Science Memes -- 6/13/12

Water Cycle Xtranormal-Weather Menu

5/22/12 Current Events: "Sneezing Monkey Highlights New Species List"

Thomas Geissmann / Fauna & Flora International
"A previously unknown type of snub-nosed monkey, discovered in northern Myanmar and dubbed Rhinopithecus strykeri, has a nose so upturned that the animals sneeze when it rains. To avoid inhaling water, they sit with their heads tucked between their knees on drizzly days, local hunters say. The species is shown here in a Photoshop reconstruction based on a Yunnan snub-nosed monkey and a carcass of the newly discovered species."




Article:  http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/47538032/ns/today-today_tech/t/sneezing-monkey-highlights-new-species-list/#.T71zsdxSS6M 
(Photos are from article)
Shortened link to article (case-sensitive): http://goo.gl/BekOZ




   Although this article is titled "Sneezing Monkey Highlights New Species List," it actually concentrates more on the actual list the monkey is mentioned in. The International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University and an international committee of scientists recently released this list for multiple purposes, one of which was to recognize the birthday of Carolus Linnaeus, the man who invented the naming and classification system for newly discovered organisms. The second reason was to try to attract people's attention for the same reason that some of the animals on the list no longer exist. Humans are causing a sixth mass extinction. Although many were selected as possible entries on the list, only those which were expected to attract the most attention were selected.
   I found this article very interesting, and I am going to find this list later on my own time. However, the second reason that the list was issued is a bit depressing. I think this list should only have had to be released for celebratory and entertainment purposes. The six mass extinction, that we are now in the middle of, should have never begun. If it hadn't, we might have had more amazing creatures like those mentioned on the list including the new snub-nosed monkey, the walking cactus, and the spongiforma squarepantsii (which I found funny but odd that it was named after Spongebob Squarepants, since it does not appear to be square.)

Thomas Bruns

"A funky new mushroom species 'lives in the rain forest, under a tree,' and researchers say it's nearly as strange as its SpongeBob SquarePants namesake. The bright orange (sometimes purple) mushroom, Spongiforma squarepantsii, was discovered in the forests of Sarawak, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo."

5/7/12 Current Events:Garbage Robots

Article: http://www.greendiary.com/entry/recycled-art-amazing-robots-made-from-trash/
(Photos are from article)
Shortened link to article (case-sensitive): http://goo.gl/lzpTY

***

Define Garbage?

    "One man's trash is another man's treasure." This well known American proverb may apply in more cases than you might imagine. Some individuals have brought the meaning of this saying to its full value by making creations beyond imagination out of, well trash. The image above shows a robot built by Wu Yulu. Wu Yulu is a chinese farmer, howerer he built a family of 26 "recycled" robots. These robots are built entirely out of scrap metals. At first his robots could barely move. But now, his latest model can to pull him in a rickshaw for about 6 hours on a single charge! Now that is impressive, especially when you consider that it started from a pile of scrap metal. Another impressive creation is Larry, the fire breathing robot-dog. Gizmowatch.com says, "The walking robot dog Larry surely stunned each passerby with its massive build and the fire spitting." As if that wasn't enough, the robot is built out of scrap metal. People are finding new and more creative ways to combine art and robotics.

     I find this article very interesting and i can relate to it personally. In 4th grade, i built a waddling robot with a tin can and some basic parts. One of the wires are now damaged however so i would need to fix it before it would work again. In second grade I also built a basic electromagnet to simulate the basic concept of a telegraph using an old nail, a paper clip, a used d-cell battery, and some magnet wire. It is amazing what people can do with old unwanted scraps, and how they can transform these scraps into something creative and interesting. I think the world needs more people who can use their imaginations to improve the world of art and technology in ways such as those shown by the creators of these unbelievable works of art.

