SHAGGY, SHOVEL-HEADED RHINO EVOLVED IN TIBET

Emily F. -- Woolly rhinos and other large prehistoric animals were the first to evolve that could tolerate the cold temperatures. This was an evolutionary cradle for Ice Age mega plant-eaters, according to a new paper. A current study helps explain why so many different species lived in North America, Europe and
Asia during the last Ice Age (2.8mya). They adapted to the cold temperatures in the west Himalayans
before moving around to other areas. Most of the animals were very large, and covered with long hair. There are known theorys that some of the animals grew larger, the colder the weather was.

I found this article interesting, because the Ice Age is a cool topic to learn about! I thought the theory on the animals growing larger due to the cooler temperatures was neat. I also liked this article because it reminded me of the Ice Age movie Serious. Those movies and this article have made want to do more research on the Ice Age time period.

Link:  SHAGGY, SHOVEL-HEADED RHINO EVOLVED IN TIBET

Up from the Depths: How Bacteria Capture Carbon in the 'Twilight Zone'

Justin G. -- Archaea a deep sea single celled organism has been able to make there engery out of other bacteria in the deep sea ocean creating carbon. they create there engery by trapping the carbon and uses there single celled genomes to creat metbolic capabilites.

I think this will help medicine alot because they could probably rearrange the atoms to take certain atoms out of diseases. it also could work for military things like the thing from G-I Joe that had little Anit-bodies that could eat almost any particles. i think this a big step finding out how things down there live also because ive never heard of anything on the surface that could change stuff into carbon.


Link:  Up from the Depths: How Bacteria Capture Carbon in the 'Twilight Zone'

To the rescue -- finding a purpose for rejected shelter dogs

Lizette Y. -- In Santa Paula, California rescue downs are used to help find people after a disaster has occurred. The association is called the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation Founded by Wilma Melville. The dogs have all been trained and have been to the Japan when the earth quake happened and, the tornado that happened in Missouri. All of the dogs Melville gets are 90% from Animal shelters. All the dogs that look capable of being a rescue dogs go through a test but only few pass.

I think this is good thing she is doing because Sense dog are able to track down people if there buried or stuck underneath something or even missing. So it is saving a lot of people’s life just because what she is doing. Maybe if people discover what she is doing then possibly other people will follow her and help her.

Link:  To the rescue -- finding a purpose for rejected shelter dogs

Fish (Happily) Out of Water

Natalie R. -- A new fish has been discovered, the Pacific Leaping Blenny. These fish have been found living outside of water. They still need water to live, so they have to live right next to the water, but they can remain outside the water as long as they have some water inside them. These “walking fish” are very capable outside of the water; they can still
mate and do the things they need to do to survive. But when they completely dry up, they can no longer breathe and would suffocate.

A walking fish is awesome. Though it isn’t completely a fish out of water, it can partially live on land. I think that it is a new step towards new species. This fish shows us that we and all other animals are still constantly evolving. We are always moving forward so our species can survive and live on.

Link:  "Walking" Fish a Model of Evolution in Action

Study Finds That Injecting Old Mice With Young Mouse Blood Has a Rejuvenating Effect

Toyosi O. -- Researchers from Stanford took blood from a young mouse and injected it into an older mouse. When they did this the older mouse was “Rejuvenated”. More neutrons were fired which caused the mouse to think and react quicker. When they injected the younger mouse with blood from the older mouse the younger mouse acted more like how an older mouse would act.

I found this article interesting for many reasons. If we can make mice act “younger” then what about humans? Could this help humans live longer or have more energy?  I wonder if it would be possible for scientist to find things that would cause more neutrons to fire in the brain and use it as a “cure” to anti aging. I think that this new knowledge could be very beneficial to help fight dieses that are due to aging.

Link:  Study Finds That Injecting Old Mice With Young Mouse Blood Has a Rejuvenating Effect

Plant develops echo to attract bats

Rachel T. -- This article is mainly about the evolution of the Marcgravia evenia, a plant that has developed a curved-shaped leaf next to the flowers which helps as a reflector of sounds. The bats that the plant is trying to attract need a lot of food supply to fulfill their energy. With these new leaves, the bats can be more efficient in finding and eating their food quotas per night. Also, the plant needs the bats to move the pollen and seeds from place to place frequently, since Marcgravia evenia grows in such low abundance. In all
this new adaptation and evolution is a mutual benefit interaction.

I thought that this article related a lot to our last unit of Biology. The adaptation of this plant just hit me right off the bat as one of the Ten Themes of Biology, as well as the interaction of the plant and the bats. I liked this article too because it gave me a little bit of insight on the world around me and I want to be more aware of the things that are occurring on the earth. The Marcgravia evenia sort of reminded me of the Venus fly trap for some reason and how they both have a part curved, even if the concave parts serve different purposes.

Link:  Plant develops echo to attract bats

Night Owls More Likely to Suffer from Nightmares, Survey Suggests

Jaden K. -- According to many scientific studies, people who stay up late are more likely to get night mares.  Around 80% of adults have at least one nightmare a year, while five percent get about one every month.  College students have also been studied for this showing that their late night studying (or partying) makes it more likely to have nightmares. Yavuz Selvi and other scientist made a study to a variety of people asking to rate the frequency of their nightmares from one being the lowest to four being the highest. They had found that people who call themselves evening people rated around 2.10 while people who called themselves morning people had an average of 1.23. Even though the cause of nightmares is still partly unknown, this shows that going to bed late is still a factor.

Throughout this article it shows more and more facts and examples that nightmares partly come from staying up late to a lack of sleep. It’s very interesting to know about and knowing this I might start heading to bed a little earlier. Looking at this article it shows that scientists are not just looking at space or medication. They are also trying to help us the small things in life. From dreams to dinosaurs to space who knows what is going to be learned about next, all I know is that I should start heading to bed.

Link:  Night Owls More Likely to Suffer from Nightmares, Survey Suggests

Humans made sophisticated tools before was thought possible

Joey A. -- Scientists have figured out that early humans (Homo erectus) have been able to make advanced tools from up to 1.8 million years ago, a whole 300,000 years further back than thought. It's a little weird, because Homo erectus came in to view about 2 million years ago, and they weren't just making tools that consisted of a stick and a pebble attached, they were shaving stones in to points and attaching them to sticks. These tools suggested that they could hack away joints, and be able to butcher animals more effectively than their previous tools. That also meant they were able to think ahead, and were possibly more sophisticated than scientists thought. Along with that, scientists also believed that the Homo erectus species could have lived at the same time as their bretherin, the Homo habilis, because they had similarties between their tools. Homo erectus could have possibly migrated to Dmansi, Georgia, and lost all of their new found technology, which could have made all of the scientists suggestions invalid. Archaeologists started researching this, and they are still discovering something new every day.

