Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Women Risk Snapped Ligaments

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/09/fashion.shoes.heels/index.html


The fashion today is crazy. If you watch the new fashion styles like Lady Gaga's shoes the height on those shoes are just amazing. But women today have to worry about no being able to pull off the look but mostly from falling and tearing their ligaments. Women love the look of high heels and what it does for our legs but risking their ankles and the pains.

I would love to pull off the look of the super high heels but i just can't. I like walking like a normal human that walking like a raptor. Trying to wear those shoes is like murder on your feet. I love Lady Gaga but she is crazy for dancing or even just walking is very brave. I would rather just wear the regular high heels than try to kill myself for fashion.

NAPS BOOST MEMORY

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/22/naps.memory.dream.brain/index.html


In the study the scientist tested 99 college students to memorize a complex maze on a computer. The researchers then placed the students inside a 3-D version of the maze and asked them to navigate to another spot in the mase. After doing this several times, half of the students took a 90-minute nap while the other half stayed awake and watched videos. When the students were given the test again 5 hours later, the nappers did better than the students who had stayed awake. But the nappers who dreamed about the maze (they described that they were lost in a cave) did better than the nappers who didn't.

WE NEED NAP TIME AGAIN! Nap time would be the perfect time of the day. If we could have a nap in the middle of the day we wouldn't fall asleep in the middle of classes and miss information. I get sleepy around 1 maybe 2 and i would love to have a nap. If I can just have a 5 to 10 minute nap everything would be fine. My mind would be more focused and I could work better. We can always just get our of school at 4.

Northern California ponders how to peddle legal pot

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/05/12/california.marijuana.tourism/index.html


Polls for the region's marijuana economy are not clear, but driving through the towns it's easy to see marijuana's importance to regional economy. Hemp shops are more common here than in cities 10 or 20 times the size. They can be next to restaurants and coffee shops like they are any other business. Recent polls say 56% of Californians favor taxing and regulating the plant but the national approval rate is much lower.


I think that if we legalized marijuana everyone would always be happy. Forever. But really its healthier for the environment because it can be used for paper, clothing, bags, and a lot of other things. The world would be peaceful and it could also be used for working harder. People this pot heads just sit around and do nothing all day but eat and sleep. But some people I know have actually gotten better grades because they work harder. I think that we should just legalize it and not let the tobacco companies alter anything to it.

Birth Control for Men

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/05/07/future.contraceptives.male.pill/index.html?npt=NP1

For years women have been taking birth control and have been asking why men don't have an option. Now in new studies around the world have been trying to find a birth control. The male birth control uses a combination of testosterone and progestin, which turn off signals from the brain to the testes. 3,000 men have been chosen across more than 30 studies on the topic over the last 30 years. Men in China have tested their own form of birth control and about 95% of the men didn't have conception with their partner.

This would be awesome if men had their own birth control because then the woman wouldn't have all the responsibility if something goes wrong with her birth control. Its also and extra form of protection if you don't want children at all. I know when i get older i don't want kids so this for me and my husband would be awesome. This could also prevent high school pregnancies so that they can focus on their studies. I hope they come out with this in the near future.

Chocolate and Depressionhttp

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/26/chocolate.depression/index.html


According to a study published this week people who feel depressed eat about 55% more of depressed people eat chocolate than non-depressed people. The more depressed they feel, the more chocolate they tend to eat. In the study the scientist surveyed 900 people about their weekly chocolate consumption and overall diet. They also looked at the moods of the participants by questioning them and looking for depression. People on antidepressants were removed from the study. The depressed people ate 8.4 servings of chocolate per month while the ones who weren't depressed consumed just 5.4 servings each month.


I know when I'm depressed I don't eat chocolate because it gives me headaches. But i find this interesting because my sister does this. When she is upset she will eat some chocolate but she wont feel depressed about it later... but i know for a fact that she does eat it when upset. I also know my mother does this. What if its hereditary.......that would be so cool, not really cause then everyone would be fat. But this is pretty cool. I knew that they had a connection but i have never seen a study on it.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Rhino loose in the zoo

Recently a forty one year old rhinoceros escaped from a zoo in Jacksonville Florida. The rhino named Archie weighed over 4,000 pounds. Jail workers worked for five hours to get the giant back in its cage. Archie has actually escaped one other time before which was surprising to workers. A worker says that before they used food to lure him back to his cage but this time it didn’t work. The rhino never left the zoo, but it took over twenty workers to get him back home safely.

I find this hilarious that this same animal has escaped from his cage multiple times. This rhino is absolutely huge so I don’t see how it can be sneaking around it’s cage and being let out. This is kind of dangerous though to have a 4,000 pound animal loose around the zoo with small children around. Thankfully with the help of twenty zoo workers they were able to get the beast back in its cage. This shows how smart animals really are sometimes and that we cant underestimate them. Luckily no one was hurt and the animal is safely back in its cage.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37062657/ns/technology_and_science-science/

Biggest beaver dam seen from space

A Canadian based researcher believes to have found the worlds largest beaver dam. The dam is located in Northwestern Canada. Researches found the dam by using Google satellite technology. The beaver dam is 2,788 feet tall and is visible by space. Researches found the dam accidentally when they were conducting research on the rate of melting permafrost in the region. Researchers in the area can not believe the size of this dam and say that it stretches for over 8 football fields long.

This is incredible that animals can built a structure so massive as this one. This type of engineering has to be carefully planned in order to ensure a sturdy structure. What is even cooler than the animals making the dam is the technology used to discover it. I find it awesome that we can use satellites in space to discover land features. The weird thing about this is that no one was actually looking for the dam, but somehow stumbled upon it while doing real research. All I have to say is I hope the dam doesn’t break anytime soon or that will be a huge disaster.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37038932/ns/technology_and_science-science/

Lake sturgeon have genes from parasite, signs of human STD

While doing a DNA-test on a lake sturgeon to determine the gender, it was found that the sturgeon genome contains a possible protozoan parasite cause a sexual transmitted disease in humans. The only way to find the gender of lake sturgeon is to examine its internal sex organs. Researchers found that Schistosoma, a parasitic worm, contributed 15 genes to the sturgeon. It is thought that the parasite may be part of the evolutionary process of the sturgeon. Some organisms accept new genes as a means of evolution, showing that the sturgeon is probably not being hurt by the parasite, but possibly being benefited. Even though the parasite might ultimately be beneficial for the sturgeon, the Trichomonas pathogen may hurt. The human strain of this pathogen causes Trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted disease that effects women and can cause premature or underweight births. This is the first assumed case of Trichomonas in fish, but if it has the same effect on them as it does humans, bad things could happen. Sturgeon are a steady species, with most living over a hundred years and only reproducing a small amount. Humans can have a lot of impact on the sturgeon, whether it be beneficial or harmful.

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It is good to know the possibility of an STD being in a body of water I am swimming in. It is hard to believe that what would be an STD to a human is surviving and possibly helping the lifespan of a fish. It is just proof of how often we tend to have things in common with animals. Should the sturgeon be negatively effected by this pathogen, humans have something in common with fish - STDs. We need to study these possible STDs in other animals so that we may possibly find the origin of other types of sexual transmitted diseases.

Fuel cells get up to speed with a new kind of platinum

A new form of platinum has been made that may be able to create cheaper, more efficient fuel cells. This process may be able to create a broader use of these devices, which create emissions-free energy using hydrogen. Fuel cells have always been a possibility for an energy source since their inception over a hundred years ago, but require such extreme amounts of platinum, their cost would sky rocket. With these changes made in the platinum, the requirement need for the cells has been reduced by 80 percent, with another 10 percent being hoped for. Fuel cells work a lot like batteries, but with hydrogen and oxygen. This plan to create a more efficient form of platinum started in 2005, by University of Houston researcher Peter Strasser. Peter Strasser and his colleagues approached this through a process called dealloying, by combining copper with the platinum to make it more reactive. The next step will be putting the platinum alloy under an intensive x-ray scan to see exactly the reactions between the oxygen and platinum. It is hoped that if this form of fuel cells becomes efficient enough, gasoline engines and the batteries of small electronic devices can be replaced.

