Chem II at Junior/Senior Prom May 20, 2011

Allison, Emily, Natasha, Mr. Ippolito, and Austin. most of my Chem II honors class at the prom!

The Answer Is (Artificially) Blowing in the Wind

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/business/22novel.html?ref=science

      Gary Brudving, a Yale chemistry professor, is in the process of making artificial leaves.  Brudving and others are creating a substance which will have the same characteristics of a leaf. He says "We, want to use the principles from nature to design an artificial leaf." Why you ask? He and his colleagues want to create another way in which energy from the sun can be generated inexpensively. These "leaves," made from silicon, will be placed on the top of roofs of homes in third world countries, where people can generate hydrogen in the place they want to use it. However, these teams of scientist working on this are not yet close to releasing this technology. With more than $122 million dollars donated by the federal Department of Energy, the artificial leaf should be perfected in the next 5-7 years.

      This leaf will be very helpful in the future. With this leaf, third world countries now have a way to generate energy without spending a lot of money. This is because by placing these leaves on the roof and placing water on them will abort fossil fuel. Another advantage is that the water used as a catalyst

for these leaves need not be pure, making their usages in these less fortunate countries easier. Soon enough, these leaves could help us heat our homes and run our cars.

      This article was very informative and straight to the point which I liked. However, the article contradicted itself half way through by saying that this technology is revolutionary and ready for use, but then it stated that what is developed so far can not be used which was a bit confusing for me. All in all this was an interesting article.

posted for L. Dowe

Record Snowpacks Could Threaten Western States

This year there have been record amounts of snow. Scientists and analysts are worried that as the record snowstorms traveled into the spring, they are worried that the hot sun and climates of June will make all the snow melt to quickly. The melting of the snow at such a quick rate could ruin towns, villages, and ecosystems. If the snowcaps are to melt at an irregular speed they could release millions of gallons of water which would be tragic and devastating. Many communities have improved their defenses, for example, by fortifying riverbanks to keep streams in place, but those antiflood bulwarks have for the most part not been tested by nature’s worst hits.

I thought this was a good article because while I was at home enjoying all of the snow days that we had in this record year of snow I now realize that it could have tragic effects on our ecosystems. It made me realize how this topic relates to our everyday lives.

I also liked this article because was specific however to the point and was not confusing. It explains an interesting yet important topic about what is going on in nature today.

Johnson, Kirk. "Record Snowpacks Could Threaten Western States." Nytimes.com. Web. 22 May 2011. .

Simpler Antidote for Heavy Eyelids

           This article is about an item called the Anti Sleep Pilot. It is a device that drivers can by for $179 and put on the dashboard of their car. When you first get it you are required to answer a series of questions, which cover the 26 different fatigue factors. Then once you start driving the devices monitors you as you drive to determine if you are becoming drowsy. It periodically makes you touch the device to show that you are still capable of driving. It then monitors your response time to the device and others factors to determine if you are sleepy or not. The drowsier it thinks you are the more often it beeps and requires you to touch it. Eventually when it determines that you need a rest, a loud alarm sounds and the light goes red.

            This article relates to us in many ways. One of them being that most of the kids in our class can either drive or are getting their permits very soon. And this is a very big topic in the car industry now a day. Mercedes and Volvo are two leading car companies who have been trying to find a new system to install in their cars to prevent car accidents from drowsy drivers. If these devices prove to be helpful and work for the drivers it would be a huge advantage.

            I thought that overall this was a well-written article and provided a lot of good and interesting information about these new devices. The only problem was that they did not talk about how this particular device works enough. They spent a lot of time on other information which wasn’t as important.

Quain, John R. Simpler Antidote for Heavy Eyelids. New York, New York: New York TImes, 2011. N. pag. Web. 22 May 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/automobiles/22DROWSY.html?ref=technology>.

New Material Could Improve Safety for First Responders to Chemical Hazards

          In a recent issue of Advanced Materials a new technology that involves carbon nanostructures and their potential use as microsensors for violent organic compounds. This technology would be made for first responders of all kinds who are aiming to protect themselves from unknown vapors. The greatest dangers posed to these workers comes when the airborne toxins become trapped in the filters of the responder’s gas mask. As of now people who are put in these environments are merely told to know the amount of time they’ve worn the gas mask. This is where the new technology would come in to play. Because of their likeness to the airborne compounds, these new carbon microsensors would be able to notify workers as to the different toxins that are being filtered and how much carbon is trapped within the filter by changing colors.

         Overall I thought it was a very important article and certainly timely with all of the disasters that have happened throughout the world. These disasters including the most recent devastation in the American south and earlier the tragedy that had struck Japan with the tsunami. I also thought it was especially intriguing that the people who helped develop this at UCSD and Tyco Electronics had the idea that carbon nanostructures could be used as an indicator for toxins and excess carbon. Although nothing is really happening in our area that would call for this new technology it would still be useful in case anything were to happen at the Indian Point Nuclear Plant.

