say that 96% of the universe is dark matter and only 4% would be the sub-atomic Higgs boson particle.
My reaction to the article is a bit confused. They were saying how wonderful this was but it ended by saying but its not that much since its only 4%. Either way it is still good that they are near a breakthrough. I chose this article for a number of reasons. One it was the headline and if its a head line I figured it was probably important. Secondly I chose it simply because the title looked interesting and we just finished are physicist project. From this article I learned what the sub-atomic Higgs boson particle is. I learned that if it exists then it would have a range of 116 to 130 gigaelectronvolts. Lastly I looked it up and I learned what gigaelectronvolts is.
My question is: Do you think that we will still be alive when this mystery is solved or are we not making progress fast enough?
I think we still will be alive for this to be solved. I feel this way since there is so much technology out there and even more being invented. If the human mid can’t figure this out some super genius robot will! Also, if the scientists are looking in to this mystery they probably will figure it out because it seems as if they have a pretty good amount of information about this.
This article talks about how, even though there have been studies showing hat ADHD medicines might possibly cause heart problems such as heart attacks and strokes, the connection between medicines and cardiac issues isn’t as strong as scientists originally thought. Although medicines such as Ritalin, Adderall, and Concerta have been shown to cause a slight rise in blood pressure, and there have been a few cases of heart attacks and strokes in people who take these medications, recent studies show otherwise. Scientists controlled other factors that cause cardio problems, such as smoking, and in this latest study, the medication consumption is not as closely related as they thought at first. Of course, scientists may or may not have conducted a wide enough study, or correctly shown how much of the medications the people consumed, but for now, it seems that ADHD medicines are relatively safe.
As glad as I am that these medicines aren’t going to cause terrible problems and scare half the people using them to death, at the same time I’m a bit disappointed that it took scientists this long to figure it out. What’s one of the first things people look at when they start taking medications? The list of possible side affects. If one of the side affects is heart problems, then no one is going to want to take them! In my opinion, at least, scientists should have started conducting studies earlier, so that the risks were proven to be nonexistent a bit sooner.
I chose this article because one thing that I’ve always found incredibly funny is medication side affects. I mean honestly, the makers of these medicines develop a drug that will help one condition, and then the list of side affects is insanely long. The title of this article caught my attention immediately because I’m always glad when a side affect is removed, because it means that medication developers are becoming more effective at their work. If we can eventually develop medicines that aren’t going to cause dreadful things to happen to the user, I definitely want to read an article about it.
By reading this article, I learned that most ADHD medicines cause a slight rise in blood pressure, and could, possibly, cause heart problems. Furthermore, I learned that although adults taking these drugs are of concern for heart problems, because of their age, these medications can also affect children. This is possibly the higher concern, as children are so young that we don’t want them to develop heart disease during their childhoods. Finally, I learned that heart problems such as strokes and heart attacks aren’t incredibly common; only 1% in 2,228 people surveyed.
Critical Thinking Question: What is your opinion on medication side affects and why? What do you think should be done to lower side affects?
http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/12/health/heart-attack-stroke-risk-adhd-meds/index.html?hpt=he_c2
I think that scientists should keep just trying to find the best way to come up with a medicine that doesn’t cause side affects that can be threat to your heart. Although ADHD is a serious disorder, heart problem such as heart attacks and strokes could easily take away your life. They are not going to figure this out over night, but they should probably try to get it done pretty soon.
My opinion on medication side affects is how serious are they? If it is just a stomach ache or coughing/sneezing i would probably be okay with it. If it is hallucinations or vomiting i don’t even see the point in taking it. I don’t understand why someone would take a medicated drug that could lead to depression, which could lead to suicide. What is the point if it just ends up hurting you? To lower these side affects, maybe scientist’s could research the drug more to try and find what is causing these side affects. Then maybe they could stop it.
I dont think they are very safe considering the things that can happen. People can get bad headaches and feel sick. If they are taken medicine they should be able to feel better not worse. I think that doctors should create medicine that will at least limit some of the side affects so the medicine can do the job that it was supposed to do by curing the patient.
WHAT BABIES LEARN BEFORE THEY’RE BORN
Learning, as previously thought, doesn’t begin when you start school or begin talking. It begins when the baby is in the mother’s womb. All of the things that a pregnant woman encounters in her life (such as food/drink, chemicals she’s exposed to, and even her emotions) are shared with the baby inside her. To the fetus, these things are information and answers to questions about the outside world (like whether it will be safe or constantly threatened, or if it will be born into a world with abundant resources). These answers are also provided by the mother’s diet and stress level. All of these different factors allow the baby to unconsciously adapt its brain/organs to the world it will be born into. To summarize what I’ve said so far, all of the things a pregnant woman does affects the baby inside her. By utilizing this knowledge, doctors/scientists could “teach” the baby and alter the fetus so that it is born healthy and strong.
I was amazed by this article. I already knew that if pregnant women did things like drinking and smoking, it harmed the baby. I didn’t realize that other things, like emotions, affected the baby. This article also presented the way that the world affects the baby differently. I didn’t know that changes made by the outside world to the fetus could be positive as well as negative.
I chose to read this article because of the title (also the title of this summary). I was intrigued by the idea that babies weren’t just clean slates that were shaped by their experiences after they were born. It is assumed that the younger you are, the less you know. So babies, should know absolutely nothing (this is what I had assumed). I wanted to know more on why I was wrong.
I learned a lot after reading this article. As mentioned before, I gained a different viewpoint on how babies are affected by the world from this article. I also learnt that what mothers do while they are pregnant affects the baby’s entire life. Another thing that I learnt from this article was the different things that are bad for the baby (like pollution) and what is good for the baby (like fish and exercise).
Link: http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/11/opinion/paul-ted-talk/index.html?hpt=he_c2
Do you think that it’s morally right for doctors/mothers to “teach”/alter the baby before they are born?
I do think it is right. It teaches the baby in advance or its pracitally getting a head start on things. It is important to teach the baby things but in this way I do believe it is hard to do. I also would like to include that baby’s receive 38% of the mothers food . This story intrigued me and that is also why I decided to answer this critical thinking question.
yes, if the babies are not harmed and if they emerge “normal” then it would be fine otherwise it is very wrong
Summary- More than 70 years ago, scientists began developing technology to take movies and photos of rapid motions, such as a bullet stopped through air. Now, current scientists are building off those ideas to create even more precise snapshots. They are able to take a picture of light itself, and nothing travels faster than the speed of light. These pictures of light are snatched in less than two-trillionths of a second. Determined professors worked against what their colleagues argued, and started to build a camera by using extremely sensitive lab equipment. For example, a streak tube was used to offer tiny frames of information on position, intensity, and wavelength. Very slow motion movies were made to capture the fractions of seconds of the bullet’s motion.
With the modern technology of today and the intelligence of the working researchers, frames of the event came out to be recorded in just a nanosecond. The process had to be repeated though, so that the absolute best and most accurate results would come out. A researcher said it could be thought about as super-slow motion, since you can actually see light moving in the clips. People who have worked on the project are very excited for the hopes of it in the future. If it takes off smoothly, in years coming this camera could be set into regular items, like smart phones. This will apparently become the technology of the future days. No one has ever tried what these scientists had just experimented with, especially in such great depth.
Reaction- I found this article appealing, because it is so detailed in explanations. Luxuries from fifty years ago are now ordinary items, and soon cameras in labs could become a household possession. The dedication of these scientists, doctors, and researchers is very inspiring. They kept trying out their crazy ideas, and they worked well together. Hard work and critical thinking can really get you somewhere. It would be amazing to have a camera that could capture light in action. I think it will quite a long time, much longer than the researchers may believe, for this camera to be marketed to the public. It could still have a lot of flaws.
Reason- I chose this article because I am interested in photography. The title captured my eye, so I wanted to see what the camera was all about. Though the type of camera explained is very different than what I am used to, it drew me in!
Info. Learned- I learned how it’s extremely complicated to capture light in a photo. Multiple minds had to be at work to come up with a successful mini movie of the bullet through air. Next, I learned that the ideas behind the camera are complicated, but one day they can be simple enough for us to use everyday. That’s what is interesting about our day, is that new things are developed quickly. Lastly, it takes a long time to come up with the most accurate trials of a new idea is another thing that I learned.
Link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/science/speed-of-light-lingers-in-face-of-mit-media-lab-camera.html?ref=science
Critical Thinking Question: If you were one of the scientists or researchers behind this camera, would you be eager to share with everyone, or keep it quiet until everything was final?
I would probably keep it quiet because I wouldn’t want anyone to steal my ideas! That way, it wouldn’t look like I ripped someone off. The technology in camera sounds cool!
Link- http://www.timeforkids.com/news/amazing-new-animals/23606
Summary
My article was about new species found in the Asia Mekong River region. The psychedelic gecko, was found only on Hon Khoai Island, off the southern tip of Vietnam. This gecko is extremely interesting. The lizard is vibrant and exploding with a rainbow of colors. Yet,its arms, legs and tails are a very bright orange color. This gecko was quite beautiful. Also they found a self-cloning lizard which is a species full of female lizards only. No males exist. Cloning themselves is a form of reproduction. Also the wolf snake was found. The wolf snake was found in a mountain region in China. The snakes received their wolf like name, because of their huge vaporize fangs. They hunt frogs and lizards at night. Another species found was the Myanmar Monkey. The monkey was well known in the area it was found in, but new to the rest of the world (or so scientists deem). The monkeys hair resembles Elvis Presleys hair. The monkey also has a short stumpy nose! All of these animals live in rich wildlife, that is unfortunately considered hazardous to these animals. They are extremely endangered, which is a reason they have not been discovered before. These discoveries made scientists think about all species that could become extinct before they are ever discovered!
Response- I think this article was extremely interesting. I think that the Physchedelic gecko sounds extremely beautiful. The colors sound mesmerizing and gorgeous, in rich extravagant color. Also, the self cloning lizard threw me off my seat. It was so peculiar how did they self clone themselves? Questions like this bewildered me throughout my reading. The Wolf snake frightened me very much, what else did they hunt? Did they hunt rats like regular snakes do? Was their diet that much different? This snake befuddled my mind. Lastly, i think the Myanmar Monkey sounds really weird. The article did not have much information on it, but did this monkey really resemble Elvis Presley, or were scientists over exaggerating? Also, i think that it is really terrible that some species will never be acknowledge, because their are too many hunters interrupting the food chain!
Choosing Reason- I choose this article, because i am extremely interested in animal biology, and the title (Amazing New Animals) appealed to an animal lover, such as myself!
Learned- I learned that some animals never get their chance to shine, in science. Imagine if animals like the self cloning lizard was never discovered, could it affect our society?
Critical Thinking Q’s-
1) What are your thoughts on undiscovered animals be coming endangered or even extinct?
2) Are their any other new species you have heard of? Explain?
My answer to your first question is that I think that it’s terrible that there are undiscovered animals becoming endangered or even extinct! In your article, all of the species that were found had just been discovered and were already very endangered and almost extinct! It was lucky that they were found before they could go completely extinct, because now that they have been doscovered, they can be helped. I am sure that there are many species out there that have not been discovered yet, but are on the verge of going extinct. I think that that’s terrible becasue they will never be helped if they aren’t found! No, I haven’t heard of any other new species recently.
The new planet found by the deep space telescope. This planet named Kepler 22 is 2.5 times the size of the Earth. It takes 290 days for it to orbit its sun. Among Kepler 22, 54 other planets were discovered to be rated habitable.
This planet is many light years away… approximatly 600,000. At our technology doesn’t not have the ability to travel there and back without getting lost or dying. The planet’s average temperature is 72 degrees Fahrenheit. The weather, climate, and terrain are not known. We have not sent anyone there so we do not truly know if it is gas planet or not. This planet shows how humans are one step closer to finding another habitable planet or planets. The challenge is now is finding out how we can get there and stay there.
