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.
Also post a response (should be one paragraph or more) to a critical thinking question.
Respond to a question which is not answered so far to get credit for your response.
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Roku Streaming Stick
For the past year or two, Roku has been on the rise. Its first product was unsurprisingly the Roku. A Roku is a box that wirelessly streams movies and other web content straight to your TV. The smallest model to date is 3” by 3”. Now they have created another Roku device that is even smaller and may just blow all other competitors out of the water. They have created a device that looks exactly like a flashdrive with the Roku insignia on it. It is the Roku Streaming Stick!
This flashdrive sized device does exactly the same thing that its predecessors do. It streams high definition video plus only uses a little more energy than a nightlight. However, the new Roku needs a new type of HDMI port called MHL port. MHL stands for Mobile High-Definition Link, this tech has only been around for 3 months and is only on about 3 televisions that cost around 3,000 dollars apiece. The new Roku looks amazing but needs to wait a while that way the MHL gets inserted into more TVs.
I truly believe that this will catch on. Roku has been very reliable in the past and I do not expect that to change. However I believe that the Roku XS will be more popular. I chose this because I have a Roku too. With this article I learned how Roku is very much on the rise. This Roku has everything the others have, plus motion gaming and it also streams in true HD, or 1080p. Roku is definitely on the rise!
1. What other products does Roku have?
PS. I love the new look!
Roku announcement of the streaming stick was given at CES (Consumer electronics show). I have the roku 2 xs and love it but they dont truely have any other products. I mean they have the original roku and the roku 2 LT, HD,XD,and XS but aside from all of those boxes they dont have any products currently out. But if you are talking products such as services they are always adding new content channels.
Sales of candy, soda and other junk food in middle schools don’t weigh heavily on students’ waistlines. This surprising finding based on a study that followed almost 20,000 kids through middle school suggests that obesity prevention programs should target children in their homes and communities during the preschool years, when eating habits form, researchers say. I agree with this and wish that other schools would do what we do which is not even sell soda at all and try to make lunches as healthy as possible for the students with them still enjoying it. I choose this article because child obesity is a problem in America today. what would we be like today if their was no junk food in america from this point on.
America would definitely be a much healthier place. Junk food and lack of exercise are basically our two big enemies in obesity. Without junk food kids in our nation would be a lot less obese and a lot healthier. We would have much less cases of diabetes, because it is usually caused by a high intake of sugar (coming from junk food.) In conclusion, “outlawing” diabetes would be a huge advance for America in eradicating obesity.
A large portion of Americas economy consists of junk food (e.g. Doritos). the Economy would definitely suffer and many people would lose their jobs. However, from the standpoint of doctors, the people of this country would definitely do well to cut out junk food. however to stop all production of junk food (supposing the government did so) would be illegal because of our rights, i believe its the first Amendment.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/337789/title/Junk_food_in_schools_get.
link to the article
Self-cleaning clothes
Cleaning clothes usually requires soap and water to remove stains and smells, and a tumble in the dryer or an afternoon on the clothesline to dry. The time and energy needed to turn a heap of dirty laundry into a pile of clean clothes might make people wish for clothes that just clean themselves.
That wish is a step closer to coming true. Recent experiments show that cotton fabric coated with the right mixture of chemicals can dissolve stains and remove odors after only a few hours in the sun. Long and Wu created just such a fabric, working for years to perfect the recipe for a liquid dip that left cotton coated with the titanium dioxide mixture. Then they added particles of silver iodide, which boosted the fabric’s self-cleaning ability in the sun. In laboratory tests, their creation was nearly seven times better at removing stains (and killing bacteria lurking in the clothing) than titanium dioxide alone.
My reaction to this article was excited. The reason i chose this article was because the title sounded interesting.
What other product helps clean clothes and why?
Besides detergent and bleach, I know that baking soda also helps to remove some stains. This is because the chemical compound of baking soda, combined with the chemical reaction of it with certain materials, helps to draw out some kinds of stains and dirt. White wine can also be used to rub red wine out of clothing, because it acts as a counterbalance, and, regardless of popular belief, nail polish remover will get nail polish out of your clothes.
Some other materials that help clean clothes is bleach they make clothes whiter and remove stains. Also clothes usually say to dry, but its best to let them air dry.
You could just use water and a scrub brush or a washboard like they used to use a while ago. That would save a lot of energy and be better for the environment.
Do black holes help stars form. Until recently this would have not have been a consideration. A team of scientists have recently used the Hubble Space Telescope’s Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) to study the central regions of Centaurus A, catalogued as NGC 5128, a bright galaxy 13 million light years away in the direction of the southern constellation of Centaurus. This comes as not only a great surprise to scientists but to people in general. The reason for this being that certain camera features make for many different views that were never seen/ noticed before.
I personally think that this could be a conspiracy but in a way it could also be true. I also think that this could if this is true than it could give new perspective on how stars are born. In the long run i think that this could be proved to be wrong or a lie. It also could be that there are many different theories that this could become common knowledge one day in the future. All in all I believe that this could be either knowledge or a lie depending on what will happen.
Article from: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202094328.htm
Summarize the article: I was I was reading a very interesting article titled “universities weigh in on the science of tweeting”. It was based around this the social networking site Twitter. Mainly saying that most of the tweets that are sent through twitter each day are voted as not worth living. The colleges Carnegie Mellon University, MIT and Georgia Institute of Technology worked on a study and found that in 19 days they posted now thousands of tweets and found that 36% of the tweets that were put to put out were liked. The overall point of the study was to focus on what might be contributing to the to the lack of interest in tweets.
Reactions to the article: The reactions that were found were people do not like reading old news, something that were already tweeted, tweets that include a lot of of twitter syntax, putting a link to link to a picture with no reason, and tweets that were in a negative attitude. I was amazed to see how many different types of sent tweets were disliked. I thought that people would often like something more then dislike something, and if they didn’t like it does not write anything at all. Lastly keep people seem to be more critical of people’s posts then on Facebook.
Reason for choosing it: I chose this article because it was at the top of the science section section. Also also I thought it was an interesting change from reading an article about animals or another mission. Lastly, I chose it because it was an interesting topic being that it was about about twitter.
information learned: I have learned that there is a lot more ways that twitter can use to filter search results. Also I learned that people are quick to dislike a comment on twitter. Lastly, I learned that people that post on twitter for no reason other than to post.
Question: Would it hurt twitter popularity if people only posted things that were worth reading making the site feel more empty?
Website: http://news.yahoo.com/universities-weigh-science-tweeting-190401271.html
No, Twitter has so many members that this would not be a huge setback. However, most people only use social networking for random and mostly stupid reasons. They post weird things because they want attention. Social networking also gives people the illusion that others care about what they are doing at that exact moment. Maybe Twitter will be largely affected, maybe not! I do not believe that it will be largely affected.
Yes, it would hurt twitter. The reason it would hurt twitter is because basically all of the members on twitter post lots of stupid stuff that will draw in other people and cause them to read it. This is the main point of twitter, I believe.
I thought this article was really interesting and i really enjoyed reading this. I would think of twitter popularity people posted thing that were north worth reading make the site feel more empty i would think no one would ever read them because people like to read juicy gossip.
In Alaska their is a group of rare yellow-cedar trees dying. Authorities have been saying that they are facing intense mortality which means close to
dying. Scientists have found out these old trees started to die a hundred years ago in the beginning of 1900′s. These Trees also spread out to
British Columbia but they are mostly in Alaska. The Yellow-cedar tree use to cover 60,000 acres of land but the number is decreasing right now.
The cause of the death for yellow cedar trees are coming from the roots. The roots of the yellow cedar trees are freezing inside and it is hard to
find a solution for fixing it. Scientist now know that these yellow cedar trees are inconstant and not stable in low tempertures.
My reaction to this article is negitive. The reason why my reaction is negitive is because these poor trees are dying and desperate for our help.
The trees can not always sustain on their own. If we tryed to help the trees with unfreezing their roots maybe they would be saved. I seriously
hope these trees could recover in someway.
My reason for chosing this article was because it seemed very interesting. I thought it was very interesting because the yellow cedar trees have
alot to do with diversity and biology. I truly like biology. The yellow cedar tree dying has alot to do with biology because it shows how the organism
grows and diversifies.
The Information that i have learned was that the yellow cedar trees are on the breach of extinction. The yellow cedars are not capable of living
so much anymore. I learned how there roots are freezing up causing them to die. These type of trees do not like cold temperture.
How many Yellow-cedars do you think die a day?
I don’t think that many yellow-cedar trees die per day because they are slowly dying from their frozen roots. I would say that one or two trees die per day. Also, if they only grow in cold places, they should be able to survive longer than normal trees or maybe even adapt. It would only make sense that if they grow in cold places, they should be able to survive in cold places. Hopefully, scientists will find a way to stop the tree roots from freezing.
i think 100 die every day.
Scientists have known for years that Alzheimer’s is caused by dying cells with tau in them. These cells spread into areas of the brain where memories are stored. Slowly, the disease moves to other parts of the body affecting someone’s judgment and their ability to remember. For a very long time, researchers cannot decide as to why this is happening, and they have been debating between two explanations. The first theory is that the disease is passed from neutron to neutron, using the path that never cells use. The second explanation is that some parts of the brain are susceptible to disease than others. However, the recent studies shed new light on the topic. Studies show that Alzheimer’s can be prevented early on by preventing cell to cell transmission. Researchers suggested an antibody that blocks tau. In a study done at Harvard and Columbia, scientists put the abnormal human tau proteins in tissue behind the ears’ of mice , hoping to find some answers. As time went by, cells began to die toward the middle of the brain, and tau showed up there. Even though this experiment was conducted on mice, researchers say that because mice and humans can make the same gene, the same process occurs in humans. The pattern of cell death in the mice matched those of the patterns of humans that have died of Alzheimer’s.
I was very surprised that scientists are very close to discovering a cure for this disease. A family member of mine has Alzheimer’s and I was very curious to hear about what scientist have found. It was very sad to see my great aunt begin to slowly loose her memory and become worse every year. At a recent family party, she didn’t even remember who my brother, sister and I were. I learned many things from this article. For example, I found it fascinating that mice could made the same gene as humans could after it was placed in their systems genetically.
Now that scientists have made a breakthrough, in what ways both negative and positive might society benefit from this?
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/02/health/research/alzheimers-spreads-like-a-virus-in-the-brain-studies-find.html?ref=science
Since this breakthrough has been made, society can benefit from this discovery positively because less and less people will develop Alzheimer’s disease. If less people suffer from this disease, then longer lives will be lived and memories will hold on. Also, hopefully people already suffering could make a slow recovery. That would bring light to so many sad families. Lastly, maybe this breakthrough could spark new ideas on how to slowly cure other related diseases.
Negative problems could be that something might go wrong. If this ends up not working for everyone, then a lot of controversy will be started on whether this is a good idea or not. Also, this might stir up problems in others parts of the body. This is still a new idea, so who knows? Maybe there are unseen issues that come along with this cure.
I think that a positive way that this can be affected is that a cure could be found. This cure could be only temporary or permanent but eigther way im sure expensive. It could also possibly make matters worse such as side effects, or cause cancers to grow. Plus it will probably take much time before anything like this will come out.
Answer to Critical Thinking Question
I honestly don’t know how many Yellow- Cedar Trees die each day, but I do know that the number is probably too high.
Many people don’t realize what will begin to happen to our life cycle if we continue to let trees die. One change in the
environment can put everything else out of balance. As i read in 927′s article, these trees are dying due to the fact that
their roots were freezing and there weren’t getting the nutrients that they needed. On top of this problem, scientists can’t
find a way to prevent these trees from dying. I think that if these trees were planted in an environment where they climate
was much cooler, than the reproduction of these trees might increase.
How Much Should Patients in Intensive Care Eat?
This article talks about a recent study conducted by the Technology Evaluation in the Elderly Network, a study group proposed and led by Dr. Daren Heyland, a professor and hospital director. This study was conducted by inspecting the results of 7,872 people who had been artificially and tube fed in 352 ICUs in 33 countries. The result? Patients who had been ingesting at least two thirds of their prescribed caloric intake had much lower mortality rates than those who were consuming less than one-third of their prescribed daily calories. It has been discovered by these scientists that the most effective amount of calories is 80-85 percent of the recommended daily intake. However, most patients are only receiving 50-60 percent of their recommended daily intake, so it’s important to increase awareness of caloric intake if patients can be helped. Furthermore, the study team found that the use of a feeding tube is more effective than the use of feeding through an IV, although both are important, most often if used while combined.
I honestly had no idea how underfed ICU patients are! I’m truly shocked at this startling article, especially having had relatives in Intensive Care. How are we expected to help these people recover if we aren’t doing one of the most basic things for them: feed them? However, I’m very glad that this study has shown how the proper feeding of these patients will help them, so that we can begin as soon as possible. I think we’ll be able to avoid a lot of further health problems regarding to lack of food and, of course, the people who will complain throughout their entire hospital stay of how hungry they are. All in all, although the facts of this article startled me, I’m happy about the outcome.
I chose to read this article because the topic of nutrition is one that has always interested me, and I’ve also always been interested by the effect of both good and bad nutrition on people. Furthermore, as I’ve said in previous articles, the field of medicine has also always really interested me, so when I saw an article about the influence of nutrition on patients, I thought that it sounded very interesting, and something that I wanted to read.
By reading this article, I definitely learned a lot, both facts that startled and intrigued me. As I said above, I learned that ICU patients are very underfed, and also that this has a very negative affect, including a raised mortality rate, on these patients. Furthermore, I learned that the best amount of calories to feed an Intensive Care patient isn’t the full amount that is recommended- it’s a bit less. Finally, I learned that correct feeding and method of feeding can critically help an Intensive Care patient.