          The article itself, in my opinion, was well written and concise. I also thought the writers from ScienceDaily who wrote the article were smart to bring this minor subject to light especially since the world we live in is so unpredictable. I also think that this technology would be more than helpful should Nostradamus, the 16th century soothsayer, be correct in his prediction that the Mayan calendar was correct in saying that the world will end on December 21, 2012. In all seriousness though this new technology could be very helpful in any sort of removal of old infrastructure, especially during the upcoming age where the United States and other world powers are going to have to change the way we develop and use energy.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110501183923.htm

Intel Increases Transistor Speed by Building Upward

          On Wednesday, Intel announced that by building a microprocessor’s transistor above the surface, they could make chips that are smaller, faster, and lower-power. This is different from the typical design of most computer chips. Most microchip transistors have been two dimensional, but now designers are turning to the third dimension. The design used is called a FINFET, based on a small pillar of silicon rising above the chip surface. Despite this, many feel that Intel is spending billions on what could be a bad decision. Some think Intel could win the technology battle, but lose the battle in the marketplace, because it is not involved in the growing smartphone market. However, Intel is acknowledging the challenges they face with this new design.

          This article is important because regardless of whether Intel’s new FINFET design is successful or not, it will have an impact on the technology market. If it is successful, it could revolutionize technology. If it is a failure, it could be used as an example of a multibillion-dollar mistake.

          This article was very interesting. It is important because the FINFET design could either become a success or a failure, and it could be a major part of future computer design. Whether FINFET is a success or failure, it will impact Intel’s future and inspire major changes in computer design.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/05/science/05chip.html?_r=1&ref=science

Eye Vs. Camera, Eye will always win.

          I picked this article because as having done photography, I've always wondered why the image seen was different from the image photographed. This article provides a detailed look as to the differences between what an eye and a camera lens sees. At the University of California, Berkeley neurobiologists have discovered that nerve cells in the eye inhibit neighboring cells, enabling them to enhance edges. This process is called "lateral inhibition" and was first observed in horseshoe crabs in 1967. In addition to nerve cells inhabiting their neighbors in the retina, they also aid in the response of the nearest pair of nerve cells. The boost keeps the information in the rods and cones, retaining faint detail and also accentuating edges. This combination of negative and positive feedback enables the eye to increase contrast. To accommodate different times of day, our eyes have a sheet of different rods and cones for day and night. The eye focuses on an image and puts it on this sheet. Each receptor generates a response proportional to the intensity of light in the image. The signal releases a chemical neurotransmitter, and the image is relayed to the brain. The reason the eye is much sharper than a camera is because cameras do not have the mechanical capability of taking an image and enhancing it as much as the eye does.

          This article is important to science because with more knowledge of the eye we will be able to improve many people's lives. For those who are blind or sight impaired, we might be able to discover ways to improve or fix their sight. With this information we will be able to develop technology that may range from life saving night-vision gear to higher quality cameras.

          This article was well written, informative, and incredibly interesting. Though the subject matter was difficult to understand at times, it was presented in colloquial diction which made comprehension easier. Additionally, I learned a great deal from reading the article, and appreciated that it was both direct and brief.


Sanders, Robert. University of California - Berkeley (2011, May 3). Why the eye is better than a camera at capturing contrast and faint detail simultaneously. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 4, 2011

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110503171734.htm

Hungarian Towns Being Cleanup of Nightmarish Red Sludge

          Many people are being displaced from their homes and the environment is on the brink of disaster. The toxic sludge has caused for the evacuation of several surrounding towns near the source of the leak. The source came from a break in a toxic waste reserve. Many factories around Europe dump their toxic and possibly radio-active waste into man made lakes. Yet even after being inspected a month prior to the incident, a pipe managed to burst, releasing decades worth of sludge through out several Hungarian towns. The main issue with this disaster is the toxic red sludge that has already injured hundreds and killed off every living species in the surrounding water systems. The henna tinted sludge is flowing down tributaries of the Danube itself. Many scientists fear that if the sludge reaches this vital river; the end results could be devastating. It would cause an ecological disaster, killing almost all of the wildlife in the river.

          One important thing I learned in this article is that the clean up effort is far more difficult than stopping the leak itself. Some speculate that it might take years before the villages are restored. One major concern for many is who will assume responsibility for the damages and pay for the clean up. Many of these companies in order to consolidate funds, dump their byproducts into these potentially unsafe lakes. They most likely do not have the funds to conduct a clean up effort of this magnitude. “These old factories were supposed to maintain the sludge ponds and keep them safe, but it is a huge problem in Eastern Europe because these companies didn’t set aside enough money for that” claims Csaba Vaszko, the C.E.O of the conservation group WWF-Hungary. These companies merely do not have the means to pay for this. It the companies cannot fund this; it will be left up to the government to provide relief to those affected by the disaster. Whether this was a complete accident or an act of responsibility is another looming question. It is not fair that the potential irresponsibility of these companies rely on the government to clean up their mess.