***

Jeremy Mayer created this robot from the parts of a typewriter using cold assembly
(no glue, soldering, welding or anything else along those lines)

Sources: http://www.gizmowatch.com/entry/a-massive-robot-dog-made-all-in-scrap/

 http://www.greendiary.com/entry/recycled-art-amazing-robots-made-from-trash/

3/29/12-Current Events

Article Title: Space Station Crew Scrambles As Debris Passes Nearby
Author: Kevin Drew
Publisher: New York Times: Space & Cosmos
Published: March 24, 2012
Date Visited: March 26, 2012
Click Here For Original Article

     This article was about how the crew aboard the inter national space station had to evacuate due to a piece of space debris passing the international space station. The crew consisted of three russian, two american, and one dutch astronaut. They evacuated in the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Even though a little piece of space debris does not seem like a major issue it can be. Both the space station and the debris were traveling at 17,500 miles per hour, meaning a collision with even a small piece of debris could be extremely dangerous. The reason they evacuated was because NASA was unable to calculate the size of the debris.
     I think that this is a larger problem than many people might notice. According to the article over 20,000 objects larger than four inches in Earth's low orbit. Only 1,000 of these are some sort of space craft. To me, this means that the amount of collisions between space crafts and debris will increase, as the amount of debris increases. This also could mean that astronauts in the space stations and in or around spacecrafts in Earth's low orbit have a greater chance of getting hurt. I hope this does not pose to much of a problem, or cause any accidents or unwanted occurrences.

Song-They Are Atoms

2/6/12 States Of Matter-Lab Reflection

LAB 1-Chemical Changes and Reactions (Candles and Carbon Dioxide)

CANDLES

Procedure and Observations:

1. Observe the green candle

Physical Description: Green, Smooth, Hard, Solid.

2. Light the green candle

-Change: Chemical

-Chemical Description: Combustible

3. Blow out the green candle

4. Light the white candle

-Change: Chemical

5. Mix some vinegar and baking soda in the beaker

-Result: Chemical Reaction-Carbon Dioxide is formed

6. Carefully "pour" the carbon dioxide (not the liquid) onto the candle

-Candle goes out

Conclusion:

When the carbon dioxide surrounded the candle, the flame did not have enough oxygen to burn. This means that some chemical changes require another element, in this case oxygen, to work. The carbon dioxide suffocated the flame by taking away the element it needed to burn. When you cover a candle to put out the flame, you are actually forcing it to burn off the remaining oxygen inside the sealed area, causing it to suffocate itself.

LAB 2- Burning Sugar (Marshmallows and Sugar Cubes Combined)

MARSHMALLOWS

Procedure and Observations: 

1. Tear the small marshmallow

--Inside: Soft, stick. Solid.

--Outside: Soft, Rough, Not Sticky. Solid.

2. Taste the marshmallow

--Taste: Sweet

--Texture: Soft

3. Take a large marshmallow and put it at the end of the stick

4. Burn the Marshmallow until it has completely become a dark brown color.

--Outside: 

-Texture: Crispy brown shell

-Change: Chemical

5. Taste the burnt marshmallow

--Inside:

-Texture: Gooey liquid-like substance

-Change: Physical

-Taste: Bitter

-----------------

SUGAR CUBES

Procedure and Observations:

--Sugar cube:

Hard, Rough. Solid.

1. Crush two sugar cubes and mix them in a cup of water

-Change: Physical (still sugar)

2. Crush another sugar cube and place it in a test tube

-Change: Physical (crushing)

3. Heat the test tube until sugar melts and turns brown

-Change: Chemical (forming new substance

4.Break open test tube and examine burnt sugar

{Observations for burnt sugar above in "MARSHMALLOWS"}

Conclusion:

When a physical change takes place, the substance does not change at a molecular level. For example when the sugar was diluted in the water, this was a physical change. The substance remained sugar, just in a less pure state. When a Chemical change takes place, the substance changes at the molecular level, and forms a new substance. For example when you burn wood to create a fire, creating ashes. Or, in this case burning sugar, which creates a bitter brown substance that resembles ash.

CHEMICAL CHANGE:

PHYSICAL CHANGE: