Writing Assignment

     NASA's Dawn spacecraft have again ventured a look into the stars.  The spacecraft powered up its visible infrared spectrometer, that investigates surface mineralogy, and the gamma ray and neutron detector, which detects elemental composition.  Three of Dawn's science instruments spent their time sleeping during a three-and-a half-year journey to Vesta.  This was reported by Robert Mase on of Dawn project manager at  NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California.  Dawn international scientists team and engineers in Germany and the United States spent three days interacting with the camera system, confirming excellent health of the electrical components and updating the software.  Within the next few months Dawn camera will provide images needed to navigate the spacecraft and the images of the asteroid's surface.  In addition the camera will search for the moons in Vesta's and for evidence of a past volcanic activity.  This mission to Vesta and Ceres will be managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

1. What kind of moons do you think Dawn will find on the asteroid Vesta?

2. Why did scientists say that Dawn was on track to a unexplored worlds?

NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory (2011, March 22).  Dawn open its eyes, check

     instruments.  ScienceDaily.

http://www.sciencedaily.com.

Writing Assignment

     The Earth Sciences Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) examine carbon dioxide underground, a study conducted by Ehling-Economides claimed that carbon dioxide cannot be stores underground.  With these findings Berkeley Lab researchers consider a closed system surface formations, a limited mechanisms to release the pressure build-up from the injection of carbon dioxide, the key to this is the amount of carbon dioxide can be safely stored underground.  Dr. Quanlin Zhou the lead researcher stated that "pressure build-up may have a limiting effect on storage capacity, it is not as significant as claimed previously by Ehlig-Economides and Economides" (Wiley-Blackwell). With three different types of storage reservoirs closed, partially closed and open, the carbon dioxide storage deep underground will be mainly partially closed or open formations to build-up pressure so it can be release by movement of native saline waters into regions far away from where carbon dioxide injection occurs.

1. With carbon dioxide being stored undergound is it safe for living creatures that lives there?

2. What effect do this have on our climate?  What kind of changes take place?

Wiley-Blackwell.  e! Science News.  Carbon capture and storage:
     Carbon dioxide pressure dissipates in underground reservoirs.  March 22, 2011.
http://www.esiencenews.com/

   
  

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Writing Assignment

     If your garden was threaten by bugs or other critters.  What would you do?  Chemicals are not always the answer.  Although pesticides, herbicides and fungicides may be designed to kill plant pests, they can be lethal to more than just plants.  It can harm butterflies, ladybugs and bees these insects help our gardens grow healthyand stay that way, harsh garden chemical can destroy chances for that. The trouble is that these chemicals have a toxic residue which can leak into groundwater, where as small plants, fish...........may be rural.  The Enviromental Protection Agency states that lawn pesticides contain carcinogens in large quantities, that causes birth defects, gene mutations, nervous system damage, liver and kidney damage.


1.What type of chemicals would be consider safe for the environment?
2.How often would can these  chemicals be used?

Zimmerman, Sacha.  2011,The Reader's Digest Association:  How to Grow 
     a Chemical-Free Garden.
www.rd.com/home/for-america-grow-a-chemical-free-garden.

  

Writing Assignment

     Volcanic explosive eruptions are follow by tremors that last hours or weeks.  Scientists has frequently observed these tremors before the volcanic eruption.  These explanations depends on the vent or pipe in which the lava passes, or before the gas erupt magma.  The charactersists varies from volcano to volcano but it is said that an active volcanic is impossible to determine.  Mark Jellinek an professor of UBC Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences said that "All volcanoes feature a viscous column of dense magma surrounded by a compressible and permeable sheath of magma, composed mostly of stretched gas bubbles."  Some forecasters see tremors as an important or somewhat mystery, that is observed in a important explosive eruption.  Although it has become tricky over the past decade, in understanding the process while underlying the origin evolution of eruption the predictive power is said to be danger to humans.

1. Tremors have been felt in different parts of the world, is this because of a volcano or could it be something else?
2.  What is the magma in a volcano?

Science Daily.  Oscillating "Plug" of Magma Causes Tremors That Forecast Volcanic Eruptions. 
     February 23, 2011. 
http://www.sciencedaily.com/.