          When first reading about this issue the first thought that came to mind was its resemblance to the recent BP oil spill. Unlike the BP oil spill, which is still spewing from the ground today, the sludge disaster was quickly stopped. Both will require serious clean up. Which disaster is worse can be left up to debate. Although both tragically altered the wild life, the sludge in Hungary burned hundreds of victims and left four dead. It also displaced thousands from their homes. It is safe to say the results in Hungary were less economically burdening. The oil spill in the gulf coast cost BP millions of dollars. Not only in lost revenue, but now they have to find millions to stop the leak and clean the surrounding areas. Serious environmental issues stemmed from both incidents. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/07/world/europe/07hungary.html

posted for N. Malik

New Doubts About Turning Plutonium Into a Fuel

          On government regulated land next to the Savannah River in South Carolina, workers are building what is said to be one of the biggest nuclear power plants in years. The plant is hoping to create a minimum of 43 tons of plutonium based weapons by mixing fuel with every day power reactors. The project started as a result of hearing about Russia’s plan to reduce nuclear weapons after the cold war. This site would make the highly dangerous amount of American weapons to an end. In the past 11 years since the project was granted by the government it has sky rocketed up to 5 billion dollars. One of the stricken Japanese reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant uses the mox fuel. And while there has been no evidence of dangerous radiation from plutonium in Japan, the situation there is volatile, and nuclear experts worry that a widespread release of radioactive material could increase cancer deaths. Now people who were potential buyers are not nearly as interested. People are very worried that the plutonium can easily be put into the hands of terrorists. As a result of everything that has happened in Japan people are just too afraid to become involved in the South Carolina plant. Obama administration officials say that mox is safe, and they remain confident that the project will attract customers once it is further along and can guarantee a steady fuel supply. Anne Harrington who oversees nuclear nonproliferation programs for the Energy Department, noted that six countries besides Japan had licensed the routine use of mox fuel.

          I liked this article because it gave a thorough explanation and detailed response to how the tragic event that happened in Japan is effecting our society. While our president and many others belive that the power plant will still be a success it has been undoubtedly slowed down in its building process and funding because of the events in Japan.

          I thought this was a good article and had a lot of strong aspects to it such as good details and length. The only thing that I would think to make better is possible give a little bit more background information. In the beginning of the article it is a little confusing to keep track of what is going on but as you get into it is unfolds itself.


Becker , Jo. "New Doubts About Turning Plutonium Into a Fuel." NY Times.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2011.

From Ancient Giants, Finding New Life to Help the Planet

          This article was about how Michael Taylor is trying to clone the California redwood trees. The point of this article was to show how we might be able to clone many trees and decrease the amount of CO₂ in our environment. What they want to do is find the biggest and best genetic trees and make clone millions of these trees. The reason he is doing this is so that he can “halt and reverse climate change”. He wants to find a variety of interesting species of trees and clone tons of them and reforest the land. One of the problems is that many of these trees reproduce when they are young and he is trying to clone many of the older trees. Another problem will be if these trees will be able to adapt to the environment and disease as easily as real trees that are reproduced naturally do.

            This relates to our life in many ways. One of these ways being that we are all trying to reduce the amount of pollution each of us produces. If Michael Taylor where able to be able to reproduce trees that would reduce the amount of pollution that we produce this could reverse what is happening with global warming. This would be an amazing feat to accomplish.

            I think that overall this was a very well written and informative article. They could have explained why it is much harder for them to extract genetics from the older trees though. That was a little confusing. They also could have explained how they accomplish this achievement a little bit better.

McKinely, Jesse. From Ancient Giants, Finding New Life to Help the Planet. New York, New York: New York Times, 2011. N. pag. Web. 10 Apr. 2011. 

In NASA’s Lens, Mercury Comes Into Focus

By Alli Corbat

This article discusses the planned intimate study of Mercury conducted by NASA. The Mercury Messenger spacecraft has been sent to orbit the planet for a year taking close-up photographs to help learn more about this planet. Mercury is said to be the “last frontier of planetary exploration.” According to some astronomers it has been quite a mystery causing many scientists’ attention for thousands of years. Most but not all of the other planets within our galaxy have received similar study through similar orbiters. Astronomers have had brief glimpses of this planet due to other satellites and the like but this is the first time it will be studied up close and for a long duration of time. Mercury is the smallest of the 8 planets (as Pluto is no longer considered one). It has vast temperature ranges and deep craters along with suspected ice. Over 75, 000 photos are going to be taken over the next year. In addition the spacecraft will be able to detect the minerals present on the planet and possibly help explain its magnetic field. Mercury also has tectonic plates unlike any other planet besides Earth, which can potentially help us understand the movement of ours. Many mysteries remain over this planet and hopefully NASA’s expedition can help answer these.

