Podcast: forensic chemist

Here's an exciting interview with local forensic chemist Mary Jameson: Forensic Chemist

Spider Silk

Click Here for link.

Today I found an intriguing article about spider silk to be used as an artificial muscle. This is a very significant development who have lost muscle usage due to accident or muscle atrophy(where your muscle wastes away and becomes weaker. It usually happens when you have a certain type of disease. For example cancer, aids and other diseases). The human muscle contracts and expands allowing us to move, much like this spider silk has the ability to mimic the contractions of a muscle when doused. But this happens only once. To expand once again it must be dried and stretched back again. Spider silk contracts up to fifty percent, and is known as a super contraction. If you wrapped a thread of spider silk around your finger and doused it, you finger would turn blue immediately, from the extremity of the contraction. Scientists have also found a second type of movement for the spider silk called Cyclic Contractions. This type of movement can instantly stretch back to normal, the only problem with it is that it doesn't contract too much, only one or two percent. Cyclic contractions are closer to the human muscle, though, than spider silk ones, because the human muscle only contracts ten or twenty percent. For smaller muscles spider silk may be appropriate, although for bigger ones it may be a problem, because of it's dramatic contractions.
I personally hope that they will over come these small problems and manage to create a fake muscle, for those who will need it. This invention could help tons of people, and make a big difference in their lives.

~Swimmer/writerGirl.

Sources:
Muscle Atrophy-Wiki
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Extra Credit

In the book Angels & Demons, science is often represented. For example, there is an element called "anti-matter" and is similar to plasma, since it contains a lot of energy and is very dangerous and volatile. Robert Langdon, the main character, has to find the capsule of anti-matter before it comes into contact with the air, or any form of matter, which would cause a chemical reaction, and will explode; vaporizing everything in a half-mile radius. This would be including solids, liquids, and gases. Not only that, when Langdon has to chase the Illuminati around Vactican City, he becomes trapped in a catacomb that's eroding, and therefore, shows a physical property. Also, Dan Brown writes in the book describing the BoeingX33, a fictional prototype of a jet, with a flat top that had stubby wings. This novel is really interesting and full of action, while relating to science and religion! You should read it!

Click here for Angels & Demons

Plant's Able to Recognize Eachother?

Article Link

Today I found an interesting article about how plans can recognize plants that are besides them. Based on a new study, it has come to a conclusion that they use chemical signals that come from the roots of each plant. Say, that a plant's sibling was planted besides them. The plant would not compete with it for space and vitamins, however if the plant were unknown to the our plant, it would not play fair with it and compete for area and vitamins. The evidence that shows this? The fact that the roots of a plant are spread out even more when it's next to a stranger rather than it's sibling. Another piece of evidence, its how plants grow above the ground. If the two plants are siblings, they will grow together and intertwine. But if they are not siblings, both of them will grow away from each other, or straight, not together at all. It's some what like how humans are for example you wouldn't go hug a stranger would you? In the same way the two stanger plants do not grow together. It's the same with their root's growth. If we were competing against some one we didn't know, we couldn't care less about the person and would try to get ahead of them. If it was, however someone you knew you wouldn't compete so hard, and wouldn't want to hurt them.
I personally think this is pretty cool. I never really expected plants to sense anything, they seemed to be just a growing thing that was beautiful and created oxygen, but with no ability other than that. If they can recognize things, they must be smarter than we believe them to be. Hopefully, we may find further advances on this topic.

~Swimmer/writer girl

Live Science Blog

Today I read an article about how shower heads are loaded with pathogens and bacteria that can cause diseases. Click here for the article.

Who: Everyone that uses a shower and doesn't regularly clean the shower head. They can become, unknowingly, covered in sickness causing germs, that may harm the people with weak immune systems. We may become carriers of dangerous diseases.

What: The article is about how shower heads have tons of pathogens and germs that can harm you. For example there is mycobacterium avium that causes a plumonary disease. The best thing you can do to prevent this is to change your shower head in order to get rid of all the germs. If you try to hand clean it, it will be very difficult, trying to get all the nooks and crannies, and apparently cleaners only get rid of some of the germs. But most of the germs affect only the people with compromised immune systems. Getting a metal shower head may help keep clean and away from bacteria because some pathogens attach them selves more easily to plastics.

