Conclusion Blog

What in the World?

Today during class, we did a plasticity experiment. The purpose for this experiment was to see how the mantle involves plasticity. Plasticity is being able to have many changes in shape. There are many forms of plasticity. What we did was take about twenty milliliters of water and add it to cornstarch. We also added some green food coloring! Afterwards, we had to stir the mixture until it is absolutely difficult to stir. The teacher had said that if we don’t put the correct amount of water into the mixture, then it will not come out right. Next, we put small amount of the mixture onto our hands. It felt gooey, slimy and definitely weird. It feels so liquid-like. After we had some of the green mixture on our hands, we rolled it into a ball. Since there was pressure on the mixture, it stayed as a solid. Once you had stopped rolling the ball, it started dripping down in your hand. That was the most fascinating, but weird part. Unfortunately, if you rolled it with too much pressure, then it would crumble and become powder. So, I found out that cornstarch + water = a solid with properties of a liquid. Anyways, when you put your finger into the mixture for one moment, there is no change. As opposed to that, if you keep your finger on the mixture for longer, your finger sinks in. This mixture of cornstarch and water is similar to the earth’s mantle, because, the earth’s mantle acts like the way the mixture is behaving. The heat and pressure that comes from the earths crust “molds” the mantle into a solid. Similarly, the pressure and heat that comes from the hands keep the mixture as a solid.

I learned a lot from this experiment. The most important thing I learned was that cornstarch and water together will create a gooey mixture that has plasticity. Another thing I learned was that there are many forms of plasticity. For example, neuroplasticity, this is the ability of the brain to change with learning. All in all, I enjoyed doing this gooey but interesting experiment.

October Sky

October Sky

During class, I watched a movie called October Sky. This movie was based on a true story. The setting starts in Coalwood, West Virginia. In October, there was a rocket launch(4). The residents of Coalwood heard about it and waited at night to see the rocket. This was when Homer got inspired to make a rocket(1). Homer’s father was a coal miner(2). During those days, the people in West Virginia used to think that football or coal mining were only the career paths for their children. So, Homer’s father thought that it was nonsense to do rocket launching. Homer’s brother grew up and was excellent at football, while Homer wasn’t that good. Either way, Homer starts building rockets(8). He got help from his three friends. His first rocket blew up a part of the fence around his home. The second rocket landed in the coal mining area. His father warned him that he would get into trouble and “do not launch rockets on company area." As a result, the four friends traveled(7) to an open field to do their launches. They launched many rockets, but all of them failed(10). A few people who worked in the coal mine gave suggestions for the rocket. At last, one day, one of their rockets soared into the blue sky. The four students were in high spirits. They recorded the time and how far the rocket went. They made this rocket out of railroad nails and “black powder”. Their next rocket was observed by many people from Coalwood. This rocket was successful as well, but the next day the police arrested the four boys. The reason for their arrest was that a fire was taken place in the nearby forest with the rocket that was launched. So, many trees were burned from that fire. Homer’s father got really mad at Homer. A few days later, Homer’s father got injured in an accident. The family had to decide who would go in place for the father. Homer willingly decided he would go to the coal mine. Therefore, he was taken out from the school roll. For many days he worked at the mine. His friends came and visited him once in a while. Homer’s father started getting better. His father was proud of him for his sacrifice. Ms. Riley, a teacher from Homer’s school, had wanted to talk to him and told him to follow his dreams and shouldn’t give up. That night, he studied the book she gave him and was able to come up with a discovery. The next day, he sneaked out of the coal mining area and went to Quentin’s house. Homer shared his discovery with Quentin. Both of them realized it wasn’t them who had created the fire. The next day, both of them went to school with the proof. Homer explained this to the principal(5), who then informed the police. At this stage, the police figured out the culprit based on the information from Homer and his friend. Homer was enrolled back into the school. The school decided to send the four friends to participate in the county fair(3). Homer and his friends won the first place in the fair. Homer went on to go to Indianapolis for the National Fair(3). Homer’s father didn’t like the idea of his son going for a science fair. Both of them got into a fight(11). Homer gave a demonstration of his rocket at the fair and got an excellent feedback. The next day, everything of his demonstration was stolen. Homer called up his friends and revealed to them about the stealing of his demonstration. Homer’s mother decided that she had to do something about it. So, Homer’s mother went and convinced her husband to go to Homer’s rescue and to end the Union riot. Also, everyone, especially the coal miners, in their town supported Homer. In the end, the father went(9) and was able to get an exact copy of what Homer needed. The residents of Coalwood sent him the rockets. Homer won the national fair as well. When he returned, everyone congratulated him for the success. He went to the mine to tell his father the thank you, but the father wasn’t interested in it. Homer went to visit his inspiring teacher, Ms. Riley, who was sick(6) at that time. On that day, Homer and his friends planned to launch their last rocket. When Homer was saying thanks to all of the people in Coalwood, his father suddenly appeared. So, Homer got his father to do the honors; he pressed the “magic” button. So, the rocket flew high in the air. Everyone in Coalwood was able to see it. Homer’s father was proud of him.