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It's about time that a more efficient form of energy for cars was found, and the fact that it does not emit any harmful substances is unbelievable. Even if we weren't able to get a huge sum of money off the cost, it would be very helpful in the long run for us to use it. Platinum has no supreme source either, but if we can manage to use it, we can back off the horrible addiction to fossil fuels we have. Fossil fuels are hurting the environment, our wallets, and is depleting fairly quickly, seeing as we will not be able to get anymore anytime soon. Science now-a-days often seems fairly fairy tale-like, but this kind of change could dramatically effect our way of living.

Heavy Rains in Kentucky and Tennessee

In the past few weeks, Kentucky and Tennessee have been drowned in rain. All of the rain was caused by a high pressure system and humid air from the Gulf of Mexico. In some areas of the region they received nearly 19 inches of rain. The rain has caused intense flooding in Nashville Tennessee. This system of rain has more than doubled the highest average rainfall recorded in the area. Along with flooding, the immense amount of rain has caused mudslides and dangerous driving conditions.

I can not imagine seeing 19 inches of rain fall in North Carolina. The amount of flooding and destruction that would be associated with this would be ridiculous. Along with this flooding there are the possibilities of mudslides and car accidents which can lead to deaths. I really don’t like when it rains for days at a time, but it is beneficial for the surrounding environment sometimes when we are in a drought. This much rainfall is completely unexpected, and the conditions had to be just right to receive such high totals for the area. Hopefully the flood waters will lower soon and everyone can get on with their lives.


http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=43873&src=nha

Gulf oil spill

On April 22nd, an offshore drilling platform sank. The oil platform was a deep water horizon drilling platform forty miles off the coast of Louisiana. Researches are stunned at the sinking of this platform and claim that most platforms are demolished during hurricane season, but this one was not. The major problem that was identified with this rig is that oil is still being released from the underneath the sea bed and polluting the oceans. Everyday over 210,000 gallons of oil are being spilt into the oceans. Recent attempts to close the shut off valve on the ocean floor have failed and have caused for new measures to stop the leak. The newest method of stopping the oil is by placing a cap on the holes where the oil is being drilled from the trap the oil.

This oil spill is tragic for the environment around it. An open hole in the ocean floor that is releasing over 210,000 gallons of oil into the ocean every day is a very bad thing. An oil spill of this magnitude can completely whip out the surrounding ecosystems and damage many more. I believe there needs to be a solution to this issue immediately. These temporary fixes of capping the oil can only work so long. Someone needs to step up and find a permanent solution to this problem before more ecosystems suffer.

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/58846/title/Gulf_oil_spill_a_slow-motion_hurricane

Violent Thunderstorms kill 43 people in India

Fierce thunderstorms with heavy rains uprooted trees and destroyed hundreds of homes, crushing dozens of people to death and injuring scores of others in northern India, police said Saturday. At least 43 people were killed and 70 hurt in the deluge and squalls that erupted late Friday. The powerful storms slashed a wide swath across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states, uprooting trees and power pylons and damaging homes and crops. In eastern Uttar Pradesh, 21 people were killed and about 50 others injured when heavy rains lashed the region, police spokesman Surendra Srivastava said Saturday. A majority of the victims were crushed under uprooted trees or when houses collapsed due to the squall. In neighboring Bihar, 22 people died after strong winds blew off the roofs of houses and toppled trees and electricity poles.

It's scary to think of what thunder storms can do to the world. They're not the scariest storms we think of compared to Hurricanes and Tornadoes and rarely do we hear deaths associated with them. That many deaths associated with a storm is ridiculously scary to think about. People losing their lives from a natural disaster is so devastating. Not only the storm itself caused casualties but damage from the fallen trees and callapsing houses.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37033904/ns/weather/

Strange Shapes in Space

The shapes of bubbles and clouds in outer space demonstrate that physics can do some pretty bizarre things on a giant scale. Take RCW 120, for example. The star-forming bubble, about 4,200 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius is the main subject of European Space Agency Picture. Radiation from a hot, massive star at the bubble's center is blasting gas and dust outward, and that's what has cleared out the space around the star. The shock wave from the central star compresses the material on the bubble's edge so much that still more stars are being squeezed into existence.


It's amazing what stars can do and create. Images from telescopes have shown us not even close to what all could be out there. Discoveries like this have led us to discovery more and more about how stars form and what they can create and become. It's scary to think of radiation and what it can do to us, but how its the building blocks of the universe pretty much. I think it's scary to even think how big stars can be and how they produce things like this.


http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/05/07/2297402.aspx

Runaway star zooms away from its nursery

massive runaway star has been spotted by the Hubble Space Telescope racing away from its stellar nursery after being kicked out by some of its much heftier stellar siblings. The homeless star is on the outer fringes of 30 Doradus Nebula — commonly known as the Tarantula Nebula — a teeming stellar breeding ground in the Milky Way's nearby galactic neighbor, the Large Magellanic Cloud. The star, which is about 90 times as massive as our own sun, is racing through space at a speed of about 250,000 mph (400,000 kilometers per hour), a speed that would get you to the moon and back in about two hours. The finding is yet more evidence that the most massive stars in the local universe can be found in the Tarantula Nebula, making it a unique laboratory for studying heavyweight stars. R136 is nestled inside the Tarantula Nebula, which is located 170,000 light-years from Earth and contains several stars topping 100 solar masses each.

It's incredible how many stars exsist in our universe. Discoveries like this can lead us to find many more discoveries leading to the birth of the universe. Stars are unimaginable in the size that they can be and it leads us to a major challenge just to comprehend their size. It's amazing how fast something that heavy can travel through space, while we can't reach speeds even close to that. If we could travel at speeds like that we could discover so much more than what we already have.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37089614/ns/technology_and_science-space/

X-rays reveal chemical link between birds and dinosaurs

An over 150 million year old fossil previously thought to only contain fossilized bone and rock holds many tips to the creatures original chemistry. Using an x-ray, researchers can now see into the fossil of the Archaeopteryx, a half dinosaur/half bird species. The first specimen was discovered over one hundred and fifty years ago, which has since been a huge part of the theory of evolution. The fossil has gone under extensive visual analysis, but nothing was known about the chemical construct of the species before the x-ray scan. This intense x-ray scan was able to find minuscule parts of chemical elements of the Archaeopteryx, revealing that these were actual parts of the animal, not just chemicals from the rocks surrounding the fossil. The scans have found that parts of the feathers of the creature were not just impressions, but actual fossilized feathers. This discovery has opened up new ways to study fossils, looking for chemical elements of the organism. However, the bones and fossils that have not been moved from the surrounding rocks and soil, because comparisons of chemicals within the organism and the surrounding rocks need to be made to assess what exact is in both.

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Our advances in technology and how we can use it to find out more and more about prehistoric objects and specimens is amazing. This is how telephone was invented, how the sandwich was invented, by trying out things to see what will be the outcome. If the group of scientists hadn't thought of x-raying the fossil, they would know nothing of what they do now. If chemicals can be found from this species, what about others? Soon we'll be able to completely map out the look and anatomy of long-extinct organisms.

Telescope Discovers Surprising Hole in Space

A huge hole has recently been discovered in space. The discovery was made by using a high powered telescope. The surprising aspect of this find was that no one thought to find a hole this large in this part of space it was found in. Researches believed that the area it was found in was covered in dense gases and clouds. The hole was discovered during the night on May 10th. Scientists believe that the hole was caused by streams of gases puncturing the wall of clouds and gases in space. Another factor researches believe could be the radiation from older stars in the area.


This is crazy in my opinion. Who knew that there could be a hole in space? I am amazed at the technology that has been used to find new discoveries like this and the amount of research that goes into these discoveries. The only question I have is what can these holes mean for space? Can they some how form a black hole and suck stars and planets into them? And what exactly could be on the other side of these “holes”? There’s no way of really knowing now, but hopefully in the future we can figure these questions out.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37088640/ns/technology_and_science-space/

Biggest beaver dam seen from space

A Canadian-based ecologist says he has located the world's largest beaver dam in northwestern Canada using Google satellite technology. Ecologist Jean Thie located the 2,788-foot dam using Google Earth and NASA technology while researching the rate of melting permafrost in the country's far north. Situated in northern Alberta's Wood Buffalo National Park, which straddles the Alberta-Northwest Territories border, the dam stretches more than eight football fields long. Thie told The Associated Press the detailed satellite program helped him conclude the dam was the work of beavers, which, incidentally, are the country's national symbol. Thie discovered the dam in 2007, but he said it only recently caught media attention after someone at a British paper spotted his findings on a blog and ran a story reiterating Thie's claim that the dam is visible from space. Thie stakes that claim because he used satellite technology to detect the dam.