This article is significant because the more we learn about other planets the more it can help us understand our own. For example, the relationship between the tectonic plates on Mercury and Earth could help us predict when and where ours will shift, perhaps preventing or better predicting natural disasters. Its important to learn about the galaxy around us and it potential benefits.

Overall the article was interesting and fairly simple. It highlighted the important of NASA and space inquiry, while using engrossing visual aids. It was a straight forward article that still held my attention.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/31/science/space/31mercury.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Cleanup Questions as Radiation Spreads

Fountain, Henry. "Cleanup Questions as Radiation Spreads." The New York Times. 31 Mar. 2011. Web. 3 Apr. 2011. .

As Japan struggles with the crisis at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, the government is now faced by another issue brought on by the disaster: whether and how to clean up areas that have been heavily contaminated by radioactivity. A soil sample has been taken from a village near the plant, called Iitate. The sample showed very high amounts of cesium 137, which is an isotope that produces gamma rays, which are harmful and accumulates in the food chain, while persisting in the environment for hundreds of years. The levels of cesium in the village were nearly double the minimums found in the uninhabitable area around the Chernobyl plant in Russia many years ago. This raises questions about whether the Japanese government should push the evacuation zone back from 18 miles to somewhere around 25-30, but the government has showed no signs that they are going to move the zone. With cesium, decontamination “has to be done very quickly,” said Didier Champion, director of the environmental and response division of the French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety. “Cesium tends to fix to materials and into soil.” The technology is there for the decontamination to be done, it’s just a question of whether the government feels its too early because once they decide its time to move in with the decontamination, it is able to be done. Dan Coyne, a vice president with CH2M-WG Idaho, which is cleaning up an Energy Department site in that state, said that given the uncertainty at Fukushima, one approach might be to spray a chemical on the soil that would prevent the cesium from migrating further. “Go and put a fixative on it, control the area, and save the remediation of that for a time when it fits your priorities,” he said. If buildings and roads need to be decontaminated, that could be accomplished by other relatively simple methods like wiping, power washing or steam cleaning, unless the cesium is deep. And because waste removal and storage are among the most expensive elements in any cleanup, Ms. Yassif said, the general goal is “to remove as much of the radioactive waste as you can in as small a volume as possible.”

This article is scientifically relevant because the radiation that is occurring in Japan because of these power plants could eventually cause severe problems for their country, such as death, birth defects, and serious illnesses. Also, their food could potentially be contaminated for years to come because their soil seems to be contaminated and their waters and slowly contaminating, which means the eating of fish and crops could have to be stopped for many years until the decontamination is complete and the water and soil is safe to produce foods without causing harm to the people. This could also seriously damage Japan’s economy because of the amount of trading they had has been diminished due to this terrible disaster.

I thought the article was very well written, giving me a good sense of what the actual situation is in Japan today. The author understands the severity of this situation and doesn’t take it lightly in his writing, by thoroughly describing the harm this terrible disaster could have on not only the Japanese people but on the rest of the world. This tsunami and its aftermath have caused Japan to be in a state of fear for the radiation and other terrible things caused by it.

Blindside by Ferocity Unleashed by Fault

A map of Japan that demonstrates seismic hazards reveals the regions of Fukishima as a fairly low risk area compared with the rest of the country, which lies on several tectonic plates. Although the entire country is in an earthquake risk zone, scientists expected the next high power earthquake to hit the areas southwest of Fukishima. Prior to the recent disaster, a government committee had initially concluded that there was a 99 percent chance of an earthquake greater than 7.5 hitting Japan within the next 30 years, and while foresight saved thousands, it did not prevent the recent massive destruction; no one expected a magnitude 9 quake. Most earthquakes are underestimated because of unknown faults, which leads to the question of how many earthquakes are actually caused by undiscovered faults. There is very little precedent to a situation like this one, and scientists are currently debating what the causes could be. While earthquakes that large would unleash massive destruction, the Japanese have prepared themselves with strict building codes and seawalls that are meant to hold back earthquake induced tsunamis. The recent earthquake was the largest ever recorded in Japan, and tied for fourth largest in the world since 1900. The largest earthquakes occur in subduction zones, places where an ocean plate collides with and slides under a continental plate, particularly around the edge of the Pacific Ocean.

This article is important because the situation in Japan affects us all and we must use the tragedy of this earthquake to prevent future earthquakes. The tsunami, earthquake, and nuclear crisis occurring at the moment could happen again with even greater consequences if we do not learn from this disaster.

