The Car Industry Interested in Lithium-Ion Batteries

The United States is ready to make lithium-ion batteries for cars. For that to happen, many car companies need to amalgamate into one big company. This one big company will be the lithium-ion battery industry in the United States. These lithium-ion batteries will run electric cars. Unfortunately, the US is losing to Asian countries. Mr. Greenberger, a lawyer specializing in clean technology, organized a new alliance of lithium-ion battery makers made up of fourteen big companies. Mr. Greenberger said and I quote,” The great age of automobiles lies ahead of us, not behind us.” The alliance plans to have a lithium-ion battery manufacturing in the United States. The ultimate goal is to be able to manufacture cars in the United States again using lithium-ion batteries.

Lithium-ion batteries are a type of rechargeable battery in which a lithium ion moves between the anode and cathode. An anode is an electrode through which electric current flows into a polarized electrical device. A cathode is an electrode through which positive electric current flows out of a polarized electrical device. The lithium ion moves from the anode to the cathode during discharge and from the cathode to the anode when charging.

As mentioned in the articlehttp://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/26/electric-car-battery-makers-seek-federal-funds/?scp=2&sq=Alternative%20Energy%20Sources&st=cse, there are three essential reasons why we should use lithium-ion batteries. One reason is that they eliminate the use of petroleum. Secondly, these batteries are three times as efficient as internal combustion engines. Furthermore, they can be charged by sources such as the wind (wind mill energy) and the sun (solar energy).

Several large companies and many start-up companies have been working on lithium-ion batteries. Mr. Greenberger said and I quote,” The future of these batteries will depend on start-ups because it’s a start-up industry.” The US has the technology to make these efficient batteries, but there are two major problems though. One problem is building prototypes to simulate new batteries. The other one is building the factories required to manufacture the batteries. Mr. Greenberger also says and I quote,” One reason is that none of the auto manufacturers bought lithium-ion batteries for electric cars. So, there is not enough money to build prototypes for the batteries and factories”.

My opinion on this article is that it is interesting. It will be helpful for our future to be able to have cost-efficient, energy-efficient and more reliable source to use in cars. The gas prices have been going up and our economy is in a bad shape. So, with the help of the efficient lithium-ion batteries, we could have a better economy. Plus, I learned more about the element lithium. For example, I learned about its purpose in the society and what its made out of. I thought it was interesting when the lawyer, Mr. Greenberger said that we are five years behind the Asians. Hence, I think this article is interesting to read.

A Cure Found For the Disease Giardiasis

If you recently went to a different country and are finding yourself having the following symptoms:
*projectile vomiting

* roaring flatulence
* sulfurous belching
* explosive diarrhea.
You are under the attack of giardiasis, a form of suffering devised by the single-celled parasite known as giardia. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/16/science/16giar.html?_r=1&ref=science writes an article about this parasite. Giardiasis can linger onto you for months, because the parasite is able to play a defense against the immune system. The giardia has 190 coats. As the giardia “activates” one coat, the immune system is getting its army of antibodies ready. Once the immune system has generated antibodies against one coat, the parasite switches to another coat. There are some two-hundred eighty cases of giardiasis in the world because of the parasite’s persistence and infectivity.

However, there is a noxious weakness in the giardia’s game of switching coats. Biologists at the Catholic University of Córdoba in Argentina led by Dr. Lujan have found a way to stop the parasite. Their cunning counter play is to make the parasite wear all of its coat “proteins” at the same time. This change in the parasite should serve as the perfect vaccine, because it immunizes the body to the full repertoire of giardia’s coat proteins all at once. This vaccine may also help in producing vaccines against any other single-celled parasites that play the game of coat switching to dodge the immune system. For example, malaria causes sleeping sickness and Leishmanias.

