Response Blog

Recently I read a post from a blogger named Eagles121395 about a disease called Klinefelter Syndrome. This particular disease makes males infertile. Klinefelter Syndrome is caused by an extra sex chromosome. Some of the severe symptoms are pulmonary diseases, germ cell tumors, breast cancer, varicose veins, osteoporosis, diabetes, and arthritis. Sadly, 40% of men die from Klinefelter Syndrome. Luckily, there is Testosterone treatment for those with the disease who want to look more manly. After reading this post I was very sad. Mostly because a lot of the men who have increased breast tissue from this disease have severe depression. Also, because they are infertile so they cannot have children of their own.

phenylketonuria

Phenylketonuria or PKU is autosomal recessive disorder that is caused by mutations in the PAH gene.PKU was dicovered by a Norwegian physician in 1934. Today about one in every 10,000-15,000 newborns have this disease. This condition causes someones body to not handle normal levels of phenyladine which is found in meat, dairy nuts etc.The symptoms of this disease are fair skin and hair, light sensitivity, must oder and eczema. If PKU is left untreated a child will have severe mental retardation. When a child is diagnosed with PKU he/she needs to eat low levels if phenyladine. This means that for the rest of his or her life they would need to not eat meat, chicken, fish, nuts or dairy products. Also, because of lack of phenyladine the patient would need to take supplements and pills daily to live a normal healthy life.

DNA conclusion

Last week we did a lab were we extracted animal and plant DNA. I chose to do animal DNA. First, I swirled blue Gatorade into my mouth for one full minute. Secondly, I spit the drink into a cup and poured the contents into a test tube. Next, I poured liquid soap into the same test tube. After that, I Sealed the test tube and mixed the contents by turning the test tube upside down and right side up six to eight times. Then, I gently poured cooled rubbing alcohol into the mixture by letting it run down the inside of the test tube. At first, I thaught I did something wrong because there were bubbles but the alcohol cleared it right up. After I waited about five minutes I saw white clumps float to the surface were the alcohol was. I learned that these white clumps were my DNA. Ms A. explained to the class that this process happens because The enzymes in the soap break down the fast that connect the DNA to the cells. Also, the cold alcohol releases the DNA and pulls them out of the solution which is why the DNA safley and slowly floats to the top. When the DNA floats up they look like little white clumps.

Robocop

A Japanese crime fighting robot called T-34 has me stunned. This twenty five pound battery operated robot detects suspicious activity using a camera installed in it. If it sees anything it will send a video message to a guard via mobile phone. If the activity is indeed suspicious the robot will call out a warning. When the criminal does not stop, T-34 will shoot a net that can shoot up to ten feet at the person. This will demobilize the person allowing the guard controlling the robot to arrest the criminal. Although it does have flaws i think it is way better then Wall-E and Spiderman should be jealous.

http://www.digitpedia.com/burglars-beware-t34-robot-patrol/2899/

SS state blog

Just yesterday, a thirty one year old man was killed by a wood chipper at the Edison recycling center. His name was Henry A. Aguilar and he was chipping wood to turn into mulch at the General Materials company on Meadow Road. He was on a conveyor belt carrying wood to a wood chipper when something went horribly wrong. Police say it was an accident but the investigation is still going on. The New Brunswick resident was found dead around noon yesterday.


http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/02/investigation_continues_in_fat.html

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/02/edison_wood_chipper_accident_v.html

My Roller Coaster Website

Free Fallin'

roller coaster

This week in science class, we started a project where we have to construct a roller coaster or skate park. My group chose to do a roller coaster. Unfortunately, we have to construct it out of cardboard tubes, boxes and bottles. While we build we need to show how Newtons laws apply to it. Also, we need three hills and a roller coaster aspect. This seems easy but when all you can use is recyclables it gets pretty tough. To make it even worse, we have to buy everything we use for our roller coaster. Don't worry we are not using real money, just omega dollars that we had to earn. Our roller coaster starts out high so it has a lot of momentum but, the friction causes the marble to slow down.

international SS blog

Last Friday, in southeast Australia, at least 14 people have died from wildfires caused by strong winds and a heat wave. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, an estimated 30,000 acres were ablaze. Since Friday firefighters have have tried to put out over 35 fires in the region. The fires were caused by the 11f degree temperatures. The bodies were all pulled out in four different regions and have yet to be identified. The winds continue to push smoke into Sydney.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/02/07/australia.wildfires/index.html