Reading this article, I found out that is was interesting because we may abtain another earth and where they may be found. There are probably many planets that have life on it, but it’s just out of our reach and many more that hold life. I believe that we will find another planet to live on but just not in our area, and it will probably take many years to find it. Many more to get there safely. My reason for choosing this article was because it was on the webpage for CNN news. This was eye catching and seemed a bit more interesting than the others.
Critical thinking questions
1.) What are some other planets that may be able to support life?
2.) How may people start a civilization on a new planet?
Some other planets that may support life is one of our neighbors. Mars has just been found to have traces of water on it. If we could find a way to get back the atmosphere it would once again be habitable. Even if we could find that technology it would take years to change the environment. This is a planet that could be able to support life.
Scientists from the university of Carnegis Mellon’s Bruce and Astrid McWilliams Center for Cosmaolgy have discovered that what caused the rapid growth of supermassive black holes are cold gas flow. Gas flows into the center of black holes this causing them to grow faster. 700 to 800 millions years after the big bang theroy the first stars and galaxies were just beginning to appear. At this time there should have been relativley small black holes back then. One things has puzzled scientists ine of them being that why does it take a much longer time for a black hole that is super massive billions of years when other the same size devolp relativley faster. These black holes are so big that they are 30 times the mass of the sun. These can appear when two galaxies collide and 2 super.htm massive black holes turn into one. But some scientists think that it was too early for these black holes to form.
I think this article was very cool because I was always very intrested in space and to learn about the blaack holes likethis I was very intirged by what the scientists were saying and I learned a few things. Those things were that two black holes could collide and make a gigantic one and some of these black holes are bigger then the sun also what I learned was they could swallow whole galaxies.
My reason for choosing this article was that it sounded very intriging by the title. The title really hooked me in it was Black Holes Feed on cold fast food to get bigger. So that really hooked me so I clicked on that article and that was the one I ended up on choosing.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212124557
How do suppermassive Black holes get bigger
Super Massive Black Holes get bigger because of cold gas flows. Another way Black holes form are when two galaxies collide or two black holes which form one massive black holes.
Suppermassive black holes grow larger, and faster because of cold gas flow. When two galaxies collide they form one large suppermassive black hole. SUppermassives can swallow whole galaxies.
Summary: Google and Facebook are teaming up to prevent cyber bullying and from people committing suicide. Facebook is pressuring its 800 million users to use the new system the company created to help alert people of suicidal or otherwise violent messages. If someone is posting serious photos or writing status updates about killing himself or herself, friends can click on a “report suicidal content” link. Facebook monitors these reports every day 24/7. Facebook will then send an e-mail offering suicide hot line numbers to the person. Also, the life line will now let Facebook users talk and communicate with suicide prevention specialists and or talk to another person willing to listen through a Web chat room. Google added a feature into its search engine that displays a picture of a red telephone number and the number for the lifeline when someone searches about a suicide related topic. “In times of crisis, it’s important to try to help people by quickly providing information,” the spokeswoman wrote in an e-mail. “It’s a privilege for Google to be working with the NSPL and to be providing support on this important issue.”
Reaction: I believe that this article and action can really help people in times of crisis. Most people who are going to commit suicide usually leave a note, and what better way than to tell the world through Facebook. Thankfully since people really do care about u they will be able to help you through the tough times that you would be going through.
Reason: I chose this article because with all the hype with cyber bullying I thought that this would fit right into it like a glove. It also will alert most of your school (which is on Facebook) about this helpful new feature.
Link: http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/13/tech/web/facebook-google-suicide/index.html
Critical question: How will you help if you see bullying occur over Facebook?
I I saw that someone was getting bullied on Facebook I would stand up for them. I would tell the other kids that are bullying the person to stop. I would also talk to the person that is getting bullied because they probably need a friend to talk to. If there was a suicidal comment on Facebook I would tell an adult. I might tell a councilor from school or my parents or the victim’s parents. It is good to let adults know if someone is getting bullied so they can see how they would be able to help.
If i saw bullying occur over facebook i would go to the bully and defend the person who was being bullied and tell the bully how they would like it if i started doing those things to them how would they like it. That is what i would do if i saw bullying occur over facebook.
Science Article Summary
My article was about the Dead Sea and how it died once and how it could happen again. Scientist has recently discovered that the Dead Sea died once during a very long warm period very long ago. That is very bad for the Dead Sea because the lake has been shrinking for years and scientist think it will die again soon. The Dead Sea died about 120,000 years ago.
My Reaction to the Article
My reaction to the article is that I hope the scientist were wrong. It would be terrible if the Dead Sea dried out.
Reason for Choosing
I choose this because I thought it would be interesting to see if one of the world’s landmarks would actually get ruined. Hopefully it doesn’t so people can still see it.
Information Learned
I learned a lot of info by reading this article. One thing I learned was that the Dead Sea could dry out.
Critical Thinking Question
Is the Dead Sea really going to dry out?
Link
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/336780/title/Dead_Sea_once_went_dry
The article i read about was that there were 208 new species discovered in Southeast Asia. These species were discovered by a conservation group. They say that in the past year researchers have discovered 145 new plants, 28 reptiles, 25 fish, 2 mammals and 1 bird. Where the researchers discovered these species are in the Greater Mekong region. They describe some of the new species in the article as a snub nose monkey, a tiny bird with a distinctive and loud call and a bizarrely patterned gecko.
This interested me i have not heard of this on T.V. at all. When i clicked on the article and saw some the pictures of the animals i was amazed. One of the pictures that was shown displayed a lizard that was rainbow colored. The article also stated that the lizard is a self-cloning lizard. The name of the lizard is a psychedelic gecko
I chose this article because the title grabbed my eye. i was shocked that they discovered 208 new species. i also wondered why haven’t researchers found these species before.
I learned about where some of these species live. Most of them take part in the freshwater ecosystem. I wonder if we didnt discover these animals or they never existed could it change the way we live?
Critical thinking:
What kind of lizard was discovered in the Greater Mekong region?
In the greater Mekong region, they discovered several new species. Among them was the Psychedelic Gecko, a self-cloning lizard. It has orange legs and a blue torso in the picture provided at http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=psychedelic+gecko&view=detail&id=FB9AD5372CA5C485E236EC274F23CC1104984A1C&first=0&FORM=IDFRIR . Not a lot of people seem to know about the creature’s existance, for there are only 200,000 results for the topic on Bing where the term walnuts has about 21,000,000 results. I’m excited to see what will come with these new species, perhaps some advances in medical science!
World’s Smallest Frogs Tinier Than a Penny
In this article it talks about the world’s smallest frogs, and how incredible it is, that they are so small. There are many pictures in this article showing this frog species, and they are smaller than a penny. The color is described to be brown or red-brown, with a camouflage triangle pattern. Some of them even have some yellow splotches on them. Because their fingers and toes are so small, they aren’t really good at climbing, so they stay hidden on the forest floor.
The author of this article suggests that they probably eat mites, because of their tiny size. They don’t really have an exact location on where these frog species live, because they don’t necessarily know where the frogs live. And since they are so small, they females can only hold two eggs. That limits reproduction, where most species of frogs have a lot of eggs.
This article was very amusing, and I enjoyed reading it. Finding new species is the plus side, to extinction. When animals go extinct it’s very sad, but when another species is discovered, it’s almost like it makes up for it. But otherwise, this article was very interesting, and it had very detailed description in it, that helped me picture the frog, without even looking at the actual photos.
What will the frog be named?
Why do frogs need to hide?
http://www.livescience.com/17448-world-smallest-frog.html
A strange fungus starts to attack the countrys bat population. This year bats with fuzzy noses have appeared in many eastern states. WNS is a syndrome that has been killing bats lately. What is killing the bats is that when they have the syndrome, during hibernation they use up alot of their fat. So since they are still asleep they can not regain that fat and eventually die. This syndrome has killed over a million bats and will not stop. WNS syndrome is spreading to the midwest and it is our job to stop this infection from spreading any further. Otherwise the bat species will become extinct.
I chose this article because when i read a little I was astounded by what has happened to this species. It is sad to read that many bats are dieing and that we might lose a species because of a spreading syndrome. I really do hope that the scientists come up with something soon to stop this infection otherwise it will be too late for the bats.My reaction to this article was being astounded! I never thought that this would happen. It says in the article that the disease appeared in 2007 but my parents and i have never heard of this disease.
I learned a lot from this article. First off I learned that this disease appeared a while ago. From reading the title and a little bit of the article I would have never figured that out. Also I have never known about the actual disease. Another thing was I read how the bats die from the disease. The actual disease does not kill them but affects them during hibernation causing them to die.
Critical thinking question: What do you think the cure to this disease might be?
Current Science article issue 7
I think the cure for this disease might be to try and alter the bats so that they don’t go into hibernation and they won’t get the disease from losing the body wieght and dying.
i think a good cure is to try and prevent bats from going into hibernation. It could change the way they live. Also it could give them a better chance to fight off the disease. If this happens maybe then less bats will die.
Weather affects timing on some natural disasters
On December 8th scientists in San Francisco Concluded that some weather affects some natural disasters. They have done lots of tests to see if this is true. If it has just rained there is water on the ground. The weight of the water dampens seismicity. This causes an earthquake that was going to happen not. So during the rainy seasons there is a less chance of an earthquake to happen. I find this article very helpful. This is because I am now aware when we are more likely to have and earthquake.
I have choose this article because I was interested into learning more about natural disasters. When I read the title of it I got really excited to learn more about earthquakes. I have learned from reading this article that the weather plays an important part with natural disasters.
Critical thinking question-Do you think that snow can affect if there is an earthquake? Explain why
http://www.sciencenews.org
Well I do not think that snow can affect an earthquake if there was one. I think this because when the top part of the ground is frozen but the layer under it is not so that can move around.
Recently scientists have unearthed a rare and miniscule discovery. The world’s smallest frogs were found in the country of Papa New Guinea. These frogs are about 0.4 inches or 8 to 9 millimeters in length. However, not only are these the smallest frogs ever, but the smallest of the group: tetropods. The discovery has baffled scientists worldwide. The frogs are replacing a somewhat larger species found in 2002. Because of a study showing they’ve reached their body limit, scientists have come to the conclusion that it is probably impossible to have a frog that is smaller. The frogs’ arms and legs are too small for climbing so instead they hide under small leaves and things. They are thought to eat mites.
I was extremely surprised by this article. The headline caught me by surprise. “Penny-sized Frogs are Discovered.” It is just an absolutely remarkable discovery. I have always loved frogs and I was kind of happy to see this article. Frogs are pretty cool, so really small ones are cool too.
I chose this article because it jumped out at me. This is an uncharacteristic thing for a news article about science to do. I saw the headline and was quite surprised about frogs the size of pennies. So I decided to read the article.
I learned about the classification of frogs, and the size of these new frogs. I also learned about the niche these small frogs play, and what they eat and how they survive.
Do you think that it is a common occurrence for a new species of a commonly known animal to be found?
http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2011/1214/Penny-sized-frogs-are-world-s-smallest
Wow that is super interesting! But how big are the mites? Also, how can the frogs’ legs be too short to play, as long as their bodies are proportional? I was surprised to hear that people discovered these frogs, because they are so small. Anyway, I think that it is common for new species of a well known animal to be found. After all, many new species are found every day, and if you were to look in a species book, you would most likely find different varieties of animal species. Look at dogs, for example. There are tons of different types of dogs, all ranging in size, color, and shape.
Lunar Eclipse December 2011: Dazzling Images of the Eclipse Around the World:
Summary: The lunar eclipse happened on Saturday, Dec. 10 2011. The night-sky watchers had an amazing “treat.” The moon took a reddish hue. Some of the indirect sunlight hit the moon after it passed through Earth’s atmosphere. The lunar eclipse was very bright. Moon gazers all around the world saw the total lunar eclipse. This will now not occur for another three years. The next date is scheduled to be on April 15th, 2014 and it will be seen from the US. An astronomer told ABC that two or three eclipse happens each year so somewhere on the planet you will be able to see it. However, it will take sometime for a total eclipse to occur. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon moves through the long shadow cast by Earth and is blocked by the sunlight that glows it. About 300 people were gathered at Griffith Park Observatory in Los Angeles CA. Almost anywhere in the world, you could see the eclipse. It was an amazing sight.