What is your reaction to this article? Do you have any personal connections?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111004154222.htm
My reaction to this article is that it seems really hard to help these patients if we are already helping them eat. I am sorry to hear that some people are forced to live this way. It is good news to how feeding these people the right way can help them in the future. I hope we can help these patients with a more effective way. Digestion and calorie intake is one of the basic needs a person needs in order to successfully live. It is good that we now know a feeding tube is more effective than feeding through an IV even though both are important. I do not have any personal connections.
My reaction to this aritcle is that it is very sad and interesting. These patients are in capable of doing different
types of things. I think they need our help fast. I do not have any personal connections to this article but if i
did i would do whatever it takes to help this person. I hope these people will not go through so much pain and
more. May god bless these patients and make them live long and make them sustain longer.
An extraordinary discovery has recently been discovered by scientist, John Rogers. Rogers is a materials scientist at the University of Illinois. He mixes electronics with the human body in the hope of creating new devices. Rogers and some friends created a miniscule electronic device, smaller than a postage stamp that sticks to the skin. However, the size or adhesiveness is not the device’s coolest quality. The chip can record brainwaves if stuck to a forehead. If you place on the wrist, it will document blood flow and muscle movement. Put on the skin of sick patients, it can keep track of vital signs and keep on the lookout for important problems. Placed on the throat, it can act as a secretive cell phone. This would be activated by the movements of the experimenter’s voice box.
The device was designed to be half as thick as a normal piece of paper. It was made specifically for skin. It can be stretched and squashed, like the skin it’s on, and continue to work. Materials scientists, like Rogers, had to study how it worked by examining it on a cellular level. Both the body and the device have to work together. The chip needs to interact directly with the body. Last autumn, Rogers and his collaborators gave a demonstration of the chip’s potential. They showed it recording temperature, muscle movement, and electrical activity. It can work together with lights and a power source. This could be used to transfer data to a close computer.
This device is absolutely remarkable. I know I can go my entire life not understanding how it works. I can be a successful scientist. I could write books about the very science. I could become the leading scientist in this field. And I know I would still not understand a single word of explanation of how this chip works. It is absolutely amazing. Rogers and his colleagues are obviously admirable and innovative workers. I can’t understand how this works. I also can’t understand how cool this whole article is. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the whole concept. Our developments in science and technology simply boggle the mind.
I chose this article because the whole concept of micro-technology interests me. The fact that something so unbelievably miniscule possesses the ability to send an email to the U.S. government telling them to focus their lasers on my house and eradicate my very presence is a bit perplexing. I really can’t wrap my mind around how something that small possesses so much genius ability. I also want to know how the heck it is possible for someone to understand how it works, let alone how to make one from scratch.
I learned that scientists in the field of materials and micro-technology are huge innovators. It must take so much time to develop the knowledge and materials, just to draw blueprints for an invention like this. Especially since no one’s really made something like this before.
Do you think in the future, our computers will move in a similar direction? Will computers become voice or mind-activated chips? How do YOU think technology is moving for us in the future?
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2012/01/electronic-skin/
I think that we are becoming really advanced in science. It amazes me that someone thought about how to create something as John did. Plus this new device has different functions when placed on different parts of the body. Maybe he will be the one to invent the chip that you can place in your brain, and surface the internet right in your head. That would be cool!!
That is really amazing how something so small can work like that. I cannot even imagine what it was like to create it. In the future, I do believe computers will increase in ability. From 1900, to 2012, we have invented colored television, computers, ipods, ipads, kindles, anything you can imagine. There is still so much more to learn and create, that, by the year 3000, our cars will probably be programmed and will run on computers and technology like the chip. If people still have an interest in creating new things, I can almost promise that computers will become even more sophisticated and will be voice activated like that little chip. I think technology is moving fast and very well for the future. Like I said before, by the year 3000, we will probably be looking back to 2012 saying how could you not have this or that. Overall, technology is increasing and becoming even better and like that amazing little chip that John Rogers created, we can do a lot in the future with everything we have.
Computers now adays can be voice activated. My friends brother has an app called dragon on his laptop. You put a micorphone near youre mouth and talk to it and it does what you say. You can speak an essay and it will write it down.You can tell it to open a document or even make an email. Soon i think computers can be used by mind activated chips and you dont even have to talk.
Super giant shrimp
Scientists claim that they have recently captured a “supergiant” crustaceans, which were nearly a foot long. This “supergiant” was discovered in a trench off the coast of New Zealand. These 7 creatures measured about 28 centimeters or 11 inches long.The team also caught video footage of one that scientist think is 34 centimeters or 13 inches long. Scientist also think that these giants are related to shrimp.
The team who “captured” these creatures weren’t even looking to, but to catch deep-sea snail fish instead. When they pulled their snail fish trap out of the water, to their surprise, were the crustaceans. According to a team member, Alan Jamieson, ” It’s a bit like finding a foot long cockroach.”. The traps were set at 7 kilometers (or 4 miles) below the ocean’s surface, which is the deepest point at which these animals have been caught. All scientists can do now is try to compare these finds to other giants discovered in other places such as Hawaii.
I found this article very interesting. My first reaction to seeing these giants was ” Wow! Do you think we can eat them, and how would they taste?”. I was amazed at the size of the giants, and that they actually have caught multiple of them in one or more places. I chose this article because I found it very interesting that they actually found giant shrimp. I was also amazed at how they got so big.
Link: http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/03/supergiant-shrimplike-creatures-found-off-new-zealand/?hpt=hp_c2/
Critical Thinking Question: How do you think that these shrimp like animals got to be as big as they are? Explain.
i think that maybe it was something in their genes or maybe something in the water
I thinkt that the animals got to be so big through toxins that have been put into the oceans. And when the animals are breeding the the toxins cause a altercation in their DNA. Causing them to grow compared to regular shrimp.
I think that the shrimp get this big by their living conditions and to live long healthy lives.
Scientists have been trying to answer a simple yet complex question for many years; why do cells age? Recently, scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies report an answer to why cells age. They have found a weakness in a component of brain cells that may have the secret how the aging process occurs inside the brain. The scientists have discovered certain proteins named extremely long-lived proteins (ELLPs) have a very long lifespan. They are found on the surface of the nucleus of neurons. Proteins usually live up to two days, but these have a lifespan up until a person dies. The only thing is that if you damage or destroy one of these proteins, they are not replaced. These proteins are a safeguard to a cell’s nucleus from toxins. When the proteins are destroyed, the toxins can now get into the cell, altering the DNA and activity of genes causing cellular aging.
Scientists are still trying to understand how the toxins alter the DNA, causing the cellular aging because they do not have many solid clues. Some scientists believe that once the toxins enter a cell’s nucleus, they don’t work as well, creating more heart and brain trouble. These finding may help Alzhemiers disease and Parkinson’s disease, because we can understand how the cells in the brain work and how to restore the ELLP proteins which are protecting our cell’s nucleus. They have also conducted some experiments on rats and mice, and they have discovered large filaments in the nuclei of neurons, whose origins they traced to the cytoplasm. They have linked these filaments to Parkinson’s disease.
I have never realized scientists hadn’t discovered the reason cells aged. When I read this article, I was interested in the fact that they had little knowledge based on why people have alzhemers and parkinson’s disease. I feel that these diseases are important to recognize and are increasing in the population of the world. It would be interesting to discover the reason of this and if it truly is related to the aging of cells. Overall, this article had a lot of information that I never knew about!
I chose this article since the title was catchy and it looked different from the rest. I wanted to understand how cells aged. I also chose this article because it had interesting pictures and a catchy subheading. I also chose this because I love learning about different findings in biology. I find it fascinating that we don’t really know what is going on inside our bodies. We can hurt ourselves without realizing it, just by eating the food we eat or drinking things. Overall, I wanted to understand more about how the human really works.
I learned so much from this article. I never realized there was protein on every single one of our cells, and overtime, we can damage the protein without realizing it. I also did not realize toxins could get into our nucleus, altering DNA and genes. I was also surprised by the fact that scientists have never discovered this before. I learned so much from this article!
Critical Thinking Question: How do you think the toxins impact cellular aging?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120203180905.htm
I think the toxins begin to dissolve the genetic material, and destroy the cell from the inside out. thus destroying the brain eventually.
Before that plasma torch was invented, there was a plasma beam toothbrush, a blast of room-temperature plasma destroys every bit of plaque and bacteria in your mouth. Scientist have discovered that this plasma beam also removes all pathogens on the surface of raw chicken. It is said that when raw chicken has a normal amount of pathogens, this plasma almost completely eliminated them. This invention/technology is still to expensive to fit into the streamlined production of poultry. The scientists that study this treatment say that this technology increase that shelf life of raw meat by removing microorganisms responsible for spoilage. I found this article to be very interesting. This was because I never knew that there was a technology that could kill every single bacteria on a chicken breast’s surface. Especially at such a low temperature. I wonder if this will ever reach streamline production. The information that I learned when reading this article was that such little devices can kill such small organisms that aren’t visible to the naked eye. In addition, I never knew that you could have a toothbrush that kills bacteria in such a short time.
Link: http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-02/cool-plasma-torch-kills-germs-raw-chicken
Critical Thinking question: How could this technology save people money?
I think that this technology could save people money because with the tooth brush, you probably won’t have to visit the dentist as often. Also it can save money in terms of chicken because if you take a while to eat the chicken you buy, and it ends up spoiling before you finish it you will have to buy another one. If the spoiling is put off for a couple of days, you could finish it without having to buy another.
This technology could save us money in many ways. For example we could save money on buying supplies for cleaning the chickens, and other types of meat. It could also save us money because if the way we normally clean chickens does not take all the pathogens off then people could get sick therefore having to spend money on medicine, and treatments. If we were able to use this technology where it took all the pathogens off we could save money on medical bills. There are many other ways we could save money by using this technology, on taking germs off meat.
This can easily save people money by not having to buy more tooth brushes and toothpaste. This device will only need to be bought once so you dont ever have to buy it again. The problem with this device is that from what I read it seems it uses radiation to get the plaque off. This radiation might give the user an illness like cancer. Other than that I think this product will be great for people who want to buY one toothbrush in their life.
The plasma beam toothbrush could save people a lot of money. It could save them several visits to the dentist. If it destroys every bit of plaque and bacteria in your mouth. Then you don’t have to go to the dentist and spend a lot of money to get your teeth whitened. Also if it removes pathogens on meat it could prevent people from getting sick and causing them to spend money on medicine.
Warm and Furry but They pack a Toxic Punch
Summary: The African crested rat is a deadly rat that has a wonderful survival strategy against predators: deterring them with chemical weapons. Venoms and repellents are rare in nature. Many insects, frogs, snakes, jellyfish and other phyletic animals use them as protection, however, mammals generally rely on their offense and defense such as teeth, claws, muscles, keen senses, or quick wits. Therefore, it is strange that this rat has a chemical weapon. Skunks and zorilles mimic the sulfurous stink of a swamp. Other mammals chemically restrain themselves against smaller foes: warding off ticks with extracts and/or rubbing themselves with potent antimicrobial secretions by glands. The researchers determined the rat spends many hours gnawing on bark and roots of trees. One little nip is all it would take to sicken or kill a predator. The rat is also equipped with many great bites. The rat eats a lot of things general animals won’t.
Reaction: I thought this was a very unique talent for the rat. Although I do think this is somewhat disgusting, I find it interesting as well. A rat with a new capability is a great discovery. I wonder what tough fight this rat must be putting up with its predators. This proves to all of us that there is always room for ore discoveries to happen!
Reason for choosing it: I really like animals and I enjoy reading articles about them; no matter what animal it is. I thought this was a nice discovery that may help us discover new things related to animals like this crested rat. Also, it was very informative and easy to understand, in my opinion. This gave me a better idea about different components animals could have, that us people, never knew about. Also, since this was a new discovery, I thought it would be good to write about.
Information learned: I learned that there are many ways to discover things about animals. Also, I learned that most mammals protect themselves with offense or defense while phyletic creatures use venom instead. In addition, I learned more about this rat’s characteristics such as it likes to gnaw on wood. This article, I think helps us understand more about animal nature.
Link to article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/31/science/these-mammals-pack-a-toxic-punch.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=science
Critical thinking question: How do you think this rat developed the quality of chemical deterring?
I think that the rat developed this quality through natural selection. A few hundred or thousand years ago, a rat may have been born with a mutation that allowed it to produce this poison. This rat would have had a greater chance of surviving than a normal rat, and went on to pass its poison to its children. This child would then pass the poison on to its children, and so on.
If there is life on Mars it is likely it is found far under the surface of the arid Red Planet, according to a study released Friday. A research team led by London’s Imperial College has concluded that the surface of Mars has been arid for hundreds of millions of years. The research team, which spent three years analyzing Martian soil collected during the 2008 NASA Phoenix mission to the northern arctic region of the red planet, challenges assumptions that Mars may have had a warmer and wetter period in its earlier history more than three billion years ago. The report is the latest to examine whether Mars hosted life in the past. In August of 2012, data from NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander suggested liquid water has interacted with the Martian surface throughout the planet’s history and into modern times. The research also provides new evidence that volcanic activity has persisted on the Red Planet into geologically recent times, several million years ago.
Measurements gathered by the space probe suggested that liquid water primarily existed at temperatures near freezing and that hydrothermal systems similar to Yellowstone’s hot springs have been rare throughout the planet’s past. Measurements concerning carbon dioxide showed Mars is a much more active planet than previously thought. The results imply Mars has replenished its atmospheric carbon dioxide relatively recently, and the carbon dioxide has reacted with liquid water present on the surface. Earlier this year, NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity discovered “bright veins of a mineral,” likely gypsum, dropped by water. The discovery is considered the first bit of evidence suggesting water had flowed across the planet.
The report comes as NASA and the European Space Agency are embarking on a mission to analyze soil samples on the Red Planet.
http://www.thestatecolumn.com/science/does-mars-have-life-new-study-says-its-unlikely-on-the-surface/
based on this, do you think mars has life on its surface?