This article was very well presented. It is very important for the current situation in Japan and for the future of the world. The picture of the tsunami provided a clear example of the extent of the damage. It is a complicated science that is difficult to predict. It is important to examine all the data so that a future disaster can be avoided.

Chang, Kenneth. "Blindsided by Ferocity Unleashed by a Fault." NY Times 21 Mar. 2011. 21 Mar. 2011. Web. 23 Mar. 2011. .

Japan Nuclear Crisis Still a Serious Concern - Henry Palermo

http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/tre72a0ss-us-japan-quake/

The article essentially summarizes the impact that the recent earthquake and tsunami is having on Nuclear reactors at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan. One of the main concerns is that the plant is 150 miles north of Tokyo. The plant had been beaten by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake which has led to the need of workers to try and contain the reactors before they release excess radiation and perhaps explode. The earthquake has had a serious effect on Japan’s economy, as many countries have refused Japan’s exports. In order to hinder the potential disaster workers are using helicopters and spraying water on the reactors to prevent them from overheating. The risks that Tokyo is facing go as far as Japanese families being urged to prevent their infants from drinking tap water. Some Tokyo authorities said that water at a purification plant is more than twice the safety level for infants.
The effects that this will have on us seem pretty minimal at first. Japan is on the opposite end of the earth as us, yet the economic effects and the effects on the imports that we have from Japan are probably our greatest concern from this tragedy, aside from trying to aid the people who have been devastated in Japan. Another effect that comes indirectly from this disaster is the effect it will have on the nuclear power industry as an alternative to oil and natural gas. This is especially important to people in our area because the Indian Point power plant uses nuclear power.
Overall I thought that this article was very well done, and extremely timely. My only conniption would be that outside of mentioning the effects on people in Tokyo, the writer doesn’t delve deeper into the damage that has already been done by both the earthquake and the tsunami. Yet I still believe that this was a very informative and interesting article.

“Seawalls Offered Little Protection Against Tsunami’s Crushing Waves”

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/14/world/asia/14seawalls.html?scp=2&sq=tsunami&st=cse

             

           After a destructive tsunami swept through Japan, researchers have been taking a closer look at how the wave managed to be so damaging. They have come to the conclusion that the concrete seawalls lined up along Japan’s coastline served as little or no protection. The walls were built in order to protect the country against high waves, typhoons, and even tsunamis. The risks of dependence on seawalls were most evident in the crisis at the Daiichi and Daini nuclear power plants, both located along the coast close to the earthquake zone. The tsunami that followed the quake washed over walls that were supposed to protect the plants, disabling the diesel generators crucial to maintaining power for the reactors’ cooling systems during shutdown. Japan has built rigorous building codes that are resistant to earth quakes. Unlike the sea walls, this actually helped them a lot. Without these buildings, the death toll would have been a lot higher. The total devastation in coastal areas and a final death toll predicted to exceed 10,000 could push Japan to redesign its seawalls. They say that the sea walls should have been built higher or the generators should have been placed on high ground to withstand potential flooding.   

         This article was very important because it is important to understand what is going on in the world. Knowing the science and problems behind it is even more important.

posted for E. Kimak

Taming the Wild

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/featurehub

           The article "Taming the Wild" by Evan Ratliff in National Geographic is fascinating. The article is about the evolution of more "tame" animals, including sheep, goats, pigs, cats, dogs, chickens, and most memorably foxes. The article details how it has become possible for humans to make different animals more tame by selective breeding. For example, over 50 years ago an out of work geneticist in Russia began experiments to create more tame foxes for easier fur harvests. After several generations of selective breeding of the most tame, the foxes began wagging their tales, barking, and even seeking human contact. This came as a surprise to scientists, who began more carefully selecting the foxes and recording findings. Related to the domestication of foxes, the article details how chickens, cows, and other mammals have become tamed. Scientists are now asking whether the animals domesticated today approached us first, or vice versa. To determine what causes domestic traits in animals, scientists are using genome sequencing to determine the genes and their functions.
 
         The reason this article is important to science is because domesticated animals have changed humans irreversibly. Of over 700 mammals, only about 20 have been domesticated, and have changed the way humans farm, eat, and treat animals. This article is important because the link between domestic traits and genetics will give provide useful information in the future, for identifying specific genes and their functions in animal genomes.
 
          The article was very well written, informative, interesting, and even included aesthetically pleasing diagrams and additional photos. The article did a good job of meshing scientific facts and diction into a pleasant learning experience, and the subject matter was interesting and unexpected.

"Waste Wells to Be Closed in Arkansas."

