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.

International News: S.S

Richest Countries to the Rescue!!!!

The richest countries in the world have decided to fix the economy. They have come forward together to save our economy from worry.

A group of seven countries have met to restore the global financial system. I got this information from cnn. The seven richest countries are the United States, Germany, Japan, Britain, Canada, Italy and France. Italy had hosted this year’s meeting, which occurred on the 14th of February. The meeting, which was held in Rome, lasted for two days. During the meeting, the finance ministers from the seven countries concentrated on the solutions to this crisis. The Treasury Secretary of United States, Timothy Geithner attended the meeting. Geithner told other finance ministers that the world needed to focus on stabilizing and strengthening financial systems. The seven administrators also talked about economic policies and the function of the markets. Another thing the group emphasized was, and I quote, “An open system of global trade and investment is indispensable for global prosperity". In addition to all these issues, Geithner picked up a subject that has been on the mind of many Americans, the recovery package. He told the other six ministers that the $787 billion package was agreed by the U.S Senate and was going to be used to boost the economy. He also told them that, and I quote, “the package provides a very powerful mix of investments and tax cuts to create jobs and to strengthen our long-term growth potential.” The Managing Director of International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dominique Strauss-Kahn expressed his happiness over the approval of the stimulus package in U.S. senate. In the end, all seven financial ministers agreed that problems of such severity should not recur.

My opinion on this subject is that the topic was writhing and was very interesting to read. I was very happy to find out that the U.S Senate had consented to the stimulus package. It was ironic to see a rich country like U.S. being hit the hardest.
One question that I am having is that does the G-7 meet every year? My second question is that are there only seven rich countries? Why not more or less? My last question is that will it be the same seven countries forever or will they change?
Even though the article was short, it had a lot of detail and information.

State News: S.S

The Incumbent Democrat and Four GOP Candidates in a Head-to-Head Battle

The four republicans and the incumbent governor are running for the post of governor of New Jersey. They are giving fiery speeches to boost their chances to run for the post of the Governor. In this week, they have attended two different forums. One forum was on the trains that led them from Newark to Washington D.C. The second forum was at a golf club, where the candidates sat together for the first time.

My first article, http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-12/1233293197132600.xml&coll=1, is about the train ride from Newark to Washington DC. Interestingly, only one candidate came on this ride; Governor Corzine. Christopher Christie, Steve Lonegan and Rick Merkt thought that the ride was “a symbol of the state's broken insider-heavy political culture”. The other candidate, Brian Levine couldn’t come because of other obligations. Therefore, Governor Corzine ended up to be the only person from the race to attend the “Walk to Washington”. Taking this as an advantage, Corzine started speaking about the different deeds he would like to do for NJ. There was only one thing that was talked the most on the train; the absence of the four republican candidates. Many people argued that it doesn’t matter if the other candidates did not attend this. Other people, such as the Chamber of Commerce said that it was a disgrace to them. Governor Corzine said a quote that had counteracted everyone’s argument. “I think it would be a mistake for the governor of the state not to be here. It's where people come together. I don't think anybody would claim that they were ever able to influence public policy because I rode this train the last three years."

My opinion on this article is that it was very detailed and informative. This article showed every aspect of the train ride that happened, from who he sat with to what he was eating! I also thought that this article gave me a better understanding of how forums work. This article was very helpful in providing me the correct information. My question about this article is that what is the significance of the train ride?

My second article, http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/01/gop_candidates_for_governor_cr.html, was about the forum that occurred on the last day of January. This is the first time all the candidates from Republican party sat together to discuss their thoughts. All the candidates gave fiery speeches and back-stabbed each other. The various policies implemented by Governor Corzine in NJ were criticized by four republican candidates. They felt that Corzine’s policies were hurting the small towns and communities of New Jersey. These four candidates fired their harsh comments at the governor. They criticized him for being selfish and harmful, but Corzine’s spokesman shattered their thoughts with a fiery quote. This quote was, “Governor Corzine is focused on New Jersey's economy in the middle of a national financial crisis, not partisan politics.”

My opinion on this article was that it was detailed and informative. This article was also general and straight-to–the-point. This article gave the main points or details of what happened at the golf club in Branchburg. Plus, this article demonstrated to me competition between politicians! My question about this article is that who do you think is the best candidate among these four?

National News: S.S

The Inauguration of the 44th President of the United States

The inauguration of President Obama happened on January 20, 2009. This inauguration actually started at around 10:30 am. Since morning of that day, approximately 2 million people gathered around the grounds of the National Mall in Washington D.C., Some of the past Presidents along with their families, Senators and members of Congress gathered at this historic event. The spouses of incumbent, President-Elect, Vice President-Elect arrived at the venue of the inauguration. Finally, the incumbent President and President-Elect come out to the West portico of Capitol Hill, see the gigantic crowd out in front. Everyone settled in to view, observe and take part in this historic moment. After a few greetings, the traditional ceremony began to take place. First, two musical selections were played. Then, the chairman of the Inaugural committee, Diane Feinstein, did the welcoming remarks. After her remarks, she handed it over to Dr. Rick Warren, who did the Invocation. Afterwards, there was another musical selection. Joe Biden took the oath as the vice president with the help of Justice John Paul Stevens. Before the oath of the president took place, there was a musical selection. Then came the most important event of the day, the oath of the President. President Barack Hussein Obama got administered the oath of office with the courtesy of the Chief Justice of the U.S, Justice John Roberts Jr. Then the 44th President of US delivered his inaugural address. Next, we had a poem and a benediction. Lastly, the National Anthem was sung. The next big event came, which was the take-off of former president George W. Bush to Texas. Then, we had President Obama descend from the Capitol to the White House! In the evening, the Obama family attended approximately ten (10) inaugural balls.