Reaction to the article: I thought this article was great! It was so cool that a total lunar eclipse happened. Now it won’t happen for another three years. I thought it was really a night for “starry” people. It must have been a very beautiful and rare sight. I actually went to the Griffith Park Observatory when I was in CA and it must have been such a great view. You could see things very clearly from there. It was truly a great night!
Reason for choosing the article: I chose this article because it was a major event, which happened in science life. It will now not happen in another three years. It was also very informative and really talks about the total lunar eclipse. This article describes the eclipse very well and the lunar eclipse is a rare thing so I definitely wanted to do an article on it. Also, if you click on the link, I thought the pictures were great and descriptive too!
Information Learned: I learned how a total lunar eclipse looks like. Also, I learned more about the lunar eclipse and what exactly it is and when it happens. I know the science behind this eclipse too. Also, I learned what the difference between a total eclipse and a regular eclipse is.
Link to the article: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/265190/20111211/lunar-eclipse-december-2011-dazzling-images-world.htm
Critical thinking question: What can lunar eclipses teach us about the Earth’s atmosphere, space, or anything in general?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212092649.htm
My article was about how closer people yawn together. Yawning has always been considered “contagious”. Meaning when one person yawns near you, you suddenly have an urge to yawn. To humans, a yawn can usually happen with in five minutes from the first person who yawned. A study was held between people who are closer, and see each other daily, how many times that they yawn and it shows that they yawn… together, as in they have the same yawning patterns. I didn’t have much of a reaction to this, seeing as though I, myself, have played victim to having the need to yawn after someone near me has yawned. My reason for choosing this article is how different and interesting it is to me. It’s just so cool how a human mind reacts to daily situations, such as yawning. I have learned from this article that the closer you get to someone, the more your yawning patterns are alike.
Critical thinking question:
If you could choose something about the human mind that could be explained to you, what would it be?
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/03/110328-earth-storms-winds-global-warming-science-environment/
Earth Getting Mysteriously Windier
My article was about how winds have become stronger in 20 years. The average percent is 5. The strong winds caused by storms have increased 10 to 20 percent over the years. Ian Young is the study leader of the Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne Australia. To determine about the wind he used the development of the satellite and radar technology. He’s been tracking the planet’s temperature and rainfall. In order to create a record of wind measurements around the world, he and other colleagues created a global satellite to measure the wind record of 1985. If the winds are blowing hard, the radar echoes are slowing down, so they can measure how strong the wind is blowing over the water.
After reading this article I understand how strong the winds are after 20 years. At first I knew the winds blows hard but i never knew the percentage. This gave me better understanding of how scientists use satellites and radar technology. In conclusion reading this article makes me wonder if global warming could happen.
Critical Thinking:
What was the average percent 20 years ago?
They said the percentage was undifined. They also said that the wind was atrong after 20 years.
My story is on how solar panel shares dropped over 20% in the last month. This is due to weather and other technical problems. THe projected earning for the company FIRST SOLAR was 3 to 3.3 billion dollars now it is down to 2.8 or 2.9 billion. The company had been steadily growing since 2007 but is now slowly dropping. THey predict though it will be back in 2012 with 3.75 to 4.25 next year. Since January the shares have dropped 75% down.
I feel this is very bad. We need to have a growing economy. if it drops 75% that is not growing. We not to work harder and get the company back in business. Otherwise it will go bankrupt and go out of business.
Reason:I chose this because the economy is already not so good, and if everything goes bankrupt we will end up looking like Greece’s economy.
Learned: I learned that solar panel companies make alot of money. I thought they were small companies but now i know they are very large.
http://money.cnn.com/2011/12/14/technology/first_solar/index.html
Critical Q: Would you buy a solar panel from a failing company?
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=apple-five-predictions-for-2012-2011-12
The article I read had to do with all of the new things that Apple is releasing. We are looking for a new iphone this year with a much larger. Usually there screens are 3.5 inches but but know they are 4 inches or even more. This will cause better viewing. Also there was a biography made about the amazing life of Steve Jobs.
I feel that this article got me excited for the new breach in technology.
I chose this article because it looked quite interesting.
In this article I learned that there are many new an exciting things Apple is bringing us.
How will a bigger screen make the phone better?
The article that I read was about the smallest species of frogs that were recently found. These frogs were found in New Guinea by a researcher named Fred Kraus. Kraus is a scientist from the bishop museum in Honolulu. The frogs have the same genus name, Paedophryne. In these new- found species, their fingers and toes are much smaller than usual, so that prevents them from climbing. They mostly live in in patches of moss and leaves close to the ground. Another thing that scientists learned was the female fogs can only hold two eggs at a time. They still don’t don’t know if both eggs are laid at the same time of in different intervals.
I choose this article because the title intrigued me. After reading the title I first thought, why were these frogs so small, and what caused them (if anything did) to become so small. My reaction to this article was very surprised. I first pictured 1 cm and thought wow, that’s really small, but then I imagined something even smaller and I was flabbergasted! Although I had learned a lot form this article, I was most surprised to read that because of their miniature arms and legs, they aren’t able to climb very well.
Question: What is your explanation as to why these frogs are so small? Did they evolve from another species? Was there a change in their bodies’ or the environment that caused them to be smaller?
The article i read was about the solar system and how we can find life on other planets. They explain the aspects a planet must need for there to be any form of life. The planet must be in between certain sizes, so there is enough gravity, but not too much. There also must be some form of liquid or water. Scientists also look at how similar a planet is to Earth. This is because if it has the same traits as earth, it is probably having some type of life.
I thought this article was really good. It was short, but sweet. I enjoyed reading about where alien life could exist. I have always found space really cool and interesting, so thats why I chose this article. I learned so much information about the characteristics of a planet that has life, and so much more about the solar system, and how scientists find out information about the solar system.
http://timeforkids.com/news/anybody-out-there/21456
Critical Thinking: Do you think there could ever be life on other planets? Why do you think this way?
No there can’t be life on different planet because that planet might be too hot and there would be more gravity.
To be honest i dont think there could be life on other plants. Some scientists or other people belive that there is life on other planets and some people think opposite. In my opinion there is no way there could be. Scientists have not recieved evidence about life on any planets. If there was life on planets it would be a world wide event that everyone would know about. Scientists are probably trying to find out if there is but nobody knows for sure. So for now i dont think any life form exsits on any of the planets. It would be unbelievable if life was discovered.
I think it would be possible if there was water and if the planet had the right climate to support a life form.
I have always been really into outer space too! I definitely believe that there is life on other planets in this universe. If you really think about it, our planet is such a tiny, tiny part of the whole universe. We are just one planet of one solar system. Every star you see in the sky on a clear night is the sun to another solar system. Somewhere out there, there’s probably another planet very similar to Earth. If not that, then there could possibly be a planet or solar system with an environment that is good for whatever species may inhabit that area of the universe. In my mind, at least, it wouldn’t make sense if we were the only life in the universe.
The article I read was about headaches and what causes them. Some of the thing that causes them are eye strain and dehydration. Stress is also a big cause of a headache. When you are stressed chemicals in your brain are released leading to changes in your blood vessels. They are not the only ways to get a headache, or migraine. The list goes on and on. Low blood pressure and low blood sugar are also factors of a headache. Even food can cause you to have a headache. Doctors say it is the most common pain that occurs.
I think this article was very helpful, and had many examples of how a headache starts. I can relate to some of them because when I don’t drink enough or am really stressed out over school, I usually end up getting a headache later on that day. I not only found things that cause headaches, but I also read about how to avoid getting them. Some ways to avoid them are exercising, and keeping the same sleeping pattern for each day. I really enjoyed learning about headaches because I get them often, and by reading this article I have found out some ways to prevent them from coming.
Critical thinking question:
Do you think it is possible to stop a headache from coming? Why / why not?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/h/headache.htm
I don’t think it is possible to stop a headache. I think this because even if you can control what you eat or do to make headache not come, you can not control what your body will do on the inside. I think the best way to just try an avoid them, would be to be cautious of what you eat, and do. Headaches are not easy to control, and we as people can not predict when they will occur.
My article was about a star. This star is one of the brightest stars. It is the most well-known star that can be seen with the naked eye in 400 years. This new star is part of the constellation Cassiopeia. The star has high gamma-rays. This article also talked about how a star can explode. How a star explodes is when a proton will coil with a cosmic ray proton, they will form a pion. This pion will then somehow split to make two gamma-rays. So in this entire article it talked about stars and the formation and destruction of them.
My reaction to this article is excitement. I have always loved to learn about space. And I was very happy to learn about how a star can explode. It was very interesting to learn. I chose this article because I like to learn about space and all the things that have to do with it. What I learned was basically how stars are formed and destroyed.
Critical thinking question: When does a star explode? What is the purpose of it exploding?
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/GLAST/news/tycho-star.html
Astronomers have found the first direct evidence that some star explosions are triggered by compact stars called white dwarfs. Scientists studying the youngest type of Ia supernova ever found worked backward to pinpoint its explosion time with unparalleled accuracy. In doing so, they confirmed that a white dwarf was the source of the blast, and gleaned insights into the nature of the dwarf’s companion star. The discovery occurred in August, when astronomer Peter Nugent spotted a surprising object while poring over data from the Palomar Transit Survey’s robotic telescope at Palomar Observatory in Southern California. The object was quickly confirmed to be a type Ia supernova. High-resolution follow-up observations were made within hours by the Keck telescope in Mauna Kea, Hawaii, identifying the elements that burst from the blast. The quick response allowed Nugent and his team to follow the evolution of the supernova, called SN 2011fe. As the light of the explosion reached the brightness of 2.5 billion suns, then slowly faded, the team worked backward to determine exactly when the supernova occurred. Located only 21 million light-years from Earth in the Pinwheel Galaxy, the supernova is the closest one to our planet in 25 years. (A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, about 6 trillion miles, or 10 trillion kilometers.) The astronomers also found large clumps of fast-moving carbon and oxygen that disappeared within hours. With their results, the team was able to conclude that the cause of the supernova was an extremely compact star known as a white dwarf.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45674717/ns/technology_and_science-space/#.Tukrp8014aA
What was the compact star called?
My article was about the Geminid Meteor Shower. It is supposed to happen on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. According to scientists studying at NASA, if the weather is clear enough we should be able to see at least 40 meteors per hour during the shower. It should be really cool! As long as the weather stays nice and the moon doesn’t reflect off the stars in a certain way, the show should look awesome!
This was really interesting! But these articles get me upset! It bothers me how i can never actually watch the meteor showers because they are so early in the morning. I’ve always wanted to see one just because of how cool they all sound.
What interested me in choosing this article is that all of ym science teachers talk about in sixth and seventh grade and one time, I think i n sixth grade we watched a youtube video showing one and it looked so cool! I have been sort of interested in them since then and I really want to see one!
I learned that the moon has to be in a certain spot in order for the meteor shower to be seen clearly. I never knew that was one of the factors. I always thought it was just the clouds and weather.
Critical Thinking: What are two factors that help the meteor shower be seen clearly?
Article Link: http://news.google.com/news/section?pz=1&cf=all&ned=us&topic=snc&ict=ln&ar=1323905080
The artciel I read was on the semi-aquatic animal, the Seal. They are found on colder enviorments. Mainly in the Northern Hemisphere. Seals are an easy and common target for polar bears and Orcha Whale. Seals have a very pleasent and playful nature. You may see them in Zoo’s playing with beach balls. There diet consists of Fish, Crabs, Shrimp, Lobster, and squid. Highly carnivouras not much of vegetarions. Seals only spend half of their time in the waters. The other half is directed to the Land. There basicly short life span lasts an average of 20 years.