Based on this article i don’t think mars has life on it because mars has no water which is needed to support life. Also if there is life on mars i think we would of discovered it by now.
In the article that I read is about scientist found parts of human bodies in a cold Siberian cave. Causes the temperature the tissue in the bodies were perfectly preserved. The bodies were over 40,000 years old and scientist did discover some changes in the bone structure rather compared to a modern day human. When cavemen roomed the Earth they were divided into three categories. The names were Neanderthals, Denisovan and Homo floresiensis. Today modern day humans are considered hybrids of the original three species. Even though those species have been extinct the DNA is still in people depending on where the come from in the world. And when these species interbred they would create sub-species. Scientist guesses that we are the only planet with the some type of species but not all living at the same point in time. We are just beginning to discover remains from our ancestral past because we have explored place where we think people would have lived. My reaction to this article is that I thought we had discovered everything there is to discover about our past but I guess we have a little more digging to do. The reason I choose this article is because I always have had an interest in the background of the human ancestors. The information that I have learned is that we have many more discoveries to make.
Critical Thinking Question:
Do you think that there could be more than just ancient human remains in other parts of the world that are yet to be discovered?
Citation:
Mitchell, Alanna. “DNA Turning Human Story Into a Tell-All.” http://Www.nytimes.com. 31 Jan. 2012. Web. 4 Feb. 2012. .
I thought that this article was very interesting! For one thing, I never knew that cavemen were divided into the three categories that they were divided in. (Ex. Neanderthals, Denisovan, and Homo Floresiensis) As for the answer to the critical thinking question, I definetely think that there are more ancient human remains. There have been so many natural disasters that we are not aware of, in ancient times. Erosion and other movements of the planet have also changed and occured in the past years. This means that the rotations and other habits of the planet could have been different in ancient times. Of course, we haven’t even discovered everything there is to discover on our planet, as well as we haven’t discovered all the bodies preserved up on mountains and so on.
I thought your article was very interesting! Yes, I do think there could be more ancient remains in the world that haven’t been disocvered because the world is so large that is impossible to cover all the land and the ocean during a lifetime. There are no records to show events that happened millions of years ago in certain parts of the world, so we will never be able to find everything there is to find in the world. Additionally, who knows what kinds of animals and other species there were that may have lived deep in the ocean or at the top of the highest mountains? There is always more to discover and more to learn, so I do believe that there are more human and animal remains to be found. Throughout the centuries, people have continued to find new remains, so chances are there are a lot more discoveries to be made.
I do think there could be ancient human remains that have not been discovered yet all over the world. I think this because people could have been anywhere in ancient times, and we wouldn’t have known a thing. They could have migrated and lost people on the way and left their bodies there. There are just some things in the world we will never fully know or understand.
A new planet has been found that’s 4.5 the size of Earth. This newly found planets name is GJ 667Cc. It’s near the curving tail of the constallation Scorpius which happens to be 22 light years away. The planet is also young and may easily hold water, and it’s still not known to be habitable. Scientists still haven’t found what it’s made of or the density. GJ 667Cc’s star is a red dwarf yet the planets are near the star giving the planets livable weather conditions. This is the most exoplanet as of now.
Critical thinking question: Do you think that there are more exoplanets nearby? If so how long do you think it will take before we may travel there?
Link: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/338148/description/Super-Earth_spotted_in_life-friendly_zone
I do think there are more exoplanets near by. I think we just have not found them yet but soon we will since we found this one. I do think it will be years before we travel there because the scientists need to know so much more information about the planet before some goes and risks their life. We probably will visit the planets but as the scientists said there is a lot more work to be done!
I chose this article because it seemed interesting that there may be another habitable planet nearby. I have learned that exoplantes are planets that are possibly able to support life and planets like earth.
Summary:
This article was about a species of rat that is very poisioness. It is called the African crested rat and it can make a lion fall with its bite. unlike most mammles that rely on defence or offence this rat relys on its chemicals. this rat is big and has a heavy coat of fur so it doesn’t even look like a rat. the black and white fur of this rat makes it deadly in both day and night. scientist say that this might be a more revolized skunk with can be deadly. it gets its poision from eating the bark of the Acokanthera tree. the toxins from this tree is what hunters use to kill elephants. this is truely a miracle for all mammles, a rat might have the capabilities of killing an elephant!
Reaction:
I was shocked to hear that there is a new species of rat that is poisioness. also, to hear that it might have the capabilities to kill an elephant made me shiver.
Reason:
i chose this article because i saw the picture of an animal that looked like a fat skunk. also, the name spiked my curiousity a little.
Information Learned:
i learned that there is a poisioness rat that could kill an elephant. Also, that it gets its poision from eating the bark of a Acokanthera tree.
Link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/31/science/these-mammals-pack-a-toxic-punch.html?_r=1&ref=science
Critical Thinking Question:
Do you think this species might pose a threat to the human species or not?
This specie might cause a threat to the human species. Only if not exterminated immedieatly. If this starts to contaminate other humans or things that we interact with, this can be a big threat.
I think that these might be a threat to human species because like you said, It could kill an elephant. What I wonder after reading this article is that if there are any other animals simliar to this one. I also wonder if any other animal at the bark of a Acokanthera tree, if they would turn poisonous too. This was a really interesting summary because I have never heard of this animal before.
I definitely think that this rat could be a threat to humans. If it can take down a lion, it could take down a human which is a lot smaller. Also, humans don’t have the best eyesight at night, so we might not be able to see it in the dark.
This species might pose a threat to humans because the rat is poisonous. It can cause a lion to fall of one bite. The rat has to have chemicals. It could also affect on humans because it is big and it could fill humans with poison. Big rats can caused humans to yell and run and can caused a big chaos.
Yes I think it could be a threat to humans. Since people aren’t used to rats being poisonous they may not see it as a threat. To them it may not look dangerous so they may not realize that its poisonous. Also, it is deadly at day and night.
I think this species would pose a threat to humans. If this rat can take out ELEPHANTS and LIONS, then it can definitely take us out! These rats sound really dangerous and concerning, and I hope I don’t meet one any time in the future.
The science article that I read was on Crocodiles. A Crocodile is a reptile. Normally a very large reptile.This species is from the family Crocodlidae. This reptile is an aquatic one. They can be found in swamps and murkey areas in Asia, America, Australia and Africa. Crocodiles have a more prehistoric look. Being the most aggresive reptile to walk the earth today. These beasts will eat absolutely anything besides vegetables. Crocodiles can start at about 3.5ft and can grow all the way to 9ft. They have a very rugged and nasty skin. Often used to make things such as leather hide bags. On average, Crocs can live up to around 70 years old. The oldest up to date being 130 years old. The jaw strength of a Croc is estimated to crunch as hard as dropping a brick from 2 busses high.
The reason i chose this article is because this is a very strange species that interests me. I learned a lot about this animal being that I have no prior knowledge.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crocodile
Question: Can you tell the differnce between a Croc and an Aligator.
The article I read talked about whether animals dream or not. The answer to that question is yes, animals do dream. REM sleep is a stage of sleep in which the most vivid and memorable dreams occur. The article says that insects and fish don’t experience REM sleep. Certain birds experience REM sleep while all mammals experience it. Scientists are unsure whether reptiles experience REM sleep or not. Infants of all species dream more often. The reason behind dreaming still remains a mystery.
I think that this article is very interesting. It makes me wonder what kinds of things animals dream about. This also makes me wonder how scientists know that animals dream. I chose this article because I was curious as to whether animals dreamed or not. I have always wanted to know if animals dreamt. I learned that animals do, in fact, dream. I also learned that only certain kinds of animals dream. I even learned that there are different kinds of sleep phases.
Link to article: http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-01/do-animals-dream
What kinds of things do you think animals dream about?
This article is about how scientists think there hasn’t been any life on mars because they think they found a discovery. Researchers say from how the soil and rock is, there hasn’t been any water there for an estimated three billion years. But, when there was water on mars, it wasn’t there to stay, long enough so life couldn’t sustain itself, and died off, when the drought came.
When I read this article, my reaction didn’t really change. But my curiosity did go away. Now I know why there has not been life on mars for quite some time now. I chose this article because it seemed interesting, and it has been a question of mine for some time. I am glad to see that we have finally come up with an answer.
Site:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120203092006.htm
Question:
If water did come back to mars, what types of life, if any, do you think will appear after 5,000 years?
Path is Found for the Spread of Alzheimer’s
This article was about how different scientists are discovering causes for Alzheimer’s. Researchers have now discovered that Alzheimer’s isn’t being spread by an infection from viruses or bacteria, but from a protein called tau. After discovering this, researchers may believe that the disease, Parkinson’s may spread the same way. The way tau works, is that it starts in a small area in the brain. Then, it gradually moves outwards to areas that involve remembering and reasoning. Now, scientists believe that they can stop Alzheimer’s by finding an antibody that blocks tau.
I think that this article was extremely interesting because I’ve always wondered how these diseases like Alzheimer’s started. This article was very informative because it had a lot of reasoning and it showed many new facts. I chose this article because Alzheimer’s is a condition that can happen to anybody and it’s a condition that you see everyday. I wanted to read about it because I wanted to learn more about it so I’ll be able to know a little bit of information.
I learned a lot from this article. I learned that it takes a lot of time to find a cure for a disease like Alzheimer’s. Also, I learned that there are a lot of factors that need to be figured out to determine the cause of a disease.
Do you think that Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s the caused the same way?
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/02/health/research/alzheimers-spreads-like-a-virus-in-the-brain-studies-find.html?ref=health
NASA Takes First Ever Video of Dark Side of the Moon…
A video of the far side of the moon has recently been recorded and sent back to Earth. This video was captured by one of the two Grail (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory) probes sent into space by NASA in September of 2011 to record the moon’s gravity field. The two probes are called Ebb and Flow and are using special cameras called MoonKAM. These cameras will also be used by middle school students in the USA to explore the moon as a part of an educational project. These students will be able to request that different areas of the moon be photographed by Ebb and Flow. More than 2,500 schools have signed up so far, according to former astronaut Sally Rid, who is at the head of the MoonKAM project. The main purpose of this project is to excite kids with science and encourage them to enter science fields.
I felt really excited after reading this article. I think that it’s a great idea to use technology in such an educational way. I also thought that it was great that they got a video of the far side of the moon; only robotic spacecraft and Apollo astronauts have seen it before, and now it’s available to the general public.
I chose this article because I knew that the far side of the moon had never been seen before and I wanted to read and share knowledge about it. I also chose this article because I thought that it was interesting that it was the first set of NASA cameras on a mission dedicated solely to education and public outreach.
I learned a lot by reading this article. I learned that the far side of the moon is completely covered in craters. To quote the article I read, it is “a stark, scarred landscape.” I also learned about the MoonKAM project.
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/02/02/nasa-probe-captures-1st-video-moons-far-side/
What would you use the MoonKAM cameras for, if our school participated in the project?
Specifically, what parts of the moon would you take pictures of?
In my opinion if our school were to participate in this project I would use the MoonKAM to take data about the craters, lava plains, valleys, and mountains.I would also use the MoonKAM to watch the moon in action moving around the earth, did you know the moon travels around the earth 2,288 miles per hour.This very special camera would be great for taking pictures of the craters, saddle rock, astronaut trail’s and foot prints from past visitors. If we were able to be a part of this project we would be able to see what many of our fellow living peers may not be able to see. It would be a breath taking experience to see things we don’t see everyday, which is why I think that our school should sign up to participate in the project.
Plastic-Eating Fungus Found
One of the most biodiverse places on the planet is called Yasuni National Park and it is located in Ecuador. Researchers from Yale University voyaged here to explore to find fungi that can eat polyurethane plastics. Although you wouldn’t expect it, the researchers found more than one fungi who does just this! The reason that these fungi can be used, you ask? Well, these fungi can survive without oxygen meaning they can potentially be used for bioremediation. Bioremediation is purposely introducing microorganisms other forms of life to consume environmental pollutants. Thus, saying that bioremediation cleans up polluted sites. In a lab, the researchers also proved that these fungus could degrade plastic.
I think that it is really interesting that researchers can discover a fungi that can actually degrade plastic. Since humans use so much plastic ever year and also create so much waste, it is good that they finally found something that can potentially help illuminate some of this waste. The reason I chose this article was because I wanted to make people aware of this very interesting information. While I was reading this article, I learned what bioremediation was and many other things.
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/plastic-eating-fungus-found.html
Critical Thinking Question: What is bioremediation?
Scientists have known for years that Alzheimer’s is caused by dying cells with tau in them. These cells spread into areas of the brain where memories are stored. Slowly, the disease moves to other parts of the body affecting someone’s judgment and their ability to remember. For a very long time, researchers cannot decide as to why this is happening, and they have been debating between two explanations. The first theory is that the disease is passed from neutron to neutron, using the path that never cells use. The second explanation is that some parts of the brain are susceptible to disease than others. However, the recent studies shed new light on the topic. Studies show that Alzheimer’s can be prevented early on by preventing cell to cell transmission. Researchers suggested an antibody that blocks tau. In a study done at Harvard and Columbia, scientists put the abnormal human tau proteins in tissue behind the ears’ of mice , hoping to find some answers. As time went by, cells began to die toward the middle of the brain, and tau showed up there. Even though this experiment was conducted on mice, researchers say that because mice and humans can make the same gene, the same process occurs in humans. The pattern of cell death in the mice matched those of the patterns of humans that have died of Alzheimer’s.
I was very surprised that scientists are very close to discovering a cure for this disease. A family member of mine has Alzheimer’s and I was very curious to hear about what scientist have found. It was very sad to see my great aunt begin to slowly loose her memory and become worse every year. At a recent family party, she didn’t even remember who my brother, sister and I were. I learned many things from this article. For example, I found it fascinating that mice could made the same gene as humans could after it was placed in their systems genetically.