The biologists were able to identify the mechanism by which the parasite controls its coat proteins. Each of the parasite’s 190 coat genes is the recipe for making a different protein. To produce the coat, giardia does not switch these genes on one at a time. Instead, it leaves them all “turned” on, allowing each gene to generate into a messenger RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) copy of itself. The synthesis of proteins would usually be directed by messenger RNAs, but all of the messengers get destroyed by giardia except one which makes the coat of the day. To kill the other messenger RNAs, giardia has adapted an ancient cellular system known as RNA interference. The system is designed to destroy foreign RNA, like invading viruses. Dr.Lujan, a biologist said and I quote, “………so it was surprising to find it regulating a cell’s own RNAs”. Dr. Lujan believes this is the case. He proved his theory by disrupting giardia’s production of enzymes, which are components of the RNA interference system. He also said and I quote, “I did not yet know how the organism shifted between coats but suspected that the RNA interference system favored whichever messenger RNA happened to be the most abundant at the time, and destroyed all others.”

My opinion on this subject is that it is fascinating. Dr.Lujan and his team have made a great discovery. This discovery can be used to determine more about single-celled parasites. What’s really interesting about giardia is that it is an ancient type of eukaryote. At the end of the article, they write about the parasite. I learned three facts that I didn’t know before. One fact is that this parasite was one of the earliest branches of the eukaryotes. Another fact is that giardia lacks mitochondria, which is an organelle that every eukaryote has. The last fact is that it has two nuclei, while a normal eukaryote has one. Hence, I think that this article was very interesting.

Symbiosis relationships: Class Blog 2

A symbiosis is a close relationship between two organisms in which one organism is near, on or even inside another organism and in which at least one organism benefits. There are three different types of symbiosis relationships. These relationships are commensalism, mutualism and parasitism.

Commensalism is a form of symbiosis in which one organism benefits and the other is not harmed. An example of commensalism is a manta ray and small fish. The manta ray lets the small fish get a ride on its back. This is commensalism, because the small fish benefits by getting a ride while the manta ray isn’t harmed.

Mutualism is a form of symbiosis in which both organisms benefit. An example of mutualism is a clownfish and sea anemones. The clownfish gets protection, while the sea anemones become clean. This is mutualism, because both water animals benefit from having each other around.

Parasitism is a form of symbiosis in which one organism benefits and the other is harmed. An example of parasitism is wasp’s eggs and caterpillar. When the eggs hatch into young wasps, these young wasps burrow into the body of the caterpillar. The young wasps feed on the caterpillar’s tissues. After a month or so, the young wasps chew their way out of the dying caterpillar’s body and spin cocoons. Afterwards, the young wasps become adult wasps. This is parasitism, because the caterpillar is harmed while the young wasps benefit from feeding on the caterpillar.

I think this subject is interesting, but sad in a way. It is interesting because an array of animals can be beneficial to each other (mutualism). Plus, some animals are being humane and helping other animals (commensalism). It is also sad since an animal ends up being harmed and the other is healthy from feeding on the other (parasitism).

Some interesting facts:
1. There is another type of symbiosis relationship! It is called Mimicry. Mimicry is when one organism is imitating another to gain the benefits enjoyed by that organism. For example, a Banded snake eel mimicking a venomous sea snake in order to divert the attention of predators.

Source: http://www.poliza.de/starship/sciencenew/symbiosis.htm

2. Parasites can be divided into two categories, Ectoparasites and Endoparasites. Ectoparasites refer to external parasites, while Endoparasites refers to internal parasites.

Source: http://www.poliza.de/starship/sciencenew/symbiosis.htm

Will the mammoth live again?