It's amazing what technology brings us. It helps us map the earth, get directions to places we need to go, and obviously discover incredible things. In the past 100 years we've discovered more than we have in a billion years with satellite technology. Also, understanding the way beavers work can lead us to new ideas on the way we could do things.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37038932/ns/technology_and_science-science/

Rare subterranean fish rediscovered in Brazil

A rare species of blind fish has been found again underground in Brazil. It has been 50 years since the last known member of this species was found in 1962 in a water well in the city of Jaiba, in Minas Gerais, Brazil. A group set out to rediscover the fish known as Stygichthys typhlops. When found, the specimen was taken to American ecologist Dr. Joseph Tosi Jr. who was in the region at the time and then spoke of by specialists back in the US. To find the species of fish, researchers interviewed inhabitants of the town, who said that they had spotted the fish in water wells around the town. However, the region's dry climate makes them rely heavily on ground water, making the water in the aquifers drop considerably. This made it hard for researchers to find a wet well, however two were eventually found with the fish swimming in them. A total of 34 specimens were found. Scientists are realizing what needs to be done to keep this species from becoming extinct, as the overuse of the groundwater in the area is attributing to the decline in the species' survival.

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It is a good thing we can manage to find these species of animals now before they're completely extinct. Every type of animal is important to this planet, living or dead. It's astounding how many previously-thought extinct organisms are reappearing these days, who knows, we may even find a nest of dodo somewhere out there. If we can find the species, we can save it by implementing good strategies to keep them alive. There are so many unexplored places on this planet, who knows what else there is?

New Planet Found; May Be Cosmic Rosetta Stone

Recently a new planet has been discovered by the NASA space engineers. The planet is referred to as a gas giant planet and has a nearly circular orbit around its parent star and is very similar to Jupiter. The planet is also referred to as an exoplanet because it is located outside of our solar system. The new planet is 1,500 light years away from Earth in the constellation Serpens. The new gas giant passes in front of its star every 95 days and can be viewed from Earth during those days. Scientists have an eight hour time window of viewing the planet during it transit for further studies.


This is awesome that we are still exploring our solar system and finding new objects each and everyday. The fact that we are still finding new planets such as this gas giant hundreds of years after the first planet was discovered amazes me. Another cool aspect about this discovery is that the planet is located out of our solar system and is referred to as an exoplanet. With new advancements being made in space exploration every day, it is exciting to see what will come next. In the future we may possibly advance our capabilities of space exploration and find even larger solar systems and explore them as well. We may even have the capabilities to have space tours where regular citizens can fly into space and see the amazing stars and planets.


http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/03/100317-new-exoplanet-hot-jupiter/
Human stem cells grown in a rotating vessel to simulate microgravity are vastly different from those allowed to develop under normal conditions, a new study shows. The research raises questions about the viability of humans traveling in space without gravity for long periods of time. Australian scientists used a NASA-developed bioreactor to grow cells from a human embryonic stem cell line. These types of cells can develop into any of the body's three primary layers -- ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm, which in turn form more than the 220 types of cells found in humans. The team discovered that 64 percent of the proteins found in the stem cells grown in simulated microgravity were not in control samples. In particular, the bioreactor cells contained several proteins involved in the breakdown of bone and in the regulation of calcium, neither type of which were found in stem cells grown in regular, Earth gravity.

It doesn't make sense how things happen differently not far from where we are use to it. This could lead us to make discoveries that we haven't known before. Things like this can help us find new ways to cure certain diseases. Maybe it helps us in believing that aliens are actually out there. They could grow and live under conditions that we never though would support life.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37063832/ns/technology_and_science-space/

Scariest fish of all

The cichlid fish is a type of fish that is scared the most by one thing; its own reflection. A new study shows that a cichlid that fights it's own reflection might be more dangerous than fighting another fish. The cichlid will attack other males along with its own reflection. The study shows that a cichlid that has just fought with it's reflection is more afraid than if it fought with another fish. Scientists have also found similar activity in other animals like dolphins and elephants.


I have heard of animals doing stuff like this and I always thought why they did this was because of reactions. Seeing another animal will trigger something in the brain so it goes on attack mode. This is a good survival method for all animals but it could be dangerous. Maybe in the future we can fully understand why animals do things like this. Animals do everything to survive.


Link: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/59094/title/Mirror%2C_mirror_on_the_wall%2C_youre_the_scariest_fish_of_all_

Sea Turtles Washing Up Dead Near Oil Spill Site

Over the past few days, about 25 turtles have washed up dead on the shores of Mississippi. Tests are going on to see if the oil spill definitely killed the turtles since there isn't any real proof of what actually did. If the turtles were affected by the spill that might mean that reptiles could have been hurt too, but not in ways so detectful. Contaminants lead to changes in the turtle's immune system, and other serious issues such as pneumonia.

I think this is really sad. Animals shouldn't have to pay the price just because humans are so careless about their environment! People need to pay more attention to what they do, especially in seas where contamination like oil spills spread very easily. We need to do whatever we can to stop this from happening again.

Ancient City of 'Modern' Galaxies

The group of around 60 galaxies, called CLG J02182-05102, is almost 10 billion years old. It was born just 4 billion years after the supposedly Big Bang. A really big, red collection of galaxies usually of only present-day galaxies. Researchers say that this galaxy is hard to miss and it stands out. Enormous red galaxies at the center contain almost 10 times as many stars as our Milky Way. It is very unusual to find this especially at the time it was found. The researchers now want to find out how they ended up in clusters.

I've seem images of the Milky Way and I can only imagine how amazing the CLG J02182-05102 looks like. Researchers also say it is very big so I guess there might be some other things there that we haven't discovered yet.


Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100510131505.htm

New Planet Found; May Be Cosmic Rosetta Stone

A new gas-giant planet has been discovered 1500 light years away from the Earth. This is the first Jupiter-like planet that has been found outside of our solar system. Every 95 days, the planet Corot-9b passes in front of it's star. The light of the planet's star goes through its own atmosphere before contuining to Earth. Astronomers could possibly discover what molecules make up Corot-9b by studying the filtered starlight. Corot-9b could become a Rosetta Stone for research about other exoplanets.

I think that it is amazing that there are so many planets out there. If that planet is like Jupiter, than it is probably alot bigger than the Earth. I hope that astronomers will keep researching and discovery new planets and maybe even other solar systems outside of ours.

How bad can the spill get?

The Gulf of Mexico oil spill is getting progressively more serious, with the amount of leaked oil growing by 5,000 barrels (200,000 gallons) or more every day. In the three weeks since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, about 100,000 barrels have been spilled. Tar balls and oiled-up birds are already washing up on the Louisiana shore. How much worse could it get? A lot worse, according to projections from BP, the oil company responsible for cleaning up the spill. That's why engineers are being careful about what they do to stop the leak.

I think it's ridiculous that they let the spill happen in the first place. It's crazy how it takes us so long to drill and maintain the oil, yet it only takes a short time for it to leak and spread. The techniques they're using to stop the leak could cause it to be worse and take even longer to stop the oil. The oil is harming the ecosystem of the ocean and birds are even washing up on shores. If we don't stop this leak it could cause a huge loss in many habitats.

http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/05/10/2299098.aspx

Mozart's Music Does Not Make You Smarter, Study Finds

For more than 15 years scientists thought that listening to Mozart's music made you smarter. Well, at the Vienna College some students found that that was just a myth. There were 40 independent studies with more than 3000 participants. They found that listening to that music didn't specifically help our way of thinking. The researchers say the music is fine and is very nice but it just won't make you smarter.

My mom told me she made me listen to classical music every morning when I was a baby. And I would always say that it didn't work on me just playing around, but know I know that it didn't really change anything at all to me. I actually thought it was true though, that listening to classical music at an early age would help you grow more intellectually.

Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100510075415.htm

Astronomers Find Recoiling Supermassive Black Hole

In a distant galaxy, astronomers have found a possible black hole recoiling at a high speed. Normally, black holes are at the very center of the galaxy, but this one, found by Marianne Heida wasn't. Under an x-ray, the hole was so bright it can be compared best to other bright supermassive black holes in the universe. This black hole is more than a billion light years away.

I think that this is bad. It might take a long time, but a black hole could come towards the Earth. It is good that scientists are starting to be able to learn more things about black holes. This one might even be more powerful or dangerous since it is not in the exact center where normal black holes are.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100510075523.htm

Super-shark nursery discovered

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37095862/ns/technology_and_science-science/


A 10 million year old nursery for the extinct megalodon shark has just been discovered in Panama. It was found by University of Florida researchers who reported their findings in the PLoS ONE journals latest issue. Megalodon, also known as "Big Tooth," is thought to be the world's largest shark. It can grow to around sixty-seven feet in length and looked like a Heftier Great White Shark. “The study provides evidence of megalodon behavior in the fossil record,” said lead author Catalina Pimiento, who just finished her master’s degree in zoology.


Wow! A 10 million year old nursery for the shark. A sixty-seven year old shark is already unbeleivable. It would be very scary to swim in a ocean knowing there was sixty-seven foot long shark in the water and also knowing that its knickname was "big tooth."

Ageing

Brooke Green berg.

She is seventeen years old and trapped in a one year olds body. Approximately two and a half feet tall. She is very different from all of us, she is not able to walk, or speak. If she was like me our you she would be driving a car right now but see cant function with out a lot of help. Scientist believe that her DNA has suggested her failure to grow possibly could be linked with the genes that proceeds to let her age. "Brooke's condition presents us with a unique opportunity to understand the process of aging," said Richard Walker, a professor at the university of South Florida school of medicine. He is leading the whole research team on this case. She lives with her parents and has three sisters that all help to look after her. Brooke still has her infant teeth which will not allow her to talk.
I feel really bad for this little girl i know she cant talk but i wonder if shes every gets upsets because of who she is. I know its kinda bad to think about that but i was just wondering because i know i would. If i was in her shoes i don't think i would know what to think. But i am very happy that she is alive shes very lucky.

Telescope discovers surprising hole in space

In a part of the universe thought to be only dense gas and dust, a big hole was unexpectedly discovered. The hole helped astronomers understand better about the end of the star-forming process. The name of the telescope that found this amzing discovery is Herschel. At first, the hole was thought to be a black, thick cloud of dust. However,they decided it must be something different when Herschel, who can see in infrared and can see through these dense clouds, wasn't able to look through this particular one. This hole may be important to understand how "newborn stars shake off their birth clouds". Herschel was launched into orbit by the European Space Agency.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37088640/ns/technology_and_science-space/

Biggest beaver dam seen from space

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37038932/ns/technology_and_science-science/


Satelites spotted the world's biggest beaver dam. The dam is said to be "over eight football fields," ecologist Jean Thei said on Friday. Thei used Google Earth to figure out the size of the dam. It is 2,788-feet long(850-meters). NASA is still trying to figure out the rate of melting in the country's far north. The dam is in northern Alberta's Wood Buffalo National Park. Thei discovered the dam in 2007, but its just now catching the attention of people. Mike Keizer said the dam sits on the corner of the park "the size of Switzerland."


It is incredable how animals built a structure this big. And you can even see it from space?! The dam is bulit about half a mile long, thats crazy if you think about it. It must have taken a lot of beavers and a lot time to build.

Herschel Finds a Hole in Space: Surprising Glimpse Into End of Star-Forming Process

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100511102150.htm

Today, a European Space Agency used an infrared telescope and found a hole in space. This hole has provided astronomers with a look into the end of the star-forming process. The cloud that Herschel looked into appeared black. They investingated into it and saw there was a hole right through the cloud. Scientists think it formed around 1999.

I think it is a hole in space. If there is a hole in a cloud then where does it lead to? Apparently it has to go to the space and there must be a hole there too. I think that the hole was formed by a jet stream. This could be a reason because many rockets go through clouds and always make a hole.

Bats' Echolocation Recorded and Recreated

Bats can see in the darkness by using the sounds of the echoes of their surroundings. Engineers are trying to replicate this skill. A team of British researchers has worked with six adult Egyptian fruit bats from Tropical World in hope to record and recreate their calls. These calls are pairs of clicks from the bats' tongues that they use to fill whats around them with acoustic energy; the echoes that return let the bats form an image of their environment. They worked with the bats to record their double click echolocation call, and its returning echoes, using a little wireless microphone sensor on the bat while in flight.

They planned to use this for robotic vehicles.This is a very interesting topic and its cool how they found a way to make the robotic vehicles do this. I think that all the time doing research was worth it. Applying this skill for us is very cool also.

Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100511072050.htm

Tornado

Seminole, Oklahoma
On Monday evening there was a total of 19 tornado's that came from central Kansas up to Oklahoma. "Days before deadly tornadoes raked the plains, forecaster's warned people that big storms were on the way and that it would be large and powerful." Flipping cars, leveling houses, dropping large chucks of hail about the size of a softballs, five people were killed and many others were seriously injured!! On Tuesday everything was settling down and people started to pick through there furniture and find things that they needed and was still usable. There were also another prediction that there was possible gonna be another hit later Tuesday night.

This is a huge and very hard hit this city is about to go through. Trying to build back up there city there society. Trying not to go in dept. Hopeing and praying that people will stay and help and not move away from the problems there home is facing. To be honest i don't think any one every wants to experience a tornado, Hurricane, or even an earthquake. They are very dangerous and i never want to experience one.

Quantum Mechanics Reveals New Details of Deep Earth

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100510161332.htm

Today, Scientists have found out by using quantum mechanics, you can reveal the most common mineral on Earth. That mineral is relatively uncommon within the planet. To find the mineral they used some of the biggest supercomputers in the nation. The mineral they have found is silica. It is very difficult to study in a lab.

I think that this is a very good way to find out things. By using quantum mechanics and supercomputers you can find many things out easily. Silica is all around us and we use it almost every day. I hope to learn how to find out quantum mechanics one day. By using these methods we will be able to learn things faster.

Archaeopteryx fossil seen in new light

The feathers preserved in a 150 million year old fossil of Archaeopteryx structures retain chemical elements from the original feathers, a new X-ray imaging technique shows. They found remains of soft tissue on the feathers. The new images show high concentrations of phosphorus. The technique can get certain chemical elements at concentrations of just a few parts per million. Besides the great finding of phosphorus in the fossil’s feathers, the team’s new analyses suggest that the fossil’s bones retain traces of their original zinc.

The new technique is “opening up a new window into the chemistry of fossils,” says Derek Briggs, a paleontologist at Yale University. He is very correct and i think the same thing he does. This will let researchers know more about what they're studying.

Link: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/59062/title/Archaeopteryx_fossil_seen_in_new_light_

Telescope discovers surprising hole in space

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37088640/ns/technology_and_science-space/


A large hole in space has been discovered by using a telescope. No one expected to see this hole, because it was in the part of the universe that was thought to be covered in clouds and dense gases. "no one has ever seen a hole like this," says Tom Megeath, a study member from University of Toledo, Ohio. The hole was found May 10 later in the night. Astronomers think the hole opened when the jets of gas from the young stars in that area punctured the sheet of dust and gas. They also say the radiation from the older stars might have helped make the hole as well.


A hole in space? Thats something I would like to see some day. Who knew the radiation from a old star could somehow create a hole in the sky? I agree with Megeath i don't think this is something many people have seen.

Spongbob results.

Lido Beach, N.Y
Many children and teens watch the show Spongbob Squarepants on Nickelodeon. Just this Friday was a girl who credited this show when she saved her best friend from choking to death. Two seventh graders where laughing very hard when one of the little girls stops because she started choking on her gum. "She then recalled an episode of popular nickelodeon cartoon, where she saw Spongbob use the Heimlich maneuver to retrieve a clarinet lodged in the throat of another character, Squiward" (Miriam the best friend of the Allyson said) Miriam got her up and does the Heimlich on her best friend and the gum went flying out of her mouth.
Spongebob is my all time favorite show to watch when i get home from school. Many people look as it as stupid and annoying, but you know reading this article i got so excited. This is actually showing examples to children about how to safe some one or to pick the better thing to do and Spongebob does a great job of this.If u are feeling down watch some Spongbob he always has a way to get me to smile and i bet it will have the same effect on you.