The reason i chose this fascinating article is because animals are cool to learn about. Also the seal is a speci that i am not to farmillier with. I basicly learned everything i posted in the article. None of it was from prior knowledge
This artcle is about a monkey with a funky style and a phsycedelic gecko. These were two of the 208 new species found last year that was announced today. While these animals are new and interesting to us, is old news near the Mekong river in the province of Myanmar, These animals are also extinct, as well as some other dicovered species of tigers, elephants, dolphins and catfish. Groups are now looking to conserve the last of these species of animals. I think that these animals are cool and it is a great idea to make sure that they don’t die out before we haven’t interacted with them. I learned that most animals usually die out before we ever get to see them, and that conserving them is probably the best idea.
My critical thinking question is are there any more animals like these that are in need of help?
link- http://news.yahoo.com/elvis-monkey-psychedelic-gecko-found-se-asia-134550375.html
The article I read is called ‘Supernova of a Generation’ Shows Its Stuff: Astronomers Determine How Brightest and Closest Stellar Explosion in 25 Years Happened. It’s about how a star went supernova and became really bright. The article informed me that it’s the brightest and closest explosion that is seen from Earth in 25 years! Scientists call it “SN2011fe.” This star was found 21 million light years away in the Pinwheel galaxy. They discovered it about 11 hours after it had exploded. It was then determined that the “supernova involves a dense, Earth-sized object called a white dwarf and, most likely, a main-sequence star (a star in the main stage of its life).” This white dwarf exploded when matter from the star next to it spills over its surface.
This article is so cool! I never knew about these white dwarfs, so this article surprised me. I really find outer space interesting. Especially things about stars, which is one of the reasons why I picked this article. The other reason is that the title sounded like the article would be an interesting topic.
By reading this article, I learned how stars go supernova. I also learned the way that scientists can find the stars going supernova. They search the skies for transient flashes of light.
Here’s a critical thinking question:
Do you think the Sun could ever go supernova?
Link:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111214135748.htm
The article that i read was called Add Quakes To Rumbling Over Gas Rush. In this article it talked about 2 minor earthquakes that shocked the city in Ohio. There have been several earthquakes after which led to a problem. The problem is that state oil and gas commission was concerend about disposable wells and earthquakes. The cause of the quake can shut down wells. Some of them were closed due to the earthquakes. I thought this was a good article. I thought it was surprising that a little earthquake can cause some what alot of damage to wells and oil. I learned that there have been 7 more earthquakes through the last 8 months that hit Ohio. Small tremors have striked several states. The states were Arkansas Oklahoma, Texas, And British Columbia. They have had many experiences with quakes. The cite source for this article is http:// nytimes.com/2011/12/13/science. A critical thinking question is How do you think earthquakes are caused?
The article i read was about the new planet Kepler 22-b. A new report says that this planet has a good possibility of not having life on it. Previous reports said that Kepler 22b had a real good chance of having life seeing that is in the “habitable zone” around its star but now it seems like it could be to big to hold any significant life on it. Most likely its a gas planet almost like a mini Neptune.
When i read this article i was kind of disappointed because when i heard about this planet i really thought there was a possibility that we had found another earth. I believe we are not alone in the universe but i thought we were that much closer to finding that life. Of course there is still a possibility that the report could be wrong.
QT: Whats your reaction to this?
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/336775/title/Distant_world_looks_too_ripe_for_life
I picked this article because of the title. It was strange to see what i thought was almost a certain possibility of life because diminished to a very small possibility. When i saw this i knew i had to read it.
Another QT: would be how would you feel if it was proven that it did have life on it as oppose to a small possibility.
The article I read was titled, The Deep Blue Sea Like Never Before. Is was about the new wonders found in the ocean. Scientists have been making breakthrough discoveries daily in the oceanography field. we now have a better map of the sea floor than ever before. scientists are using new forms of technology to map the ocean floor and animal life. until now the most advanced form was sonar. Sonar sends a wave into the ocean and charts how long it takes to return.
Recently, a new form of charting the ocean floor came out, and since then scientists have been non-stop graphing and charting of the ocean floor. This has lead to many new discoveries including new plants and animals.
I find the article interesting. I am surprised that an invention help to find more animals. It is very interesting that simple inventions can have a large toll on the human race and other species.
I chose to read about this since i am very interested in new animals. I one day hope to discover one and name it after myself.
Link:
I had it open and then Safari quit and i could not relocate the article.
Critical Thinking:
How Many more species are still not discovered?
My article was about an attachment to an ordinary wheel chair that will make it electric and easy for handicapped people. This was made by a Japanese company called WHILL. This attachment has 2 circular hubs, with a central bar that is connected to these 2 hubs. This has what is known as a lithium-ion battery which gives each person 2 hours of charge and about 19 miles of distance. This electric wheelchair is also kind of speedy. It tops at 12 miles per hour. In order to operate this machine, you have to tilt the crossbar from side to side and push it up or down to move. I found this article to be amazing. I never knew that something like this could ever happen. The design of this electric wheelchair is very unique and “futuristic” . I was also thinking how expensive this device would cost. The reason as to why I picked my article was because it sounded very interesting and unique. You never usually find an article that has to do with electric wheelchairs. So I picked it to understand the topic more. What I learned from this article was that something this advanced could possible be put on the market in the near future. Also the basics of a unique structure.
Link to article: whill-augments-ordinary-wheelchairs-electric-drive-train
Critical Thinking Question: How could this device help those that are handicapped?
The article I read was about a supernova that exploded in outer space. Astronomers discorvered it was the brightest and and largest in 25 years. They said that these blasts are essential tools in measuring the universe’s lenght. Astonomers also said it helps them understand the cosmos. This particulare supernova is a new kind called LA supernova. They said it happened 21 million lightyears. It was recorded 11 hours after it exploded and still visisble.
My reaction to this article was amazed. To think that this kind of stuff still happens. And still new things in space are always being discovered.
Do you think that something like this would ever happen in this time period again?
Why do We Dream? Scientist don’t exactly know why we dream, but they believe it has to do with emotions and actions that may have occurred in our life. They say most of our dreams occur during REM which stands for rapid eye movement. In other words it’s sort of therapeutic. It allows us to relieve stress, so after dreaming something it is said to be less of a feared. When someone has one thought that is occurring in their brain, their dream tends to be very simple, but if the person’s thoughts are very complex their dreams become more advanced which go into more detail. The most complex dreams most often are nightmares, which can be triggered by many things like memories.
Dreaming, is something that is triggered by memories, so I believe what the scientist say because when people are having a tough time or they are stressed they tend to have bad dreams, but if something good has happened in their life they may have a good dream in which that good thing happened. It all has to do with events that have occurred in your life and what emotions you might have felt or would feel if certain things were to happen. All things in life happen for a reason and so do dreams.
A 17-year old girl creates a nanoparticle that kills cancer stem cells
http://www.helium.com/items/2265864-17-year-old-girl-creates-a-nanoparticle-that-kills-cancer-stem-cells
Angela Zhang, a 17 year old high school student, was motivated to cure cancer when several of her family members died of the disease. She developed nanoparticles that contain an anti-cancer drug that can be released only in the tumor. Nanoparticles are very small particles (as small as 100 nanometers) that have many applications in medicine and technology. The drug-loaded nanoparticles are injected and when they reach the tumor, it is hit with a laser. The laser releases the anti-cancer drug into the tumor. For her work, Angela won a $100,000 prize in the Siemens Foundation school science competition.
I am amazed that just anyone could come up with this idea, let alone a 17 year old girl who is still in high school. The article does not say where the nanoparticles were made. Did she buy them? How did she get the drug into them? Did she buy the drug? Did Angela work with someone in a research lab? Once I got past my amazement, I found myself asking these questions, which the article did not answer. I would like to do something like this myself, only in the area of java programming, something I enjoy very much.
I chose this article after I heard it on the YouTube news show that I listen to. I was amazed that a 17 year old could do such advanced work. That got me very curious, so I looked online and found an article that described the work. After reading the article, I thought it would be perfect for Ms. Dharmi’s blog. I think it is very interesting when young people do such advanced work. It shows that you can do anything if you put your mind to it.
I learned that age does not necessarily matter when thinking about what you can do. I hope that people don’t think less of this finding just because the creator is a 17 year old girl. I also learned that something like this is possible. I had heard of nanoparticles before, but I didn’t know that they could be used to deliver drugs.
Critical thinking question: What needs to be done before Angela’s nanoparticle drug could be used to treat cancer in people?
There have been hints of a particle called the Higgs Boson. 6000 scientists have been working to find out more about this, they say it has the mass of about 125 hydrogen atoms. They have been using the Hadron collider to try and find out more but the particle would decay into other particles within a nanosecond. An ATLAS spokesman said at a press conference that they should have the final word by the end of 2012.
The reason this is so important Without the Higgs Boson physcists cannot explain why other particles have mass.
I thought this was very exciting that within a year we might take a huge leap forward in science.
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=lhc-higgs-hints-cern
I do not have critical thinking question.
The article I read was about how scientists found how there were fewer allergies in unstressed babies. In Sweden they found that 30 to 40 percent of babies have allergies, and that babies that didn’t have stress related problems did not have allergies. Psychosocial factors and the stress hormone cortisol are associated with allergic diseases. The babies that did not have hormone cortisol did not have allergies. The article explains that this is common in Sweden. They found all this out at South General hospital. The scientists got information from other parents to see if this was all true.
My reaction to the article was shocked. I was shocked because I didn’t think that anything could affect allergies like that. I also was shocked because I didn’t know that this disease affected whether or not you have allergies. I chose this article because it grabbed my attention. The title just caught my attention, and I wanted to know more on how things could affect whether or not you have allergies or not. I learned that there are things that affect your allergies, and that not having allergies is very common in Sweden.
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212092747.htm
Critical Thinking Question: Do you think there are any other disease that could decide whether or not babies can have allergies?
There probably are other diseases that can affect whether or not babies or people in general can have allergies. I don’t know specifically what types of diseases but I am sure they are out there, whether or not they have been discovered yet. Also, different things can also play a part in what allergies you have like the environment you live in. If you live in a place with a certain virus or bacteria and you may become immune to it, but if you live in a place with a lot of pollen, it may make your allergies act up.
I really liked reading about this because i love babies and i hope that babies don’t get that many allergies and the part that was weird to me was talking about unstressed babies how do babies get stressed. I would think that there are other diseases that can affect if a baby had allergies. If a mom has a disease that can affect the baby in some ways.
Summary: The article I read was about Nintendo, once again, revolutionizing the play people play video games. In 2006, Nintendo released the Wii, with a controller that could act as a bat, gun, steering wheel, or anything it could be. Now, Nintendo will release the Wii U, the first Nintendo console to run graphics in 1080p, and has another revolutionized controller. This uses physics to run the information cards inside the console. Consoles work by using physics to create the graphic quality. The controller has the standard buttons and accelerometer, (an accelerometer is device that uses physics to measure acceleration speed) but also has a 6.2 inch touchscreen. You play the touch screen or just use the TV. The console has enough bandwidth to play without the TV screen. The console will be released a year from now.
Reaction: Even thought I enjoy playing Nintendo systems, I thought this was just going to be some other console. I then saw the controller. I think that this is pretty cool that Nintendo mixed the handheld and console idea. People can now play Nintendo in high graphic quality without keeping the TV on and wasting electricity. I think the only downside is that controllers will be very expensive.
Reason: I chose this article because I haven’t really done any articles about technology. I wanted to bring a little diversity in my summaries because I’ve only done plant or space articles. I also find it cool that even video games have physics to make them work.
Link: http://www.popsci.com/gadgets/article/2011-07/console-controller-combo-gives-video-games-new-depth
Critical Thinking: How do you think physics can be applied to technology other than video games?