Wow! In a few years, we may be able to see the mammoth and the sabertooth tiger. Now that Japanese scientists have produced clones of mice that have been dead and frozen for 16 years, they are thinking that one day,they could resurrect long-extinct species, such as the mammoth. At http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/11/04/japan.mouse.clone/index.html, they write about ths new discovery. Until now, scientists have only been able to produce clones using cells from living animals. The latest research shows that scientists have overcome the obstacle that stopped them from doing further research. Researchers in Kobe, Japan used cells from mice that had been frozen for 16 years at -20 degree Celsius. The researchers followed a number of steps and were able to clone the mice. A researcher says and I quote,"This is the first time a mammal has been cloned from a sample stored at conditions reasonably close to what might be expected in permafrost". In an article published in http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=6173283, the researchers have a different thought and I quote,"However, it has been suggested that the 'resurrection' of frozen extinct species (such as the woolly mammoth) is impracticable, as no live cells are available,and the genomic material that remains is inevitably degraded". Last year, Russian scientists discovered the body of a baby mammoth frozen in the Arctic Yamalo-Nenetsk region. These scientists are thinking of cloning the mammoth's cells since many of the animals are preserved in ice. Depending on the results, they will clone other extinct animals.

I think that this discovery will lead science in a different direction. I also think that if this experiment on the mammoth works,more scientists are going to start cloning other extinct animals like the sabertooth tiger and the dodo. By reading these two articles, I have learned about how you can recreate an animal. This fact makes me ponder more to learn about genetics. It is interesting to know that as technology improves, our studies and research in science progresses further. We uncover facts that we haven't been sure about, now, we are able to clear those doubts and move on.

Energy roles: Class Blog 1

Energy Roles

An ecosystem is a unit consisting of all the living and nonliving things in a given area that interact with one another. In an ecosystem, there are special roles for organisms. An organism can be a producer, consumer or decomposer.
A producer is an organism that is able to make its own food by using a source of energy to turn simple raw materials into food. Producers are the source of all food in an ecosystem. Some examples of a producer are plants and trees. The most common source of energy for a producer is sunlight. With the process of photosynthesis, producers produce food for the consumers. Ultimately, all organisms in the ecosystem depend on producers.
A consumer is an organism that cannot make its own food. Consumers depend on producers for food and energy. There are three types of consumers: herbivores, carnivores and omnivores. Plant eaters are known as herbivores. An example of an herbivore is a grasshopper. The word “herbivore” comes from Latin word herba which means grass or herb. An example of a carnivore is a snake. The word “carnivore” comes from Latin word carnis which means flesh. Organisms that eat both plants and animals are called omnivores. The word “omnivore” comes from Latin word omnis which means all. An example of an omnivore is a human.
A decomposer is an organism that breaks down the bodies of dead organisms into simpler substances. In the process of breaking down the dead organism, they return important nutrients to the soil and water. Some examples of decomposer are molds, mushrooms and algae. Decomposers are especially important to the ecosystem because they break apart dead organisms. Decomposers return nutrients like nitrogen, carbon, sulfur and magnesium.
I think this subject is fascinating. It is really interesting how our life works. All life is interconnected with each other. What makes the subject more interesting is of where the different organisms overlap and the different places they locate to. I think the most interesting food web is the deep marine, because of the different type of species.

Some interesting facts:

1. Ecosystem actually stands for ecological systems

hyperlink: http://www.geography4kids.com/files/land_foodchain.html

2. The koala bear, which only feeds on the bark and leaves of the eucalyptus tree, and the cinnabar moth caterpillars, which only eat the leaves of the ragwort plant, live in the areas where these plants grow.

hyperlink: http://www.saburchill.com/ans02/chapters/chap018.html

The Nobel Prize winners are.....

The Discovery of Green Fluoresant Protein(GFP)

Two Americans and one Japanese won the Nobel Prize award in chemistry this year for the discovery and development of a brightly glowing protein first seen in jellyfish, which has helped scientists study how cancer cells spread. The chemists are Mr.Shimomura, Mr.Chalfie and Mr.Tsien. The green fluoresant protein, or GFP is a laboratory tool used to illuminate processes in living organisms. http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1848177,00.html has documented the work the chemists did with the GFP.