I think that if homo erectus really did come up with all of that technology, scientists would have found out by now. It just sounds kind of ridiculous because the cousin of Homo erectus, the Homo habilis, could have made this technology, which makes sense. I also find it hard to believe that when they possibly migrated to Georgia, they lost their technology. If I was Homo erectus, I would hold onto those new tools for dear life and would not let them out of my sight! I had to take into consideration that they were not as sophisticated as us, but still! Just think how mad they must have been! I did however, think that this article was intersting, and I enjoyed reading about it, cause I had no idea that dextrous beings lived that far back.

Link:  Humans Shaped Stone Axes 1.8 Million Years Ago: Advanced Tool-Making Methods Pushed Back in Time

New Genetic Circuit Detects Cancerous Cells and Forces Them To Commit Suicide

Antonio W. -- In cancer, there are specific molecules that makes cancer... well, cancer. Recently, researchers at MIT and ETH Zurich have made a logic circuit system that detects cells and whether or not it has certain cancerous molecules. When at least five are detected, the body orders self destruction. They studied that the HeLa cancer cells have about 1,000 types of microRNA, the regulator of RNA, the sender of DNA information, each having unique properties. They developed an artificial code inside that instructed to make new self destruction proteins. It would only turn on if the levels of miRNA are present in the right amounts, leaving those that lack the HeLa gene alone. It cannot yet be used on a living animal, but is a step forward towards cancer treatment.

After some research, I have learned that as of 2007, over 1.5 million people in North America had cases of cancer. This is one step closer to getting rid of this terrible disease. Similar to this was a type of bee venom that was modified to find and destroy only cancer cells. I know that there are many people out there suffering, waiting for a cure. I personally don't know anyone who has died of cancer, but I can't imagine what it must feel like to lose someone that close. I hope that this prevents people in the future from having to go through things such as chemotherapy . With September 11th coming up, I hope that the brave men and women who sacrificed their health to save others become rewarded.

Link:  New Genetic Circuit Detects Cancerous Cells and Forces Them To Commit Suicide

Dolphin whisperer can help us talk to E.T.

Arianna K. -- For 27 years, marine biologist Denise Herzing and colleagues have been regular visitors in the Atlantic Ocean home of a 200-member pod of spotted dolphin living north of the Bahama islands. Understand the relationships between the members of the pod is key to unraveling what their dozens of whistles, clicks and other signals mean. “The large goal of this project is to tell the story of what it's like to be a dolphin,” Herzing , a researcher with Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton and the founder and head of the Wild Dolphin Project, told Discovery news. “There are times that they play games with us in the water,” Herzing said. “This particular group seems to be curious about us, probably because we're in the water analyzing them. Scientist are trying to teach dolphins to communicate with humans with curtain noises. Some scientist are using this to communicate with wild dolphins.

The purpose of the article is to inform people that dolphins and possibly other animals can communicate with one another and us. This can help us understand other animals and find a way to help preserve their habitats and maybe fix the ones humans destroyed. This is interesting because it shows that animals are capable of thinking and feeling. It also shows that animal experiments are wrong, if they can't do it on humans they shouldn't do it on other humans. The article should show more examples of the communication and more reasons it is useful.

Link:  Dolphin whisperer can help us talk to E.T.

Genes may explain who gets sick from flu

Sean C. -- The human body has two  polarized ways to fight of infection. The first is to cause inflammation throughout the body, the second is to release a anti-inflammatory.  A study was done on 19 volunteers who were infected  with a strain of the flu, 9 of them reported feeling unwell. Study of gene patterns show that the 9 who were feeling unwell had chemicals in their blood stream causing increased stress levels as well as inflammatory responses, the other subjects had anti-inflammatory responses as well as not getting as stressed. Analyzation of this data can help us detect who is in  more danger of getting extremely sick. The people who stayed well spread less viruses. these patterns are not concrete evidence, there are many other factors that could have effected the results but it is a start.

This is interesting news. In case of a pandemic we could not only quarantine more effectively but also administer aid on a risk based order. There are flaws in both of these though; in the article it said that this data was not conclusive, after all correlation does not imply causation. We could possible give drugs that would replicate the effects or the anti-inflammatory response, letting people feel well whilst still fighting infections just as effectively.

Link: Genes may explain who gets sick from flu

Dinosaur Colors

Dakota P. -- Scientist have now figured out that they can use a fossil for figuring out more than when a specific animal lived. They have no figured out that they can also get what color a dinosaur, which did not have lizard skin, was. Scientist found this out so that we could have a better understanding of what the biology actually was back then as accurately as possible. This is important to biologist especially so they we can now accurately place certain animals into the ancestral lines that they have.

I think that this is really cool and interesting because dino’s with colors other then green and scaly. To know that the world has always been colorful and not totally bland makes me happy. In my opinion it will also make the topic of pre-historic life in science class more interesting.

Link:  Dinosaur Colors

Spiders Fleeing Pakistan's Floodwater Take to the Trees

Taryn R. -- Due to the floods in Pakistan last year, milllions of people had to move - as well as millions of spiders. Although spiders rarely move to trees during natural disasters, the flooding was so heavy they had to go up the trees and stay there. According to Todd Blackledge, some of these spiders spin new webs every day. After weeks, the webs cover the trees in dense layers of silk. Russell Watkins, a photographer, went down to Pakistan and saw the web covered trees. "I wasn't prepared for the scale. Literally thousands of trees and bushes over dozens of miles were shrouded. It really was very spooky" said Russell.

 

This is absolutly amazing to me! The picture was even more facinating. It would be great if I was able to visit this place and see the spiders. Since they were unable to go about normaly on the ground, they climbed up the trees and are surviving up there. What if they start living in the trees? Would they need to adapt or change? Perhaps not, I think they will eventually move back to the ground.

Link:  Spiders Fleeing Pakistan's Floodwater Take to the Trees

Cycles of war = cycles of weather?