On March 4th, two oil and gas companies decided to shut down wastewater disposal wells in Arkansas that many people seem to believe are connected to recent earthquakes. The State Oil and Gas Commission was supposed to shut down the wells last Friday, 6 days after Arkansas experienced its worst earthquake in 35 years. Although the directors of the companies that own the wells, Chesapeake Energy and Clarita, did not agree with the theory that their wells were the cause of the problem, they still willingly closed down the wells. These wells are made to get rid of wastewater that is a result of natural gas drilling. Scientists and researchers have been studying the relationship between disposal wells and earthquakes for a while now and these researchers are now seeing a potential connection. Since the fall thousands of earthquakes have been recorded in north-central Arkansas. Whole many of these were unnoticeable they still happened and some were stronger. This reoccurring of earthquakes is very worrisome for the people of Arkansas.

This is an interesting article because it explains how researchers have found a direct relationship between disposal wells and earthquakes. While many of the earthquakes that occurred went unnoticed, it is still a dangerous field to be messing around with and must be changed. While the wells are necessary for the disposal of wastewater, researchers and scientists must come up with a new way to dispose of the water that will keep people out of harms way. It is not worth the threatening earthquakes.

There were both strengths and weaknesses to this article. I liked it because it was concise and to the point. It did not give you unnecessary or confusing information. However it could have been better if they went into more detail about how they were going to fix this issue and what was the actual reasoning that connects the wells to causing these earthquakes.


Robertson, Campbell. "Waste Wells to Be Closed in Arkansas." Www.nytimes.com. 4 Mar. 2011. Web. 6 Mar. 2011. .

Raze of Glory: NASA Earth-Observing Climate Satellite Fails to Reach Orbit

Jack Deasy

            This article is about the failed launch of NASA’s satellite Glory. The article talks about how this satellite would have provided the intensity of solar energy reaching Earth’s upper atmosphere and measure airborne atmospheric particles that affect how much of that energy reaches the surface. If the scientists where able to receive this data it would have helped them a lot in understanding the Earth as a system. It was suppose to be one of the most important satellites in ages.

            This affects us because now we are not any closer to understanding what this satellite was going to record. And now we are not able to understand this information for a while. The reason being is that this is the second time this has happened. And NASA has to try and figure out what is wrong with the launching system and fix it and then build another satellite.

            I think that overall this was a very good article. The information it gave us was a little skimpy and did not explain it clearly. Otherwise I found that this was a very interesting article.

Matson, John. Raze of Glory: NASA Earth-Observing Climate Satellite Fails to Reach Orbit. N.p.: Scientific American, 2010. Web. 6 Mar. 2011. <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=glory-observatory-crash>.

NY City Is Looking at Sewage Treatment as a Source of Energy

     New York City has developed a new system of renewable energy: human waste. NYC’s Department of Environmental Protection issued this strategy on Wednesday. Heating fuel can be extracted from sludge and butanol, an alternative fuel to gasoline, from the algae generated by wastewater. Sewage treatment plants could sell methane gas to provide power to homes. Such projects represent a more sustainable long-term approach to managing a wastewater treatment process that costs the city about $400 million annually, not including capital investments.  “There’s nothing in here that’s pie in the sky,” Caswell F. Holloway, the city’s commissioner of environmental protection, said of the plan. But like other cities around the country looking to reduce both the costs of sewage treatment and disposal and the heat-trapping greenhouse gases emitted in the process, New York is beginning to look at its waste as an untapped resource.

      I think it’s interesting that New York City has decided to take on such a innovative and green way of producing energy and that we have waited so long to do so. For one, New York is far from “renewing” anything. Most systems of transport, energy, and layout are at least a century old. But it’s a step forward.

      I think this relates to chemistry in that it is chemistry: energy conversion. There are definitely more chemists than plumbers working on this project.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/09/science/09sewage.html?_r=1&ref=science

posted for L. Connors

Brains Radio

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110208093258.htm

          Scientists today have tuned in to precise frequencies of brain activity to unleash new insights into how the brain works. Researchers have used electrocorticography, a technique for monitoring the brain with a grid of electrodes temporarily implanted directly on the brain's surface. Neurosurgeons use this approach to identify the source of persistent, medication-resistant seizures in patients and to map those regions for surgical removal. With the patient's permission, scientists can also use the electrode grid to experimentally monitor a much larger spectrum of brain activity than they can via conventional brainwave monitoring. Scientists normally measure brainwaves with a process called electroencephalography (EEG), which places electrodes on the scalp. Brainwaves are produced by many neurons firing at the same time; how often that firing occurs determines the activity's frequency or wavelength, which is measured in hertz, or cycles per second. Neurologists have used EEG to monitor consciousness in patients with traumatic injuries, and in studies of epilepsy and sleep. In contrast to EEG, electrocorticography records brainwave data directly from the brain's surface. By using grids to watch consciousness fade under surgical anesthesia and return when the anesthesia wears off, they found each frequency gave different information on how different circuits changed with the loss of consciousness, according to Leuthardt. Their results also showed a series of changes that occurred in a specific order during loss of consciousness and then repeated in reverse order as consciousness returned. Activity in a frequency region known as the gamma band, which is thought to be a manifestation of neurons sending messages to other nearby neurons, dropped and returned as patients lost and regained consciousness.