Astronomers Find Recoiling Supermassive Black Hole

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100510075523.htm

Astronomers recently found a possible black hole that is recoiling at a very high speed. The hole is visible with X-rays and is not in the center of the galaxy. To find the black hole the astronomers must compare many X-rays and find a match. This black hole is considered a supermassive black hole. This hole also weighs more than 1 billion times the mass of the sun.

I think this black hole is dangerous. Since it is going at such a high speed it could possibly destruct many rocks and asteroids in the galaxy. That could cause many meteors to crash into the earth. I think we should watch the black hole carefully. If it causes any damage we could see more asteroids or meteors fall in sequence.

Jurassic Fast Food Was a Key to Giant Dinosaurs

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100511074825.htm

Today, a research group have a theory and think they have solved why today's terrestrial animals are so much smaller than sauropod dinosaurs. They believe it was because the huge dinosaurs would not chew their food before swallowing. The dinosaurs would swallow the food down. By not chewing the food and taking so much time to eat it would go straight down and collect in the stomach making the animal so large. The research group believes this as Jurassic fast food.

I think this is true. The animal did spend so much time eating that it would just keep growing and growing. They also rarely got exercise. By chewing your food it digests faster also. So that way by not chewing it could not break down easily. That is why i think that theory is true.

Ancient city of 'modern' galaxies: May be most distant galaxy cluster ever detected

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100510131505.htm

Yesterday, a Texas A&M University used the NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and found what could be the earliest and most distant cluster of galaxies ever detected. There are nearly 60 galaxies that are almost 10 billion years old. The modern appearance has the scientists in shock. The big collection is a red color. These galaxies are normally typical of present-day galaxies.

My opinion is that it actually is older, but the scientists think it is modern day. By its color, it seems modern day. The red color could also be an old star that they have just now found. I believe that the stars could be modern day or old. It is up to the scientists to see which one exactly it is.

New Planet Found

A new gas-giant planet was found that is a lot like Jupiter. With a nearly circular orbit around its parent star, its the first Jupiter-like planet outside our solar system. It is located about 1,500 light-years from Earth in the constellation Serpens. The planet is named Corot-9b and it passes in front of its star every 95 days, as viewed from Earth. Each of these "transits" lasts around eight hours.

Scientist are excited and want to know more about this planet as much as we do. But studying Corot-9b closely could shed light on worlds that do not transit, and so are impossible for astronomers to research.


Link: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/03/100317-new-exoplanet-hot-jupiter/

Chemical Link Between Birds and Dinosaurs

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/05/100510151348.htm

Today, researchers found a very old, almost 150 million years , fossil that is a mix between a dinosaur and a bird. Scientists call this the "dinobird". The fossil is made out of only bone and rock. By revealing this fossil, it shows that it is one of the most important fossils ever discovered. This fossil is called the Archaeopteryx.

I believe this fossil is important. It shows that there are half and half fossilized animals that we have not yet found. I think that it will help us find other interesting species later on. This is the second Archaeopteryx to be found and maybe we will find more. There are still many animals out there and scientists hopefully will find them.

14-Century Aqueduct in Jerusalem

On Tuesday archeologist discovered an aqueduct that supplied water to Jerusalem for over 600 years. The aqueduct was used by Ottoman rulers. The aqueduct was discovered during the construction of the new water line. A team found two of nine arched section of the bridge that was about nine feet. The bridge was built because of the growing population which cause the outgrowth of springs. The archeologist knew the arches were there but this is the first glimpse they had of it.

The new aqueducts are really cool because it could help us better understand our past. It could also help us know more things when the biblical times were going on. The aqueducts could show how our ancestors used technology during the time. Doing this could could have scientist show the advancement of our kind over the years. The history could help teach us about how construction went.



http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100511/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_aqueduct;_ylt=Atwz8R_EBeQGu8ZbfUF0oIIPLBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTJqbGlqc243BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwNTExL21sX2lzcmFlbF9hcXVlZHVjdARjcG9zAzIEcG9zAzYEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yeQRzbGsDMTR0aC1jZW50dXJ5

Gulf Oil Spill

Most oil spills happen during hurricane season. The oil spill is from the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform that sank April 22nd. No one knows when this most recent threat to the marshes and estuaries of the Gulf Coast will end. Oil continues to come unchecked from the seafloor of the wrecked rig, about 40 miles off the Louisiana coast. Everyday there are 210,000 gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf waters.

The oil spill is harming lots of ecosystems. Ron Kendall, a ecotoxicologist, says that "Occurring in spring, the new spill coincides with the time Gulf species are spawning or giving birth". This is very bad and sad. The only solution is to drill another well and intersect the old well bore, then pump heavy mud and cement into it. I hope this problem gets fixed soon.


Link: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/58846/title/Gulf_oil_spill_a_slow-motion_hurricane_

Dinosaurs in a new light

A fossil of a Archaeopteryx was discovered many years ago but only days ago scientists found something new. This fossil had small soft tissue samples in the molds of feathers. This is amazing for a fossil millions of years old. Scientist were able to see this when the fossil was shined with a UV light, the light exposed the tissue. They also found many other substances in the outer casts of the fossil.


It is great how many new things we find every day. This new technique could be used on other fossils. The more scientists find out about fossils the better, learning about history can help our future. Scintest could find more about dinosaurs that they discovered a long time ago. It could change the way we think about dinosaurs now.


Link: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/59062/description/Archaeopteryx_fossil_seen_in_new_light_

Monday, May 10, 2010

Herschel space telescope pierces giant star bubble


A colossal star many times the mass of our own Sun is seen growing in a bubble of excited gas just pictured by the Herschel space observatory. The image of the bubble, known as RCW 120, has been released a few days ahead of the European telescope's first birthday in orbit. Herschel's infrared detectors are tuned to see the cold materials that give birth to stars. Pictures like RCW 120 will help explain how really giant ones are made. The monster in this picture is seen as the small white blob on the bottom edge of the bubble. The "baby" star is perhaps a few tens of thousands of years old and has yet to ignite the nuclear furnace that will form at its core. But it is some eight to 10 times the mass of our Sun and is surrounded by about 200 times as much gas and dust continues to fall in on the star, the object has the potential to become one of the Milky Way Galaxy's true giants, and it will go on to have a profound influence on its environment.


This is truly an amazing achievement and discovery for the Herschel as well as the solar system itself. this star could possibly take the place as one of the biggest stars in our entire solar system. And to think it only has gone through about a Quarter if not less of its life and is already many times the mass of our sun who is almost half way through its life. This is truly an amazing discovery.


Works Cited
"BBC News - Herschel Space Telescope Pierces Giant Star Bubble." BBC NEWS | News Front Page. Web. 11 May 2010. .

Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake Rattles Western Indonesia

http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/magnitude-74-earthquake-rattles-western-indonesia/19470109


Another earthquake hit Indonesia Saturday. It was a 7.4 on the Richter Scale, although it was not as bad as the Chilean or Haitian one, it still did damage. Scientists discovered the earthquake was heading towards them, because of the 7.9 inch high tidal wave. A tidal wave is a great indicator of an earthquake. It still wasn't as bad as the one in 2004, which killed 230,000 people. As of now, no one has been reported dead or injured.

I'm glad no one was hurt because of this, I think it's terrible when people die because of a natural disaster. I also think it's really cool that we can detect earthquakes using the Earth itself. This can help make these assumptions more accurate. Although with the scientific results, you can detect these things earlier. I'm also very glad that it wasn't like the 2004 earthquake/tsunami. That wreaked devastation that was almost irreversible.

Mozart's Music Does Not Make You Smarter, Study Finds

Three scientists from the University of Vienna have discovered that having your babies listen to classical music, will not enhance any type of mental development. The experiment has lasted years, and contained over three thousand participants, and they have drawn the conclusion that, while it is recomended to have your children listen to Mozart, it will not enhance their mental development in any way.

I find this very dissapointing, all this time I was laboring under the dillusion that my mother had helped me develop by doing this, but now I realize that it did not do anything. I also find this dissapointing because I had planned to use this same technique on my future children.

www.sciencedaily.com

Researchers to Send Bacteria Into Orbit Aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis

A team of researchers plan to send an army of microorganisms into space to investigate new ways of preventing diseases that are prone to astronauts. The ship Atlantis is scheduled to be sent up this week, and the microorganisms will be released while in orbit.