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/science/amazing-race-to-the-bottom-of-the-world.html?_r=2&ref=science
Exactly one hundred years ago, from today, four Norwegian companions found them selves at the South Pole, also known as, the bottom of the world. They were racing a British man who wasn’t in their trace, and they ended up winning the race to the bottom of the Earth. Amundsen (leader of Norwegians) and Scott (leader of the British) took their tribe on an adventure to a place only few have explored before. Their reason for the race was to become famous. Amundsen had an advantage because he explored his way to Antarctica through the Northwest Passage before the race. Scott on the other hand was inexperienced and fell short of his goal because of the poor planning. At first, Amundsen was headed for the North Pole. He saw that two people were going there already he decided on his last problem being the South Pole. The British men were five weeks too late. When Scott did arrive he felt that the trip wasn’t worth it at all.
Amazing Race to the Bottom of the World was the article that I read. I chose this article because the picture and title really caught my eye. Most of the time, I read the first sentence of the first paragraph to see if I should read it. This time, all I had to do was read the title and look at the picture. I was interested and intrigued by the title and excited to read the rest of the article. I was very surprised about this article. I was also interested, and wanted to read more about the men’s experiences. I was surprised because I took the title literally and I thought that scientists would be digging trying to get through to the center/bottom of the Earth. I learned that people actually can walk from Canada to the South Pole. I am shocked as to how they didn’t give up or die. I learned that it isn’t impossible to not run out of supplies, and have every thing go the way you planned while exploring half way around the world.
Question: Do you think that exploring has changed over 100 years? Explain
Ladybug, Ladybug, Welcome Back Home: Good News for the Official State Insect
Summary: The article I read was all about the ladybug, and how its recent reappearance has been something that entomologists have celebrating about. Now, you may be thinking: ‘I see ladybugs all the time! Why would there be an article about their reappearance if they never left?’ A piece of key information in the article I read was that the featured ladybug is the native nine-spotted ladybug, not the regular ones that you may see outside. The nine-spotted ladybug is the official New York state insect, but up until recently, it hadn’t been spotted in the state for 29 years! In the year 2006, the State Assembly realized that the state insect was no longer being spotted in the state and tried to find another species of ladybug to replace it. However, their plans didn’t get very far, and the nine-spotted ladybug remained the official New York state insect. Many people say that that was a good thing, because if the state’s official insect had been changed, many organizations would have most likely stopped looking for the nine-spotted ladybug. However, during this past summer, Peter Priolo found it.
Peter Priolo is part of an effort called the Lost Ladybug Project, and while looking in a patch of sunflowers during a search, he found a ladybug. He said that he didn’t realize that it was a nine-spotted ladybug when he found it. Once it was confirmed a nine-spotted ladybug, John Losey, an entomologist, found enough to begin a colony which is now doing very well and reproducing in his lab. While the nine-spotted ladybug is in trouble, the most common kinds are doing just fine. The kind that we probably see outside in the fall is called the Asian ladybug. Mr. Losey says that the amounts of Asian ladybugs and another species from Europe could be part of the reason for the miniscule amount of nine-spotted ladybugs. He also said that the loss of farmland could be another factor. After going out to the Amagansett farm and finding about 20 more of the ladybugs, the scientists could say that they were most commonly found in an area between rows of carrots and beans. Some of them were also found on flowers called zinnias. In the end, Mr. Losey said that he expects many more search groups to be out and about in the Spring, and that finding more places where the bug is thriving is very important.
Reaction: My overall reaction to this article was that it’s really great the nine-spotted ladybugs were discovered, and that people are really trying to find more of them. I really feel that the environment is important, and was happy to find out about this discovery. I sometimes read articles about news that bores or upsets me, but this article was full of great news! I hope that people will continue searches in the Spring like Mr. Losey said. Also, besides the fact that this article contained information that made me happy, it was also interesting to find out that the kind of ladybug that I see so often in the Spring is called the Asian ladybug!
Reason for Choosing Article: Right from the start I knew that I wanted to read an article about the environment. Lately, I have been putting a lot of consideration into nature and my surroundings, so I knew that an article about the environment would be easy and fun for me to read and write about. When I saw the title of this article, I was immediately interested because I had never thought that ladybugs had disappeared. Once I started reading, I realized that the topic was something that interested me, and the article wasn’t full of complicated words that I didn’t understand. Overall, this article was about a topic that I like, and was easy to understand.
Information Learned: All in all, this entire article was full of information that I hadn’t known before. I learned that the official New York state insect is the nine-spotted ladybug, and that up until this summer, hadn’t been seen in the state for 29 years. I also learned that the most common kind of ladybug that we see outside is called the Asian ladybug.
Link to the Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/25/science/earth/nine-spotted-ladybug-new-york-state-insect-is-back.html?ref=earth
Critical Thinking Question: Why do you think that the nine-spotted ladybug hadn’t been seen on the East Coast in 29 years?
Wow! I think it is amazing that someone was able to spot a specific kind of ladybug that hadn’t been seen for 29 years! Though I am not sure how a nine-spotted ladybug compares to an Asian ladybug (besides the number of spots), I know they must be pretty similar. Ladybugs are very small critters, and I rarely see common Asian ladybugs, so I cannot believe someone was able to find this endangered nine-spotted ladybug. I think the nine-spotted ladybug hadn’t been seen on the East Coast in 29 years because ladybugs are so small and located all over. Also, they move quickly, so it would be hard to count the spots on ladybugs if they are flying all around. Overall, I was surprised by this article and I can imagine it would take a while to find a nine-spotted ladybug because they are so small and so rare.
The article i read talked about how scientists discovered two black holes that are the largest black holes ever found. The old largest ones was about the size on 6.3 billion suns and the two newly discovered ones are the size of 10 billion suns. A Black hole contains the most gravity in the galaxy. Not even light can shine through it! After discovering these, scientists question whether the black holes in large galaxy’s form differently than black holes in smaller galaxy’s. Large black holes are called super massive black holes and are usually in the center of the galaxy. Lastly Black holes have so much gravity that they can even pull together stars!
I thought that this article was really cool. I really love space and reading about it is really fun to me. When i read that these can fit 10 billion suns i was really impressed. Lastly i was really mind blown when i read that light cant go through black holes.
I chose this because space is my favorite thing to learn about. I knew a couple things about black holes but not that much. I thought that reading this article would brighten up my knowledge on black holes.
While reading l learned a couple things. l leaned that black holes can end up being huge. Also l learned that big black hole are located in the center of the galaxy.
critical question: Do you think that scientist will find any bigger black holes? why or why not?
Link: http://www.world-science.net/othernews/111205_blackhole.htm
http://www.timeforkids.com/news/anybody-out-there/21456
This article is about how scientists have found a different way to look for alien life. Because of the Kepler telescope, scientists actually found over 2,000 planets orbiting other stars. Before that, we only knew of eight other planets in our SOLAR SYSTEM! The goal of Kepler is to hopefully find at least one other planet similar to Earth. Also, there is a rating system that tests how similar a planet is to Earth. Things this tests for are size and temperature. A second system is used to see if life is even possible on the planet(s). There are many things that scientists are doing to find new life.
My reaction to this article is surprised. I have read many things about finding planets, or searching for them. And to read this article to find out over 2,000 planets in our solar system were found is incredible. Considering how large our solar system is. This article is really cool.
I chose this article for the precise reason of what it was about, and all the facts. This article, and these types of articles in general really interest me. I found some really cool facts in here, and learned a lot. I chose this article because I just felt so interested in the topic.
I learned a lot from this article. Some things are how many planets were actually found. Also, I learned what they use to study the planets, and what the machines do. This article was full of different facts. I learned a lot from this article.
Critical Thinking Question:
In your opinion, do you think that scientists will find life on another planet or a planet similar to Earth? Why or Why not?
I think that eventually scientists will find another planet like earth but it may take a wile. I think it is possible because there are so many other planets and even if its not likely we will find one soon i think with new tech it is definitely a possibility.
A tragic event occurred on October 5th, when a cargo ship named Rena, hit an underwater reef in the Bay of Plenty, off the coast of Tauranga and spilt 400 tons of oil into the pristine ocean water, home to some 8,000 marine species. While these blue penguins survived over 2,000 others, were not so lucky. However, on this day all the dire news was forgotten as hundreds of people watched the little birds swim their way across the sand towards the ocean. While some looking a little confused, others confidently marched forward and jumped right in, as if, they had never left.
Prior to the release, the birds were subjected to a rigorous six-hour swimming test in pools with high saline levels to ensure that they would be able to withstand the ocean. They also underwent blood tests and were fitted with microchips so that their progress can be tracked for the next few years.The remaining 200 birds still housed with the Oiled Wildlife Response Center will be released soon, since keeping wild penguins in captivity for too long, is not beneficial to their well-being and can result in injuries and illnesses. The experts are confident that these little birds are healthy enough to make their way back to their natural habitat around New Zealand’s Leisure (Moturiki) Island, where they will hopefully, continue to thrive.
Standing at only 16-17 inches tall and weighing a mere 2 lbs, blue penguins are the smallest of all penguins. Called ‘Blue’ because of the color of their feathers, these darling creatures are native to Southern Australia and New Zealand, where feed off the small fish and squid in the shallow warm waters during the day and spend the nights ashore, hidden inside rock crevices or little caves.
Reaction- I was really shocked when I red this because I never herd of this happening. I wonder if it will only get worse. I and also very happy how the blue penguins are not same and going to be let back into the ocean. I was shocked because why would they put oil in the coral reef because the boat hit it and then it spilled everywhere. Another reason I was shocked was because shouldn’t the people who own the boat that hit the blue penguins do something more about it cause you may be able to save the birds but you can’t save the ocean now.
Questions: Do you think it’s only going to get worse as time goes by?
http://www.dogonews.com/2011/12/12/new-zealands-oiled-penguins-released-back-into-the-ocean
I did an article called friends and loved ones yawn together! It said that yawning is contagious and once someone yawns another person will yawn it’s like a yawning transmission. To humans, a yawn can usually happen within five minutes from the first person who yawned. A study was held between people who are closer, and see each other daily, how many times that they yawn and it shows that they yawn together, as in they have the same yawning patterns. My reaction to his article was that I never knew that if someone yawns, someone else has the urge to yawn and I never knew that yawning was such a big deal, like people had to do research on it. I chose this article because the title seemed interesting and I to yawn because that it shows people that I’m bored of them and then they stop talking or go away. I learned about that yawning was contagious and if someone yawns you will probably yawn from like five minutes from another person yawning.
Why do you think yawning is contagious?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212092649.htm
This article was about how there was another planet found another earth-like planet. This new planet was name the Kepler- 22. This is about 600 light years away. Currently, there are 1,094 planets that are potentially Earth-like. Scientists have learned a lot about this planet. So far, they learned that the Kepler-22’s orbit has a 290 day orbit. Their sun, is extremely similar to our sun. There are 207 Earth-size planets, 680 super Earth size, 1,181 Neptune size, 203 Jupiter-size, and 55 are larger than Jupiter. After using high-tech softwares, scientists were able to discover 11 other galaxies that might be very familiar. These scientist want to find the true Earth twin.
I chose this article because I knew most about his topic. I already knew some background knowledge so I assumed that it would be easier for me to read and understand. My reaction to this article was interested because it made me wonder if there was another planet just like Earth. Also, I wondered, if they found a planet just like Earth, what would they do. During this article, I learned a lot about how scientists are powerful enough to discover and find new planets like this one. With the help of modern day technology, scientists are basically able to do anything. Also, during this article I learned that there are so many galaxies and so many things that has yet to be discovered.
http://www.popsci.com.au/science/astronomy/kepler-team-confirms-first-earth-like-planet-in-a-habitable-zone-and-finds-1-094-more-worlds
Critical thinking Question:
What do you think scientist will do after they find a planet that is exactly like Earth?
If scientist find another planet exactly like Earth, I think they would first find to see if humans are able to live on that planet. If so, then possibly, they would began to start a civilization there somehow. If not, then they could transport some of the resources there such as wood, metal, etc. and bring it over to Earth, where we can use it.
This article was about if shoveling snow really does increase the risk of having a heart attack. Many health officials say that shoveling snow can
raise the risk, but this was said based on anecdotal reports.