In science class we are doing projects on the Electromagnetic spectrum. My topic is on X-rays. Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen found x-rays. The funny thing is that he found x-rays by accident when he was experimenting with vacuum tubes. The reason they are called X-rays is because it is unknown radiation. We use x-rays to get a clear look at the human body and look for any problems. If you have too much exposure to x-rays it may cause cancer because of the radiation. That's why Doctors and Dentists cover you with a lead sheet when they take x-rays of you. The sheet absorbs the x-rays and stops them from reaching other parts of your body. Thank you, Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, because without x-rays it would be much harder to examine the human body.

http://science.hq.nasa.gov/kids/imagers/ems/xrays.html

Toxic Coal Ash Spill

A giant toxic coal ash spill that happened a month ago is still threatening the lives of wildlife. On December 22, 2008 a billion gallons of sludge mostly made up of coal ash broke through an earthen dike at the Kingston Fossil Plant. Experts say that wildlife may be threatened by the amount of arsenic, cadmium, mercury, thallium, and other toxins in the sludge. Not only is wildlife threatened but there are also human health threats. local animals that could be affected are river otters, mink, muskrat, ospreys, and black-crowned night herons. This (as we have learned in science class) can have a great effect on the food web of that area. The animals that they have rescued so far were either buried by mud or stranded when the water surge pushed them into forests and fields. Luckily, there are no endangered animals inhabiting the spill region.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/01/090123-coal-ash.html

social studies blog

On January 20th 2009, before a crowd of more then one million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as the 44th president of the united states. This is extraordinary because Barack is officially the first African American president. People from all over the world watched as Barack Obama and Joe Biden stepped into the white house to change the world. Obama has made a series of promises such as to end the war in Iraq, stabilize Afghanistan, create jobs, boost the use of alternative energy and address climate change. Some are sceptical but I truly believe he can pull it off.
Obama has very high expectations and has people watching his every move. With his landslide win in November and millions if not billions watching his inauguration one false move can disappoint many people.Because of this it amazes me that he is not the least bit worried. My favorite part was when he said that "The effort will require all citizens, no matter party, age, skin color, or status, to get to work!" Hopefully this inspired Americans to take action in the many problems of America.
The United States of America was eager for Obama to take over our struggling country. Out of the hands of George Bush our economy will hopefully grow stronger. Barack has a lot of problems in his hands at the moment but he will not back down and he will face those problems head on. I believe that in Obama's hands America will not be looked down upon but will embrace the title "the center of the world."
America is saying goodbye to the man who was behind two unfinished wars and saying hello to a man who promises to change this country for the better. No one can blame President Bush for all of the problems America is facing. Bush didn't plan on having the Twin Towers destroyed or having the economy worsen. In Barack's speech he thanks Bush for his service to our nation as well as his generosity throughout his transition. His speech brought tears to both men and women and brought hope and comfort to all that watched president Barack Obama get sworn in as the 44th president of The United States of America.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090120/ap_on_go_pr_wh/inauguration_rdp

butterfly camo

In class, we did an experiment with butterflies and their camouflage. We had to color in a butterfly and make it blend in with a spot in the room. My butterfly was placed on a board with multiple bright colors. After the students finished hiding their butterflies, the predator(Mrs. Gavin) came in and searched for her prey(the butterflies). The first search was done with the butterflies in their normal habitat safely camouflage, with normal lighting. Mrs. Gavin found most of her prey but not all of them. The second search was with the lights turned off. Because of the darkness, Mrs. Gavin found it harder to find the butterflies. The third search was in the light, the students had to place the butterflies in places that did not match with their butterflies camouflage. I put my butterfly on a table and it was very easily found. Mrs. Gavin surprisingly found it harder to find the butterflies in places where they were out of place. In other words, Mrs. Gavin knew the butterflies were placed in a habitat where they were hidden with camouflage,so she expected to find the butterflies in a similar background of that they were placed in.

Robo Legs

Japanese car manufacturing titan Honda has created mechanical legs that assist one in walking, crouching and it reduces stress to joints. This device is currently being tested by Honda employers who stand, walk and crouch all day and is getting very positive feed back. One man said that "it is like I have springs in my legs, the way the device assisted me was natural and I felt that my walking was easier." The way the device works is it take away the pressure caused by movement of the joints and makes it easier to walk up hill or crouch for long periods of time. Honda hopes that one day this device can help the elderly in every day tasks and those who have joint problems. The machine has a sensor, computer and motor that responds to the users every movement. I feel that this is a huge step in technology and will help many people in the future.