In 1962, Mr.Shimomura was able to isolated GFP (a protein)from a jellyfish and discoverd it glowed neon green under ultraviolet light. In the 1970s, Mr.Shimomura showed that the GFP contained a chemical group that can absorb and emit light. Mr.Chalfie thought that the protein would be an excellent tool for the various activities he could do with the roundworm's cells. He and others also proved that no other proteins were needed to control the chemical production of the GFP. Mr.Tsien's work helped extend GFP's usefulness.He proved this statement by exchanging various amino acids in different parts of GFP therefore it aborbs and emits different colors including blue,cyan and yellow.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said and I quote," Chalfie showed GFP's value "as a luminous genetic tag" while Tsien contributed "to our general undestanding of how GFP fluoresces"". Since Mr.Shimomura, Mr.chalfie and Mr.Tsien produced lots of information about GFP, researchers have been able to use GFP to track nerve cell damage from Alzheimer's disease. The academy says and I quote,"In one spectacular experiment, researchers succeeded in tagging different nerve cells in the brain of a mouse with a kaleidoscope of colors."

I think that the chemists deserved the Nobel Prize award. I feel, with this new discovery, doctors can help patients with Alzheimer's and other diseases. The discovery they found out will be a development in our technology and medicine studies. I think it is amazing that scientists from all around the world are trying to find cures for diseases that were uncurable in the past.

Class Blog #2

Water Cycle

In Science, my class did an activity that visualizes the water cycle. Mrs.Nietsky(sorry if I misspelled her name) set this activity up for us to do, so we can understand the water cycle. First, Mrs.Nietsky set up 5 buckets of various sizes. Then, Mrs.Nietsky asked us some questions and explained the procedure of the activity. There were five buckets around the room. They were known as: Aquifer, Ocean, Reservoir, Plants & Animals and Streams & Rivers. Accordingly, Mrs.Nietsky gave 15 students cards. Some people took spoons(they were the people who brought water to designated place). The spoon people's job was to take some water from a designated place to another designated place. Some people took cups(these people were the clouds who took the water from the spoons. The cup people had to get water into their cups from the spoon people. They had a certain amount of water to be filled in the cup.After they did get the cup filled to the "line", they needed to pour the water into a designated place. I was a "cloud". I had to take my water and pour it into the Aquifer. In the beginning, the results showed no effects. We noticed that human influence was needed. Therefore, after about 10 minutes, we added 3 more buckets. The 3 buckets were: Industry, Residential and Agriculture. The poeple who did not have cards up til then were part of the "human influence" group. These people had to take water from one of the other 5 buckets and pour the water into one of the "human influence" buckets. This time, we had a big change in our buckets. The Aquifer, Reservoir, Plants & Animals and Streams & Rivers decreased drastically in amount of water. The Ocean didn't have too big of a change. Agriculture practically overflowed. Residential and Industry didn't overflow yet. After about 10 minutes, I switched my job with someone and continued being a spoon. This time the twist was that we have pollution in the waters. It started at Industry and got its way around all the buckets. So, after 10 minutes,the results had shown changes. The Aquifer, Reservoir, Plants & Animals and Streams & Rivers decreased drastically in amounts of water again. The Ocean decreased a little. The "human influence" buckets overflowed again! That activity was soooo much fun!

A site that talks in detail about the water cycle is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_cycle. In the beginning, it has a description about the water cycle and description of each process involved. As you go further into the article, the resources and effects are mentioned. Also, I found another site which shows the process of the water cycle in an animated version. This site is http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/watercycle/index.html. This site is helpful for both teachers and students in understanding the water cycle.

My opinion on the Water Cycle Activity is that it is really fun. You are able to visualize and also DO IT! You can experience the water cycle by conducting it and being a part of it. Plus, this same cycle is happening in your life. The water cycle has an effect on humankind and animals. In the world now, human influence has made a big effect on the water cycle(pollution).This was a fun and wet experience to me.