Zane R. -- Climatologists have long theorized that changes in local climate can effect conflict in that area. It has been shown that countries effected by El Niño have an increase of up to double as many conflicts in such seasons. Previous efforts had studied a correlation between historical environmental change with major conflicts as well as the rise and fall of civilizations. However, the studies were all case by case and researcher Solomon Hsiang pointed out “even if every conflict or collapse happened at random, some would occur during a period of environmental change, so this isn’t compelling evidence”. Because of this he decided to study the issue more systematically, by finding which nations responded to El Niño, took records on all civil or intrastate conflicts that at least 25 people were killed that took place between 1950 and 2004, and compared the two to find a correlation between them. The studies showed that twice as many conflicts happened during El Niño months and that 21% of all conflicts can be attributed to it. While the motivation of the study was to “peer through the keyhole of time” and anticipate the effects of global warming, Hsiang admits that El Niño is very different in the way it effects the world, and says that the prediction power gained by this study is actually fairly limited.

The article presents a very interesting idea. That a warmer world is a more violent one. The fact that such small changes (“0.05°C rise in temperature, and 0.1 millimeter reduction in daily rainfall”) can have such a huge effect on conflicts leads to some major concerns for our warming world. While it does state that there is a huge difference between El Niño and global warming another study mentioned in the article had found “Significant increase in warfare during hot weather in sub-Saharan Africa”. This proves that El Niño is not the only climate effecting change that can impact conflict. On top of its interesting topic the article uses multiple researches and quotes many leading minds in the worlds studies to create its report. And like most articles on the Whyfiles its presented in an effective formatting that allows for both in depth information as well as prominently displayed main points that allows for easy skimming.

Link:  Cycles of war = cycles of weather?

Woolly rhinos came down from the cold

Matthew R. -- The Woolly Rhino has two horns weighs two tons and has a lot of hair and attitude. They survived with woolly mammoths and other creatures during the ice age. Xiaoming Wang discovered a Woolly Rhino skull in the Tibetan plateau he was shocked that it was 3.5 million years old. what was shocking was that this skull was here a million years before the ice age he thinks that this showed that they were getting prepared for the ice age. what is amazing is that the horn was used to sweep snow away so they could keep moving.

I think this is amazing if they did know the ice age was coming because this was to happen a million years later. I think that this is the ultimate adaption story i ever heard with the long horn the big body and all that hair. and another thing this fits one of the themes of biology this falls under adaption to evolution.

Link:  Woolly rhinos came down from the cold

New 'thunder-thighs' dinosaur discovered

Gabe M. -- Very recently, scientists discovered a new type of dinosaur. Its name was the Brontomerus. Its nickname was “thunder-thighs” because it had such enormous thighs and attacked its predators with them. It was a member of the Long-Neck sauropod group of dinosaurs. The Brontomerus was found in Utah and was believed to live in the early cretaceous period. the scientists found a female adult, and a juvenile Brontomerus. They believe that the female weighed about 6 tons and the kid 200kg.

I think it is pretty cool that scientists are finding new dinosaurs still. It’s just really interesting to look at the creatures back then and relate to the ones we have now. it also seems really crazy that it was in Utah. I have not heard of many American dinosaurs. This article made me think a lot about how things were back then and made me pretty interested.

Link:  New 'thunder-thighs' dinosaur discovered

NASA Will Rescue Thousands of Sea Turtle Eggs from Oil Leak Areas

Luis K. -- Generally NASA always is on a mission that has to do with space. The space agency has been working on one that did not encounter spacecrafts or satellites. NASA has been helping thousands of baby sea turtles successfully make their flight easier to the open water. Many Biologists have helped dig up around 700 sea turtle nests on the northern gulf beaches affected by the BP oil spill. The Biologists have gone as far as Panama City to Apalachicola, Florida and have relocating the eggs to NASA’s KSC in Florida (Kennedy Space Center). Each nest has 100 to 120 eggs, and have been taken cared of at the undisclosed facility until each one has hatched. Once the sea turtles hatched, they were hurriedly moved to nearby beaches to make their march to the sea. “Although biologist cant be certain the sea turtle relocation plan will succeed, they say all of this year's hatchlings from the northern Gulf of Mexico will be lost if nothing is done.”

          I really thought this article was neat. It was good for NASA to put away all of the space stuff behind for a while and help out an endangered, and significant animal as the baby sea turtles. If it weren’t for them those baby sea turtles would not have gotten as far. It’s always good to help out the environment and the organisms that live in it. And even though there are other turtles and animals out there, it made a difference for those ones. I think maybe why the writer wrote this article is to show that anyone can make a difference and everything and everyone counts.

Link:  NASA Will Rescue Thousands of Sea Turtle Eggs from Oil Leak Areas

Woolly Rhino Fossil Discovery in Tibet Provides Important Clues to Evolution of Ice Age Giants

Susie M. -- A group of geologists and paleontologists from two different history museums found many new species of extinct mammal fossils in the Himalayan Mountains of Tibet in 2007. They found the complete skull and lower jaw of a Woolly rhino, a parts of the skeletons of a three-toed horse, a blue sheep, a species of badger and 23 other mammals. The leaders of the two groups believe that some of these animals, such as the Woolly rhino, decided that he liked being cold and uncomfortable and cold, so he left the mild climate at the base of the mountain and went to live at the top of the mountain where it was cold and food was sparse so that he (the Woolly rhino) could adapt over millions to the cold by growing long think woolly fur to keep him/her warm. When the next Ice Age came the Woolly rhino was ready-or “pre-prepared” for the colder climate and so survived, as did the other animals they found and, supposedly, some of the large fauna. The “experts” believe  that  same preparation that the rhino made was made by the mega-fauna, making the scientists change their theory about the evolution of plants.

I thought this article was somewhat interesting but not believable. There is no way to prove how long an Ice Age lasted, how old these fossils are or what would cause a species to adapt BEFORE  it was necessary. It was not necessary for the Woolly rhino to grow thicker fur; he could have remained at the base of the mountain where it was warmer; he didn’t have to go up the mountain where it was cold.  This theory of the paleontologists is ridiculous and unfounded especially since the Woolly Mammoth was found flash-frozen in the Arctic and with buttercup flowers in it’s intestines. Buttercups do not grow in frozen tundras; they grow in mild climates. So, it makes sense that both the Woolly Mammoth and the Woolly Rhino lived in mild climates, despite their thick fur coats.