So to prove this fact, scientist looked over patient records at Kingston General Hospital in Ontario. They found that over 500 patients had went to the hospital during the winter season.
About 7% of the 500 patients were shoveling snow when the symptoms of a heart problem began. They were mostly men around the age of 63, and most of them had a family member who had premature cardiovascular disease.
In New England, it was found that it was actually the physical exertion of shoveling the snow that causes the heart attacks. To reduce the risk of a heart attack, it is suggested to take breaks when shoveling snow.
I thought this article was very interesting. even though it was short, it was to the point, and fun to read. Overall, I like this article.
I chose this article because I thought it would be nice to know about this. I never heard of people having heart attacks when shoveling, so I was curious if this is likely to happen to everyone.
I learned that shoveling snow could indeed cause heart attacks, but, it’s not likely to happen to most people. Also learned that it’s best not to overwork your body, or else it could be very harmful.
Link: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/12/really-the-claim-shoveling-snow-raises-the-risk-of-a-heart-attack/?ref=science
Question: What other activities do you think could also cause you to have a heart attack? What can you do to prevent it?
I think that activities that can cause you to have a heart attack is a stressful activity, or something like raking leaves. Things simple like that can cause a heart attack. I believe you can prevent a heart attack by relieving stress. Also, you can take care of yourself by eating healthier.
Summary
Microsoft Co-Founder, Paul Allen plans to fund the building of the world’s largest airplane to use as a mobile platform for launching satellites at low cost. This project is believed to be able to transform the space industry. It will use six Boeing 747 engines to propel its self to the spacecraft launch position. To reduce the cost of each launch, it sends the booster rocket off when the plane reaches an altitude of 30,000 feet; this reduces the need for as much rocket fuel. When the first-stage ignites the plane returns to the ground on a runway that is a minimum 12,000 feet long, to be used over and over for more missions. Some known measurements are that the rocket booster is 129 feet long; the entire plane weighs 1.2 million pounds, and has a wingspan of 385 feet.
Opinion + Reason
I agree with this article in the way that we should have our space craft launched from a height, but I don’t believe the airplane is the best approach. Maybe we could build a giant slingshot or something to get the craft to higher altitudes. Airplanes can only go so high, they have a limit. I chose this article because I am intrigued by space travel and am wondering what will happen due to the retirement of shuttle usage. I learned that it takes a lot of power to fly 1.2 million pounds.
Source
I got this article from The Wall Street Journal
70 years ago, Harold Edgerton took amazing pictures with strobe lights. Today, well, we’ve changed everything. In two trillionths of a second, we can record 500 frames of light moving THROUGH an object whether it’s solid or not. With this process we can actually “look around corners.” the scientists on this project modified an object called a streak tube (object that processes then captures light) so they could create revolutionary slow-motion movies. With this science, in ten years there might even be an app on phones that can tell you if produce is ripe or not. The possibilities are endless. While they’re not totally sure on everything that this information can do for us, they do know one thing. We’ve never seen the world like this before.
I was surprized with this aritcle. 500 frames in a bilionth of a second? I’m lucky if my laptop can process a single frame in one second. 500 frames? That’d take my laptop at least like five minutes and it’s not even that old. It’s amazing what stuff is out there in the technology world. and how they’re not making it available to everyone yet. Regardless, my overall reaction was just wow. Wow. We came up with this stuff? The USA? I’m impressed.
I honestly chose this article because as I was skimming the science section of nytimes.com it was the only thing I figured that I could understand without being totally bored. I’m kind of intrested in cameras and light so I figured it would be a good article to read. Although some parts were hard to understand, I was able to get the overall message and that made me chose to respond to it.
I learned a from this article. Many topics about science, but some about society as well by reading in between the lines. In the scientific rhealm, I learned that we’ve developed a new type of camera that can basically see through stuff (if I’m correct) by processing the way light beams reflect off an object. And that’s building off stuff that’s 70 years old. I also learned that well, simply put, anything is possible. Who could’ve guessed that we’d be able to calculate billionths of a second let alone process 500 frames in that amount of time? Overall, in the last few paragraphs I more importantly learned that science can relate to stuff that the average person understands. For me, when I read about a new app possibility, I totally connected and was able to comprehend the whole thing easier. Although science can seem boring, it’s a key element to literally everything we do from studying to playing Angry Birds.
Article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/science/speed-of-light-lingers-in-face-of-mit-media-lab-camera.html?ref=science
My Critical Thinking Question to you is this;
Let’s say we develope this technology where we can see inside of stuff with a camera. What modern-day technology could we improve with this? (Like along the lines of an app of video game or whatever your heart desires.) Why do you think this would be the best use of it?
The Mars rover opportunity discovered signs of water on Mars. None of the signs have been seen within 20 miles. “This is a slam-dunk story that water flowed through underground fractures in the rock” says Steve Squyres, professor of astronomy. This find is not uncommon on earth but is an amazing for Mars. They used the microscopic imager and x-rays to examine the vein to make sure what they were seeing was correct.
I think it is amazing that there was water on Mars. This shows that we might have not been alone in the universe at some time. This also shows that if we have the technology we could get Mar’s atmosphere back. Which could someday lead to colonization of Mars? This is an amazing find for all of astronomers everywhere.
I choose this article because last week I did an article about another Mars probe. I find almost everything in space interesting. Especially the chance that another planet housed life at one time. Since, one day we might be able to travel to these planets with ease.
I learned that there once was water on Mars. Even though it was could have been millions of years ago. It still shows that there once was life or signs of life. Which is great for human kind even if it may be years before we can get there? This also taught me that with enough time humans can get any of their goals done.
http://www.futurity.org/science-technology/%E2%80%98slam-dunk%E2%80%99-proof-of-water-on-mars/
CTQ: What is one thing that is good about learning about water on Mars.
I think that it’s important that we learn about water on Mars because if it is safe, we are just one step closer to finding a new planet for the human race to live on if anything should happen to Earth.
continued on to the summary- There has been traces of gypsum before in scans from orbit. Most of the minerals that were picked on orbital scans were most likely created with water.
in this article there is a war against weeds. crops are being restricted by the sheer more of weeds. scientists have bin trying to find a way to kill weed with out kill there crop and they keep changing the pesticide and it was not working. so they thought lets change the crop. the scientist changed the genetic make up in plant. the plant i able to with stand more pesticides the will kill the weed and not the crop. many people cant afford the genetically altered crops. people are coming up with there on solutoins like planting rye and then flantining it and then plant the crop.
what do you think is the best idea to fight weeds?
I read the article Amazing Race to the Bottom of the World by John Noble Wilford. According to the article, 100 years ago today, Norwegian travelers went through super cold and windy weather conditions to reach the very bottom of the world, which is the South Pole. They had beaten Great Britain to it, which means they had won the race. The leader of the group, Roald Amundsen, wanted to travel to the South Pole because two other groups had already visited the north pole. Additionally, he and his companions wanted fame for their accomplishment. The British team (lead by Robert Falcon Scott) was devestated once they reached their destination five weeks late because the Norwegians had beaten them in the race. Due to weakness and hunger, the British leader and his four companions died soon after. Even though the men died, their story still lived on in Great Britain.
I liked this article because it shows what people were interested in and what was still not accomplished 100 years ago. Now, we have so much technology that we don’t actually need to travel to the bottom of the world to find out more about it. I thought it was interesting that the Norwegians used skis to discover more about the land and the sun, and they used dogs and sleds to travel. I can’t imagine going down to the South Pole (or up to the North Pole) because it would be way too cold for me! I also think it is amazing that only five men would be traveling down to a place where there are no other people around. I would be too terrified and lonely to go on an expedition like the one these men did. I chose this article because the title caught my eye and I was curious to know what the author meant by the “bottom of the world”. In conclusion, I liked this article because I was able to learn more about what expeditions were like and what goals had been accomplished so long ago.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/science/amazing-race-to-the-bottom-of-the-world.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=science
Critical Thinking Question: How have expeditions from 100 years ago compare to today? How have world goals from 100 years ago changed?
Summary: The article I read was about how scientists were able to form an eye in a tadpole’s stomach by manipulating its cells. They were able to change the electrical properties of its cells by making only minor changes. By changing the cells’ properties, it caused the cells to develop and grow differently than it normally would have. Wherever the scientists did the electrical change, eyes would grow. They worked on the African clawed frog, too. Scientists also figured out that injecting chemicals into the creature can stop an eye from forming.
Before these experiments, scientists thought that eyes would only grow in the head of an animal or amphibian. But, now they understand that the electrical signal can cause eye development almost anywhere! They are working hard to continue their studies to somehow find a way to recreate human body parts, such as arms or legs, using this method.
Reaction: I was very impressed by this article! I found it very interesting that scientists were actually able to figure out how to recreate an eyeball by performing an electrical change in a cell, causing it to grow, act and develop differently!
Reason for choosing this Article: I chose this article because I was shocked when I understood what the article was about, after reading the first sentence. An eyeball has been formed in the stomach of a tadpole! I cannot believe it can watch what it eats!
Information Learned: From this article, I learned that science is developing and growing rapidly. Already, scientists have figured out how to grow a body part! They can even stop a body part from being developed.
Link: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/336783/title/Building_the_body_electric
Critical Thinking Question: Based on how rapidly today’s world of science is developing, how long do you think it will take for scientists to be able to re-grow something like an ear?
I think that recreating an ear would take longer because currently, scientists may just want to focus on studying on the eye. I think that once they discover everything that they need to, they will begin on other body parts like an eye. In addition, I think that this was extremely interesting and that I would definitely want to learn more about this.
In 1572, observers discovered a naked eye super nova in the sky. This was Tycho’s super nova. Finally found again by NASA on December 13th, 2011, it took years for scientists to find this super nova again. Scientists had to perform jotting down research and observations for many years before finding Tycho’s super nova. Now, it has finally been found as a shattered star.
My reaction to this article was immediate interest. The reason for that was because I am always excited about new discoveries that blow you away. Tycho’s super nova is one of them. I was also amazed on how long the scientists worked to find the super nova again.
I chose this article for one main reason. That reason is that I love space information. It has always fascinated me from the beginning of my life. It is a major outpost of what lies out there in the universe. Space is the gateway to discovery.
The information I learned from this article was that Tycho’s super nova was discovered by Earth observers in 1572. It was found on December 13th, 2011, by NASA after countless years of research. In conclusion, you never know what might pop out there in the vast regions of space.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/2011/12/111213164751.htm
How do you think scientist’s gather information to find lost objects in space such as Tycho’s super nova?
Your teeth have three different layers, enamel, dentin, and pulp. The enamel is the hardest material in your body. So it would make sense for it to be the first layer that protects your teeth. The second layer is dentin which protects your blood vessels and roots in your teeth. Dentin is also very hard but not as strong as the enamel. Dentin makes up most of the tooth. The last layer would be pulp. Pulp is where all of the nerves and blood vessels are. When a cavity is formed it is usually from bacteria on your teeth (plaque). Cavities burn holes through your teeth and can be very painful if they get deep enough because they will expose nerves. To prevent from getting cavities you can brush your teeth with toothpaste and a toothbrush. The tooth paste should have fluoride since fluoride makes and keeps your teeth stronger.
My reaction to this article wasn’t very big since it just talks about the basics of a tooth. But, I must say I didn’t realize there were three layers to your tooth and that the first layer of your tooth (enamel) was the hardest material in your body. I chose this article because I looking for something simple about the human body to learn about. This article was perfect because I could read it with ease and still learn something new.
CC- What do you think are the main foods that cause the bacteria to stick on your teeth then others?
“Dental Damage.” American Chemical Society – The World’s Largest Scientific Society. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. .
I think that the main food to stick on your teeth is sugar. Sugar as an item is simply just sticks. But if your asking a specific food item that sticks better I would simply say a sticky food such as marshmallows,a and lollypops.