(1) Back then, the only way to avoid coal mining, was to have a football scholarship. So, everyone who wasn’t good at football did coal mining. The women would teach, did household work or became writers. Also, no one had really cared for science. They found no use for it. That was the reason why Homer’s father was disturbed at the idea of his son building rockets.

(2) The way of life for men was to either coal mine or football. In coal mining, you could go underground and crouch. You would mine at the rocks and rusty floor. You would go as far down as you could. This coal was used to make steel and also was very helpful in making many products like railroads. There were many dangers to coal mining, such as noxious gases, cave-ins, breathing coal dust, exploded methane gas, roof falling. You would get seriously injured if something bad happens. There were chances of getting lung diseases such as pneumoconiosis (black lung disease). I got my information from this site.

(3) The science fair was really a big deal for the four students. First of all, it was their dream come true. Secondly, it was for the first time, students from Coalwood actually participated in the science fair. Fortunately, they were able to go to the National Fair.

(4) This rocket launch was inspired by the Russians. The Russians launched a satellite called the Sputnik on October 4, 1957. The Sputnik was successful in orbiting the Earth! This scared many Americans because they thought that this would lead to a war. In 1955, America had announced that they were going to create a satellite system known as the Vanguard project. So, Americans were shocked at the idea of having Russians being successful in their project. On November 3, 1957, Russians launched Sputnik II. In May 1958, Russians launched Sputnik III. I got information on this site.

(5) Through Calculus, Quentin and Homer figured out where their rocket landed. They were also able to prove that they didn’t cause the fire and weren’t committed the crime. They proved to the principal and to the police that they didn’t do.

(6) At the end of the movie, they showed how Homer’s father died of black lung disease(2), and how Ms. Riley died from Hodgkin’s disease. Hodgkin’s disease was a cancer of lymphatic system. The lymphatic system helps the body's immune system to filter out bacteria, viruses, and other unwanted substances. I got information from this site. Homer’s mother retired to Myrtle Beach. The four boys got college scholarships.

(7) Throughout the story, the four friends cooperated with each other. Homer had the support of his three friends, which sustained him to fulfill his dream. They used each other’s strengths to build rockets. Quentin’s brains, O’Dell’s railroad experience, the other guy’s (I don’t know his name) resource ideas and Homer’s belief kept them striving. The qualities in each other helped in their journey towards success.

(8) After seeing the rocket go through the night sky, Homer just got this feeling that he will make a rocket. In the beginning, no one thought that they could do it. Quentin and Homer asserted in expressing their thoughts very clearly and emphatically to two other friends. The four students didn’t care though; they believed in themselves.

(9) The father respected his wife for her thoughts. He agreed that everyone in the community had supported his son’s ideas. Also, he was succeeding at it as well. Another example was that Ms. Riley has respect for Homer’s ideas. That’s why she had given him a book on rocket science. Even though it involved calculus, she knew that he would persevere. Homer’s friends had respect for his ideas and helped him to succeed, because it became their dream as well.