Link:  Woolly Rhino Fossil Discovery in Tibet Provides Important Clues to Evolution of Ice Age Giants

From omnivore to vegan: The dietary education of Bill Clinton

Olga C. -- Bill Clinton used to love eating junk food like hamburgers , French fries , chocolate cake and other things that involved a tone of calories but then he decided to become a healthier person . former
president Clinton now considers himself a vegan. He's dropped more than 20 pounds, and he says he's healthier than ever, his wife farmer first lady Hillary Clinton . Even with the change of the white house menu Clinton battled his weight throughout his two terms as president. He had gained 18 pounds and had gotten really high blood pressure but after he had accomplished his goal of loosing weight he decided to share his experience for healthy eating childten The Clinton Foundation has teamed up with the American Heart Association and is helping 12,000 schools promote exercise and offer better lunches so decades from now, today's children will not face the same heart troubles he has.  "It's turning a ship around before it hits the iceberg, but I think we're beginning to turn it around,"Clinton said.

i think this is very interesting because Bill Clinton was vey brave to quit on all the junk food to save his life , I honestly don’t think I will be able to do that I barely eat fruit , I am very bad at eating healthy . but I am trying to do the same ting that he did to save myself and ill try to share it with other people as well and I also think it is very nice of him to share his story and his method to other children.

Link:  From omnivore to vegan: The dietary education of Bill Clinton

Pot smokers skinnier than non-tokers, study says

Megan C. -- This Article is about how Scientists in France were wrong about their hypothesis. The hypothesis was that people who smoke pot are more likely to be obese because of something in it called ‘cannabis’. Cannabis is supposed to increase appetite. Then they did a test with both smokers, who smoked at least three times a week, and non-smokers. Results? Non-smokers had a bigger obesity percentage then
the ‘pot heads’. Lesson learned, although scientists are very smart, they can be wrong too.

I think it’s funny that were wrong. I know a lot of people who smoke all types of stuff, I don’t though
(gross), and their all skin and bones. Of course in the article it said not to smoke, but I think the people
who really want to lose weight (and seem to be obsessed with it) are willing to do whatever they can to
shed the pounds. So, they shouldn’t have posted this online.

Link:  Pot smokers skinnier than non-tokers, study says

Energy From Cyborg Bugs

Peter D. -- In this article it talks about this beetle that has computer parts in to produce energy. One beetle is able to generate 45 watts of energy. That is enough to power a small electrical device.

I think this is really cool that they have found another device that we could use to get energy without using something harmful to the environment. I don’t know why they would ever think of this it just seems so random. So how they make the beetles make energy is that scientists put a small computer chip inside the beetle and after that they can control the beetle all they want. When the wings flap they produce energy. Some people think this is a better solution than batteries because it is cheaper and it weighs a lot less. A normal battery will weigh about 1.2 grams but a cyborg beetle only weighs 0.3 grams. It’s pretty dang cool.

Link:  ENERGY FROM CYBORG BUGS

86 Percent of Earth's Species Still Unknown?

Mario R. -- Studies say that there are about 8.7 million speices that we have not yet discovered on earth. Scientist say that we've discovered less than 15% of the living organism. Co-author Boris Worm of Canada's Dalhousie University says, "Are we within reach of finding all species, or are we way off?" He says," We are far off." Researchers predict that there is only 7% of fungi, and less10% of the ocean life found on earth today. Two hundred and fifty years after Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus has found a system for classifying the diversity of nature. The study says that we have nearly completed the mammals and birds speices.

It's just so ineresting to think that you know all the living things on earth then 7 million more are still out there some where. To think how the other animals look, react with other animals, and all of the other things that animals do. And if they are domestic, or if we can use them for food or medicine. Just what we can do for them and what they can do for us, without making them go extinct. I just find nature so interesting and to find out that there's even more animals around the world.

Link:  86 Percent of Earth's Species Still Unknown?
 

Texas Drought Takes Its Toll On Wildlife

Alex A. -- The drought in Texas is having a huge impact on not only water sources, but also wildlife all over the state. The lack of rain has caused large rivers to dry up in multiple places, so animals can’t get the
water they need to survive. Animals with babies have to abandon them to early because they can barely get enough water to sustain themselves let alone many babies. Insects are being affected too especially mosquitoes, which again effects something else, the bats. In Austin the bats now have to go out earlier and stay out later in order to feed themselves enough because of the decrease in mosquitoes. Usually at the end of summer in Texas cicadas are everywhere, but because of the drought they are nowhere to be seen. And no one is really sure when the drought will end.

This article makes me really sad! And I probably have a very different opinion then other people might because Texas is my home and it always has been, so im not really sure how people from other states may react. I especially don’t like the part about Austin because that’s just sad that bats have to work so hard to survive just because of one drought. It’s crazy how a drought can affect so many things, not just plants but also bugs and animals and babies as well. I wish that there was something we could do to stop this drought and make everything okay again, and I really hope it stops soon and cools off.

Link:  Texas Drought Takes Its Toll On Wildlife

How exercise benefits nerve cells

Keke W. -- A nurons electrical activity makes other cells come and put a protctive coat on the nurons that makes them travel faster. The protective coat that wraps itself around the message –sending axons is called myelin. Certain brain cells called oligodendrocytes wraps up to 150 layers on one axon. So basicly the body wants to make sure that this message gets delivered quick and safe.

What really surprised me is the brain cells would wrap that much of itslef around one anox so that it could be protcted. I never knew that this happens when ever you try new things because you would think that its normal but you body knows that its something new. Exercising helps the nerve cells be cause it makes the nurons travel faster even with the myelin on it.

Link:  How exercise benefits nerve cells

Star goes boom, telescopes zoom

Felipe C. -- August 24, telescopes at the Palomar Observatory in southern California took a picture of a white dwarf star that is 21 million light-years away. Mark Sullivan an astronomer from the University of Oxford said “We think we found it probably 12 hours after it exploded” “The amazing thing for me is, that supernova exploded 21 million years ago. And we just happened to open up the telescope on the telescope on that Wednesday night, and in came the photons.”  Scientist classify this supernova as a 1a supernova and they say that’s is so incredible that soon after this supernova was born we were able to see it, and it is something that has never happened before the last 1a supernova that we saw happen a couple of decades ago. This 1a supernova occurred because white dwarf stars gain weight, from materials destroyed by a similar star.