This could either be a very useful project, or it could be another huge waste of money. I hope that it serves its purpose, but I believe the chances of that are very small.

www.sciencedaily.com

The Largest Bulge in the Solar System

http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2010/05/scienceshot-the-largest-bulge-in.html?rss=1

Artemis Corona has multiplied 5 times in size practically overnight. Artemis is the biggest mountain in the universe, it is the size of Alaska. Scientists suggest that this is due to swelling in Venus. They also suspect that there is lava brewing inside of this large dome. They believe this to be true because on Earth, when something swells, it usually has lava beneath of it, causing a rapid increase in the movement of the crust. Although they are not sure why it is moving so quickly. Nothing on Earth has moved this quickly when it comes to volcanoes or mountains.

I cannot fathom something growing to the size of Alaska overnight. I feel something must be about to go very wrong here. Possibly an explosion? If it were to be bad enough, I'm sure it would have an effect on Earth, as well as the other planets. Could it set off a chain reaction of some sort? Or is Atremis Corona exploding out of the question? Hopefully it won't grow anymore, or at an alarming rate.

New Treatment for Hyperactivity in Children: Thought-Operated Computer System

Proffeser Karen Pine conducted a study on children with attention problems, such as ADD, and ADHD. She used the idea of electroencepholalography, which is basically just electronics controlled by brain waves. She set up an educational computer game for the children, and put on a helmet that picked up these brain waves. Every time they lost concentration on the game, it stopped, so this encouraged them to stay focused.

This is a huge discovery for something that is considered a minor problem in the US. Too many children today run the risk of developing one of these diseases, and this could be a huge step in discovering a cure.

www.sciencedaily.com

Molecular Marker Could Help Spot Pancreatic Cancer Early

In a discovery made in April of 2010, researchers found that a specific protein called palladin is found in large amounts during tumor tests. Experts say that if this protein can be found in advance, such as during regular patient check ups, Pancreatic cancer could be found at a much earlier stage. Experts say that most of the time, when they find these proteins in the patients, it is already too late.

To me, this is a discovery that hits home, I have had a friend who passed away from this type of deadly cancer, and I hope that doctors can use this to their advantage, and find the disease before it claims more lives.

A Natural Fruit Compound May Help Asthma

Researchers found that a berry in New Zealand may help reduce allergy related asthma. They say that the juices in these berries reduce lung inflamation and assault the asthma. This discovery was made in a labratory where they were testing the lung tissues.

I believe that this is a great discovery, considering I have a few friends who suffer from asthma. I think that this will open the doors to even greater medical advancements, relating to lung inflamation.

www.sciencedaily.com

How Fast Did the Andes Mountain Range Rise?

http://geology.com/press-release/rise-of-the-andes-mountain-range/


Being the largest mountain range in the world, excluding Asia, towering the country of Chile, the Andes are 13,000 feet above sea level. But how did they become this high? Apparently there has been a misleading theory, dealing with oxyegen-18 and oxygen-16. When a cloud goes up and over a mountain they oxygen-18's are supposed to make it precipitate, but the oxygen-16's usually cancel that out. This is how scientist track and research the growth of the mountain. They can do this because of the increasing or decreasing rainfall each year, and if they track that for a number of years, they can see how much it grows a year.

This was a very confusing article, I still am banking on the fact if there is an increased amount of rainfall that the mountain has grown. But I could be wrong, and it could be the other way around. I'm almost positive that there's an easier way to calculate the annual growth of a mountain range, but then again, I didn't go to college for a number of years and major in this. Although this is a very intricate way of doing this, it is quite neat. Like I said earlier, I don't quite understand it, but I'm pretty certain I get the gist of things. What scientists can do with rainfall is amazing, they can track all kinds of things.

Neanderthal DNA lives on ... in some of us

http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2010/05/06/2295639.aspx


The firt sign of the Neanderthal DNA says that they interbred with our own species. But it was only enough to leave a really small mark on the genetic code as humans. Svante Pääbo a geneticist who says "The Neanderthal's arn't completely extinct." Pääbo is the leader for the international team of resourcers that worked for four years to find the genetic code within the Neanderthal's bone. In between one and four percent of the human genome have come from Neanderthal's. DNA from Neanderthal and humans seem to hardly exist. But they also found some huge differences with the bone structure.


I didn't know Neanderthal still existed. I thought they went extinct a long time ago, but apparently not. Although there were many difference their were even similiarities, It was suprising for me.

premature babies

Babies that are premature need to be taken care of for the first two years of their life. They need help expecially when they are less than 3 pounds. The baby might need special formula so he/she can gain weight. About 4 months after taking iron premature babies have reached the normal iron rate as normal babies. They eventually catch up to the regular size baby. With a premature baby they need to be feed 8-10 times a day.


I think that they are so cute. They need to be taken care of very closely and well. They should be treated as any other regular size baby. The only difference is that they are smaller. You should be proud if you have a baby period. They can be so smart and itelligant. I do believe that it takes them longer to be as healthy as a regular baby but it will eventually get there over time.


http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/infants/283.html

Heavy Rains in Kentucky and Tennessee

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=43873&src=nha


Within the past two weeks, Kentucky and Tennessee haven't had much sunshine, only rain. This was caused by a high pressure system fed by humid air from the Gulf of Mexico. In some places they were have said to receive between 10 and 19 inches of rain. At the National Weather Service (NWS) in Nashville, TN, there was an astonishing 7.21 inches of rain. Although that is just what the gauges say, the satellites say that shouldn't have been quite as much rain. Meteorologists were not expecting this much rain and for it to last for so long.

I personally can't stand rain most of the time, but sometimes it's needed. I don't think 19 inches was needed though, let's just say they are defiantly not in a drought situation. Flooding must be terrible for those families who were hit the hardest. I know it would be difficult to undergo that, and have major flooding in your neighborhood and city. I bet this is wreaking havoc on their plants and animals, and not being able to get outside and tend to them doesn't help at all. I hope they don't experience a dry spell as well as this.

k-9 dogs or police dogs

they are trained to help the police officer find stuff that is illegal. They are used high school to see if the kids are doing drugs or drinking. k-9 is a homophone for the word "cinine" which means dogs or dog like animals. k-9 dogs can really hurt someone or get them in a lot of trouble. They can smell very well for anything. These dogs can relly sniff out anything that it wants to or smells. This is what they are trained to do so that they can help the cops.


I think that it is cool how you can train dogs to do that kind of stuff. The dogs though are doing the job for the cop. The dogs are just going to get the people in trouble. They use them in high schools so that the students cant bring drugs and alchol to school. I think it is a good idea because kids our age shouldn't be doing drugs. On top of that the dogs are so cute.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/police_dog

4,000-pound rhinoceros escapes cage at zoo

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37062657/ns/technology_and_science-science/


A 41-year old rhinocerous "Archie" escaped from a zoo in Jacksonville, Florida. The workers and employees of the zoo spent nearly 5 hours trying to lure a 4,000 pound rhinocerous back in its cage. He also escaped before a couple years ago. The last time it escaped they lured it into its cage with food. Craig Miller, the watcher of the mammals said,"the food didn't work this time." It took about 20 zoo workers to bring him back to his cage, although the rhinocerous never left the zoo.

That must be one smart rhino if it escaped more than ounce. I would've given up after 5 hours of trying to get a 4,000 pound monster back in its cage! What the heck i would've ran. It couldn't have been easy to lure it back in the cage. One more thing how do you not notice a rhinocerous escaping its cage?

Human eye

Human eye is an organ which reacts to light for several purposes. The human eye allows vision. It is one of the five seances. Your pupil changes it's size depending on the light in the room. The eye is the only thing on a human that don't change from birth. The visual system in the brain is to slow to process information.


I think that the human eye is so cool. It has so any features to it. Every eye looks different with the different shape and color. The fact that something so small can see stuff so big is so interesting to me. Doing research on a human eye is so cool just to learn about all it does. People need to know more about how it works what helps the vision stay better and worse. People at least needs to know the basics of the human eye.