Arctic Tale

During the 6th grade assessment, I watched a documentary movie called "Arctic Tale". It was about the life of a polar bear called Nanu and the life of a walrus called Seela. Obviously, this movie took place in the vast snow kingdom of the Arctic Pole. It was a breath-taking movie to watch. What makes this movie cool is that it is a real-life adventure (It took about 2 years for this film to be made.... I think). An interesting fact that I learned from the movie is that male polar bears are a danger sign for a mother polar bear and cubs. Mrs. Rousseau says it is part of their way of survival. Another interesting fact that I learned is that a polar bear cub stays with his/her mother for 3 weeks and then leaves them to survive by themselves. That is also part of their survival system. Something else that is interesting is that an arctic fox would be friends with a polar bear(they never eat each other or fight, the fox is always there for the polar bear).
The website for the movie is http://www.arctictalemovie.com/ . You can find a lot of information about the movie in the website. The site has info on what equipment did they use for filming the movie. It also has the pistures of the creatures involved in the movie. The website has info on the filmmakers, too. It has a gallery, downloads and learn more tabs. It is a good website that provides info about the movie.
I also learned that each season in current year is coming earlier than the previous year. Also, the warmth of the sun is melting the ice, effecting walrus', polar bear's (Seela's and Nanu's) and other animals' survival. This change in seasons is a change to the weather and surroundings of the animals living there. My opinion on this movie is that it is outstanding and a breath-taking movie. It has live footage that children and adults can learn from. It is a way to learn how weather takes part in any animal's life. You can learn about an animal's risky life. I personally think this is a movie that you can learn a lot from.

Extra Creit:Weather

A Line-Storm Song

The line-storm clouds fly tattered and swift.
The road is forlorn all day,
Where a myriad snowy quartz stones lift,
And the hoof-prints vanish away.
The roadside flowers, too wet for the bee,
Expend their bloom in vain.
Come over the hills and far with me,
And be my love in the rain.

The birds have less to say for themselves
In the wood-world's torn despair portrays
Than now these numberless years the elves,
Although they are no less there:
All song of the woods is crushed like some paras.
Wild, earily shattered rose.
Come, be my love in the wet woods, come,
Where the boughs rain when it blows.

There is the gale to urge behind
And bruit our singing down,
And the shallow waters aflutter with wind
From which to gather your gown.
What matter if we go clear to the west,
And come not through dry-shod?
For wilding brooch shall wet your breast
The rain-fresh goldenrod.
Oh, never this whelming east wind swells
But it seems like the sea's return
To the ancient lands where it left the shells
Before the age of the fern;
And it seems like the time when after doubt
Our love came back amain.
Oh, come forth into the storm and rout
And be my love in the rain.


Robert Frost


Explanation:
Weather words are mentioned in the poem "A Line-Storm Song"(left). Robert Frost talks about rainy weather in the poem. The poet described the weather as dismal. Robert describes that the weather is unpleasent and no one would enjoy this. The next para of the peom has the same feelings as before. The animals mentioned in the second para are feeling unpleasant and untenable of the weather. Robert Frost the second para as destroyed and shattered. The third para of "The Line - Storm Song" is different from the first two. In the third para, the poet describes the gusty winds and how the heavy downpour that comes with it.

Robert Frost is a nature- loving man. In this poem, he is describing how bad weather effects animals. Clouds, rain, wind, east winds, storms and seas are the types of weather mentioned in the poem. Gloomy and rainy weather was discussed in the poem. The poem would not be the same without the mention of weather. This poem itself is about the effects of weather. The poem would have nothing to describe. Robert Frost uses deep description with adjectives. The poet used figurative language such as metaphors and rhymes. He also used imagery and mood. The poem "A Line- Storm Song" did not further my knowledge about weather.