Now that scientists have made a breakthrough, in what ways both negative and positive might society benefit from this?
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/02/health/research/alzheimers-spreads-like-a-virus-in-the-brain-studies-find.html?ref=science
The Forbidden Fruit of Medicinal Mushrooms 2-5-12
The article I read was about how mushrooms can be used for medicinal purposes.
Paul Stamets, the founder of a company that produces mushrooms for medicinal purposes called Fungi Perfecti. Mushrooms have been used since the time of ancient Greece. One reason that mushrooms have never been considered for medicine is people’s paranoia. People don’t understand mushrooms that well, so they think all mushrooms are poisonous.
. Professor George Hudler of Cornell University is also considering the medicinal uses of mushrooms. He says in about 10 years, he will see an incredible expansion in that field. Out of 150,000 types of mushrooms, only 14,000 types have been discovered.
A certain type of mushroom called a shiitake benefits the immune system and lowers cholesterol. Also, mushrooms are now being considered to prevent cancer and other diseases. Mushrooms with bacteria can be eaten, but only when cooked well. However, poisonous ones will harm you no matter what.
My reaction to this article is surprise. I didn’t know that mushrooms could be used for medicine. I knew mushrooms were edible, however. I also didn’t know that mushrooms could be used to prevent cancer. This would help the world a lot. We could use these discoveries to find a cure to cancer. I want to see how the program at Cornell University turns out. I picked this article because I thought it was interesting. We never hear about mushrooms being used as medicine. I thought this was unique. It is like a replacement for herbs. I learned that mushrooms could be used for medicinal purposes.
Why do you think certain foods have certain medicinal properties?
Link: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/02/health/tedmed-mushroom-man/index.html?hpt=he_c2
Little Ice Age Began With A Bang
In the 13th century when there were cold summers, and ice freezing winters, studies say that it all happened from a volcano explosion. A string of volcanic explosions may have set off this change in climate by belching particles that reflected sunlight and allowed Arctic sea ice to reach epic proportions. A geologist from the University of Colorado Boulder said “This cooling wasn’t gradual; it was an abrupt shift.” By the 17th century ice skating in London became very popular. However then the temperatures started decreasing.
I can’t believe that the ice age started all because of a shift in the Earth. This occurred from a volcano. So I decided to choose this article to read about because I never really thought or cared about the Ice Age, and this is a new topic I would like to know about. I learned that after the Earths shift started getting back to normal the temperature started to rise again. I am happy that I chose to read this article because I never knew this is how the ice age started.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/338160/title/Little_Ice_Age_began_with_a_bang
critical question: Do you think that the ice age can happy again?
I’d say the ice age could happen again. I mean really, anything could potentially happen again. I’m not sure how exactly, but I’m sure it’s possible. I know global warming (NOT A MYTH) makes summers hotter, and winters cooler, so maybe in a bunch of years after we’re long gone, there’ll be some huge environmental crisis in either fall or spring caused by too much heat being turned into cold or vise-versa. So yeah, I’d say it COULD happen. Will it? Well, there’s no way to be sure about that yet.
Fish Eyes Go Green: This article is about the greeneye fish and its advantage when it comes to sight. When you look at a greeneye fish in plain daylight, it looks like a long, skinny fish with big eyes. However, if you turn on a dim blue-violet bulb, you can see that there is something very special about the greeneye fish’s eyes, and you can immediately understand how its name came to be. Their eyes glow an eerie green, because they are fluorescent. That means that the eyes absorb one color of light, and give off another color. This is a great advantage for the fish because scientists have found that it helps them to see predators and prey. The greeneye fish live about 160 to 3,300 feet below the surface, where it is very dark, and many creatures glow a blue-violet color. The special eyes that the greeneye fish have allow them to see these animals easily, because they can see the blue-violet color. Scientists made some discoveries about the retinas of the fish that they are not 100% sure about yet. All of this information is very new to them, but they have worked hard to understand as much as possible about the sight of the greeneye fish. The most progress they were able to make was to compare the retina of the greeneye fish to the human retina. When light passes through the human lens, it goes through the retina and produces and image consisting of many colors that we see. In the greeneye fish, the retina makes an image that only detects the certain green color. The scientists say that they will continue to research the retina of the greeneye fish, along with the wavelengths of different colors, to come up with a more final conclusion about the greeneye fish’s sight. Right now, they are all very excited about this new and amazing discovery.
Reaction: I found this article to be interesting, but at the same time, slightly confusing. It was interesting because I don’t usually hear a lot about eyesight in different animals, especially those that live underwater. It was nice to hear some good, out of the ordinary news. I found it a little confusing because the scientists weren’t 100% sure about the discoveries that they had made because the information was so new. The article was a little jumbled up at some parts, and I had to read them over to understand them.
Reason for Choosing: When I saw the title of this article, I was intrigued, and when I saw that it wasn’t too long, I decided to read it. When I was done reading, I realized that apart from a few confusing spots, I had mainly understood it. I also like the topic, and knew that it was probably the best article I was going to be able to find at the time. I didn’t want to spend more time searching for an article to use when I had a pretty good one right in front of me.
Information Learned: Because I had never heard about the greeneye fish before, this entire article was new news to me. Besides learning what a greeneye fish is, I also learned all about their unique sense of sight, and how it mainly works. There was also a paragraph or so about fluorescence and dim blue-violet light, which I had never understood before. Every sentence in the article contained a piece of information that was new to me.
Link to Article: http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2012/01/fish-eyes-go-green/
Critical Thinking Question: Do you think that the greeneye fish’s eyes are this way because they have adapted over time, or do you think that their eyes were like this when the species started out? Explain.
To me, I believe that the fish’s green eyes adapted over time. My reason for my thinking is that when humans started out, we were a lot different. Over the years, we drastically adapted into the forms of human beings people know today. So, my point is that this process of evolution could have had something to do with the adaption of the green eyed fish. Wonderful response!
The article “Looking Forward, Fiji Turns to Its Canoeing Past” by Ginanne Brownell was about how canoeing and making canoes have been a tradition in Fijji for many years. However, many nonprofit groups have been working to make canoes that are better for the economy and the environment. There are a numerous amount of similar projects being worked on that can be better for Fiji. People promoting the projects say they hope their creations will reduce energy consumption and provide cheaper and easier transportation for islanders who are far from their destinations. Also, using the traditional Fijian canoe will keep old customs alive and create a new source of income from tourists.
Moreover, canoes have played an important part in the history of Fiji. According to the article, canoes were used so frequently when voyaging traders settled in the islands over 5,000 years ago. Their canoes are equivalent to our cell phones and computers today because they became a part of everyday life in activities such as trading, traveling, and fighting against other tribes. Throughout the years (starting from the mid-1800′s), canoeing became less popular because new, modern, European boats seemed more efficient. Nevertheless, since the world has been dealing with a recession and issues with climate change, reverting to the old traditions could save money and energy.
I chose this article because the title grabbed my attention. I didn’t know much about Fiji, so I was interested to learn more about it. Also, I didn’t know that canoes were important to Fiji’s history, so I was very curious to read about it.
From this article, I learned that canoes were used for everything thousands of years ago. I had seen tribes use canoes for battle in old movies about uncharted islands, but I never knew that they played such a vital role in everyday activities! I also learned that canoes are really helpful to the environment and the economy because they save money and energy.
I enjoyed reading this article because I thought it was interesting to learn more about Fiji and its culture. Besides just being a tradition, canoeing has so many benefits to Fiji. Not only does canoeing save money (the price of fuel for regular boats is expensive!), but it doesn’t pollute the air and water like regular boats do. Conjointly, making canoes provides more jobs for the jobless and people are getting physical exercise from paddling. Even though America is not an island surrounded by water, it seems like canoeing would solve a lot of our problems if we used it here! Overall, I enjoyed the article because people in Fiji have found a way to use old customs to solve new problems.
Article Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/04/business/global/looking-forward-fiji-turns-to-its-canoeing-past.html?_r=1&ref=world
Critical Thinking Question: What other ways do you think canoeing and making canoes could help Fiji? Why do you think this?
Alzheimer’s disease spreads throughout the brain cells as fast as an infection. But it is not a virus or bacteria that is being spread. It is a protein called tau. Tau-filled cells first emerge in the part of the brain where memories are made and stored. It then spreads to the part of the brain involving remembering and reasoning. Scientists are still debating whether the disease is transmitted from neuron to neuron, or the same brain areas are just more resilient than others and resist the disease longer. Through new studies, scientists discovered that it might be possible to create an antibody that would bring Alzheimer’s to a halt by preventing cell-to-cell transmissions. The test have been preformed on mice to make sure it is safe. They have also discovered that a protein called beta amyloid, which is different from tau, may set off Alzheimer’s disease as it begins to accumulate in the brain.
When I read this article, I was happy to learn that many steps are being made to stop Alzheimer’s. It’s such a relief to know that they have discovered key pieces to finishing the puzzle. I chose this article because I have had a lot of family members who had Alzheimer’s disease and I wanted to learn more about it. After reading this article, I learned that Alzheimer’s disease can spread really fast throughout the brain and that the protein beta amyloid could possibly set off the disease.
Link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/02/health/research/alzheimers-spreads-like-a-virus-in-the-brain-studies-find.html?ref=health
Critical Thinking:Do you think an antibody could be made that could destroy tau-filled cells before they spread?
New “Super Earth” Found at Right Distance for Life
While reading this article I learned that a new planet which the scientist think that it is a rocky super- Earth. It has been found within its star’s habitable zone. The planet orbits a red dwarf star 22 light-years from Earth in the constellation Scorpio. The new planet has a mass of 4.5. It orbits a host star every 28 days.
Question- Based on this summary do you think the new planet is twice the size as Earth?
Link is here
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/02/120202-new-planet-super-earth-habitable-zone-life-space-science/
After reading this article I was shocked that a new planet was found. I wonder if humans will be able to go to the new planet. This article was very interesting because I learned about this new planet. If I were an astronaut I would take a trip to the new planet.
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2011/11/the-secret-songs-of-giant-beavers/
Giant beavers, which vanished from North America about 10,000 years ago, had a secret in their heads, a long compartment that stretched from front to back in the animals’ skull. Caroline Rinaldi, a paleontologist who studies extinct mammals, may have figured out the chamber’s purpose. She recently presented her ideas to a meeting of scientists in Las Vegas, using a plastic copy of the skull’s hidden tunnel to demonstrate her surprising find. The hidden passage had no opening to the outside of the skull and ran underneath the airway connecting the nose and throat. Where the two passageways touched, a long, skinny slit would have let air through. Sounds bouncing around inside the skull’s sinus cavities could have become louder.
In addition to bone, animals use soft tissues to vocalize. As a result, the sounds Rinaldi made at the meeting probably differed from the beaver cries last heard 10,000 years ago. “We don’t have the soft tissue,” she said. Soft tissue includes things like organs and membranes, which unlike bone are rarely preserved as fossils. Despite coming from the same family, modern beavers won’t help scientists like Rinaldi solve mysteries about the giants. Their skulls are shaped differently. Giant beavers, along with other large animals, flourished during the last Ice Age, which started about 70,000 years ago and ended around the time the giant beaver went extinct. Many beasts alive during the time period looked like oversized versions of modern animals, but their bodies didn’t necessarily work in the same ways.
I thought it was really cool how she has the head but I didn’t really understand what she was going to do with it and why. And if they only have the head and don’t have any soft tissue they most likely can’t do all of the studies they would want to do. Something I learned was what soft tissue was. I just thought that it was tissue in you body but it really is things like organs and membranes, which unlike bone are rarely preserved as fossils. I choose this artical because I love animals and I there was a picture right next to it of the skull and I thought it looked really cool.
Question: What would you do with the skull if you had it?
What I would do with the skull if I have it is that I would donate it to a musuem so they could display it and people could all see and little kids can see what just a head of a a giant beaver and they could try to imagine what it would look like.
Summary: Scientists are puzzled by the area just outside our solar system. The matter is different and their is a change of oxygen. It is stranger than expected. Life could be found under ice or dust, according to scientists. We have found out this information from the Nasa’s spacecraft, Interstellar Boundary Explorer spacecraft which launched in 2008. It circles 200,00 miles above Earth, spotting the particles that enter our solar system. Even though scientists have learned more information about the atoms outside of the solar system, they say this probably won’t help scientists for help on their hunt for life on another planet.
Reaction: I was surprised that scientists were puzzled by this because they know so much about space and have many spacecrafts orbiting around. I thought it was interesting how the matter is different outside. I wonder why that is. I wonder what else we will found out about space outside the solar system.
Reason: I chose this article because the title caught my attention. It said that scientists were puzzled about outside the solar system so I wanted to read on and find out what made it different. I also like reading science articles about space.
Info Learned: I learned that the atoms outside of our solar system have less oxygen. Scientists are confused because this is unusual. They found out this information from a spacecraft that studies matter that enters our solar system.
Link: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/space-solar-system-15482000#.Ty8LKV0UtQQ
Critical Thinking Q: Why do you think there is less oxygen outside the solar system?
In China, a toxic spill poisoned the drinking water of tens of millions of peoples. On the Longjiang river, 200 miles of drinking water for millions was suddenly useless. The spill was of Cadmium, a heavy metal and poisonous component of batteries. It can cause kidney failure and bone damage, if ingested. The cadmium spill is devastating to millions of Chinese citizens.7 officials were fired from their jobs after this. One of which neglected to report the spill and botch the cleanup. Also, several workers responsible for the spill were arrested. Officials said that 90,000 pounds of fish and krill were killed in the spill. Worse, hundreds of villagers drank the tainted water for almost a week before being warned. Lives were lost in this spill. This is a terrible tragedy. The people responsible should pay for the lives lost. The fishing industry also took a hit when the fish died. Hundreds of thousands of dollars of fish were wasted in this. These people should go to jail for a long, long time. The reason i picked this article was for its involvement in both social studies and science. I learned that the stuff in batteries is poisonous.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/world/asia/china-fires-officials-for-not-reporting-toxic-spill.html?ref=science
How long do you think the people responsible should go to jail for?