Http://en.wikipedia.org\wiki/human-eye

A precious turtle.

Gulf port, Mississippi
Approximately 35 endangered sea turtle have been spotted on the gulf coast died. Wild life officials are not curtain yet what has been killing them. In the examination there has been no sign of oil. Many investigation are being helled with fisher men trying to catch a maximum of fish at one time and the turtles getting stuck in the net. Releasing them very roughly and harshly."Shrimpers are required t install grid-like devices in their nets that are designed to allow turtles to escape. Shrimpers that are caught without the turtle excluder device may be fined thousands of dollars and have their catch sized by federal regulators.

I don't know if this situation u care about but i do! I absolutely love turtles and i get so upset when i here that the endangered one are being killed by supposedly shrimpers. They are stupid and uncaring of these marvelous creatures that are being killed because you want shrimp to sell. The oil spills supposedly have no effect on the deaths so you better be careful. I think you should realize what something as small as a net can do to a wonderful thing like a sea turtle.

Ozone Hole Shrinking?

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/05/100505-science-environment-ozone-hole-25-years/
The hole in the Ozone as we know it, might be shrinking. The hole was discovered around 25 years ago. Scientists first discovered this gaping hole over Antarctica during the cold, and dark winter. The hole was "made" by chlorofluorocarbons (CFC'S), they act like a magnet, stealing the Ozone's single oxygen cells. In order to protect us we need those single oxygen cells bonding with other cells thus forming that barrier that keeps us safer from cancers, and cataracts. Even the aquatic life is in danger from the sun, they can suffer reproduction issues.

If the hole in the Ozone is shrinking, shouldn't it fix Global Warming? Maybe not all at once, but surely one would have thought that it would have. Surprisingly scientist think it might make matters worse, they article doesn't explain how, but they simply say it will get worse. That thought it slightly uncomforting, I thought "Global Warming" was already worse. I feel terrible, because I knew the Ozone hole had an impact on the wildlife, but I didn't know it could be as serious as messing with their reproductive system. I think that this article did a good job conveying the process of how the Ozone hole was started.

Abortion

Abortion is the murder of an unborn baby. They have 1.5 million cases in the united states every year. This happens mostly when couples don't have a baby. They also don't if they finically aren't ready. Concerns on educations and work is a reason why people get abortions. It is mostly common in the first 12 weeks of the prenancy.



I believe abortion should not be able to happen. It is just like murder you should adopt it not kill it. I think it is cruel to kill an innocent baby. If you can finically take care of a baby I think you should keep it. They should make it illegal. I would never in a million years have an abortion it is such a bad thing to do. Whatever the case may be you should let the baby have a chance at life.


Http://en.wikipenia.org/wiki/abortion

Once again...

Shell Beach, LA
The effects from the gulf of Mexico's rupturing underwater well. As you all know there have been many tragedies occurring on and around the LA beaches. Such as hurricanes, erosion has weakened them. "40% of the nations coastal wetlands are clumped along the southern wetlands of Louisiana, directly in the path of the oil. Roughly 3.5 million gallons have escaped in the three weeks since an oil rig explosion, and some bearing down on the marshes as workers rush to lay protective boom. Removing oil from wetlands is a huge challenge. Bulldozers can't simply scrape away contaminated soil,as they do on beaches. Cutting and removing oil-soaked vegetation could further weaken the fragile vegetation that holds the marshes together. Absorbent materials and detergents have limited effectiveness. Said grave." Grave is a coastal protection worker. These were what some of the workers were talking about, and were trying to figure what to do.

Like what i said oil is spreading like crazy. From the previous one i just talked about this is just one effect that could happen. Already it has spread to this region, if the first one had never occurred there wouldn't be any problem here and men like Grave are doing the best of there ability to try and stop this from getting any worse. Some of these chemicals in the water could kill someone who would go swimming and not no there was a problem and inhale it and could possibly die. You never know. But i am very grateful that we know there was a spill.

The Gulf of mexicos major oil spill.

There was a previous oil spill that occured. Scientist and many people were noticeing that the oil and other hazerdous chemials where spreading very rapidly. So a team of crew members sent out a remote-controlled submarine to try and thin the oil, " which it was rushing up from the seabed at a pace of about 210,000 gallons per day." There have been test done on determineing all the impact on the enviroment in which its happening in this case its the gulf of mexico. When they sent out the remote-controlled submarine they releasedd a chemical to try and thin the previous one out. But instead the oil leak on monaday , was expected to be BP. Amroxminatly for weeks and more days to come the BP will be gusher and keep erupting into the gulf of mexico. The EPA do not no why this is happen. Some enginneers are planning to send a huge containment box down to try and eliment most of the infected water. Many have believed that approminatly 4 millions gallons of chemicals have been leaking since april 20th.

In my oppion they need to figure out a solution very quickly, this is harming many liveing things. Fish, animals, humans, and even our enviroment. Oil spills can be a serious matter exspeccially in this case when it continues to spread and they cant find a way to stop it. I wouldnt send out another monitered submarine which is going to release chemicals until it has been therally tested on infected water. Just imagine if another chemical was leaked and made the situation 10 times worse. Yeah not good. but seriously i think a solution needs to be found and fast!! Im pretty sure the BP was the thing that spreaded more chemicals in the water.

Archaeopteryx Light

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/59062/description/Archaeopteryx_fossil_seen_in_new_light_


The Archaeopteryx is a prehistoric bird. When put under X-ray florescence you can see materials thought to be long gone. Phosphorus is an element found in bird feathers, but not particularly in rock. This element, thanks to the x-ray, and been found in the Archaeopteryx fossil. Scientist figure if this element can be found with the x-ray, then original zinc can be found with it as well. If this is the case, scientists can observe a fossil with out touching it at all.


I think this is an interesting concept. In world history class I learned that people can put mummies through a machine to see every detail with out picking it apart. This is kind of like that. It''s also kind of like the first blogs I've ever posted here. It was about iridescent feathers in prehistoric birds. I thought, maybe this would be a good last blog, considering it's like the first. For a final word, I guess I can say I'm excited for both summer, and maybe for inspiration of what these birds looked like.

See ya later.

Air Pollution Rises Risk of Heart Disease

The American Heart Association (AHA) says that air pollution could be associated with heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death. There are different types of air pollution that are 2.5 micrometers or less which can pass through even the smallest passage ways. Studies say that if you are exposed to this type of pollution more then there is a very high risk or heart disease. Those that are elderly, existing heart disease, and possibly diabetes are at the highest risk. There are also studies that show even if you are healthy you can still get heart disease.The AHA stated that fine particulate matter "should be recognized as a 'modifiable factor' that contributes to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality."
I think that to get rid of such high risk of heart disease there should be less air pollution. The only way to get rid of air pollution is to calm down on all the things that we are doing that causes air pollution. Heart disease runs through my family so this is really bad for them. The risk are higher for them since they already have problems. I really hope that one of these days that scientist could find a cure for all types of heart diseases as well. Scientist should really look into that.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20100510/hl_hsn/airpollutionraisesriskofheartdiseasedeath

Nautre Fights Against Oil Spill

The pungent smell of scent of evaporating surface oil, which is then sent into the atmosphere where it gets broken down by sunlight. "Just like Rear Admiral Landry discusses her toolbox, nature has its own toolbox for responding to oil spills, whether it's evaporation or photochemical breakdown or dilution," said Christopher Reddy, who is a marine chemist. The top layer of oil is the most dangerous to wild life experts say. The heavier oil is broken down or dispersed naturally through wind and wave action. First the oil-munching microbes go after simple oil molecules then onto more complex ones. The only downfall is that these microbes can only work where they can breath.

I think that this is good because that oil spill was pretty bad. Oil is really harmful to the environment and can cause more damage then we are doing to the plant. At least nature is helping itself as much as we can help it as well. Soon we should be able to get rid of most of the oil due to all the technology that we have. I feel really bad for all the animals that have to suffer for the oil leak right now. People are going to be really busy trying to clean this up.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/05/100507-science-environment-gulf-mexico-oil-spill-cleanup-bacteria/

New mutant genes linked to rheumatoid arthritis

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100509/hl_nm/us_arthritis_genes_defective

A study conducted in Europe has found seven new groups of defective genes which may be cause rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Rheumatoid arthritis is a painful and disabling disease that affects the joints. The findings of the European study have been compared to a study conducted in Japan, which identified one of the seven genetic groups as possibly causing the chronic inflammatory disease among Japanese. Researchers will use the findings to better understand the biology of RA and use this information to develop new treatments. The information will also be used to develop better genetic tests for people at risk for RA, such as arthritis patients or relatives of patients with autoimmune disorders. RA affects about 1 percent of the world's population and also affects the skin, heart, lungs and kidneys as well as the joints.