I think that this is a really cool article because they are informing us that new things are happening out in the outer space faster than we have ever seen. Also, scientists are learning new things about 1a type supernovas and how they occur and why they occur.

Link:  Star goes boom, telescopes zoom

Water On Mars?

Taylor W. -- Scientist at NASA may have finally done it. The may have found proof of water on Mars. On August 5th 2011 NASA scientists revealed that they had found dozens of dark streaks on the surface of Mars that they believe are a result of running water. This discovery was made thanks to NASA’s
powerful camera called HiRISE (High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment) that is aboard NASA’s Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter. This orb has been taking pictures of mars for the last 5 years. The streaks were
discovered running inside narrow channels along the inner walls of a small crater called Newton, located
on the southern hemisphere of Mars. What puts this theory over the rest is that the streaks are not
permanent, but come and go depending on the season. When the planet heats up the water melts and
runs downhill, while during winter when it freezes, the streaks disappear again and repeat the cycle. It is
believed that it is from indeed water but not fresh water salt water b/c the winter temperatures would
indefinitely freeze the fresh water. This theory is not a 100% but it may help in the theory that mars was
once a warm and wet planet.

I think that this discovery is amazing. I think that the streaks on mars were caused by salt water. I also think that there was and that there is still water on mars. Maybe other than the ice cap it’s deep under the crust of mars. I agree with the scientists at NASA. Maybe if there’s water on mars, why not other planets. Neptune has a never ending storm on it maybe its core is not just a gas, maybe it’s a solid.

Link:  Water On Mars?

New 'bionic' leg gives amputees a natural gait

Ashley C. -- Vanderbilt University has created a brand new prosthetic leg. The new creation has made it possible for amputees to move, without the leg-dragging effect that the original prosthetic’s use
to have. The leg uses a sensor, electric monitor, as well as battery technology, which gives it much better biotic capabilities. This is the first prosthetic that has movable knee and ankle joints.  It has sensors that track its user’s motions. To operate, and predict the movements the user is trying to make, it has microprocessors. This prosthetic limb took seven years to make. It also has a stumble protector. If the artificial leg senses the user stumbling, it will lift the leg up to clear obstructions and plant it back on the ground. This will help to try and keep the user from falling.  This prosthetic was created to help better the lives, and increase mobility of amputees.

I think that this new development in technology will better the lives, of our soldiers, as well as regular people that lose their limbs, by giving them better mobility, and making their lives easier. I always think of how I would feel, if I needed a prosthetic, or if someone in my family need a prosthetic and this would definitely make life easier for them by making life more livable because this prosthetic is lighter, and has more technology involved in making it work better, and simpler for people that need it.

Link:  New 'bionic' leg gives amputees a natural gait

New Planet May Be Among Most Earthlike—Weather Permitting

Marcus G. -- On August 30th Rachel Kaufman wrote an article on the most Earthlike planet we have
seen outside our solar system. The planet HD85512b was found orbiting an Orange Dwarf
Star. Using Radial Velocity to find this planet scientist and astronomers soon found out that
it held liquid water. To be even more shocking is that the planet is close enough to the sun
to feel its heat, but far enough to sustain water in liquid form. As scientists and astronomers
looked at HD85512b they saw it was round enough to have a stable climate. The other fact that
lead scientists to looking for life there is that the star is old enough to not be inducing it to a
lot of solar storms to destroy its atmosphere. Scientists predict that its size it should have the
atmosphere similar to Earth's which consists of mainly Oxygen and Nitrogen.

This interested me a lot when I read this. I like to learn about the universe, because there
is so much out there we don't know. We don't even know everything that happens here on Earth.
I know we are not the only ones in the universe and to know that we are getting closer to finding
more about Alien worlds that might hold life is awesome. Although we cannot for surely know
if this planet may hold life or be able to sustain it with ease it is still a fantastic accomplishment.
The planet is we may not be able to touch for a long time if any, but it helps get an understanding
of planets out of our solar system. Even so science has yet to prove life on other planets.

Link:  New Planet May Be Among Most Earthlike—Weather Permitting

What is killing Killer Whales?

Andrea K. -- Marine experts are concerned with chemical flame retardants PCB's (Polychlorinated Biphenyls) and that they will be affecting the marine animals, causing their specie to decrease, which they are already noticing a decrease in the orcas. The PCB's have been building up in the oceans, since people used them in World War II. The chemicals were later figured out to harm people, animals, and ecosystems and was banned in 1970's. It's affecting the killer whales because the fish they eat, they feed on polluted prey, and absorb the polluted water. Once the orcas eat their prey, they absorb that polluted water, leading to a decrease in the specie. Studies show that high levels of chemical flame retardants were found in the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. Dr. Visser, who grew up watching and loving killer whales, she's doing whatever it takes to protect the orcas, and to make sure it does not harm any other marine animals.     

    It made me a little sad to read this article, i love killer whales, and to read about their specie decreasing left me with a bad feeling. I just think it's suprising that the chemical flame retardants would be affecting our marine life now, but it has been building up in the oceans since we used it in World War II. I'm just happy it got banned in the 70's, but many industries are near the coast, so that could be the reason the chemical flame retardants are spreading through out the oceans more. In a way im glad i read the article, because i doubt i would have heard about it anywhere else, so i can know what's going on with our planet. Im also really glad people like Dr. Visser would go out and try to help and protect our marine animals. It makes me want to do better and help out our world more, i know what's done is done, but i feel like we can help out the animals that really need it.

Link:  What is killing killer whales?

Cycles of war = cycles of weather?

Afton T. -- A new study shows correlation between years with an el Nino weather pattern and years with political stress and upheaval. The interesting part is that only countries affected by the el Nino experience this correlation. Other studies have related changes in weather patterns with civil unrest, but since most of the studies were case by case, most people were skeptical, even if completely at random, some cases would coincide with weather patterns. Solomon Hsiang, the leader of the study, classified countries by whether or not they were affected by el Nino, and then researched those that do feel the effects to find the dates of all their civil unrest. They then compared the number of periods of civil unrest during el Nino to the number during normal weather patterns. They found that twice as many conflicts started in countries under el Nino’s influence during the warmer weather patterns. they also found that at least 21 percent of the worlds conflicts can be related to el Nino. There are many reasons that el Nino could affect our society so much. One, people become more aggressive in warmer weather; two, difficulty in fonding a job causes working in the militia to look more exciting; and three, a lack of food causes people to be dissatisfied with their life and more likely to rebel. The interesting point of this article is the way it connects historical conflict to today’s world. It points out the fact that, with all the changes in the weather patterns around the world caused by global warming, the amounts of conflicts worldwide may go up.