Soil has a couple different layers. The layers are topsoil, subsoil, parent material, and bedrock. Each of these layers has a different job for the plants that grow in it. The first layer, topsoil is the home of living things. It is a mixture of horizon and humus. The horizon is made up of rocks and sand. Humus is made up of decomposing insects, dead plants and crunchy leaves. All the organic matter makes the humus rich. The next layer is subsoil. The second layer is fairly thin but holds the elements of plants growing. To be exact the 16 elements! Next is the parent material. This layer can be thin or thick depending on where you live. It makes up the topsoil and starts up the process gain. The parent material is made up of rock and minerals. The final layer in soil under your feet is the bedrock layer. The final rock is not thin and it can run many kilometers in the earth. This layer, when exposed to wind and rain can turn into the parent material layer.
I was not aware of the many layers the soil has and I was not aware of the different jobs each layers have to keep the plants living!
I learned that the second layer of soil holds all the nutrients and elements to make plants live! Also I learned that there were 16 elements in all.
I chose this article simply because I was curious to learn about the different layers of soil and to understand the material that is consistently under my feet.
American Chemical Society – The World’s Largest Scientific Society. Web. 05 Feb. 2012. .
The article I read was called “Unraveling a Butterfly’s Aerial Antics Could Help Builders of Bug-Size Flying Robots”. It was about how engineers have been making tiny robots called micro aerial vehicles or MAVs. These robots are being made to carry out search-and-rescue and environmental missions when people cannot. (Sometimes it can be life-risking for us.) The robots have to be small and must be able to fly to navigate through narrow alleys and get a birds-eye-view perspective. The robots must be able to turn quickly and be skillful in maneuverability, which is exactly what butterflies can do. The article states that a butterfly beats its wings 25 times per second, which is why when taking pictures of the butterflies so they can use their movement for the robots, they have to use special cameras. It also said, “Ice skaters who want to spin faster bring their arms in close to their bodies and extend their arms out when they want to slow down. These positions change the spatial distribution of a skater’s mass and modify their moment of inertia; this in turn affects the rotation of the skater’s body. An insect may be able to do the same thing with its body and wings.”
I think this article is really cool! I never knew about MAVs; it was interesting to learn about them through the article. Plus, there were lots of intriguing facts about butterflies that blew my mind, like with the beating their wings 25 times per second fact. I love butterflies, and that was one of the reasons why I picked this article to read. Also, the title sounds pretty cool. The article made me want to rush outside and study some butterflies! However, I remembered that it’s winter, so, of course, I didn’t.
I learned that the mass of a butterfly’s wings is lesser than the rest of its body and mass distribution is important for an insect to fly. I also learned that butterflies move too quickly for the way their wings work can’t be seen with the naked eye, which I’ve never really noticed before.
Here’s the link to the article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202151608.htm
Why might some places that MAVs have to go to be dangerous for humans?
The article that I read was about how decaffeinated coffee may help with improving memory loss and risk of diabetes. Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that decaffeinated coffee may improve brain energy metabolism associated with type 2 diabetes.This brain dysfunction is also associated with other brain handicaps, such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. A study was taken place to tell whether drinking decaffeinated coffee before ever having diabetes may help insulin resistance and glucose utilization in mice with diet-induced type 2 diabetes. This study took place over a 5 month long period while the the brains of the mice were monitored. They found that the brain was able to more effectively metabolize glucose and use it for cellular energy in the brain. My reaction to this article was mixed. I believe that its great that they found this but I also think that it’s a bit cruel to test on animals, even though it was only giving them a bit of coffee. they could have used human volunteers, it’s not like they’d die from drinking coffee. My reason for choosing this article is that I like to research how the brain reacts to everyday life and this just happened to pop up. The information I learned is the type 2 diabetes, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are linked to the same place in the brain.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201092316.htm
critical thinking question:
If you could research a cure for anything, what would disease would it be for?
If I could research a cure for any disease it would be cancer. I would want to cure cancer because it is one of the most common diseases and it takes many lives way. I think that cancer is to dangerous to not have a cure, and it would save the lives of many innocent people.
Summary-A heavy metal spill has affected drinking water supplies in China. The toxic spill contaminated the water that serves for tens of millions of people, and it also affected 200 miles of a river. The cause of the spill was two companies accidently dumping a lot of the poisonous substance, cadmium, into the river. Cadmium is used in industrial products, and it can leave side effects such as bone damage and kidney failure if consumed. But, this substance was left in the river last month, and people continually drank their water and used it for cooking, unaware of the contamination.
Seven officials were fired as a result of this toxic spill, for not figuring out this problem and reporting it earlier. A news media says that some of the people fired were heads of an environmental protection setup in a city, but they still did not quickly begin a clean up. People who were involved in this toxic spill have been disciplined for putting other’s health at stake and poisoning a river. Plus, the police have arrested people from a factory and a mining company who are put to blame for the spill. More than one million fry have been killed in the river, as well as 90,000 pounds of fish, all from one toxic spill. For days, villagers were consuming the river water, and now officials say it will be another month before the river is totally safe.
Reaction-I think that is it horrible that the people near the river were blindly drinking unsafe water. I would be extremely angry with officials for not solving the problem sooner. I think that firing people from their jobs due to irresponsibility was a fit punishment, because they should have been more on top of the spill. Oil spills seem to affect communities greatly, and I think that they should be prevented more often. I hope that this won’t happen again, and that the river becomes sanitized.
Reason- I have chosen this article because the title sounded odd. I wondered why officials wouldn’t report an oil spill if it was toxic! Once I read the article, I decided to use it since I was interested by the serious contamination.
Information Learned-I have learned about the substance cadmium. I read that it is a component that also makes batteries poisonous. Next, I have learned how one spill can have such a large impact. A huge portion of a river and millions of people can suffer great problems. Also, I learned that cleansing a river is difficult. Currents can dilute the water, or the bad substance must settle.
Link- http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/world/asia/china-fires-officials-for-not-reporting-toxic-spill.html?ref=science
Critical Thinking Question: How do you think the damage of an oil spill compares to damage of other environmental disasters?
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/31/pythons-wiping-out-mammals-in-everglades-researchers-say/?iref=allsearch
In the everglades 11 years ago people introduced pythons to the national park. But people did not expect that it would almost wipe out the species that was already there. The raccoon population has declined 99.3%, the opossum population 98.9%, and the bobcat population 87.5%, the researchers reported. At this rate all indeginous species will be gone very soon. Some may die out completely. Some pythons can eat deer and even alligators. So rabbits and raccoons are easy to eat for a snake.
I feel this is scary because it used to be there werent enough snakes. Now there our to many snakes. We need to go in thier and cut down the population. If they wipe out a species it is indirectly our fault.
I chose this article because it was interesting to me and i liked to read it.
I learned that the snakes can swallow whole animals four or five times the size of their head. That is a crazy big animal.
What would you do to lower the snake population?
Last Thursday, an international team of scientists discovered a habitable super Earth orbiting a nearby star. The team used public data from the EuropeanSouthern Observatory. Scientists say that this planet is the best candidate to provide liquid water and life itself. The scientists found a clear signal of the planet with an orbital period of 28.15 days. Yet, the orbit is too narrow to support life.
I am stunned and excited from this article. My immediate reaction was complete disbelief that the scientists found another Earth. Never in my life have I been more intrigued by one article and what amazing information it has to offer on this so called “Super Earth.”
I know I should never judge a book by it’s cover, but my reason for choosing this article was because of the title. I mean, “New Super Earth detected” to me was a very grappling hook. It motivated me to read more so that I could learn more about the newly discovered planet.
The information I learned really expanded my mind. I learned that scientists use public data to
discover an unknown object in space. Also, I learned that the planet has an orbital period of 28.15 days. Thanks to these scientists, I now know that we are not alone in the universe and should continue to grow our minds beyond our capabilities.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202151434.htm
CTQ:What else do you think led these scientists to discover this planet?
I believe that scientists were inspired by the prospect of finding a new home for humanity. Long has there been tales of new Earths with bizarre aliens and other life forms. Finding one such planet would lead to hundreds upon thousands of breakthroughs in every science form biology to geology. To be the person who contributes so much to the field of science is a very tempting reward!
To discover this new “Super Earth” They could have used satellites. The technology could have scanned the area t see if it could sustain life, then they can send a rover to find water supplies and then scan for breathable air. Thats how scientists could have discovered this new “Super Earth”
My article came in the form of a question and answer. One person was curious to know why at a visit to the eye doctor, he or she was given eye drops to make their pupils larger. The response to that question said that they use a drug called mydriatics to widen the pupil, so the eye doctor can get a closer look at the retina and optic nerve. The drug stops a muscle from making the pupils smaller or larger for about an hour or so. In 1994, there was a drug called tropicamide that was tested on a group of people. Half the people had these drops in their eyes before the mydratics, and the other half took the mydratics straight up. The people with tropicamide in their eyes before-hand were able to read after about 45 minutes, while the people who took just mydratics had to wait about 65 minutes before they could read. Tropicamide was pretty successful, but was taken off the market for reasons unknown. Nothing has yet replaced it, but seeing how the average drops let people resume reading after two hours, it’s not too bad.
I was interested, I’m kind of curious as to why they took tropicamide off the market. Also, I’m hoping that the people who tried out the drops are okay and that it didn’t harm their eyesight. I was surprized that they didn’t have the reasoning to why it was taken off the market. I’m glad that I know why they put those drops in our eyes, previously I was a bit annoyed about getting drops in my eyes that made me unable to focus my eyes for like an hour and a half.
I chose this article because I liked the picture of the owls on nytimes.com, so I read the article name and was like, “Oh yeah! Those drops! I’d like to know what their purpose is!” So I clicked on it, and read it. It was not only interesting and relatively easy for me to understand, but I knew what they were talking about because I’ve had the drops in my eyes a few times. Also, I liked how it didn’t go on and on and on about the information and keep repeating what was already said.
I learned a lot from this article. For starters, the drops they put in your eye is called
mydratics, and it makes your pupils larger so they can look at your retina and optic nerve. There was a drug called tropicamide that could help you see normally faster, but they don’t sell it anymore for reasons unknown. It’s okay though, because it only takes two hours after taking mydratics to resume being able to focus your eyes for tasks like reading.
My article can be found here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/31/science/are-there-drops-to-reverse-eye-dilation.html?ref=science
My critical thinking question to YOU is this:
Would you rather take eye drops like tropicamide that may help you short term, but long term harm you OR go all natural? Why?
I would go all natural, because it is worth the time waiting. I would not use the tropicamide, because it might help in the beginning, but eventually it can severly damage me. It is worth being patient and waiting for mydratics to work. You can see clearly after 2 hours, and you just have to wait your turn!
This article is about space. Scientist have made a recent discovery that can change man kinds out look at space. Scientists have found out that there are more freely moving oxegyn particles in the solar system than there are in between the interstellar space. This fascinates scientists. Mostly because stars create air. I think this is truely fascinating and interesting, and this is also why i chose it and it caught me. My question is Why is it that this could be happening?
Link- http://news.yahoo.com/scientists-puzzled-region-outside-solar-system-231423099.html
My article is about how jelly fish are dominating the world’s oceans. Within the last two day, news reports on jelly fish have increased by more than 500 percent. The scientists however, do not understand this at all. While other sea creatures are going extinct because of pollution in the water and washing up on shore, the jelly fish still dominate the ocean. The domination of jelly fish used to be a myth, but now scientists believe that it is true. The problem is, they don’t have any data or analysis to support it.
I thought that this was very cool! Although I am scared of being stung by a jelly fish when visiting the beach, I think its cool that they are dominating the ocean, but no one knows why. It is like a mystery that will take a while to solve. Although, I think that I’m wondering what everybody else is wondering. Why is the jelly fish population growing/staying the same, when every other sea creature is becoming extinct?
I chose this article because you don’t read about jelly fish to often. At least I don’t. I also chose this because the science that interests me most is marine biology. This is because I love the ocean, and I love animals. Carrying on, I also chose this because jelly fish are just cool creatures.
After reading this article, I learned that there are surprises even in the ocean. I always thought that just regular fish dominated the ocean because of watching “Finding Nemo.” I thought this because of all of the fish you saw wondering the ocean, and because of all of the fish you saw in the school of fish. I also learned that the jelly fish aren’t being affected as much by water pollution as much as other sea creatures. Lastly, I learned that jelly fish have more capabilities then just stinging people.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46258467/ns/technology_and_science-science/#.TzA6sHSoGTs
Critical Thinking Questions:
1. Why do you think that the jelly fish dominate the water?
2. Why do you think that they aren’t being affected greatly by water pollution?
As I read your article, it really did interest me because it was cool how you described how jelly fish dominate much of the oceans waters. The question i am answering is the first one or (1st). I think that the jelly fish are dominating the water because of two or three main reasons. The first reason is that i believe that since they do not really have a big or numerous #s of predators, they are not likely to be endangered or lessened down to a lower population. The second reasons is that it could be a possibilty that the jelly fish repopulate or reproduce in large amounts or reproduce very quickly. for example, it is like insects/. Insects reproduce very quickly in large amounts because there are many eggs laid down and takes only couple days for the to hatch. In fact, Insects sometimes do not have major pray except for other insects and spiders. In conclusion, the third reason is that these jelly fished of ll kind are spy types of creatures. Most of the time they lay low. Hence, they make a good scavenger and consumer. All in all, you did a very good job with your article summary.
The article I read was about if you have a certain gene you might like eating high-fat foods than other people. People have been tested for whether or not they struggle on a low fat diet with having this gene. The results were that the people who got tested and had that gene had a harder time on that diet than people who didn’t have that type of gene. These results helped people make a diet that will not make them struggle on foods with high fats in them, if they had that specific gene. It says that people who have that gene tend to like higher fat foods more, and may be at greater risk for obesity compared to those who don’t have this form of the gene. The article concludes by saying how you are lucky if you don’t have that gene.