(10) Homer and his friends felt empathy towards their many rocket productions. Every rocket they made with care and hoped that it would be a success. Homer’s dad did not show empathy towards his work at all. For him, it felt like an everyday routine, but he still showed importance towards it. All of Coalwood that saw the rockets fly into the sky felt so happy and moved by it. At the end of the movie, Homer’s father felt jolted by the success of his son.

(11) I think that Homer’s dad does not have self-control. I think this because, he easily gets mad when something goes wrong or when he doesn’t like something that’s happening. For example, he got mad when some people in a red car came and threw a rock. He came out and realized who it was. When Homer emphasized what his brother said, Homer’s father completely lost it. He yelled his head off at Homer. Another example is when Homer asked where the suitcase was and the father just stormed out of the room. At that point, Homer lost his “last nerve” and got mad as well. Then, both of them started a fight, yelling at each other. Homer has self-control, unless someone gets him really annoyed. The rest of the main characters were never angered at anything, except in the beginning with the guy releasing his anger on Homer in the woods.

Fun Facts:

- The title of the paperback released at the same time was changed to the movie title, which is an anagram of Rocket Boys (take the letters of rocket boys and move them around to spell October sky!) Source: homer hickam

- Russians launched Sputnik II carrying a test dog named Laika.

Source: sputnik

My opinion on this movie is that it is inspirational. It showed that if you have the perseverance and strength, you can accomplish your goal. Also, if you only have a few people on your side, it doesn’t matter; you just need to believe in yourself and amongst yourselves. Throughout the movie, you can see how hard the four boys worked to get to the National Fair, to get college scholarships and to not be a coal miner. I felt angered when the father never supported Homer for his ideas.

Response Blog

Cystic Fibrosis

I read simplybf16's post on cystic fibrosis. The blog is very interesting and informational. In the post, it says that there is no cure for this genetic disease, but there are treatments. I feel really troubled for the people who have cystic fibrosis, because they don't know when they could die. Also, this disorder, as said in the post, effects the liver, pancreas and lungs. In addition, having to die at such a young age is really heartbroken and depressing. Even with the treatments, you don't live too long. I think that there should be more foundations that can raise funds to sponsor the research and development of medicines for diseases like cystic fibrosis. I also think that the US government should step in and give some funding for treatments and possible cures. I hope that doctors and scientists can find a way to decrease the likeliness of cystic fibrosis. As oppposed to that, Klinefelter syndrome does not affect the lifespan of a male. Also, the disease effects physical development, language development and social development.

Klinefelter Syndrome

XXY Condition

In the world, there are many diseases, viruses and syndromes. Some of them are genetic, while others are not. I am researching on a genetic disorder known as Klinefelter Syndrome. Klinefelter syndrome, also known as the XXY condition, is a term used to describe males who have an extra X chromosome in most of their cells. This syndrome was discovered in 1942 by Dr. Henry Klinefelter. As you can see, the name of this disorder originated from the discoverer. Klinefelter found nine men who showed symptoms of this syndrome such as enlarged breasts and a fewer amount of facial hair. In 1959, he realized these men had an extra X chromosome. One out of every 500 males have this genetic disorder. The XXY condition is one of the most common chromosome abnormalities in humans.

Obviously, the males are the most vulnerable to the Klinefelter Syndrome. Some males have this syndrome, but do not have the symptoms and complications. There are different symptoms depending on how many XXY cells a man has, how much testosterone is in his body and his age when is diagnosed. This syndrome can affect physical development, language development and social development. The most common symptom is infertility. This happens because the male doesn't produce much testosterone. Therefore, he has less facial hair and muscles. When XXY males become adults, they tend to have certain health problems such as breast cancer, vein diseases and osteoporosis. Also, XXY males have trouble talking, reading and understanding. In addition to that, they will be less active and more obedient as they get older.