This article stood out to me because of the way it linked historical events to topics that are relevant now, such as global warming. I found the fact that people are more aggressive when it is warmer to be interesting, and I have to agree with it: I know that I at least am easier to anger when it is hot outside, and I think that most people are. The article also poses some interesting questions: Do the number of revolutions going on in the Middle East have anything to do with climate change? It also makes me wonder how this will affect us, the next generation. Will we live in a time full of war and strife? I also liked the fact that such a tiny change could affect the world on such a massive scale. A change of .05 degrees Celsius doesn’t seem that big of a deal to us, yet it has such a large and widespread effect. Going back to my original topic, if such a small change affects the world so greatly, then how much of a change will we see as global warming gets greater? All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this article, and the way it made me think.

Link: Cycles of war = cycles of weather?

How a Distant Black Hole Devoured a Star

Patrick F. -- Recent research led by astronomers at the University of Warwick has evidenced the source of one of the brightest beams of energy yet recorded in human history. This beam is concluded to have occurred 3.8 billion years ago following a massive black hole's consumption of a star. This implosion is theorized to have caused the high energy X-rays and gamma-rays observed from Earth recently, 3.8 billion years after the star was ripped apart.

Lead researcher Andrew Levan notes the pure chance which allowed such high energy rays to be observed from Earth: “We still only happen to see this event because our solar system happened to be looking right down the barrel of this jet of energy.” This event, now labeled Sw 1644+57, believed to have occurred in a far away galaxy existent in the constellation Draco. Levan's research indicates that only the consumption of a star in such a manner would be capable of replicating the size, intensity, time scale, and levels of fluctuation observed. This research was conducted using the Hubble Space Telescope, Swift satellite, and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory and provides valuable insights as well as observable evidence towards the nature and effects of black holes located within star systems.


Link:  How a Distant Black Hole Devoured a Star

The Atmospheric Signature of the Japan Tsunami Could Help Develop a Space-Based Warning System

Matt M. -- Researchers from around the world are hoping that future tsunamis can be predicted by a satellite in stationary orbit over the pacific. This could help be achieved based on a picture captured from a Hawaiian mountain top this camera captured a red atmospheric glow caused by the march 11th tsunami that resulted from the Japan earthquake. Researchers believe that the glow was caused by ocean pressure pushing up on the atmosphere. Even though tsunamis can move hundreds of miles per hour and change the ocean very little they can still impact not only the land but the ionosphere where the air is much thinner and the amplitude of the pressure wave is able to glow. this can cause a faint red glow when the pressure comes in contact with the charged plasma of the earths upper atmosphere.

I hope this works because if it does happen to work then it will save lives because we will be able to predict where a tsunami will hit. However, there could be complications with the system. Just because it will be able to predict a tsunami doesn't mean predict it early enough to give people enough time to evacuate. For example, the glow over Hawaii didn't happen until about an hour before the tsunami hit and that may not very much time to evacuate. If they find a way to improve the system to a day or more hours than just one then yes, I believe this will help people out a lot.


Link:  The Atmospheric Signature of the Japan Tsunami Could Help Develop a Space-Based Warning System

Could New Drug Cure Nearly Any Viral Infection?

Susie M. -- There is a new drug targeted at cells that have viruses in it. This might help cure the viruses which would help a lot of people. Scientists have used animals and humans cells to see if it was going to cure. They used a mice with the DRACO to see if it would cure and unfortunately it did work, and did not have toxic to mice.

I thought this article was very interesting to learn about because I think that they should make a cure. Because a lot of people have bad cells in them and if this cure helps then those people would have a better life. Also if this cure works then a lot of wouldn’t die, or have the feeling when they are gonna die. If you have a lot of viruses then this would be amazing.

Link:  Could New Drug Cure Nearly Any Viral Infection? Technology Shows Promise Against Common Cold, Influenza and Other Ailments, Researchers Say

Pulsar Transformed Into Small Planet Made of Diamond Discovered in Milky Way

Katie A. -- This month, astronomers discovered something in the Milky Way – a planet that seems to be made of diamonds. Once a large white dwarf star, scientists believe that the planet had lost many of its outer layers, and now retains less than 0.1% of its original mass. What remains, they say, is most likely oxygen and carbon, and its density indicates that it can only be a material very similar to diamonds. This material is called crystalline. The discovery was made while using the Effelsberf radio telescope in Germany to conduct a systematic search for pulsars across the entire sky. More and similar finds are expected to occur as a result of this new method of searching.

            This article is interesting to me because everything we find in space is cool. It’s always sort of harder to imagine what could be out there, because it’s an area so foreign and vast that the possibilities are pretty much endless. The more often and the more intently we look to find new things, the more we will find and the cooler they will probably be. A planet made of diamonds sounds like something out of a sci fi movie, and I’m excited to see what else is out there.

Link:  Pulsar Transformed Into Small Planet Made of Diamond Discovered in Milky Way

Cod’s Surprising Immune System

Aiden B. -- This article is about the recent discovery of a new type of immune system found in the cod fish.   It was originally thought that cod (like other animals) had a similar immune system to humans.  New research shows that they do not.  The cod fish lacks the gene MHC II which senses infection, parasites, and harmful bacteria. The immune system of the cod fish instead uses a higher number of the gene MHC I. Scientists continue to study the immune system of the cod to understand how this difference can benefit modern medicine.  This discovery can lead to new medical research and advances.   Also it will definitely affect the fishing industry.

I thought this article was interesting even though it didn’t provide enough detail and information.   Most of the time, the anatomy of other creatures are seen to closely resemble that of a human, this causes people to overlook the small details.   By closely studying the cod’s body functions this new topic was discovered.   I felt that they simply made a summary of the story by leaving out small bits of information that would be good to know to better understand the article.  I also look forward to seeing how this discovery will affect our world.   It’s always fun to learn more about the new advances and discoveries being made today.