S.S: Culture & Technology

Technology Improves

In technology, I think that computers have made the greatest impact on society. Thirty years ago, computers didn't exist in India. If you mail a letter, it would take 10 days to reach the other person. If you want to know any important news,you would have to wait until the next day to find out. Someone would tell you the news. If you want to buy an expensive necklace, you had to go to the shop and then buy it. If you want to go to a famous park, you would have to ask for directions from a friend who would know.In today's world, with the computer, all these problems are solved. With a computer, you can email a friend and it will reach her in seconds! With a computer, you could read about the latest news easily. With a computer, you could shop and purchase the latest model of jewelry online. With a computer, you could look at a map and know where and how to go to the famous park. Nowadays,the computer is prevalent around the world. It effects everyone in the world. People use the computer for all types of uses.It is used for chatting with others online, finding the local climates, general knowledge, interactive games for kids and helps with about anything you need to have or know. Men and women with jobs have the most use over the computer. They use the computer to save data, to dowload, to search and to email. Children going to school use the computer to find info that they need for homework and do to projects. They use it to prepare and print homewok they will need for school. Young adults use computers for various exciting purposes such as chatting online with their friends(girls) and play online games(boys). Women may use the computer to do shopping online, for learning how to prepare varieties of dishes and other various purposes. For all the reasons above, I think that computers have made the greatest impact on society.

*Note:Did you notice the cool computer-like font, the green computer chip color and the computer picture?!

Snowflakes may contain bacteria!

BACTERIA IN SNOWFLAKES!

Those beautiful snowflakes drifting out of the sky may have a surprise inside - bacteria.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/02/28/snow.bugs.ap/index.htm reports and I quote,"scientists say that snowflakes may contain bacteria." Most snow and rain forms in chilly conditions high in the sky and scientists know that under certain conditions, the moisture needs something to cling to in order to condense. Now, a new study shows that a large amount of the nucleators are bacteria which can affect plants. Brent C. Christner says and I quote,"Bacteria are by far the most active ice nuclei in nature." Brent and his colleagues sampled snow from Antarctica, France, Montana and the Yukon. In some of the samples, 85% of the nuclei were bacteria. The most common bacteria found was Pseudomonas syringae, which can affect plants such as tomatoees and beans.The group found this type of bacteria in 20 of their samples. In the past, the focus on Pseudomonas was to try and eliminate it, but it turns out to be a major factor in snow and rain (fact- Pseudomonas is effective at getting moisture in a cloud to condense). Christner says that insects, microbes and algae blow around in the atmosphere and I quote,"but the atmosphere has not been recognized as a place where things are active." At warm temperatures of just a few degrees below freezing, bacteria is remarkably effective at attracting ice formation." It's one of those great bacteria....you can find them anywhere.", said Virginia K. Walker, a biologist. I think that this discovery was very intriguing. I never imagined that bacteria is the cause of why we have snow and rain. I think this discovery can be useful because the killed bacteria are even used as an additive in snow making at ski resorts. I learned a good fact.....and lesson. That lesson is "Don't open your mouth to eat snowflakes."

Popping Fun

POPPING FUN!

In class, we studied about chemical and physical changes. To help us understand better, we did a Popping Fun lab. We were split into six groups. Each group had a beaker of vinegar, a beaker of baking soda, a test tube, and a graduated cylinder. Each group needs to mix vineagor and baking soda to make the cork pop! The groups were allowed to use water as well. The goal was to be able to mix enough vineager and baking soda to make the cork hit the window. We also had to record how many mL of vineagar and baking soda we used for each trial and the distance the cork went(in meters). It took my group about 4 trials before we got the cork to hit the window. On our fifth trial, it hit the window!!!! My group jumped up in joy and Mrs.Roussea was smiling! My group continuously used the same amount and got EXTRA CREDIT!!!! I was soooo happy!!!! http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/volcano.html has an experiment where you can make your own volcano. This volcano will give you an idea of what it might look like when a volcano erupts flowing lava. This is a classic experiment in which a chemical reaction can create the appearance of a physical volcano eruption. This volcano experiment relates to the popping fun lab because the lava "pops" out of the volcano like the cork pops out of the test tube. Also, both experiments have key materials to create "the explosion". Those chemicals are baking soda and vineagar. http://www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/bubblebomb.html is another site that uses vineagar and baking soda to pop a plastic bag. The popping fun lab and the bubble bomb lab are both related because of the materials used. Also, both labs end with a big POP! (Except the bubble bomb also has a big fizz included! {Just a joke}). My opinion on the Popping Fun Lab is that it is really fun. You even learn a few facts from this one enjoyable experiment. You learn about chemical reaction and how it works. You see one right infront of YOUR EYES! You even see it happen in real life(shake a champane bottle and cork pops). This was a fun experience for me.