When: This happens when people take a shower. The water flows through the shower head and carries the mycobacterium, and other bacterias through the shower head and onto a person.

Where: In shower heads where water stays, and moisture builds up created bacteria. Also, they bacteria is on the person too, so we could be considered a where.

Why: Because the water in the shower head stays there and becomes dirty over time creating bacteria, that will be eventually washed away from the head, but onto a persons head and body, and possibly into cuts where it can infect.

Personally I found this pretty scary. I always thought a shower cleaned us and didn't make us more dirty than we already were. Sure it does clean off the mud and grime, but the germs are probably more dangerous that mud and grime. I'm glad I have a good immune system, or I may have been suffering from a shower induced disease. Hopefully, anybody who reads this article will not stop taking a shower, but will make sure their shower head is clean and or get a new shower head that's fully metal in order to protect them selves.

Caption: This picture shows a growth of mold in a shower head, that hadn't been cleaned in a while.


~swimmer writer girl

1st image from: www.gadgetgrid.com
2nd image from: www.dspinspections.com
Information from: www.livescience.com
3rd image caption: Mycobacterium Avium
3rd image source: http://cienciaaldia.wordpress.com/2009/09/15/ducharse-puede-ser-malo-para-la-salud/

Obleck!

Plasticity Lab

Problem: What is the plasticity of the Earth's mantle like?
Hypothesis: If we mix cornstarch and water together then it will make a solid with the properties of a liquid like the crust.
Materials:

• Water
• Cornstarch
• 2 beakers

Procedures:

1. First we added the water to the cornstarch.
2. Then we took turns blending it together.
3. My science teacher added food coloring.
4. We mixed that together too.
5. We played with it and observed it's properties.

Observation and Data: The obleck was very odd. If you pressurized it it became solid but if you just let it sit on your palm it became liquid like and shiny.

Conclusion: The obleck was a good stimulation of the earths mantle. It showed us how liquid and solid coexist. The only thing wrong was we didn't have a stimulation of the crusts pressure on the obleck. But other then that it was fine. I learned about how solid and liquid coexist under the crust. I can apply this knowledge in the real world by knowing how obleck is like people. If you put them under pressure they harden but if just leave them alone they soften and relax.

Connections...to October Sky

The movie October Sky connects to science alot. There was a lot of science related things: Sputnik, rockets, science fairs and scientific math. Sputnik connects to science because its a satellite and there was a lot of science used to create it and launch it into space. Rockets connect to science because you need science to figure out how to make one. The boys in the movie, used a lot of formulas and chemistry to figure out how to make the rocket move and go faster. Science fairs connect to science because you need science to be in one. In the movie Homer used scientific math to prove his innocence. The scientific math also connects to science because it is used to figure out scientific things like how far something would go, or how high something would go like a rocket.
October Sky also has alot of character education traits in it. The boys cooperated together to build the rocket. They all respected each other. Homer controlled himself when he was angry at his father, and instead of bursting out he just walked away. At the end of the movie Homer's father finally felt empathy for his son and went to see the rocket launching.
All in all the movie October Sky has a connection to a lot of things.

Blog Response to Science Blog #9 by reality23x2

This is a response to Science Blog #9 by reality23x2. The blog is about Turner's Syndrome. Turner Syndrome must be hard to live with. With all the impairments and possible teasing because you look different. Turners syndrome is when one of your sex chromosomes is missing. Usually there's two chromosomes but when you have Turners Syndrome you have one chromosome missing from one pair so most of your chromosomes will be like this || and the odd one will be like this |. Turner's Syndrome affects only females. One out of two thousand five hundred girls is afflicted by Turners Syndrome. Usually people with Turners Syndrome live a normal life length. Turners Syndrome must be hard to live with. I feel compassion for those with Turners Syndrome. I hope they live a happy life.

Citation
www.reality23x2.blogspot.com

Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is genetics disease. Didn't know that did you? It affects mostly females but it can still affect males because of the fact that its a genetic disease. Breast cancer is when the cells in your breast starts producing extra cells forming a tumor that can hurt your inner organs. The symptoms are lumps in your breast, swelling changes of the skin, changes in the size or shape of your breast and discharge from your nipple. You can get breast cancer treated with radiation, lumpectomy, mastectomy, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy. How long you live depends on what happens to you. Like if the treatment works or not, or if your cancer spreads. This disease was discovered in 2002. It's more common in African American women, and a certain type of Jewish group. It in general is more common in women than men. For those who are afflicted with breast cancer I hope you find a cure and survive and enjoy your life.