Writing Assignment

 

       There are about 20 percent nonhuman genomes held in the computer databases that are contaminated with human DNA.  Researches say scientists were looking for human virus, species, crop plants and model organisms that are affected.  According to Rachel O’Neill the problem would likely become more serious in the future.  Genomic were examined and deposited in two major databases used by world’s scientists; the National Center for Biotechnology Information; National Institutes of Health and European genomic database known as the Ensembl.  In Connecticut researchers scan the public databases for human virus that may be infected by inserting DNA into their genomes; this was found to be so much as human DNA of nonhuman genomes.  Dr. O’Neill wanted to alert the people about any problem of the national databases with anything different because with contamination being so extensive, it has probably been going on for decades.

1.      Do you think the contamination could affect human? Why and How?

Wade, Nicholas, The Newyork Times.  Human DNA Contamination Seen in Genome Databases.

     16 Feburary 2011.

www.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/science/17genome.

Skin Sense

     Howard Chang’s M.D. and Ph.D. degree of dermatologist is puzzling over what happen to skin cells as the organism ages.  In Chang new study of noncoding, RNA was used to determine human health structure and how to link between the specific types.  With new technology doctors like Howard Chang will have the opportunity to determine the differences between young and old skin cells.  The collection of skin samples from newborn boys will be one way to test.  Chang gathered examples from adult’s biopsies of arm, scalp, and back skin this revealed to Chang different gene tissues stemmed from other location as well as age.  The results were cells have different functions and that’s base on location.  Although Chang found this the research puzzling RNA is the profound effect for genome.

 

 1. What casues skin to age and why?

Williams, Sarah C.P.  Skin Sense.  HHMI Bullentin

     10/Feburary/ 2011.

www.hhmi.org.bulletin/feb2011

Health information remains high on the list of popular uses for the Internet.

      On February 1, 2011, people will be going online for health information to look up diseases, treatment and doctors.  Pew Internet Project has been tracking many users in commerce, music, civic life since 2000.  A representative from Pew comment on how the people expressed using the internet has it advantage.  One advantage is scheduling doctor appointment.  Pew Internet Project was conducted according to race and class.  African Americans and Latinos were participates in this study, the ages range form 65 or older and disabled adults with an annual income less than $30,000.00.  These figures may change, because Africans and Latinos are getting their information from Smartphone’s and other devices.

1.      Having your information’s on the internet, how do you feel about identity theft?

2.      Why did this study only use African Americans and Latinos?

 Szokan, Nancy.  Health information remains high on the list of

     popular uses for the Internet.  The Washington Post.  1 February 2011.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content.

What happens when mom unplug teens for 6 months?

     Can you imagine living without Computer, TV, iPods, cell phones and video games for 6 months?  A mother from New York was conducting an experiment with her children, she took away all their electronic devices for six months.  The experiment were to let the children  experience how things would be without electronic devices.  They listen to music together instead of the iPods, played board games and read books.  The mother friends thought what she did was "cool".  Electronic devices were not used inside or outside the house.  The results of The Experiment was grades improvement and some major changes in the mother life.  If your mother took away your electronic devices for 9 months, what would you do?


Harpaz, Beth J.  "What happens when mom uuplugs teens for 6 months?"  The Washington Post.  18 January 2011.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/18.

Writing Assignment (Article Title: Interfering With Flight?)

     This article is about how some passengers ignore the problems with electronic devices on planes.  David Carson a engineer with Boeing Electronic felt that these devices do not cause problems.  Is this a good or bad way to feel?  In theory electromagnetic waves could interfere with plane's electronics.  However, older planes are consider the best in shielding against latest type of devices.  The Federal Aviation Administration's found there are risks with electromagnetic interference.  Each airline is to set their own policy how high the planes should be in altitudes if passengers are to used electronic devices.


Negroni, Christine.  "Interfering With Flight?"  The New York Times 17 January 2011.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/18/business/18devices.

Writing Assignment

     AT&T is bringing a new hotspot feature to Android and the iPhone.  AT&T along with Verizon and T-Mobile are featuring these changes for their customers.  AT&T customers will be able to share smartphone data a wireless signal to other gadgets and computers.  Verizon Wireless has feature four models, which are due to come out on February 10.  One of the new feature is the iOS 4.3 but AT&T is unclear about their customers using this feature.  Although with some of these feature customers can access their laptops and iPods because of the Wi-Fi electronics.  T-Mobile is offering an upgrade data plan the MyTouch 4G to all owners because the company do not encourage Goggle's Nexus One phone.  Some other features are the Sprint Nextel Evo and the Verizon's Driod phones.  These companies are struggle to meet the demand of their customers.

Introduction

Hello, this is Connie Sivels, and I just wanted to welcome you to my Blog.