          The article is significant because the brain waves that are being recorded could eventually lead to serious scientific discoveries that could save a few lives and potentially create new life. The neurosurgeons are working to find cures for diseases and ways to understand the human body and its mind. The mind is so complex that if we could get all the answers to it and how it operates that could be very significant to the scientific world.

          This article was written very clearly which made it easy for me to comprehend even though the topic was so complex. I enjoyed how the author spoke about how difficult it is for the brain waves to be recorded and gave us a real sense of what the article is about. I liked this article because I feel that one day the more we monitor our brains the more we can learn about ourselves, which could help prevent deaths and create life.

NASA Satellites Capture Data on Monster Storm Affecting 30 US States

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110201154620.htm


Over the past month our area has been harshly affected by the snow, and recent satellite images from NASA prove that we may have more snow coming our way. NASA’s Aqua and Terra satellites have been providing visible, infrared and microwave looks at the storm’s clouds, temperatures, and extent. NASA has been receiving visible and infrared images every 15 minutes. This morning at 9:01 a.m. an image of the low pressure area that stretched from the Rockies and Texas to the New England area blanketed half of the continental United States. Unfortunately for the Northeast the worst weather as of the past few days is in the Midwest, so the worst is yet to come for New Yorkers.

Tonight Chicago is expecting two feet of snow and a total of nine states are under blizzard warnings. The article, written by sciencedaily, is fairly ominous of what is yet to come for the eastern seaboard. This warning article reaches from Texas to Maine as cities such as Boston expect to receive at most 18 inches in the upcoming 24 hours. I thought this was a good article to write a review for because, in recent weeks, Bronxville and most of our area has been hampered by the seemingly endless snow; as soon as we recover from one debilitating storm, another one rears its ugly head. I really enjoyed how the article showed the accuracies of the NASA satellites.

The article was very informative and at the same time it was stating the obvious. The obvious part came from the fact that it is obviously cold and the snow and ice that has accumulated throughout the region has had fairly lasting effects. The educational part of the article finds its root in talking about the use of NASA’s satellites. The use of infrared and microwave looks from satellites was extremely interesting and it made me a little less skeptical about the art of predicting the weather in our area; as we all know weather men are not always right, Dr. Paul Stuart Wichansky would be the first to tell you that. However, using the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) NASA has become a more than reliable way of seeing how the weather will affect society.

Gazing Afar for Other Earths and Other Beings

At NASA, researchers are looking for evidence of life on other planets. The planets are being monitored by a satellite observatory called Kepler, which is keeping track of which planets are best for harboring life. Astronomers are hoping to find “Goldilocks” planets, which have the perfect (neither too hot nor too cold) conditions for life. In the fall, a satellite will leave for Mars, while there are plans for the next mission to be to Europa, Titan, or Enceladus. Since humanity will lose Earth as its home sometime in the future, a new location is needed. While over 500 planets have been discovered, none of them are inhabitable. American astronomers announced last year that they had discovered a Goldilocks planet with water on it in a different system, but the astronomers who discovered the system claimed there was no actual planet. NASA has also tried to develop a system that will find planets that pass in front of a star by keeping track of the blocked light. This method is currently being used, but so far, no planets have been found.

This article is important because if a new planet is found that can support life, it can be used in the future as a resource for the population of Earth. It could become a new home or a way of finding new natural resources that can be used for the people on Earth. It is possible that this planet could reveal new discoveries that contradict previously held scientific assumptions.

This article was very interesting to read. I enjoyed hearing about how the amount of light a planet blocks can be used to find the planet in question. I did feel that some details were unnecessary and confusing, such as the sections describing different planets that were uninhabitable. It would be interesting to find more information about these discoveries and plans in the future, because this could affect society in a profound way if we find a new source of water and life for people on Earth.

Overbye, Dennis. "Gazing Afar for Other Earths, and Other Beings." NY Times. NY Times, 30 Jan. 2011. Web. 1 Feb. 2011. .

Earliest known T. Rex relative may have been found

           The earliest known relative of the T. Rex and all other meat-eating dinosaurs was discovered this week. The 4 foot 15 pound creature lived 230 million years ago in what is now South America, and has been nick named Eudromaeusmurphi, for Eodromaeus. The creature lived during the time referred to as  the "dawn of the age of dinosaurs," a rather unclear period in dinosaur history. The Eodromaeus is part of the theropod lineage, which includes all dinosaurs that were predators. Another dinosaur once thought to be of the same theropod family was the Eoraptor, a small reptile that also ran on two legs. However, it has recently been discovered that the Eoraptor was in fact an early ancestor of the sauropod lineage, a group that includes giant long necked herbivores. It was discovered that the two were unrelated due to the difference in facial features, such as size of nostrils, or placement of teeth. Despite their differences, their similarities have supported the suggestion that there were three main groups of dinosaurs, sauropods, theropods, and "bird-hipped" ornthischians shared a body plan, proving that the three groups are indeed very similar.