My first article, which came from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama_2009_presidential_inauguration , is about the ten different inaugural balls that the Obamas attended to. At every one of these balls, the President spoke and danced with his wife to the song “At last”. Obama asked the crowd of celebrities and supporters at the first inaugural ball, "First of all, how good looking is my wife?" The balls that he attended to were:

* The Neighborhood Inaugural Ball was the first stop of the night for the Obamas. This is also where First Lady, Michelle Obama revealed her inaugural gown.

* The President Obama Home States Ball which was held at the Walter Washington Convention Center. The guests came from the Obama hometown states, Hawaii and Illinois.

* The Commander-in-Chief's Ball at the National Building Museum. Military families, duty members of the U.S military, families that their loved ones were lost in the war and families that have their loved ones deployed to overseas for military purposes came to this party.
* The Eastern Ball at the Union Station. Many people from New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts and other places came over to celebrate.
* The Mid-Atlantic Ball at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Many people from New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Maryland and other places came to celebrate here with the Obamas and Bidens.

* The Midwestern Ball was also held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Many people from Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio and many other places attended at this inaugural Ball.
* The Southern Ball at the D.C Armory center. The attendees came from Tenneesse, Florida, Lousiana, Kentucky and many other places.
* The Vice President Biden Home States Ball also took place at the Washington Convention Center. This ball featured people who came from the Biden hometown states, Delaware and Pennslyvania.

* The Western Ball also took place at the Walter Washington Convention Center. The invited guests came from California, Oregon, Nevada, Alaska and many other places.
* The last ball was the Youth Ball held at the Washington Hilton and Towers. This ball was created especially for young people of eighteen to thirty-five years of age.

My opinion on this article is just wow! I would be extremely tired by the end of all these Balls. Plus, it is soooo cool how a few balls specifically invitees of the different regions of the U.S. I thought that was cool. I think that was really cool how they had a specific ball for every region of the country.Then they also had a special ball for the hometown states of the President and Vice president. I have a question about the importance of these inaugural balls. That is, what and why these inaugural balls occur on this specific day? Luckily, most of the balls were held at the Walter Washington Convention Center. So, the Obamas didn’t get tired going around Washington D.C.

My second article, which came from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/us/politics/22oath.html?scp=1&sq=I%20Really%20Do%20Swear,%20Faithfully:%20Obama%20and%20Roberts%20Try%20Again&st=cse is about the President and the Chief Justice redoing the oath. The presidential oath, right from the Constitution, is:

I do solemnly swear(or affirm)that I will faithfully execute the Office of the President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

The President and the Chief Justice have decided to re-do the oath since they had messed up the words during the oath at the Capitol. They did this oath in the Map Room at 7:35 pm the day after the Inauguration. At the Capitol, the Chief justice accidently said, “ I will execute the Office of the President of the United States faithfully”. The mistake in this was that the word faithfully is supposed to go between will and execute. When the Chief Justice asked if Obama was ready, Obama said,” I am, and we’re going to do it very slowly.” There were only nine people who were present when the President re-did the oath.

My opinion on this article is that it was interesting. I thought it was awkward, how the Chief Justice knew his mistake but still continued. The White House counsel, Gregory B Craig, said. “But the oath appears in the Constitution itself, and out of an abundance of caution, because there was one word out of sequence, Chief Justice Roberts administered the oath a second time.” I also thought it was funny when the article said that even at the re-do, the Chief Justice still stumbled over the word “execute”. My question about this article is that do you need to do the oath with a Bible in hand? Also, why the Chief Justice did not have a prepared note of the the oath which was accepatable to have and use the note to adminster the oath?

Extra, Extra, Read All About It

Extra Credit: Virtual Tour + Vlog

For more information, please visit http://www.lbm.go.jp/english/

Class Blog 3: Catch the Wave

In class, we did a lab called Catch the Wave. This lab was done with three other students in my class as a group.
The tools/materials that were needed:

*foil pan
*water
*foam ball
*fabric ball

First we needed to fill half of the foil pan with water. Then with a pencil, we needed to touch the surface of the water at one end of the pan. We needed to do this twice each second for a minute. Afterwards, we had to place the foam ball in the center of the pan. Then, we had to take the pencil that we used before and touch the surface of the water (do this twice per second for a minute). The result from the tapping of the pencil is that the foam ball had floated in the direction of the waves, toward the other side of the pan. Then, we took out the foam ball and replaced it with a fabric ball. We did the same thing again (the tapping with the pencil). The result for the fabric ball was interesting. Once, we placed the fabric ball in the center, it just sunk to the bottom. So, the tapping with the pencil didn’t make the ball move, at all.

The three facts that I learned from this lab are:
*Since water is denser than air, water can only carry objects lighter than itself.
* The foam ball moved because of the movement of the pencil and other variables such as the air around the pan.
* Anything that touches water can make a wave.

My opinion on this lab is that it was interesting to do. It helped me to have a better understanding of waves and their movement. This was a fun and dripping experience!

Some interesting facts:
* There is another type of wave! It is called a ripple. A ripple is a combination of a transverse and longitudinal wave.
* A wave can be split up by a frequency. This is called dispersion.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waves

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.