The article I read was about how a new planet has been discovered. It is just outside of our solar system, 600 light years away. On light year is about 6 trillion miles away, so it would take 22 million years to reach the new planet. The planet is called Kepler-22b and the temperature is in the 70′s which would be perfect for human life. Also, it orbits a star that is very similar so our sun. The plan is also like earth because its year is 290 days which is very close to our year of 365 days. There is also a likely chance of rock and water on the planet. Kepler-22b is a bit larger than earth, but it is closer in size and all other characteristics than any other planets scientists have found that may have life on them.
My reaction to this article was that I thought it was really cool how new places similar to earth are being discovered. I know that scientists have been trying to find other planets that may have life on them, but this seems to be the best chance yet. It’s pretty amazing that technology is even available to make it possible to search places that are as far as 600 light years away. Simply the idea of even a chance of such a large discovery is so amazing.
I chose this article because it really interested me. I saw part of the title that said something about a new planet and I was instantly intrigued. The concept of this is so fascinating to me that I wanted to learn more about how discoveries were advancing and progress was being made in research.
After reading this article, I learned that everything in science is always building with new information including a possible second earth-like planet. Also, I learned that this planet may possibly even already have life on it or the possibility of having life in the future.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/nasa-finds-new-planet-kepler-22b-outside-solar-system-with-temperature-right-for-life/2011/12/07/gIQAPfzFdO_story.html
Critical Thinking Question: Do you think anything will come of this discovery and they will be able to put life on that planet or they will find life already on it? Why or why not?
Paul Allen and Burt Rutan are building a plane that can fly into space without being launched. The plane let the spacecraft go when it gets where it needs to go. I don’t think this is a good idea because many people can die and no one flies into space anymore after that movie came out. I am wondering how the spaceship or come back down to earth.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/story/2011-12-13/stratolaunch-space-NASA/51880220/1
The current science article I read was called, As Whale Sightings Go, This Is Big. This article was about a whale sighting along the coast of Washington. The people on this boat claim to have seen a blue whale! If you did not know, blue whales are the largest species on Earth! The biologists on this boat were only looking for fin whales but they spotted this whale instead! This type of whale has only been found twice in the last fifty years along the coast of Washington. The biologist, Calambokidis, said that he has seen so many blue whales along the coasts of California and South America, that this one spotting is not rare for him.
My opinion on this article is that it’s very interesting. I went whale watching once and it was so boring for me. However, many people on the boat with me, were very interested and were awed whenever a whale popped up onto the surface of the ocean.
The reason I chose this article was because I have personal experiences with spotting whales. Although I only went whale watching once, I can relate to the people in this article. They were waiting on the water for hours just to spot a whale, and finally they found it! It’s so great for them that they found a special species of whales too.
The information I learned from this article was that there is a type of whale that is the largest on Earth. After reading this article, I found that finding a blue whale is truly a big thrill. An adult blue whale is heavier than the largest dinosaurs were and can weigh around 150 tons and be around 100 feet in length! These whale’s hearts can also weigh as much as a great white shark!
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2017018163_bluewhales15m.html?cmpid=2628
Critical Thinking Question: How much can a blue whale weigh and how long can it be?
Recently, scientists have discovered that the supermassive black hole located at the heart of our galaxy is going to “swallow” a large gas cloud in near proximity to it. Even though it is known that black holes suck matter into them, this is the first time we will ever see the concept in action. As the gas cloud is ripped apart, the area around the black hole will gleam white, which will allow scientists to study the phenomenon. Astronomers speculate that the event will take place in 2013. At a certain point in the black hole, known as the event horizon, sucks everything into it, including light. It is likely over half of the cloud will be sucked past the event horizon, while another half will be flung back into space. The x-rays emitted during the cataclysmic consumption of the cloud will help scientists further understand black holes.
After reading this article, I felt curious. This is because I have been reading about black holes for the past year or so, and I never really understood them. This article fascinated me, as well. I take every opportunity I get to learn more on black holes. The subject is enthralling. I chose this article due to my interest with space and black holes. Additionally, I find space beautiful, and gas clouds in space reflect light in a marvelous manner. The pictures were a bonus!
I learned a ton from this article. This article helped to clarify some points. One such point was regarding the event horizon of a black hole. I never understood what the event horizon was until I read the article. Additionally, I learned more about how scientists study space. Many times, scientists track an object in space and wait and see the object’s interaction with other objects.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16178112Critical
Thinking Question: How do you think this supermassive black hole – gas cloud interaction will benefit science?
This supermassive black hole will benefit science in one particular way. It will show us how a black hole works in action. Once it swallows the gas cloud, scientists will be able to study this black hole even more.
UPDATED ARTICLE LINK:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16178112
Thousands of birds were killed or injured this week after mistaking a Wal-Mart parking lot, football fields and other snow-covered areas of southern Utah for bodies of water and falling to their own death. Volunteers helped clean up the dead birds and rescuing the injured ones after they crash-landed in the St. George area. By midday Wednesday, volunteers had helped rescue more than 3,000 birds, then found them a new home in a nearby pond. There is no exact count of the dead birds, but officials estimated over 1,500. Officials said that stormy conditions probably confused the flock of grebes making their way to the Mexican coast for the winter. “The storm clouds over the top of the city lights made it look like a nice, flat body of water,” said Teresa Griffin of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. “So the birds landed to rest, but ended up slamming into the pavement.”
I was suprised by this article because it’s really strange that so many animals could make the same mistake at the same time. I chose this article because I thought even though many birds lost their lives, it was a little funny. Through this article, I learned that a flock of birds are anything but independent, and that they follow each other like shadows.
Critical Thinking:How do birds know when they need to migrate south?
After reading this entry, I can conclude that birds know when they need to migrate when it gets cold. They know that their only way to survive is to get to a warmer climate. Also, they wont be able to reproduce unless the climate is warm.
Alzheimer’s Drug Candidate May Be First to Prevent Disease Progression, Mouse Study Suggests
Approximately 5.4 million Americans are currently suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, and scientists are not positive what causes it. However, there recently was discovered a cure that has been tested positively on mice. The drug is called J147 and has improved memory and prevented additional brain damage to the mice that have been infected. Alzheimer’s disease causes an irreversible decline in brain function, and erases the person’s memory as well as the ability to think clearly during simple tasks. Soon the drug will be tested on humans and hopefully will be able to cure Alzheimer’s throughout the world. Additionally, it may be able to treat other disorders such as Parkinson’s or Huntingdon’s disease.
After reading this article, I was surprised and very happy. It is really great that scientists have finally found a cure to this terrible disease, and that they will be able to save so many lives. I hope that this drug will be available to humans soon! I chose this article because one of my friends’ grandparents died of Alzheimer’s and it was really sad. Once I saw the headline I was greatly hoping that the tragic disease would finally be put to an end. Some information I learned was that Alzheimer’s is a neurological disorder. Also, the new drug works better because of the new synthetic compounds that help protect against pathologies in brain aging, thus making a more potent treatment. Lastly, I also learned that mice and rats are commonly used to test medicines and other treatments by scientists in the lab.
Do you think this new drug should be allowed for humans? Why or why not?
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111214162108.htm
I would say no but it depends on how the tests on humans go. Mice and humans are two different creatures. It could end up killing one of the people. That is why I say no. Its kind of a fifty fifty chance. Something might go horribly wrong.Maybe it is only good for mice. I hope it works!
I think that the drug should be allowed for humans because if it proved to be helpful in tests, then it could be hugely beneficial to people. Also, since humans and mice are genetically quite similar, the drug will probably work for humans as it did for mice.
My article was about how the Dead Sea once dried up. The Dead Sea, that has been shrinking for decades, may be disappearing completely like it did about 120,000 years ago. The supersalty Dead Sea should be protected against completely drying up salt increases the amount of heat required to evaporate water.salt increases the amount of heat required to evaporate water because salt increases the amount of heat required to evaporate water.Smooth pebbles buried 253 meters under the present-day lake shows that the lake had once been dried up completely.The Dead Sea dropped 10 meters between 1997 and 2008. If the Dead Sea disappears again, though, its history does offer some hope. The lake has already come back to life once. Perhaps the lake could be resurrected again.
When I read this article I felt a little sad that the lake might be gone in a few years. I was sad because I had read about the lake before and heard that the water makes people float without even trying. I wanted to visit the Dead Sea before it disappears so I could say “I have swam in the Dead Sea and you will never be able to because it does not exist anymore.” I chose this article because it stood out than all the other articles. I learned that the Dead Sea is soon going to disappear.
Do you think the lake can be saved and how?
Source:http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/336780/title/Dead_Sea_once_went_dry
I don’t think that the Dead Sea can be saved, based on that it did disappear thousands of years ago. The reason why it is drying up is because of the large salt content, but that did not stop it from restoring itself before. This is a natural occurence, so we should not mess with what nature is allowing, or we will only make the problem worse, and maybe make the lake disappear for good. Some people may be thinking, it’s drying up because of global warming and higher temperatures but this is not the case. 120,000 years ago, pollution, deforestation, and other harm to the environment did not exist as it does today, so that is obviously not the case. If it does disappear soon, I hope that I will be able to swim in it before it does, too!
My article was about how scientists are researching orangutans to understand obisety and eating disorders more. Orangutans are very similar to us so this is a great way to look how it happens. Orangutans have low protien fruit to eat. When they have no food they tap into thier protien and fat(mucles). That is the same thing that happens in anorexia. Sometimes they will tap into thier protien until the food that they want is there again. The scientists are amazed about how they endure the “protien recycling”.
I was very suprised that any animal could just go without food and eat away at thier body fat. I think its kind of sad that they sometimes go without food. But they have adapted to low amounts of food. I think that it would be nice if they would not be so picky about what thry eat. How can they just wait for the food they want to grow?
I choose this article because I love monkys. Also I was very interested about how they go so long without eating food. It seemed kind of wierd to me and weird is my middle name! I learned that orangutans can help us understand disorders. I also learned that orangutans must get hungry a lot!
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213203317.htm
Critical Thinking: Do you think that protien recycling is healthy for humans? How about orangutans? If it is good for one and not the other then why?
Tycoon’s Next Big Bet for Space: A Countdown six Miles up in the Air
Some of the richest men in the world have come up with a new way of launching space crafts into orbit. Since there are such large expense to launching a human into space and using launch pads. There needed to be a new way on depleting the cost. The new way of launching space crafts would be to have a large plane that would fly 30,000 feet into the air, and launch them from that point. The first rocket launching could be as early as 2016. But this plane would not be just any plane. This new plane is expected to be lager and heavier than the Spruce Goose, Howard Hughes’s record setting flying boat that flew just once, in 1947. The wings of this launching craft will stretch 385 feet- longer than a football field.
“ With government- funded spaceflight diminishing, there is a much expanded opportunity for privately funded efforts,” Mr. Allen said. Another idea that deal with the new plane is allowing tourist to go on the edge of orbit on the large plane. “ Volume space tourism, I’d leave it to someone like Richard who knew how to pull that off,” Mr. Allen stated. “ To me, the exciting thing would be go all the way to orbit.
To me I feel like it is quite unreal. Having an airplane larger than a football field and can go on the edge of orbit. That is a cool plane. If they do allow tourist I would definitely want to be one of the first people. Of course after they test it to make sure it is safe. I chose this article because I am drawn to space. I am drawn to space because it is full of things that have not be uncovered. It is a whole new world and filled with many more galaxies unknown to humans. What I was able to grasp from this article was that it cost a lot to send someone into orbit and to do the initial launch. If a launch was to fail there goes a lot of money down the drain.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/14/science/space/paul-allens-plan-airplanes-as-launching-pads-for-rockets.html?ref=science&pagewanted=print
Do you think it is a good idea to create this plane when there are high risks and chances of failure? Explain why or why not.