           

          This article is important to society because it sheds light on the evolutionary process that has been in effect for millions of years before humans. This article is also is important to society because it proves that new discoveries are being made every day, and that man is neither omnipotent or omniscient in concerns of the planet and nature, providing more reason for its conservation. I chose this article because both dinosaurs and evolution interest me.

             

          Though the article was interesting and easy to read, it lacked scientific facts or specifics. It was short of information concerning the Eodromaeus and its discoverers, and was somewhat vague in most of its claims.The article also failed to provide information on the future of Eodromaeus' discovery, and what it will mean for archeologist for years to come.  Despite its short comings, the article served its purpose, which was to share information in a comprehendible manner. 

Roach, John. " Earliest known T. Rex relative may have been found" 1/13/11 MSNBC

posted for C. Nagy     

Figures on Global Climate Show 2010 Tied 2005 as the Hottest Year on Record

     Global warning has become one of the greatest issues in the world. Signs of this grave catastrophe have recently become more apparent. Increase in average temperatures and fluke weather patterns have created concerns amongst the scientific world. 2010 has been a climatologically remarkable year. Between the prodigious snowstorms that broke records in the United States and Europe, record-breaking heat waves in Russia, and strong floods in Pakistan, Australia, California, and Tennessee; it is safe to say that concern is necessary. It is clear that these abnormalities stem from human innovations. The carbon dioxide level has increased about 40 percent since the Industrial Revolution. Also 2010 has been one of the hottest years since 1800, aside from 2005. The average temperature has risen 1.17 degrees Fahrenheit

     The author takes an alarmist stance when writing this article. It does not seem that all of the facts regarding this issue were displayed. Although it is an imminent issue, there are other perspectives on it. Many political figures would choose to differ on this stance.  However I believe that global warming is an issue in which our generation is forced to deal with. Many should be more cautious in how they consume energy. The resources we have are not infinite, so we should sparingly use them.  

Gillis, Justin. "Figures on Global Climate Show 2010 Tied 2005 as the Hottest Year on Record." The New York Times 12 Jan. 2011: n. pag. Web. 13 Jan. 2011.

posted for N. Malik

Smarter Than You Think- When Computers Keep Watch

This article is about the advantages and disadvantages of a new type of camera that can identify things such as moods, heart rate, forgotten tasks, and personal information.  This same technology can be found in gadgets such as smart phones and computers. Most people recognize this program with their photography application on their computers in which the software recognizes the faces of people in the picture and matches them with other photographs with the same person in it. A study last spring that took place in a West Virginia penitentiary proved that this technology was a great help in stopping fights within the prison walls.  In this study, prison guards dressed up as inmates and stirred trouble on the grounds. Cameras that were set up immediately identified that there was a problem in the prison and notified all of the guards by text message that there was an incident and where it was taking place. It also identified the face that had thrown the first punch because it can detect motion and zoom in on the face of the individual. This technology can be seen as revolutionary for that it can now help find missing children and Alzheimer’s patients who have wandered off at night. These cameras can be used in schoolyards, shopping malls, offices, hospitals, subway platforms, and stadiums.         

I chose this article because I had found this technology not only interesting, but how it can advance society in many different ways. I also find how controversial these camera and computers are alarming. This is due to the fact that many find these cameras as an invasion of privacy. Google’s new application, googles,  allows for individuals to take pictures with their phones and send in that photo to find a picture of the same thing online. For example, if one was to take a picture of the Eiffel tower, they would send it in to Google and they would in return send another picture of the Eiffel tower back to them. Google has had many complaints due to the fact that many people’s houses and personal properties are now visible to everyone. Google has since blurred out the properties that had complained. This application also brings up all the information of the item in the picture, such as, the address and the occupant.  Google is not the only source that is doing this. Yahoo, iMac, and Microsoft all have a hand in this. Further research is going underway due to the amount of complaints. Edward E. Schmitt, the executive of Google had commented, “It was just too sensitive, and we didn’t want to go there. You want to avoid enabling stalking behavior.” There have also been cases where these same cameras detect your mood by tracking the brain patterns along with the heart rate.

             

          I believe this article was very well written and informative. The only problem I had found was that it said that these cameras were used for many different uses but had only really explained one.

Lohr, Steve. "Smarter Than You Think- When Computers Keep Watch." New York Times. 1 Jan. 2011. Web. 5 Jan. 2011. 

posted for L. Dowe