This article is of particular interest to me because RA has had a huge impact on my family. Several of my family members have RA or some other autoimmune disorder, including my Grandmother, Aunt and Mom. My Great Aunt died from complication of RA right after I was born. With such a strong family history I worry that I may be affected by RA at some point. I think that it is really great that research is being done to find more information for this horrible disorder, the more that is know about the disorder the better. Hopefully, researchers will be able to use this new information to come up with a cure or at least better treatments. I have seen first had the suffering this disorder caused and hope that a cure will be found soon.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Down Syndrome

Is when a person has 47 chromosomes instead of the normal 46. Kids with down Syndrome as a very noticeable appearance. They can vary from mild to sever. The head maybe smaller than normal and abnormally shaped. The inside of the eye may be rounded instead of pointed. They normally have a decrease in muscle tone from birth.



I believe it is sad for this to happen to anyone but they cant help it. It is interesting how it works in the body. How it affects the appearance of the body. They are shorter and takes them longer to learn how to do things. They make fundraisers for the kids and people that have down syndrome. I think it is nice to do what we can to help those people have what other people have.


https://health.google.com/health/ref/Down+Syndrome

Monster colossal squid is a slow non-fearsome predator

The world's largest invertebrate is not a fast and voracious predator as previously thought, say scientists. The colossal squid, a creature once linked to maritime myth and feared as a sea monster, is really a slow drifting animal that ambushes unwitting prey. That conclusion was reached by studying the physiology and feeding habits of other deep sea species and scaling up to the colossal squid's huge size. Researchers reveal their findings in the Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. The colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) is thought to roam in the deep waters of the Southern Ocean. Rarely seen alive or dead, little is known about its way of life. Estimates vary, but it is thought to measure 15m in length with a large dome-shaped mantle. It also has long tentacles and arms containing swivelling hooks used to grapple and maul prey. A recent specimen studied had eyes approximately 27cm (11in) across, believed to be the largest animal eye yet discovered.


though little is known about this creature everyone can say that it is truly a ginormous animal and I'm sure many would be shocked to find out that it is a harmless one. The myth's of the great sea monster the "kraken" have astonishingly proven themselves true only of the size of course but for the fearsome reckless nature that is this mythical beast more research shall have to be done to prove it. But for now its safe to say that even with its size and stealthy way of attack it truly is a harmless creature.


works sited

"BBC - Earth News - Monster Colossal Squid Is Slow Not Fearsome Predator." BBC NEWS | News Front Page. Web. 10 May 2010. .

chromosomes

They can only be seen under a microscope. They come in pairs and are connected at the centromeres. The shorter one of the 2 arms is the p arm and the longer one is the q arm. The kerotype for a female is 23 pairs of homologous chromosomes.
-Female 22 pairs on autosomers.
-Female 1 pair of X chromosomes.
-Male 22 pairs of autosomers.
-Male 1 X and 1 Y chromosomes.


I believe it is cool how the chromosomes can work your body. They deal so much with what your physical appearance is. For example if your missing chromosome 21 you are going to have a disease called down syndrome. For anything to go wrong with the form of your chromosomes you could really have a disability. This is nothing anyone can help so you shouldnt make fun of them. I think it is an amazing thing to know how these things work on humans for them to be so small and can have such a big impact on the life of someone.

http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/C/Chromosomes.html

Huge asteroid Pallas visible from Earth

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36988063/ns/technology_and_science-space/


This week the big asteroid Pallas reached opposition. Pallas is the brightest satr in the sky. Being opposite of the Earth's sun it made it possible for the skywatchers to see it through telescopes. pallas' is closely related with the discovery of the first asteroid centuries ago. Pallas is the second largest asteroid known. It is around 326 miles in diameter, it is this big because of the high density level.


It's pretty cool how we can see this ateroid from such a far distance away. I never really knew that an ateroid would be the brihtest star in the sky. The only thing I want to know is how these massive ateroids form and how it got so big.

Neanderthal genes 'survive in us'

Many people alive today possess some Neanderthal ancestry, according to a landmark scientific study. The finding has surprised many experts, as previous genetic evidence suggested the Neanderthals made little or no contribution to our inheritance. Between 1% and 4% of the Eurasian human genome seems to come from Neanderthals.But the study confirms living humans overwhelmingly trace their ancestry to a small population of Africans who later spread out across the world. The most widely accepted theory of of human origins known as the "out of Africa theory" which states that all ancestors of all living humans originated in Africa some 200,000 years ago. A relatively small group of people then left the continent to populate the rest of the world between 50,000 and 60,000 years ago. Which could be definite proof of people actually originating from Africa.

i believe that our ancestors could have came from Africa for the simple reason that they were hunter's and gathers coming across the land across the land bridges created during the ice age. Not to mention that Neanderthals were the first people which means that they had to have had some influence on the genetics of some people in day. and it just goes to show that they have proof to back it up so it must be a little bit true.
Works Cited
"BBC News - Neanderthal Genes 'survive in Us'" BBC NEWS | News Front Page. Web. 09 May 2010. .

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Genetic changes show up in people with PTSD

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/58820/title/Genetic_changes_show_up_in_people_with_PTSD

New findings show that people with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) develop genetic changes. These findings were reported online on may 3 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. While differences are clearly evident between those with and without PTSD, it is unclear whether these changes have any effect on the disorder. Specifically the study showed that "the people with PTSD showed less methylation in several immune system genes and more methylation in genes linked to the growth of brain cells." Researchers are optimistic that this discover may lead to an effective treatment of PTSD. However more studies and research are needed before a definitive answer can be given.

This makes alot of sense to me. PTSD is a "deep" disorder but I never expected that it could actually affect people on a genetic level. That's pretty scary. But it shows just how harmful a traumatic experience can be. It would be wonderful if a good treatment could come out of this. Perhaps we could finally bring peace to those who suffer the disorder, especially our veterans.

Chimps may be aware of others’ deaths

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/58652/title/Chimps_may_be_aware_of_others%E2%80%99_deaths

Two new studies show that chimpanzees may be aware of the concept of death and may recognize when others have died. These studies were reported in the April 27 issue of Current Biology. Behaviors that suggest this have been exhibited in both wild and captive chimps. The studies point to the behaviors of other chimps leading up to and after the death of a captive chimp. The surviving chimps refused to lay in the spot where the chimp was laying when she died for several days. They also were less active and did not eat as much. The studies also pointed to two wild mother chimps who carried their dead babies for 68 and 19 days respectively.

Chimps are very intelligent creatures. It makes a lot of sense that they would be able to recognize and be aware of the concept of death. The sense of denial exhibited by the two mothers is reminiscent of behaviors shown by humans. They don't want to admit what has happened so they continue on as if it never occurred at all. It is also against the nature of the mothers to abandon their infants. So that adds another even stronger attachment to the equation.

Cussing makes you feel better

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/45494/title/%25%2B%23%24!_makes_you_feel_better

A new study actually shows that swearing can help alleviate pain. And not only can it do that but in some cases can actually reduce the amount of pain that is felt. In an experiment conducted by psychologist Richard Stephens and his colleagues at Keele University in England yielded surprising results. It showed that undergraduate students who sweared could keep there arms immersed in buckets of ice water longer than those who didn't. Female swearers who participated in the study actually reported a lesser amount of pain felt. However according to Stephens "Many more studies of different kinds of pain and different measures of effects are needed before researchers fully understand the impact of swear words."

Well this is interesting! But actually not entirely surprising. I have noticed this type of effect many times throughout my life and have wondered if it was just my imagination or not. Though I highly doubt parents around the world will accept this study as a valid excuse for their children's dirty mouths. I think we can expect plenty of mouths being washed out with soap far into the near future. I am curious to see what other types of effects cussing can have on the body. Who knows we may have only scratched the surface.