Suprisingly, there is no mortality rate for this disorder. In my opinion, that is a great thing, because then you will live as long as every other human. Also, as you get older, you are"one in a crowd". The genes in this disease are different since there are extra copies. You can tell by the two different types of genotypes; XY and XXY. Men with this syndrome have an extra X chromosome. The only treatments needed for men with Klinefelter syndrome is to get their testosterone levels up.

An interesting fact that I learned from this site was that Klinefelter syndrome does not necassarily have to be just one extra chromosome. The male could have an extra X or Y chromosome. In addition to that, there can be more than one extra chromosome. For example, a male can have a genotype XXXYY. That is possible! That condition is severe; it can lead to mental retardation. (That is just FREAKY!!!!)

Another source: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/klinefelter_syndrome.cfm

DNA Conclusion

In class, we did a DNA Extraction with the help of Ms. Irizarry. We had to choose which DNA we would extract. I had chosen the animal method.

The materials that I needed were:
· sports drink
· test tube
· alcohol
· cell lysis

First, I had to take in the sports drink and swish it around my mouth for exactly one minute. Then I had to emit it out into the cup. Right after that, I needed to pour that into an empty test tube. This filled about five and a half mL of the tube. Afterwards, I added 2mL of cell lysis. As part of the directions, I had to flip the tube 5-8 times. Next, I let a few drops of alcohol slide down the side of the test tube. The alcohol took another 3mL of the test tube. In the end, it looked like three layers of different liquids.

My hypothesis for this lab was:
If we follow the procedure correctly, the DNA will appear at the top of all the layers.

My hypothesis was correct; the result of the steps that I followed above showed the DNA. After 5-10 minutes, at the top of the alcohol layer, there was a string of whiteness. That was the DNA!!!

Ms. Irizarry explained to us how the different materials that we used helped bring the DNA out through a slide show. First, the cell membrane contains fats/lipids. So, the detergent/cell lysis breaks down fat; this process is known as emulsification. Then there were enzymes. These enzymes break the wrap around the proteins. Thus, setting the DNA free. Also, the enzymes or papain cut the protein into pieces. Then the salt in the alcohol saturated the solution. This makes the DNA feel uncomfortable and makes it come out of all the three layers and shows itself.
I learned how to extract my own DNA.

My Roller Coaster Website

The Racer

Rollercoaster Class Blog

For the past week, our class has been working on rollercoasters. These rollercoasters were made out of paper tubes and milk cartoons. We had to “buy” the paper tubes with our Omega Money. The requirements for our coaster were to have at least three hills and one other rollercoaster aspect.
Before we began building, we planned out where everything should be placed and how many different items we probably needed. We also drew a sketch to get an idea of how our rollercoaster should look like. The next few days, we worked on building our coaster. As we worked, what made me laugh the most is that we had to use a lot of duck tape. Soon, the teacher started to give us the tape pieces for free. Ha-Ha!!!!

After we finished making our roller coaster, we were supposed to fill out a packet that contained essential questions. Some questions were: how were Newton’s laws used and how friction and force were used. This led us to our next project: making a website for our roller coaster. This website had to have the answers for these questions in it. We were allowed to choose our own template and order of pages, but we had to fulfill the requirements given by our teacher to get a good grade. You could visit my website if you would like to.

I thought that building the rollercoaster was really fun. Since we were doing it with our friends who we chose, the roller coaster creation was made more entertaining. Plus, we learned and used Newton’s laws of motion in a creative way. I also liked making a website for our rollercoaster. We could experiment with lot of things like the font size and color and other fun things. It was a thrilling experience!
Other than that I learned more about the Newton’s laws of motion (Physics subject), making of rollercoasters and the working of roller coasters from other sites.

Some facts that I learned:

*Howstuffworks
The first American roller coaster was the Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway, which was built in the mid-1800s in PA.

*Wikipedia
Newton’s laws of motion were first published in July 5, 1687.