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.