The reaction I had after reading this article was surprised. I was surprised because I didn’t know there were different genes that could attract to you different foods. I chose this article for many reasons. One of those reasons was that the title just caught my attention. I never knew gene could affect your eating choices, and habits. From reading this article I learned that some genes affect the way you eat.
Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120203113312.htm
Critical Thinking Question: If genes can control somewhat of what we eat, do you think there is other genes that can make us do other things?
I do believe that genes can control other things like height, interests. I believe this because my dad always says I act just like him. I have the same interests like basketball, baseball, and soccer. Height is also affected because I have height that runs through the family. My dad is tall, my mom is tall, my sisters are tall and our grandparents were tall.
I definitely think that genes can affect much more things that go on physically and mentally in our body. For example, depression and bi-polar disease, are all genetic to the mind. When you’re depressed you can either cut yourself, binge eat, or not eat at all. Surely you can stop this, but your body just reacts differently to everything that goes on mentally and physically. And just like bi-polar disease, people can say things that they don’t mean, or have an attack where they can harm people around them. Your mind (their’s speaking-wise) can’t control those things that are in your genes like depression or bi-polar disease. So, adding onto the food that some genes affect, it’s just like depression as well as bi-polar disease, but instead of the affects being mental, the ‘food gene’ is physical.
Yes, i do think that there are other genes to control other things in our bodies. For example, genes controls our hair color and eye color. Also, rather then making us eat unhealthy foods, it can make us want to eat more healthy foods as well. Although it is not a good thing to have this gene as said in the article, because it can make people overweight, there may also be something to make people eating better, and have a healthy weight.
First might I say, great question!
I believe that genes play a huge role in our decision making. They effect every aspect of how each of us lives our lives. Our genes can help determine our metabolisms, choices, personalities, likes and dislikes, and in some cases even hobbies! Genes help make us who we are. If we were to not have genes, everyone on the planet would be the same. Can you imagine that? Everyone with the same likes and dislikes; same body types, personalities, hobbies, skills, and on and on!
Different genes have different effects on different people. Genes make us who we are.
The article I read was about how massages can help muscle strain or weakness heal faster. Getting a massage takes away some of the pain and inflammation your muscles have. Research shows that massages help overworked muscle cells. When muscle tissue is damaged there is a good chance it will get disposed. If it doesn’t then it will rebuild, but it will still not be as strong as it once was. Hard or difficult exercise is what usually leads to tissue damage. When you are rubbing your muscles it loosens them resulting in them being cure at a faster rate.
I think it is important for people to get their back massaged or rubbed every once in a while. Especially if you have damaged muscle tissues, or work out a lot. People think that massages just bring satisfaction to your body, but it also speeds up the healing process. It is a good way to relax your body and muscle cells. Your muscles need to be loosened and rubbed every so often to prevent them from being strained, but if they already are then a massage is the perfect solution for a fast cure. Overall, I think that getting massages is a great way to stay in shape and keep your body healthy and running.
Critical thinking question- Why do you think muscle massages are proven to not only heal a strained muscle, but also cure it faster?
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/338108/title/Muscle_massage_may_speed_healing
Muscle massages are proven to not only heal a strained muscle, but also cure it faster, because rubbing your muscle increases your flow of blood. The faster the flow of blood, the more nutrients go to the muscles, so that your muscle can heal faster. That is definitely massage your muscles often, so that you can heal your muscles and increase your flow of blood. If you don’t get/give muscle massages, than your muscles will just be weak because the flow of blood isn’t fast enough.
Habitable Zones Around Alien Suns May Depend on Chemistry
With scientists being more focused on finding a habitual planet now more than ever, scientists are beginning to think that habitable zones around suns may depend on chemistry. To be specific, trace elements of deceased stars. Stars are primarily made up of hydrogen and helium, but they contain other elements that they “inherited” from the remains of older stars. The light a star gives off can help tell what kind of elements a star has. By seeing what types of elements helped to create a star, scientists can predict where a solar system’s habitable zone is. The habitable zone of a solar system is a zone in which a planet can sustain life. Elements found within the star float around this area, creating the habitable zone.
After reading this article, I thought that this whole study was extremely interesting. I think that this discovery will help narrow down possible habitable planets in the future. By knowing what elements make up a star, we can compare it with out own solar system. This will help us to predict whether a planet could potentially support human life.
I chose this article because the heading stuck out to me. I was confused on what a “habitable zone” was, and so I read the article. Additionally, space is a mysterious, albeit fascinating subject, and I constantly want to learn more and more about it. I learned a lot from this article, as well. For instance, I learned that the residue of old, dead stars can help forge new ones. Also, I learned the importance of habitable zones. WIthout them, a planet simply would not have the basic elements needed to sustain life.
Article Link: http://www.space.com/14443-alien-planets-habitable-zones-star-chemistry.html
Critical Thinking Question: My critical thinking question is how do you think this discovery will help scientists, and all of humanity, in the years to come?
January 30, 2012
New York Times: Warm and Furry, but they pack a toxic Punch
The African crested rat or Lophiomys imhausi, a creature so large, flamboyantly furred and thickly helmeted has perfected a defense that could make a lion fall on his side. How could a mammal do this? This is because the crested rat’s pelt contains a potent toxins harvested from trees. This defense is said to be one of the most extreme survival strategies among mammals using chemicals.
In “A Poisonous Surprise Under the Coat of the African Crested Rat,” Jonathan Kingdon and Fritz Vollrath of Oxford University described the complex of trait that give credit to the rodent’s rottenness. Researchers believe the cause of this toxic stench is because the rat spends many hours gnawing on the bark and roots of the Acokanthera tree. The extracts the same curare type heart toxin that hunters have to kill elephants. The bark gets on the rats fur giving it a toxic smell.
I think it is cool to have such a defense as the crested rat. It is like the rat is able to protect itself from killers. If only people were able to have something that would protect them from others and dangerous animals. I chose this article because I love learning about animals. I read anything on animals.
If you were to have one defense like the crested rat what would it be and why?
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/31/science/these-mammals-pack-a-toxic-punch.html?_r=1&ref=science&pagewanted=print
If i could have one defense i would like to be able to have super human strength and be able to fly. I would love to have these powers because i could protect myself again anything and also be able to run away and fly upward and away from all the problems on earth. i could save myself from fires and anything else that comes my way.
New Super-Earth Detected Within the Habitable Zone of a Nearby Cool Star
Summary: A team of international scientists have recently discovered a potentially habitable “super-earth” orbiting around a star. This star has a different makeup than our sun and is part of a triple star system. The problem is that this star makes the planet a lot hotter because of the tighter orbit. However, it also proves that life can still be attainable in much hotter environments. This super earth most likely has 75 days in their years and receives 90% of the light that our earth receives. At the minimum, its mass is 4.5 times larger than ours. Scientists are very excited about this discovery because it is the best candidate for another planet being able to support liquid and life as we know it.
Reaction: After reading this article, I thought it was really cool! I already knew a super-earth had been discovered, but I wasn’t aware that the star it was orbiting around was almost as cool as ours. It is amazing that one day we may be able to visit this planet and be able to learn more about, and help us figure out why our planet is the way it is since it is so similar to ours. I hope that one day we will be able to send devices like the rovers on Mars to this planet.
Reason: I chose this article because I had already read a little bit about a different planet similar to earth before. I’m also really interested in astronomy especially involving stars.
Information Learned: This article was extremely informational. For example, something I learned was that our sun is made up of many different substances including helium, iron, carbon, and silicon. Additionally, that stars can be part of different systems and have relations in rotation and orbiting.
Critical Thinking Question: Do you think this super-earth will be able to sustain life?
http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-02-super-earth-habitable-zone-nearby-star.html
My article is about how the surface of will have life after a 600 million year drought. After analyzing individual particles of martian soil researchers decided the planet is too hostile for anything to live on the surface. They also estimated that the soil had been exposed to liquid for around 5,000 years billions of years ago. They also found more evidence that mars has not had much liquid in its history in the fact that soil on mars is made the same way it is made on the moon.
I chose this article because I am interested in learning about whether there is life on other planets.
Do you belive there is life on other planets
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120203092006.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/07/health/breast-cancer-screening-matters-but-prevention-is-the-real-goal.html?ref=science
One of the nation’s most leading hope for cure of Breast Cancer, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure cut off the financial support for breast cancer screening at Planned Parenthood. The change set of much anger and didn’t set well with many people, as well as the fact that it’s jeopardizing woman’s health.
In reality, scientists, still haven’t found the cause for breast cancer nor the exact cure, which mean people don’t know how to prevent themselves from being diagnosed with breast cancer. The most basic fact that people have collected over past cancers’ is that if you find the cancer early, you could save a life.
Since the 50s, it’s now a big question on why the cures for cancer haven’t gotten better. It turns out that more than five types of breast tumors growing and spreading at different rates. Some tumors are so bad that they always spread before they are visible on a mammogram, but other tumors – if left alone, may never spread and aren’t needed to be found at all.
Yet mammography has not further decreased the mortality rate for breast cancer. The X-rays find some cancers at a point of lifesaving differences, but not all of them. British researches estimated last year the one death from breast cancer is prevented for every 400 women ages 50-70 who are also screened regularly over a ten year period. It’s still asked to screen because it’s the best thing that people have to tell if breast cancer for them is true or not.
_____
I chose this article because it’s quite interesting and different from the other science articles about natural disasters from weather, and climate change. At the moment, I think woman are dying faster than the environment, so this was also very important to be on the news, and fortunately written about.
My reaction to the article is that when woman need to have testing done incase they have or just want to know if they have breast cancer, they should be given it to them free. I know that the Susan G. Komen organization has stopped funding the screening, but it’s the only real and 100% guaranteed/factual way of knowing one way or another is one has breast cancer.
Critical Thinking Question – Even though the testing for breast cancer hasn’t really helped those who do have breast cancer, do you think organizations fighting against the cause should continue funding the tests?
Even though the tests haven’t really helped those who have breast cancer, I believe that organizations should still continue to fund for the tests. Even though nothing has been found yet, I believe that in the future, there still is a chance that the tests may eventually help cure/treat breast cancer. If they stop funding the tests, that chance of finding something in the tests will never happen. So organizations like those should continue to fund for the tests.
Our army is improving vehicles and weaponry every day. They are focused more on stealth in this situation. Tanks are usually visible in the day due to its gigantic size. Even at night because of all the heat it produces it is still visible. This tank is able to suppress its heat so then it manipulate it to look like it is a car or a pedestrian so when others use thermal scopes it would appear as those objects. The tanks 5.5 inch hexagonal cells are heated or cooled to produce the effect that is wanted. The tanks engines are quieter than others making this the most quiet tank out there. Finally it has a fast cooling exhaust which allows the system to help disguise its heat signature.
I was so excited to see something this advance that has actually been created by us. This revolutionizes the art of sneaking with vehicles. Also after I read this article, I read the other articles about the stealth submarine and the stealth b-52. I chose this article because my friend showed tit to me and I found that it was really interesting. I really suggest you pick up this POP SCI magazine so you can read this amazing article. I learned from this article that the us army is capable of creating probably the most advanced vehicles out there. Also I realized that that this kind of stealth is actually possible to create.
If you can create invention for the us army what would it be?
POP SCI MAGAZINE January 2012 issue
I would create a device that would move really fast and get a fighter out of the way of anything. it would be light weight and be able to escape anything. An army man would be able to bring it nowhere and get out of any situation they needed to quickly.
These Fungi Loves Plastic!
I chose to read this article because the title really caught my attention. The article seemed interesting so I wanted to read more. As I was doing that, I learned that there are plastic eating fungi and also a molecule that helps reduce global warming. Many humans contribute to global warming and polluting this earth, and nature finds ways to help fix our mistakes. The only known fungus that is known to be able to survive on only polyurethane, which is something used for padding and insulation in things such as clothing, furniture, and packaging is called Pestalotiopsis microspora. This was discovered by three Yale students in which they were a part of the Rainforest Expedition and Laboratory Program where certain people visit Ecuador’s rainforest to find fungus and bacteria which live inside plants without harming them.
I was correct when I thought this article would be interesting, because it was. I was shocked to read that a molecule is capable of reducing global warming. I find it very reassuring that even though some people are careless about their actions, and don’t pay attention to the effect it has on the environment, that there is something out there that is helping to fix it. I enjoyed learning about this because I don’t read about this topic a lot and I would like to look deeper into it in the future.
Critical thinking question: If there was no molecule that reduces global warming, what would happen to the Earth?
Link: http://www.dogonews.com/2012/2/1/these-fungi-loves-plastic
Without a warming-reducing molecule, I think that global warming would be irreversible by now. We have not stopped warming enough to create huge changes, and by now it would be much more advanced.
50 New Tech Tools You Should Know About
SUMMARY
This article is about new cell phone apps you can use to enhance your life style. Fifty different apps are described. Autostitcher, for an example is a fun app for iphones where you can piece together multiple photos together into one photo. Card munch is another great app,that allows people to take pictures of business cards and create contacts using the numbers on them. Another nice app is cuttings.me, an app focused on storing and showing your online profile. Fondu is an app that is like foursquare but for eateries. My secret folder is an app that allows you to hide things (apps) from your home screen. Only those with passwords can access your “Secrets”.
RESPONSE
I thought this article was intesresting. This fascinated me, because technology has drastically changed throughout the years. Many many years ago the app world seized to exist, and iphones were on the brink of existent. All the time more apps are produced to create easier productivity for all. Their are apps which help with makeup, and those that study scientific atoms on iphones. Each and every day i am amazed by a new app created!
REASON
I chose this article, because i love playing on my iphone, and wanted to read about something i could relate to!