Link:  Cod's Surprising Immune System

Childhood Vaccines Cleared of Autism, Diabetes Link

Miranda B. -- Yet another meta-analysis of vaccine research (this time from the US Institute of Medicine) has concluded that there is no link between vaccines and autism. The report, which has been two years in the making, covers vaccines for meningococcal disease, chicken pox, hepatitis B, HPV, DTaP, MMR, hepatitis A, and influenza, which generate the most of the claims for the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP). Most of the side effects for which strong evidence of a causal relationship was found were relatively mild and temporary, such as fainting, allergic reactions, and localized swelling. The only vaccines which were strongly linked with severe side effects were MMR and chicken pox (seizures and fever and inflammation of the brain, and certain infections, respectively), and these side effects were found only in immunocompromised children for whom the vaccine is contraindicated anyway. This study offers even more convincing evidence against Andrew Wakefield’s 1998 MMR/autism study which sparked the anti-vaccine movement, and another report that linked MMR and DTaP with diabetes. However, this study is just one boulder in an Everest of evidence that vaccines do not, in fact, cause autism. By this point, any person who believes that vaccines cause autism will not be swayed by any evidence. There is one problem with this report, though- it effectively worked backwards, looking at case reports and trying to see links. This method increases the subjectivity of a report. They had to do it that way because of the lack of population studies for all vaccines but MMR and the cost of conducting studies huge enough to find rates of adverse effects. Basically, the report is flawed (although not fatally) because of the lack of clear and consistent rules for accessing patient data.

Really, this should not be an issue anymore. There has been one (1) study linking MMR to autism, and that study was conclusively proven to be fraudulent and shockingly poorly conducted. The diabetes link is based on one (1) case of diabetes that developed in the Boostrix DTaP clinical trials. Time after time, careful examination of empirical evidence (what some call “reality”) has revealed that antivaccer’s points are not valid. To illustrate these people’s complete lack of sense, one should consider that they complain about the presence of formaldehyde in vaccines, ignorant of the facts that 1) it’s the dose that makes the poison, and 2) humans actually produce some amount of formaldehyde on their own. At this point, any effort to show them sense is a wasted one. The US Institute of Medicine employed people for two years to produce this study, which will not reduce the antivaccer’s numbers. On the other hand, it did clarify the side effects of certain vaccines, so it will be useful to the NVICP. Overall, the article should have focused on that aspect, rather than the old news about autism.


Link:  Childhood Vaccines Cleared of Autism, Diabetes Link

Ancient Whale Skulls and Directional Hearing: A Twisted Tale

Laura E. -- Skewed whale skulls helped the whale discriminate the direction of sound, but recently scientists have discovered that the whale's skull adapted over time to develop echolocation.

 

Asymmetric skulls [characteristic of modern odontocetes (toothed whale)] use their highly structured nose as an echolocation device, a reliable source to find food. But the other modern whale group, mysticetes (baleen whales), have symmetrical skulls and does not echolocate. Scientists thought that these abilities were passed down from the ancient whales, but now scientists are finding out that asymmetry is not derived from echolocation.

 

Faulke thought that ancient whales were like baleen whales, but the jaw lines were just not matching up. It then dawned on her that the ancient whales might have had asymmetrical skulls, and sure enough, she made the discovery that they did. She discovered that asymmetry existed well before toothed whales and baleen whales. Asymmetrical skulls actually evolved into symmetrical whales. The echolocation came from the asymmetrical whales.

Link:  Ancient Whale Skulls and Directional Hearing: A Twisted Tale

'Polarbeargate' Scientist To Head Back To Work

D'vine N. --  That complaint alleged that Department of the Interior officials are guilty of scientific ,and scholarly misconduct because of their treatment of Monnett. An inquiry is being conducted into those allegations, according to a letter sent to Ruch by the Department of the Interior's scientific integrity officer.

this Article I chose bacons it have polar bears in it and than are so cute. Also the dead polar bearsbecame are powerful, and controversial, that the melting ice and climate change we are just kill them one by one. if we keep on doing this is going to be no more of this cute animals. The Author infomashin is valid to what he put. It is also helpful to see what is happening in other places. if we can help out or not.

Link:  'Polarbeargate' Scientist to Head Back to Work

Scientists discover the diamond planet

Madison G. -- Researchers from Swineburne University of Technology in Melbourne have discovered what they believe to be a planet made of diamonds. It was said to be huge star that existed at one time in our galaxy, but is now just the remnants of that star. It has a diameter of about 20 KM and emits electromagnetic radiation. What researchers found strange about this planet was that the beams of radiation it emitted were at different angles. This attributed to their conclusion of the planet being one huge diamond. It is 40 % the size of Jupiter but contains a mass that is slightly larger than that of Jupiter’s. Researchers suggest that this planet originated from carbon and oxygen due to its density. This planet is 4000 light years away from earth and resides in the constellation of Serpens.

It’s so awesome to think that there’s an entire planet made out of diamonds. If anyone got their hands on it, they would most likely be filled with greed. There’s so much money you could make off of a giant diamond with a diameter of 20 km. If there are planets made of diamonds, it makes you wonder what other types of planets are out there. Whethere they be topaz or emerald. There could be an entire planet made from the eruption of volcanoes, similar to how an island is formed. Our universe is so vast; we’re not even close to understanding a little bit of all that it has to offer.

Link:  Scientists Discover the Diamond Planet 

Cycles of war = cycles of weather?

Dia G. -- El Nino is when the sea temperatures get warmer in the tropical Pacific, which causes abnormal weather changes around the world. David Tenenbaum; the author of the article, stated that conflicts are twice as likely to occur during El Nino in the places that they’re affecting. He states that people become more aggressive in hotter weather. They found that there was an increase in fighting during hot weather periods in Africa. Also that all the fights were happening in the regions that El Nino was affecting.
I think that this article could have had more supporting evidence, but I chose this because I can relate. When I’m really hot, or sweaty or outside in the sun for a really long time I start to get grumpy. This article might not be relevant, because I’m pretty sure that all these countries that are fighting right now aren’t fighting because they’re hot. People fight just to fight sometimes, or because they’re tired of something. 


I’d have to mostly disagree with the author, because you see all these countries fighting right now, but we’re not in the middle of El Nino right now. So it makes no sense that people are relating the two things. I mean, I can imagine that it’s hot everywhere, because its VERY hot here, but I don’t think they have enough evidence to support their theories in this article.