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/news/

current event blog

This inspirational story about Derek Mamoyac, a 27 year old from Philomath, Oregon who was climbing a 12,227 foot tall mountain of which was only supposed to be a one day journey ended up being a horrid 5 day adventure in 23 degree weather. He started his climb last Sunday and when he did not come to work the next morning, his father Steve Mamoyac reported him missing and set out to find him with a 50 man search party. Eventually, after 5 days and nights in the frigid cold a search and rescue dog found him dehydrated and with a broken ankle. Derek says his foot fell through loose snow and he ended up tumbling backwards and breaking his ankle. He survived by eating centipedes and drinking water from a near by creak. The man crawled down the mountain and when his knees could take no more he would scoot himself down backwards. He cleared a huge chunk of the mountain and was found at 6,000 feet. This amazing story shows how committed this man was to get off that mountain and save himself from the unbearable cold.

class response blog

Why and how do kites fly? this is a popular question asked by people that don't know much about kites. I will answer that ever so popular question. Kites fly because of weight, drag, wind speed, wind direction and air pressure. When a kite is heavier then air it relies on a rounded surface on the kite that deflects the airflow to create different air pressures. Also, when the wind is moving faster towards the kite the air pressure decreases and creates lift. When the wind is going slow it creates an increased air pressure which decreases lift. Another huge factor of kites flying is drag. Drag is really determined on the design and the set of the bridle line of the kite, and is when gravity pulls down of the kite. One shouldn't have too much drag though, the kite should have more lift then drag to be able to fly well. But, the kite should have drag to gain stability. So basically a perfect kite needs an unbalanced 60:40 ratio of lift to drag. Overall, a kite flys because of weight, drag, wind speed, wind direction, and that ever so important air pressure!

class response blog

Reservoirs are main water supplies for drinking water, bathing water etc. A reservoir is an amount of water that is held between gaps from rocks in the earth, forming pockets. But, they are very limited because of humans. Humans take way to much advantage of these wonderful springs and eventually we will not have water in them. We use these water resources for drinking, bathing, farming and factories and waste a great deal of it. This isn't the only problem humans are causing, we are causing a great deal of a thing called, water pollution. Water pollution is when humans put waste, chemicals, and other non biodegradable substances into the earths water sources. This is a very bad thing because clouds take water from water sources, and reservoirs are sources of water. Also, The clouds move to other areas, so they take the polluted water and spread it to other masses of water. Basically, although we are only polluting one source we are pretty much polluting every water source their is. Not only that, but the animals drink from the water that we pollute, and get sick and die eventually. The ones that don't die we eat so we are sickening our selves by eating the sick animals. Worst of all, the animals are dying and there will be more endangered and extinct animals,which is really messing up the food chain, one of which humans are a part of. Overall, if humans do not stop polluting the reservoirs we will be killing our selves, and the world as we know it will be destroyed!

Math News Blog

Everyone wants to go, to where they want go, fast right? That’s why people walk a straight line in lieu of zigzags. A straight line may be the shortest distance between two points, but it isn't necessarily the fastest path to follow. That's true when terrain is not level, and now researchers have created a mathematical model showing that a zigzag line provides the easiest way for people to go up or down slopes. So the next time you want to go to a place fast, think twice before walking a straight line!

Math News blog

A math problem which has overcome mathematicians for almost 140 years has been solved. It was solved by a researcher at Imperial College. Darren Crowdy, has made the discovery in an area of math called conformal mapping. Conformal Mapping is a theoretical tool used by mathematicians and scientists to translate info from a confusing shape to easier circular shape so that it can be easily studied. Now that this extremely hard math problem has successfully been solved mathematicians can stop worrying.

current event blog

When you think of The Grand Canyon you think of a huge dry waterless gap in the earth, am i right? Well not anymore, on Wednesday a whopping 300,000 gallons of water per second was released into the Grand Canyon from Lake Powell. At this rate, that would be enough water to fill the entire empire state building in as little as 20 minutes! This is going on for three days in hope to restore plant and aquatic animal life in the Grand Canyon and restore beaches. Although the water will only rise a few feet after the process, researchers are hoping that will help restore sand bars in the Colorado river downstream of the dam. Over all, flooding the canyon will increase wildlife, restore beaches and possibly help endangered species reproduce more offspring.

science blog

Everybody likes ice cream! No i take that back everyone loves ice cream! But would you love ice cream if you knew they put antifreeze in it? Yes it is true, scientists in Wisconsin have discovered a way to put antifreeze in ice cream and make it edible. This may sound gross, but really there is nothing gross about it, it has proven itself useful to prevent ice crystal growth a.k.a freezer burn. It is a completely safe chemical if used right and you shouldn't think twice before eating ice cream, it will do nothing more then keep the ice cream freezer burn free!