Response To:
World’s Smallest Frogs Discovered in New Guinea
This article was about the discovery of the tiny frogs known as Paedophryne dekot, and P. verrucosa that are the smallest in the world. They grow to just 8-9 millimeters, which beats the previous record of 10-11 millimeters, held by two other species of frog, living in the same area. They are all in the same genus, but one ancestor common to all 4 of these species has still not been found. New Guinea is a common place for miniature species to live. Much like the Galapagos, the different yet similar species are found on different nearby islands. They all live in leaf litter, and have small digits that are bad for climbing. Their diminutive size also accounts for the few eggs they are able to lay. So far, the most eggs being carried by one of these frogs is 2. This discovery may lead to other discoveries of different frogs.
I am happy that yet another record-breaking species has been found. This will probably inspire people to find more species out there. So many species are discovered every year that the human race has centuries before we find them all. My overall reaction to this article is that it is inspiring.
I chose this article because it relates directly to the things we learned last year. Evolution, the Galapagos Islands, and how life is classified were huge parts of what we studied last year. This article also was a challenge to understand, but not too difficult. I had some trouble reading this article, but overall it was very interesting.
I learned a few things from this article. One thing I learned was that tetrapods is the term for non-fish vertebrates. I also learned that New Guinea is a common place for miniature species. In conclusion, I learned some interesting facts from this article.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212123943.htm
Critical Thinking Question: Do you think that there is a smaller frog out there, or is this one the smallest?
I think that there is a smaller frog out there i think that because there is still so much of the world that us humans do not know about. So in those places that we have not found/ looked at there may be an even smaller frog. If it is nto already out there it will be/ a new species will be made!
The article I read was all about new species. The article said that many places and species on the planet had not yet been thoroughly explored. Scientist searched all over to find many new things and they found enough new animals and species to write 33 plus science papers into the life on earth record. Early estimates say that possibly 500 plus species were found. Lab workers are still working on searching the cells to see that they are all new species. These 500 plus new species could possibly one day be some of the world’s most popular species.
I thought this article was really interesting. I always knew that new species were discovered a lot, but I had no clue it was this many. Every time I think of species I automatically think of the everyday animals we all know, but species are not just animals. This article really helped me realize how many species are actually discovered. It also helped me to realize how long it takes to analyze all the species and make sure they are new.
I chose this article for many reasons. The most important reason I chose this article was because I didn’t really get how many species get discovered. Now I understand that many get discovered but it takes a while to get the lab data. The lab has to run many tests to see that it is a new species and then they have to give it its name and see where it was originated from. I also chose this article because the heading caught my eye.
Why does it take so long for scientists to tell whether it’s a new species?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215095613.htm
Because it may look like a new species but just be a different version of an already discovered species.
On December 14, 1911, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and his four-man team became the first people to reach the South Pole, where they raised the Norwegian flag in victory. On Wednesday, exactly 100 years later, Norway’s prime minister gathered with scientists and polar adventurers at the bottom of the world to remember the famous explorer’s achievements. “We are here to celebrate one of the greatest feats in human history,” Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said, as he unveiled an ice sculpture of Amundsen.
On October 19, 1911, Amundsen set out from his base, in Bay of Whales, Antarctica, with four companions, 52 dogs and four sleds. His success in reaching the South Pole was aided by careful planning. He took a preliminary trip to drop food and supplies along the first part of his route. His use of sled dogs to carry supplies also helped. Amundsen and his men, along with 11 surviving dogs, made it back to base on January 25, 1912, quicker than expected.
The reason i chose this article is because i feel as thought it is a climactic point in our history. 100 years ago yesterday marks the anniversary that a person actually stepped foot on South Pole surface.I found it hnestly cool because i had no idea a bout this. I came across this and i was like OMG PERFECT. It was an interesting find because i had no clue. I am quite oblivious. I learned all about how the mission was set off and begun and also i learned about who the people were more than just their names.
Why do you think it was neccessary to have an article writtten about the 100th anniversary of the finding of the South Pole?!
Supernova of a Generation
Astronomers were able to see a close up on a real supernova which had not been seen for 25 years through the telescope. Astronomers have very detailed picture. This recent supernova was
giving scientists the chance to measure the universe in a certain
disatance. This experince is giving scientists and astronomers a
chance to discover the cosmos. Astronomers beileve this supernova
has to do with two stars orbiting around each other. They
always know that the explostion involves a white dwarf.
My reaction to this article was positive. The reason why
i thought it was a good article because it was interesting to
read about something that could happen once in a life time. I
also like the scientific detail in the article. They explained about
how the two stars were orbiting which was scientifically interesting.
I also liked it how they said they got very successful photos.
I chose this article because it really interested me. I am
easily interested with astronomy and other types of science.
Learning about astronomy and space is very interesting because
i really think its cool to learn about what is out their in the universe.
I think it is really great that scientists found a supernova and
they can use this information for science.
I have learned a lot of information. The scientific information i
have learned was how the supernova was created. It was created
by stars and Gases in the universe forming together and that
is creating a supernova. I learned that scientists are using this supernova information for measuring parts of the universe. I hope to read more articles like these again.
http://www.ScienceDaily/supernovageneration.org
how long do you think will it take to measure the universe with this supernova data?
I think that it will take about another 100 years at least to measure the universe. I think this because our technology keeps getting better and we will probably be able to measure the universe. Some part of me also says that we will not be able to measure the universe because the universe goes on probably for forever and it. Will never end.
The science article I read was about how the earth seems to be getting windier. Studies show that the number of storms has increased. Also, the wind speed has risen over the past two decades. Scientists are trying to figure out what the cause of this wind is. Most likely, global weather changes are making the earth windier.
I chose this article for many reasons. One of the reasons I picked this article was because I thought it gave us people another reason to try and stop global warming. According to most scientists, global warming is not just the earth getting hotter. The winters become colder and the earth becomes windier.
Do you think that the change in climates will keep on increasing even if we go green? Why or Why Not?
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/03/110328-earth-storms-winds-global-warming-science-environment/
I think that if we, as a planet, all chip in to stop global warming, simply by not wasting electricty or recycling or reusing water bottles it could definetely help the planet in some way. We created global warming by treating the earth like a trashcan, we can stop global by doing the exact opposite.
I think that the change in the climate will probably never fully stop increasing since it’s just human nature. Not everyone is going to be green all the time. If we do cut down on pollution or make a new car that runs on vegetable oil or something, the climate will probably slow down the tiniest fraction but it’ll still naturally increase, I believe.
Of we go green i think it will help the weather and environment will get better. A idea to go green is to find the windiest places and put wind turbines in those spots.
Summary:
Currently, most of the world’s artichokes come from California, but a couple people are looking to change that. Apparently, some people are wanting to start growing artichokes in Texas. The only problem? Water in Texas is scarce and more information is needed about irrigation and nitrogen management practices. There was a 3-season study on this to determine crop yield, quality and nutritional components of fresh artichokes in response to differential irrigation regimes and N fertilizer rates. In order to start artichoke cultural practices into commercial production in regions where water is scarce, it is very important to understand the impacts of these practices and how they will affect the vegetable.
Reaction:
I thought that this article was very informative and factual. It told me a lot about artichokes and where they are mainly mass-produced from, which is actually California. I found this quite interesting, because I happen to like artichokes so learning about where they mostly grow and where people want to start growing them is fascinating to me.
Reason:
I chose this article because like I said, I like artichokes and I thought learning more about them would be cool and interesting. I also chose this article because from the title it seemed to catch my eye and stood out against the rest of the articles.
Information Learned:
I learned that artichokes mostly grow in California. I also learned that they want to start commercial producing artichokes in Texas and other scarce water regions. Lastly I learned that to start producing them in these regions, they need to check out crop yield, quality and nutritional components of fresh artichokes in response to differential irrigation regimes and N fertilizer rates.
Link:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111214144755.html
A Critical Thinking Question:
Why do you think most artichokes come from California?
Nap-Deprived Tots May Be Missing out on More Than Sleep
Kids around the ages 2 1/2 and 3 years old are missing their nap times during the day which is causing them to react to some situations differently then they normally would. They also say that kids of all ages are not getting enough sleep, which will cause mood-related problems for them in the future if they don’t get enough sleep. Scientists also say that by not getting enough of a variety of food into your body it that can also play a part in the situation. Scientist are doing test on kids, to see how much it affects them. For these test they are giving kids who don’t get enough sleep puzzles to do and what they reactions are to them.
In this, study they have seen that the kids are getting more frustrated because they can not figure it out. They say it the way their kids are raising them plays a part in this ongoing problem. So to keep going with this experiment they have placed wristlets on some of the kids to track how much sleep some of them are actually getting. With the results they have figured out that kids are reacting with more strong feelings then usual.
I learned: I learned that sleep does really affect how the brain works.
I chose this article because I have a little brother, and I wanted to know more about babies, because someday i might want to be a pediatrician.
Critical Thinking Question : Why do you think we need at least 10 hours of sleep? explain.
i think we need 10 hours of sleep because that is the amount our bodys need. if we did not sleep all 10 hours, we would still fell tired during the day. with the total of 10 hours of sleep, our bodys have had alot of time to rest. felling refreshed for the day.
i think that we need 10 hours of sleep because, i think that since we are awake for a long period of time that our body needs to relax or in other words shut down for a period of time. That is why i think that we need 10 hours of sleep.
I think we need 10 hours of sleep to regain our energy that we spent during the day. Our bodies need to store energy for the day ahead also.
The article that i read was about how this year was the driest record in Texas. Because, of this many cattle have died and crops have dried up. That is not the only problem though. This fourth of July many fireworks shows were scheduled. According to this article seventy five percent have been canceled.
When i read this article i thought it was sad. Since crops are dyeing people are loosing their business or their jobs. If they loose there jobs how will they support their family? That is what really made me upset/ get emotional.
The reason why i choose this article was because, I thought it would be interesting to read about it. Usually i choose a natural disaster article but this time i thought i should choose something a little different.
From reading this article i learned the consequences of a drought. Or a year long drought. I did not think that so many things could happen. i thought it was only a portion of the crops would die. But the truth is that all or ninety nine percent of them die.
My critical question: how would you react if you were in this situation?
this is the link to the article:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57354420/2011-was-texas-driest-year-on-record/
The article that i read was about Mars. Specifically about an ocean that may have been there a billion years ago. They say that the ocean was formed because an asteroid hit Mars. It hit deep, so the ice that was in the surface of Mars melted. That created streams, oceans, etc.
When i read this article i thought it was really cool, that there may be life on Mars! I remember hearing once that one of the things that you need on a planet to make it able for humans or another species is water/ some type of water source.
The reason why i choose this article was because, like i said before i thought it was cool and that there may be another life on Mars. I have never heard of this either and i wanted to see how they found it.
What i learned is that there can be ice under the surfaces of some places/ planets. What i also found out is that a meteor can cause all of this water to come out! Those are just some of the many things that i learned.
My critical question:
Do you think that there is ice under the surface of Earth?
The link to my article:
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1202/07marsocean/
I read an article about how dogs are immune to frostbite. Although I never thought of this before, it made sense as soon as I read it. Even though it’s bitter and cold when it snows during the winter, my dog still needs to use the bathroom. I usually just let her in the back yard and let her to her business and welcome her back into the house with a warm blanket. I just always assumed that her bare paws were freezing. As it turns out, dogs’ paws don’t get very cold because of how the blood vessels are arranged, they keep the body heat in. It keeps the temperature in the paw balanced. The vessels in the paws of dogs shift around to go with the temperature. Humans, however, do not have the same blood vessel arrangement, thus making us not immune to frostbite, obviously.
As soon as I read this it was like a light bulb went on in my head. I always asked myself how my dog could withstand the heat and I finally realized why. I knew that there was something different about their paws, but I just suspected that it was thick skin or something; I would have never guessed it was the way that the blood vessels were arranged.
I chose this article because I was curious about why my dog could take the cold and I knew that I would find this article interesting.
I learned that the blood vessels in a dogs paws change with the temperature.
Link: http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2012/02/no-frostbite-for-dogs-2/
CTQ: Why do you think that the blood vessel arrangement in dogs paws change due to temperature?