Citations:
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/disorders/whataregd/
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/geneticdisorders.html

DNA Extraction Lab Conclusion

My hypothesis was: If we complete all the steps then the DNA will come out and we will see it. My hypothesis was correct, when i completed all the steps properly I saw the DNA come out. Ms. Irizairy explained why that happened with her slide show. First the break the fats down, then the enzymes take out the proteins. Then finally the salt pulls the DNA out of the breaking down and it floats up into the alcohol where we can see it.
There were no error in the experiment, it came out perfect. Nothing affected the results. The experiment was controlled because we knew the results.
I learned that DNA looks like feathery and spider web-ish. It wasn't what I'd expected it to be. I had expected it to come out in strands not all feathery like. It says that science isn't very predictable. I can apply this knowledge in the real world where I may have an expirament and I know I should be more careful if the results are not predicatable. I may get seriously injured.

Wildfire Australia

Click Here for the article.

In Australia there have been many life threatening wild fires. Many people died on Black Saturday, when a wild fire occurred. Most people, instead of staying and protecting their homes against the fire, flee. The Australians snactched from their homes what ever they need and wanted to keep and went to relief centers in their cars. Due to their climate, high temperatures and wind, the fires spread very quickly. Some fires took up to week to put out. The fires left the whole towns in charred, black ashes. The death toll is, at the moment, two hundred and nine and is rise higher as the fire officials identify and find bodies. The price to fix it all? $16,000 per person. My opinion is: Whoa! That's scary. I hope there are no more wilde fires and the death toll doesn't rise more. I mean two hundred and nine dead? On top of that there possibly may be more dead? And the price to fix it all is incredible, as in unbelievable. Who knew wild fires could destroy so much!

My Roller Coaster Website

The Leaning Tower of Terror

Deadly Dinner

Article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28677495/print/1/displaymode/1098

Summary of Article:
Jenelle Dorner doesn't eat anything due to the fact that she has gastroparesis, which doesn't allow her to eat anything. Dorner has gastroparesis due to one slightly raw meal when she was nineteen. Chickens have a pathogen in their intestines called campylobacter(campy for short) it does nothing to them but can severely harm humans if ingested. To kill the bateria, chicken has to be cooked well, which in Dorner's case wasn't. Along with campy there's another two factors in chicken that can make you sick: salmonella and arsenic. Farmers use arsenic to make the birds fatter and to make them pinker. That's the reason why a only chicken diet is dangerous.But either way the authorities aren't taking alot of action to stop chicken related sicknesses. The regualatory sweeps don't do much. If the plant's poultry has less than twenty percent of salmonella in it the plant passes. So what happens to those unlucky people who end up with the salmonella in their chicken dinner? They get sick, thanks to the low standards of the USDA testing. Burger King tests all their patties and goes to high measures to keep their food safe. You should cook your chicken thoroughly to get rid of harmful pathogens.

My Opinion:
It's really wierd how a raw chicken can completely disable your digestive tracts. It's really scary. Fast food restarants are stating to look a little bit more safe due to the fact that they thoroughly cook their food and go to high measure to stop infection of meat. The USDA should set higher standards for all poultry plants. Who knows what kind of dangerous pathogen will end up in our plate next?

bad economy+ job loss= empty food pantry

link to article:http://www.centraljersey.com/articles/2009/02/04/south_brunswick_post/news/doc4980d43f719eb599088632.txt

Right now, the South Brusnwick food pantry is running out of food and donations. The economy is really hitting them and the families that need the food pantry hard. People are already having a hard time doing things for themselves, they aren't able to donate things so then the food pantry gets empty and they can't give the families who need food, food."”We’ve seen people who normally would be donating who have come to us for assistance," Ms.Wolf said" says article. So now there are less people donating than before. My opinion of the issue is: People are having hard times, I don't blame them for not donating. But if you can you should donate. Sure there you may be in bad shape but think there are whole big families suffering.

-swimmer/writerGirl

The electromagnetic wave spectrum

There are six types of Electromagnetic waves:
1. Radio Waves:

Broadcasting Waves:They are long wavelengths which are used for carrying signals to antenna's, where they are turned into electric energy, then into sound and pictures.