Extra Credit:Chem4kids

Cool Site For Middle Schoolers

I found a site that can be useful to middle schoolers. It is known as http://www.Chem4kids.com . It is an interactive, educational and fun site. It is also a colorful site. Andrew Rader sponsors this site. This site has lessons and quizzes about science topics. It also has test resources and related links to other websites(geography4kids). These related links are at the bottom of a lesson. Also, the site has a link to math lessons. This site provides basic information about any science topic(ex. matter, biology, atoms). At the bottom of the page there is a google search tool where you can type in what you want to search/find. There are some positive and negative aspects about this site:

Positive Aspects:

* you can learn about different science topics

* there are quizzes and tests you can take

* about 20 questions for a quiz, more than 35 questions for a test

* experiments that you can try out

* you can prepare for the NJASK, GEPA, CTY for John Hopkins, assessments in school

Negative Aspects:

* one paper per lesson /topic

* there are no project ideas

* only one test or quiz for a topic

This site has a lot of uses. Students can prepare themselves for the NJASK, GEPA, CTY for John Hopkins, assessments in school. Teachers can look at this site and get ideas for lab experiments. Students can get homework help from this site. Students will learn basic information about science topics. Also, the website launched a new math link. You can get practice from reading the lessons the website gives and doing their tests. I would recommend this website, because there are soooo many uses.

Bizarre Catastrophes Happening in the Universe

WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE UNIVERSE!

There is the latest news about our universe which is bizzare, but true. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,322254,00.html has the latest story. The site I got the story from said, and I quote " Huge clouds of gas, galaxies all crash into each other, rip each other apart--- but over millions of years. The deeper astronomers gaze into the cosmos, the more they find it's a bizarre and violent universe." Reseachers had a meeting where they talked about "baby" stars to "rogue" black holes. As you can see, one topic that was mentioned was about black holes. The odds of one of these black holes swallowing up Earth or the sun is somewhere around 1 in 10 quadrillion in any given year. One researcher had presented her theory about these black holes. She says," It's an odd universe we live in. No one should be worried about these black holes. " Scientists are finding that not only are they improving their knowledge of how did this all start and where is it all going, they also are running into hard-to explain, cosmic quirks( An unpredictable or unaccountable act or event). At the meeting, scientists also talked about an approaching gas cloud. The scientists say and I quote, " The cloud has a mass 1 million times that of the sun. It is 47 quadrillion miles away. But it's heading toward our Milky Way galaxy at 150 miles per second. When it hits, there will be fireworks that form new stars and "really light up the neighborhood. But don't worry. It will hit a part of the Milky Way far from Earth. The giant cloud has been known for more than 40 years, but only now have scientists realized how fast it's moving. It is moving so fast that we can see it sort of plowing up a wave of galactic material in front of it." Astronomers unveiled a giant map of mysterious dark matter in a supercluster of galaxies, they explained that the violence of the cramped-together galaxies is so great that there is now an accepted vocabulary for various types of cosmic brutal behavior. The gravitational force between the clashing galaxies can cause "slow strangulation," in which important gas is gradually removed from the victim galaxy. "Stripping" is a more destructive process in which the larger galaxy tears gas from the smaller galaxy, "harassment," which is a fast fly-by encounter.

Because of this discovery, I am more interested in space and astronomy. The universe is awe-inspiring!!!!