INFO LEARNED
I learned that apps are not just for fun and games. Some and many apps help each and every person progress in life, and i learned about just a few.
THE TIME FOR KIDS-MAGAZINE
CRITICAL THINKING QUESTION
Would you use this apps if you could? Why?
Are their any other apps you have heard about that help increase productivity?
Will Gene Sequencing soon be a Part of Your Doctor Visit?
Summary:
Illumina Inc. is a company that currently makes machines that use peoples’ blood or tissue samples to decode a person’s genetic makeup. This is called DNA sequencing. While some believe that this process will grow to be very expensive, others think that it is hard to know how the company will do. These machines are usually used to scan patients with a certain disease and then used to find similarities between the patients. They are looking for common characteristics. As time goes on, the price for DNA sequencing is lowering. By the end of the year it is supposed to be around one thousand dollars.
Reaction:
I loved reading this article! I think it is really cool that we have the amazing technology today to scan humans’ DNA sequences!
Reason for choosing it:
When I grow up, I want to be a doctor. When I saw this article in the newspaper, I knew I had to read it. I have always been really interested in genes and DNA and how our body types and lifestyles are passed on to our children! I find it fascinating!
Information Learned:
From this article, I learned that we have the technology to scan peoples’ DNA sequencing and that the prices are going down for these scans, as the procedure becomes more and more popularly done.
Link:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204624204577183142143417830.html
Critical Thinking Question:
If you were a medical scientist, what would you invent next to help solve the mystery of disease?
I read the article called New Rules for School Meals Aim at Reducing Obesity. This article was about the myriad of fruits and green vegetables that are being added to a numerous amount of school menus. They are reducing the foods with a high amount of saturated fat, salts and sugars. Schools are trying to become healthier by serving healthier foods. Parents believe that their children are making the wrong food choices starting at school. Schools are also promoting an after school program that influences students to make the better choice.
I chose this article because I always love reading about things that might be changed in Terrill. I wait and see if I notice a change in the way our cafeteria sells their food. I really enjoy this article because I want to see if Terrill is one of the schools that is becoming more healthy. Also the title really caught my eye, and the detail in the article really gave me a vivid picture. From this article, I learned that many foods in the cafeteria, including the foods at my school, have many salts and fats that are very unhealthy. I really hope that Terrill will change their lunch menu to healthier foods.
Critical thinking question: Do you think that the choices the students make at school influence the choices they make at home? Explain.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/us/politics/new-school-lunch-rules-aimed-at-reducing-obesity.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=new%20rules%20for%20schools%20meals%20aim%20to%20reducing%20obesity&st=cse
Yes I think that what people eat in school has a lot to do with what people want to eat at home. Like instead of eating chicken nuggets or pizza everyday you should be trying new things that are healthier and a lot of the times that will taste even better. It will also help to convince kids not to eat fruits and vegetanles because all they want to do is eat junk food that is not healthy at all for you. So yes I think that this have a big influence on what kids will eat at home
Response To:
Fish eyes go green
By Stephen Ornes
This article described the causes and affects of the Greeneye Fish’s green eyes. They are fluorescent, which means that the eyes emit one color when a different color comes in contact with the fish. The fish can only see in green, so the green light emitted helps the fish see prey and predators. This would be confusing for most people in our multicolored world. The fish lives in abysses though. So, one color being present is much less confusing for the fish. This article was very informative.
I wasn’t very surprised by this article, but I was interested. I already knew that there were fluorescent animals, but I didn’t know why, and this article explained why. So, I liked this article overall.
I chose this article because of the picture it had. The first thing that my eyes caught was the bright green fish that was shown. After I saw the picture, I wanted to read more.
I learned two interesting things from this article. First, I learned how fluorescence really worked. Second, I learned about how fluorescence helps different organisms.
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2012/01/fish-eyes-go-green/
Or Google Fish Eyes Go Green
Do you think the fish’s glowing to help vision would be an advantage or a disadvantage?
Of course the fish’s glowing eyes help it’s vision. I mean if any one had glowing eyes it would be helpful!
i definitely think that its an advantage. Why would having better vision be a disadvantage. If the fish see better then why not
What my article was about was how our solar system works. It seems that our sun gives off solar partials that can stretch all across our solar system. Our solar system is a bubble of some sort the holds us together. As we go through the galaxy. The bubble is magnetic since it does hold us together there has to be someone way right? My reaction to this article is shock. I mean we are held together by a magnetic bubble? I hope that the bubble is very strong so we don’t break apart and drift of someone.
I choose this article because I wanted to know how are solar system is working. It seems that every day we go through life and don’t really think about how we are here. It is something that I think about often. What I learned is how our solar system is held together. And the fact that we are moving through the galaxy in a bubble.
Question: will this bubble ever pop and cause us to separate.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/ibex/news/interstellar-difference.html
Recent studies show that the redder ladybugs colors are, the more poisonous and better fed they are. The study shows that the difference is directly connected to diet in early life, with better-fed ladybugs being more visible and more poisonous. The lady bugs that had a better diet, caused the pigment in their wings to be brighter than the ones that didn’t have such a great diet. Also, the better they have eaten in heir life, also made showed they were more poisonous to their prey.
Even though the pigment doesn’t mean much to humans, animals such as birds realize it quite easily. Scientists took a bunch of lady bugs into their lab and fed good foods to some and fed others with not good food. The ones that they fed good foods to had bright red wings and the other ones didn’t.
This article was really interesting and i liked it a lot! The reason why it was so good is because I never knew anything about lady bugs and the color of their wings before. It was all new information and it was really cool to learn all of that. I chose it because it seemed really cool because I love lady bugs and I wanted to know more about tim. It just looked rally cool and I chose it to learn more. I basically learned everything mentioned above because I knew nothing about it before.
Critical Thinking Question: What did it mean when the figment was brighter in a ladybugs wings and what caused it?
Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206214228.htm
The article i read was about a ghost lake. In northwest Utah an ancient inland body of water that once covered most of Utah named Lake Bonneville was about the size of Lake Michigan in present day. Lake Bonneville carved a line in a massive mountain range an i was perfectly straight throughout the entire mountain range. So the entire northwestern desert thatnow covers Utah used to be an enormous lake that was created by lots of snow and rain during the last ice age. Lake Bonneville was about 900 ft. deep to so you can imagine the size of it.
My reaction to this article was astonishment because what is now a desert was a immense lake. The fact that just snow and rain could create this is crazy because you would need so much of each wich the ice age obviously provided. It must have taken thousands of years to fill this desert with water thoughand especially the fact that it was over 900 ft. deep thats crazy. Lake Bonneville must have hydrated thousands of animals in the time of this ice age all at once. Also this lake must have been very still for it to erode sucha straight line.
I chose this article for its hooking title. A ghost lake really caught me because lakes are known for there extrordinary size. I also want to know where this lake could have gone. Again it must have also taken thousands of years to evaporate or even absorb into the ground. I would have expected more vegitation though for the amount of water that was there.
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2012/02/a-ghost-lake/
Yes i do think that the choices that students make at home influence their choices at home because if they decide to act out at school in a bad way that can influence their actions within their home.
Critical thinking question: Do you think a entire lake could vanish within a thousand year depending on its size?
This article was about how working extra hours may cause depression. To find if this statement was true, scientist conducted an experiment. They studied British civil servants, who were all about 47 years old, for five years. They found out that the people who worked eleven or more hours had more then twice the risk of having depression than the people who worked eight hours or less.
The reason for this dramatic difference is because since those people work longer, they get less sleep, and get much more stress. Working longer also can affect one’s social life, having less time to spend time with your family and friends.
I thought this article is very interesting, and helpful. It can help the people who do work long hours to realize what it’s doing to their health and social life.
I chose this article because I like reading articles that give information on things that people don’t really realize, even though it could effect them greatly.
In this article, I learned that working long hours can effect you negatively. Not only will it effect your health, but also your social life.
link:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/06/really-the-claim-long-work-hours-can-cause-depression/?ref=science
question: What other things can overworking effect?
I think overworking affects how much time you get with your family. Also when you work a lot you are straining your body. Most likely you are hurting your back and other areas. You may also be angry or frustrated when you get off of work so no one wants to talk to you. Overworking can affect a lot of things.
I think overworking can also affect your health in general. Aside from stress it can also cause a person to be overweight or underweight. When people are frequently in an office setting they tend to not eat a lot and go through the day with one meal at the most along with a few occasional snacks. This is a situation where a person would lose a lot of weight, but they can actually be overweight if they find that the solution to not having time to eat during the day is to stop at a fast food restaurant after work. Spending so much time working is not good for your body.
This article talks about a record high sky diving mission. A man named Felix Baumgartner (age 41) is planning to sky dive right in the Earths stratosphere. He would jump from 120000 feet above sea level from a balloon. While he is doing this he needs to be in a space suit and have an oxygen tank equipped with him. At his altitude it’s just about impossible to breathe on your own. This would be the highest jump in over 50 years.
I thought that this article was cool. I wouldn’t do what this guy is doing for a billion dollars. I think this would be really cool because at that height you could start seeing the Earths spherical figure.
I chose to read this because I didn’t know what was going on after I saw the picture. I decided to read and see what the story is.
I learned that it’s possible to sky dive from the stratosphere. Also I learned that there are people crazy enough to do that.
link: http://www.livescience.com/18344-red-bull-stratos-supersonic-space-jump.html
critical thinking: Do you think that it’s possible to skydive from the metosphere?
The article i read was about global warming. It stated how global warming is becoming more and more of a problem in the world. Global warming causes sea level to rise. When sea level rises some islands could be wiped off the map. One island that this is happening to is the island of Palau. It has become such a problem that they want to take it to court. Another area that this is happening to is California because of global warming the sea level has risen by eight feet. It will cost California a lot of money to raise their sea walls from the rising ocean.
The reason why i chose this article is because global warming is becoming a big problem in our world. Not only does global warming effect our ocean but it also effects people too. The pollution can cause people to get sick easier. Which is why i think the people of Palau have a right to bring this to court. My reaction to this article is i think this is horrible. The people of Palau’s life are at risk because of global warming and they may have to re locate somewhere else.
Critical thinking question: Do you think the people of Palau should bring this to court?
http://www.dawn.com/2012/02/05/island-nations-want-climate-change-in-world-court.html
Spacecraft captures dust from interstellar wind
This article is about how a probe that collects particles found “alien” particles. They are particles from outside the solar system. They are from ashes of an exploding star. The article says that this is the stuff that everything is made. It passed through the “forcefeild” made by the sun millions of years ago. Scientists were so happy to find these particles.
I think its really cool that they found something from outside of the solar system. This is a very good achievement for scientists. I hope that they can learn more about beyond the solar system. I choose this article because it was cool and informational. It also had a good topic.
I learned that there are still a lot of things that we still don’t know about space. I also learned that there is a border made from the sun.
Critical thinking: Do you think that these particles make up everything(even humans)?
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/338084/title/Spacecraft_captures_dust_from_interstellar_windeally
Title: Chinese ‘Cat-Boy’ Has Built-In Night Vision
Summary: One day, Nong Youhui’s parents noticed that their son’s eyes were a light blue color when he was born. This was unusual because the common color for Asian babies is black or dark brown. What was even more intriguing was the fact that when a flashlight shined on this boy’s eyes, they would flash back, just like the eyes of a feline (cat) do. When the worried parents consulted the village doctor, they assured them that Nong Youhui’s eyes would turn a dark brown or black as he got older. However, since Nong Youhui was normal in every other way, his parents got used to his beautiful eyes.
A few years ago, Nong Youhui’s teacher overheard him complaining that he couldn’t see well in the bright sunlight. That is when the teacher conducted the flashlight experiment, and then asked Nong Youhui if he could see in the dark. The boy affirmed, and as a test, the teacher invited the young boy to catch crickets one dark night. Nong Youhui didn’t need a flashlight, though, to catch the crickets. His eyes were shining enough to be able to catch the crickets.
The revelation, in 2009, changed Nong Youhui’s life forever. As word spread, experts from all around the world flew in to Guanxi Province, China, to examine his unearthly powers. It turns out that Nong Youhui was born with a rare genetic condition, making it difficult to see in the bright sunlight, but allows perfect vision in the dark. Now, ‘Cat-Boy’ has become world famous, and earned himself a spot in the brand new Guinness World Record category: The first human who can see in the dark.
Reaction: This is probably the most shocking article I have ever read! I was instantly drawn to writing an article about it. Ever since I started reading fictional adventure books, I wondered what it would it would be like to have almost super-human abilities. It is so amazing what this boy can do! However, I do like seeing in the light, so I don’t think that I would really want Nong Youhui’s vision.
Reason: I thought that this article would be an interesting read, and it WAS! I was so excited to show my parents the article as well, and they were surprised too.
Information Learned:
Link: http://www.dogonews.com/2012/1/30/chinese-cat-boy-has-built-in-night-vision
Critical Thinking Question: Would you rather be able to see better in the light day, or the dark night? Would you like to have this boy’s ability?
I read an article called Do Animals Dream? The purpose of dreaming remains a mystery, but infants (of all species) dream more often. After about 20 minutes of sleep a dog is in REM sleep the stage in which there dreams can occur. Stanley Coren, a psychology professor at the University of British Columbia studied why people dream and if animals could dream.
My reaction to this article is i never knew that animals could actually dream and what would they dream about though? The reason why i chose this is because when i saw the name of the article is sounded really interesting so i chose it. The information that i learned is that about after 20 minutes all animals fall asleep and sometimes dream just like humans sometimes dream.
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-01/do-animals-dream
if animals were to dream what do you think they would dream about?
I think they would dream of a couple things. One could be for example, a dog might dream of bones and treats. I think animals might dream about things they like.
I chose this article because it sounded interesting and it discussed outer space which i find interesting. Critical thinking question is how much larger is the new earth than the one we live on.