Microwaves: They have shorter wavelengths and are used for cell phones, radars,and heating food.

2. Infrared ray:

Heat Lamps-They give off heat and some visible light. They are used for keeping food warm, they are also used for heating up a bathroom.

Infrared Cameras-This camera uses infrared rays to take a picture. It shows the the heat of every part of the picture.

3. Visible Light- They are waves that we can see. Visible light comes in many colors. The highest frequency of visible light is purple in color. The lowest frequency of visible light appears red in color. To see the colors you can refract white light with a prism and see all the colors.

4. Ultraviolet Rays- They are length waves shorter then those of visible light and they have a lot of energy. They are used to produce vitamin D, and stopping the growth of bacteria on food. They are used in hospitals to kill bacteria on the equipment. But they are sometimes dangerous and can cause skin cancer if you get exposed too much to the sun.

5. X-Rays- They have more energy than U.V rays and penetrate most matter. A few things it does not penetrate is dense things like bone and lead. Which is why it is often used for making images of bones. They are also used for engineering for looking for small cracks and other things the people might need to fix. They are very more powerful than U.V. rays and can also cause cancer.

6. Gamma rays- Gamma rays produce the highest and shortest waves. They are produced by exploding stars, radioactive substances, and objects in space. They are used for medical need. They destroy cancer cells, help examine the body, and other things.

New President!!

First Article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/20/barack-obama-inauguration-us-speech

Second Article:http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/obama/2009/01/20/barack-obamas-inauguration-is-one-for-the-history-books.html

On the twentieth of January, this year, 2009, we got a new president. Our new president is Barack Obama. He was officially president at 12:01 on the twentieth of January, when President Bush retired from being president. During the inauguration he took an oath and gave a speech and all.
The speech that Obama made about changing everything was co-written by a twenty-seven year old man named Jon Favereau. Jon Favereau is the youngest chief speech writer that was recorded in the white house. Obama talked about a lot of things in his inauguration speech. The economy crisis, and all the things that he promises to take care of. His speech set a very high bar for all the other presidential inauguration speeches.
President Obama's inauguration was on to remeber. He took the same path as Abraham Lincoln. He went on a train to the Capitol stopping in Philadelphia, Willmington, Delaware, and Baltimore, just like President Lincoln. He went on the train with his wife and two daughters, Malia and Sasha. Some presidential inaugurations were more quiet and unnoticed than Barack Obama's for example Ronald Reagan. It was so cold on the inauguration day that he cancled the parade to save the marchers from severe frost bite and much worse conditions.
My opinion of Obama's new presidency is: it's pretty good. He's helping a lot of people if he does things right. But if he does things wrong we're bound to end up a third world country. I really don't care who's president, as long as they do things right, and make things right. I don't want a president who out of fear of being assisnated going incognito. I really don't want that. I want a strong president who will do things right. All in all, Barack Obama is a good president, he apparently knows what to do and will take action.

Girls+ Pink= :)

news url: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1654371,00.html

Summary: People have researched whether girls really like pink or is it just a streotype. In China the results showed that females perferred reddish shades to blue shades of color. Britain on the other hand showed more females in Britain perferred blue shades of color. They believe that women like reddish colors better because of the jobs that they had in the olden days. Women picked red berries. They took care of children with red ruddy cheeks.

My Opinion:
This is pretty cool, how they predicted the reason. Really, who would have thought of that? And how they tested the color preferences was really cool too. They had people pick between a series of two squares with two different colors on them. That would be a cool job.

Class Response: Owl Pellets

Who: Me and my lab partner
What:An owl pellet lab.
When:In science class.
Why: Frankly I have no idea.
How:
1. We take the owl pellet apart.
2. We dig out the bones.
3. We try to identify what animal bones were found in the owl pellet.
4. We put the skeletons together.
5. We're done!

My opinion: I did this in third grade and it wasn't that bad then. When I did again I was grossed out. It wasn't one where its disgusting but fun. When we put the skeletons together it was downright frustrating. Which one went to which animal? Does that go in the legs or arms? Awww, darn it fell off and broke into a thousand pieces! Ugh, the rib's a goner. That was mostly what my partner and I were saying. All in all the lab was good for learning but not that fun.

-swimmer/writerGirl