The article I read was about how important vitamin d is to the human body. In my article, I learned that most adults and children do not get enough of their daily servings of vitamin d since it would take 10 glasses of milk and a fishmeal for adults! This number is insane, and kids need 40%-80% of this to keep their bodies healthy.
I also found out that vitamin d is responsible for your bones and mental development. It can cause the muscles in your body to become more weak and fatigue quicker. These results were gathered after researches tested over 1000 different adults.
I choose to read this article since health is a topic of interest to me and I want to be safe and livelong.
My question: what other problems might the lack of Vitamins cause?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207133748.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
When 10-year old Clara Lazan was assigned a classroom science project, neither she nor her teacher Kenneth Boehr, would have guessed that her random creation would be hailed as a scientific discovery, worthy enough to be published in a scientific journal. It all began when the fifth-grader who attends Border Star Montessori School in Kansas was given a molecule kit and asked to come up with a unique arrangement. Clara used her imagination to create a rather unusual combination of oxygen, nitrogen and carbon atoms – Something her science teacher had never come across before.
While this accidental molecule, which has been called Tetranitratoxycarbon does not occur in nature, it could potentially be synthesized in a laboratory. In fact, since it contains the same atoms as nitroglycerin, the active ingredient in dynamite and rocket propellants, Professor Zoeliner believes it could be a new way to store energy or, create large explosions!
I loved this article! This just proves the fact that everyone has the potential to be something awesome! Age is only a number! I think it was so neat how this girl made an accident molecule. It really shows how science is so accidential sometimes!
I chose this article because i felt it would be cool. An accident molecule sounds pretty cool to me!
I learned that molecules can be different and discovered even wehen we think we know about all of them already!
http://www.dogonews.com/2012/2/7/fifth-graders-random-molecule-creation-hailed-as-scientific-discovery
How Many molecules have we already discovered?
“Electronic Skin”
The article I read was about how scientists have made a device for humans that is like a temporary tattoo. It’s half as thick as the average piece of paper and it can record brainwaves, bloodflow, muscle movement, or it can act as a secret cell phone activated by the movement of the persons voice box. It can even record temperature of the persons skin or the electrical activity. The device interacts with the body. It does different things in different places of the body. If placed by the heart it can record your heartbeat, but it will have an entirely different function when placed on an entirely different body part such as your forehead.
My reaction to this article was that I was extremely surprised. The way science has advanced in recent years is to amazing. Everyday there is something new out there that is even more and more surprising. To think of a device like this is amazing in itself, but to actually create it is so great. How to even begin to create this would leave me confused which makes me so amazed and awe-struck that someone is able to make this one simple device that preforms so many advanced functions.
The reason I chose this article was because of the fact that it was so unexpected. I was looking through article and it really caught my attention when I saw the headline which was, “electronic skin”. I had no idea what it meant and I wanted to learn more. I started to read it and I got so intrigued and was so interested in this new piece of technology.
After reading this article I learned that making a product like this is even possible. An idea like this never crossed my mind because I would have never thought it could happen, but a group of scientists made this amazing design a reality.
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2012/01/electronic-skin/
critical thinking question: How do you think this product could be advanced even further?
i think this product could be advanced further by people if they think of new things to use it on like maybe a way to track indangured wild animals
Science Article Summary
The article I have currently read is called Russian scientists bore into ancient Antarctica. This article is about how in the early 1990’s, an international team of researchers were drilling at the Vostok research station to obtain cores to study clues to past climate in ice that has been accumulating for millions of years or you can say preserved. At a depth of more than two miles they reached a kind of ice different from the ice sheet and realized they had frozen lake water. This ice was special because it was coated differently. It is said that scientists might have found a new resource from water, to ice, to freezing rain, snow, dry ice, and now this new component. It is also stated in this article that the climate change had been very great through the past months to years in the Antarctica and the scientists found this new type of ice.
My reaction to this article was that I felt that I was so surprised. I mean you hear about this entire significant story in social studies and world history about ancient places and scientists just found this new lake that might have been very crucial to the people who lived in Ancient Antarctica. I was very fascinated that this river or lake had been over 20,000 years old. In fact, it is said that all the people who lived in Antarctica such as travelers across the world who sheltered in igloos, were using this lake. Moreover, I chose this article because when I was looking through dozens of articles, they were about finding new species and I did so many articles on that subject in terms of science so I went to NYtimes.com and saw this article and It sounded kind of interesting. That is why I picked it. Lastly, the information that I learned was that there was a new lake that had just be newly discovered in Ancient Antarctica-the coldest place in the world. Moreover, I learned that this lake was a trading route for some local settlers and the ice was 3 inches thick because of the temperature change that happened there oddly. Hence, a critical thinking question I have is that…….
What type of tribe did the lake fall under or- (who owned it)?
LINK: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/09/world/europe/russian-scientists-bore-into-ancient-antarctic-lake.html?_r=1&ref=science
Summary:
Apparently, if you can’t get it again, you like it best the last time you think you’ll have it. That is the finding of a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. “Endings affect us in lots of ways, and one is this ‘positivity effect,’” says University of Michigan psychologist Ed O’Brien, who conducted the study with colleague Phoebe C. Ellsworth. Moreover, says O’Brien, it doesn’t even have to be a real last one to be experienced as best. “When you simply tell people something is the last, they may like that thing more.”
The study involved about 50 students, who were told they were participating in a taste test of Hershey’s Kisses made with local ingredients. There were 5 different flavors– milk, dark, crème, caramel, and almond — in random order from a hidden pocket inside a bag. The students had no idea how many Kisses they would receive. After tasting each, they decided how yummy each one was from a scale of 0 to 10. Some participants were told each time: “Here is the next one.” The others got the same lead-in until the fifth chocolate, before which the experimenter said, “This is the last one.” After tasting all the chocolates, the participants indicated which they liked best and how enjoyable the tasting was overall. The results: The fifth chocolate was rated as more enjoyable when it was the “last” chocolate versus just another in the taste test. The designated “last” chocolate was also the favorite 64% of the time, no matter which flavor it was. Among those who ate only “next” chocolates, the last was chosen 22% of the time — statistically speaking, a chance occurrence. And the “last” group also rated the whole experience as more enjoyable than “nexts” did.
Reaction:
I thought this article was very interesting and gave a lot of facts about the experiment. I also liked it because it is about chocolate and when you mix chocolate and science together, everything becomes a lot more interesting.
Reason:
I chose this article because I thought it would be a fascinating article to read about and how we crave/enjoy something more when we know it is the last one we will be having; we savor it.
Information Learned:
I learned all about the human mind and though it might be the same exact product as the 1st few you eat, it is better because it is the last one, so it is like we trick our minds into thinking that because it is the last one.
Citing:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209102003.htm
Critical Thinking Question:
Why do you think most people like the last one best?
I think that most people like the last one best because they feel that they won’t get another chance to enjoy it again. No matter what the ‘last’ is, in this case it was the Hershey Kisses, people want to savor every moment of it. By doing that, I think that they almost, in a way, trick their brain into thinking that the last one is the best, even if it’s just the same as the other times. They are thinking that it’s their last chance to do/ taste something, and therefore, in their mind, end up making it better than it really is. Whenever we hear the words, ‘last one,’ we tend to say it’s better than all the others because we know that it’s the last one, and want to make it seem amazing in our minds.
This article was about a major budget cuts are being made by NASA. These budget cuts could effect future space traveling’s. Somewhat 1.5 million dollars is being cut. So who knows if will ever get to mas yet. These budget cuts were coming out of nowhere and who knows what other species we could find if we don’t have the money to go find then. Without the money being cut we could discover far more things then with out it.
To me this is like having one of your hands chopped off because you can’t work without a hand. This money could be spent on something better.
I chose this article because I like to learn about space and the whole universe. It really kills me that money is being cut because of what ever was wrong.
What I have learned from this was that making budget cuts can really hurt a family because when you cut the budget, you cut a worker off.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46334188/ns/technology_and_science-space/#.TzWe-FH-BFI
Q: what would you do with the money if it was not cut?
Dogs Can’t Get Frostbite.
Have you ever tried walking in snow with bare feet? If you do that for a long period of time you can get frostbite. Frostbite is where your fingers or toes get so cold and freeze. Sometimes people get it so bad that they have to get some of their toes or fingers cut off to save either your foot or hand. Well have you ever thought of this? How do dogs not get frostbite when they are playing in the snow? You might think that the pads on the dog’s paws help but that is not the case. A team of scientist has found the answer. In the dogs paws are blood vessels. How they are arranged keeps dogs from getting frostbite. The vessels keep their paws at body temperature.
I have chosen this article because I always wondered why dogs don’t get frostbite. So I was looking around about it and it brought me to this site and I was very happy. When I read this article I was amazed. Since I have pondered the question how do dogs not get frostbite, and I found the answer it just blew me away. I have learned that dogs can’t get frostbite because of the vessels in their paws.
Thinking question: Do cats have the same blood vessels as dogs to keep their paws warm?
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/338237/title/FOR_KIDS_No_frostbite_for_dogs
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/338360/description/Shark%E2%80%99s_skin_adds_forward_boost
Summary:
This article is about how sharks skin has a texture that can actually help speed them up in the water. The ridges in their skin are called denticles. Scientists have found out that these denticles increase a shark’s speed and thrust when swimming. This information was used in speedo fabric, but failed. These ridges are also similar to a golf ball. Although most sharks are found with these ridges, not all have it. Scientists have just become aware of this now, so they have never known about the benefits. Not only did scientists try to use this information for swimsuits, they are thinking of applying it to underwater machines, but they will ned for information of denticles, and how they work. Soin order to do this, they took tests on shark skin and fish skin and put the through a test to mimic the movement of the fish. When finished, they proved that denticles increased the movement by 12%.
Reaction:
In my opinion, I found this article really interesting. I never would have thought that some sharks actually have skin that can help them speed up and move more smoothly in water! I found it very interesting, and never thought something like that was even possible with sharks, considering how much I know about them!
Reason:
I chose this article because my entire life, I have been interested in sharks. I love to read about them, and I’m fascinated by them. If I saw something on TV or a book about them, I had to watch or read it. So when I saw the title of the article, I had to read it.
Info Learned:
I didn’t learn much in this article. Hwever what I did learn was that some sharks’ skin can help them swim faster in water. I also learned that scientists tried to apply the texture of sharks’ skin to swim suits, and that they are trying to apply it to underwater machines.
Oh. I forgot the question:
Do you think that the denticles can help human society? In what way?
there is a climate change happening and we all know it. This article talks about how big fish in coral reefs have no where to find shelter. All the coral reefs are disapearing and dying and so are these big fish. We need to help them.
I can’t believe that global warming is now killing fish too. This is so sad and we need to find a way to stop it.
I chose this article because it was a topic that i found interesting.
I found out that the fish are dying because of climate change.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213134144.htm
What can we do to help the fish?
i read the article : Like How Your Hair Hangs? Praise the Laws of Physics on http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/11/science/ponytail-shape-is-determined-by-complex-physics.html?_r=1&ref=science
this article was about how components of physics effect shape of hair it talked about how longer hair lends to droop more and stiffer hair sticks up and short hair sticks up and light hair falls down.
I thought this article was cool and informational but it did not seem that important yea its cool to know about hair but it work really be that big of a breakthrough for anything but looks because it could help us make new products for shaping hair in the future. i choose this article because it was different from the average science article that i would come upon so i decided to take a deeper look. i learned how phisics can effet hair and there styles.
My critical thinking question is how do you think this new knolage will help us humans in the future.
Summary: This article is about how evolution does not need mass extinction. Surviving species from the last mass extinction tend to evolve because many of their competitors had died. People think that they evolve rapidly. But scientists had found that tiny organisms called Graptoloids did not evolve until 2 million years later. This could prove that organisms do not evolve rapidly. Scientists think that after a mass extinction there could be an evolution lag while organisms need time to reform. Scientists are working to prove the theory with the fossils they found.
Reaction: This makes wonder if another mass extinction could happen due to the fact on how humans today are messing up the world. If our species could survive it and move on. I hope the scientists could find more evidence on this topic to see if organisms can survive.
Reason: I chose this because the topic was an eye catcher. the word “Explosive” caught my eye. it interested me that the fact mass extinctions could lead to faster evolving with organisms.
Information learned: I learned that there could be a evolution lag after a mass extinction and how organisms can evolve rapidly or not.
Critical thinking: Will humans evolve rapidly if a mass extinction happens?
i think humans will keep evolving to extinction.
i read the article self cleaning clothes
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2012/01/self-cleaning-clothes/
With all of the work it takes to wash clothes you’d just wish they cleaned themselves. An inventor tried to invent clothes that clean themselves.
The problem was that the sun was not powerful enough to cause the chemical reaction needed between the chemicals to clean the clothes and repel the odor. Under the original invention the U.V rays where more powerful and the chemical reaction it takes to clean the clothes happened much easier. The scientist invented a new chemical mixture but it may cause illness. The scientist hopes one day that everyone will wear self cleaning clothes.
Would you wear the self cleaning clothes and why?
My article is about a new space cleaner, the first of its kind being designed by the Swiss. It is apparently a space vacume cleaner that catches ad decomposes any piece of space debris in its vicinity. According to EPFL, “16,000 objects larger than 10 centimetres in diameter and hundreds of millions of smaller particles are ripping around the earth at speeds of several kilometres per second.” This new invention will help clean up, outer space. EPL cited a 2011 study by Swiss Re insurance company showing that every year there is almost a one in 10,000 chance that an orbiting satellite measuring 10 square metres will collide with a piece of space debris larger than one centimeter. This debris can cause major damage to the satellite even though the debris seems small.
I thought this article was really insightful. I never knew how much space debris could damage satellites. I think with this thing up in space it will be allot safer.
CT:Are you surprised at the damage a small piece of debris can do to a huge satellite.
http://news.yahoo.com/swiss-aim-launch-first-space-cleaner-191753758.html