Link:  Cycles of war = cycles of weather?

COOKIECUTTER SHARK 'SCOOPED' OUT SWIMMER'S FLESH

Breckon C. -- The Cookie-cutter shark is maximum length approximately 42–56 centimeter. Also it is not like the other sharks by having a pattern in its teeth. When the shark bights it looks like a cookie cutter stamp. When the Cookie-cutter shark is going to attack, the shark opens the mouth 180 degrease. Bighting the fish takes that part out of the fish. But leaves the fish that was attack, and the fish that was attacked are still alive. There are most common at Miami, Florida, and the moats deaths.

This is the smallest shark that I have ever seen in my life. Even though I have been fishing I never had seen fish smaller than that. I would like to see this shark in real life. Also se a fish with those holes in another fish. This is a really weird shark but I think this is the most interesting thing that I have read. In the next few years I would like to study about this some more. Also I would like to seen a attack on a human.

Link:  Cookiecutter Shark 'Scooped' Out Swimmer's Flesh

Ancient Dog Skull Shows Early Pet Domestication

Eddie W. -- In the 1970’s, wolf fossils were found in the Atlay Mountains of Sibera, and it was recently looked up and was found out that it was one of the first pets. Usually, 14,000 year old dog fossils are the oldest ones scientists find but this one was older, close to 26,500 years old. Because there’s not a lot of history recorded about wolves, scientists don’t know how the genes of the wolves’ population changed to be dogs and when it actually happened. ’’ That's why our find is very important—we have a very lucky case,” ( Yaroslav Kuzmin). This quote shows that they needed to find out about that dog in order to get some info on when wolves’ genes population changed. Yaroslav Kuzmin and a group of scientists compared the fossils of the dog to other wolves’ bones and dog fossils about the same age as the other dog. They found out that the dog was similar to dogs in Greenland because it looked similar to one. ’’Animals that were more comfortable around humans underwent changes in their growth rates—probably regulated by hormones—that eventually changed their reproductive patterns, sizes, and shapes, turning them into dogs,’’ ( Susan Crawford). This quote is evidence that the wolf could have enjoyed being around people so much, that there hormones took control of how they looked and their inherited traits changed.


I think this is really interesting because this one of the first pets that people had. It is helpful to people because it involves some history of wolves and dogs. The Article used evidence from scientists and zooarchaeologists, and anthoropologists so I think this author, you could agree with. This article includes a photo that would call attention to readers. This article has a few historic details about fossils. It explains why and how things could have happened. When there was evidence the article said where it came from.


Link:  Ancient Dog Skull Shows Early Pet Domestication

Cancers Might Be Newly Evolved Species

Adrianna H. -- Cancerous tumors are parasitic organisms, according to a new paper in the journal Cell Cycle that argues cancers are newly evolving species. Each cancer is a novel species that, like other parasites, depends on its host for food but otherwise operates independently and often to the detriment of its host, according to project leader Peter Duesberg. Duesberg, a molecular and cell biology professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and his colleagues believe that carcinogenesis—the generation of cancer is just another form of speciation, the evolution of new species.


Cancer is comparable to a bacterial level of complexity, but still autonomous, that is, it doesnt depend on other cells for survival it doesn’t follow orders like other cells in the body, and it can grow where, when and how it likes, said Duesberg in a UC Berkeley press release. Thats what species are all about Once a cell has crossed that barrier of autonomy its a new species. The key to this new theory is that he and his team negate the widely held view that tumors begin when a handful of mutated genes send a cell into uncontrolled growth. Instead, they argue that carcinogenesis is initiated by a disruption of the chromosomes, which leads to duplicates, deletions, breaks and other chromosomal damage that alter the balance of tens of thousands of genes. The result is a cell with totally new traits that is, a new phenotype representing a unique species. 


The idea is already gaining support from other experts. Mark Vincent, a medical oncologist at the London Regional Cancer Program and University of Western Ontario, said, "I think Duesberg is correct by criticizing mutation theory, which sustains a billion-dollar drug industry focused on blocking these mutations. Yet very few cancers have been cured by targeted drug therapy and even if a drug helps a patient survive six or nine more months, cancer cells often find a way around it Revived" since evolutionary biologist Julian Huxley wrote in 1956 that Once the neoplastic process has crossed the threshold of autonomy the resultant tumor can be logically regarded as a new biologic species Other researchers since Huxley have proposed that cancer is more like a parasite than a disease.Because the disrupted chromosomes of newly evolved cancers are visible in a microscope, it may be possible to detect cancers earlier. Already, Pap smears rely on changes in the shapes of cervical cells as an indication of chromosomal problems that could lead to cervical cancer. Cancer should be beatable. As Vincent points out, cancers are likely operating right at the edge of survivability, maintaining genomic flexibility while retaining the ability to divide forever. Driving them to evolve even faster, he said, "might push them over the edge.

I think this discovery will help scientist to determine what to do about the cancer. A lot of people are getting cancer, so this is a start to finding a cure to prevent and get rid of it. Disrupted chromosomes of newly evolved cancers are visible now in microscopes. For so many years people have died from cancer because there were no cures and they might have found out to late they had cancer and then die. With these new studies coming out they may can prevent an see cancer.


Link:  Cancers Might Be Newly Evolved Species

One of the world’s ‘most feared’ pests found in Chicago

Kristin H. -- One of the worlds “most feared” pests was found in Chicago… the Khapra Beetle. It’s the “most feared” pest because of its ability to destroy grain. This species originated in South Asia but came to Northern Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and South Africa. In 1953 the first Khapra beetle was seen in California. It wasn’t till 1966 when they destroyed it at a cost of 15 million dollars! This year specialist has seen them 100 times compared to when they only saw them three to six times per year. Even though we have seen some of these beetles the beetles have not made it into our grain supply.

This is something that doesn’t personally affect me but can affect our country. I personality think beetles in general are gross and nasty and when they destroy our food that makes me dislike them even more. Plus with our economy the way it is we don’t need to spend that kind of money on trying to get rid of bugs. I liked how the author made the article short and clear so it was easy to get the point without reading a book. I also liked how it was descriptive; this makes the article more attracting.


Link:  One of the world's "most feared" pests found in Chicago

Human Pathogen Killing Corals in the Florida Keys

Annie T. -- Corals in the Florida Keys are being destroyed by humans disposal of sewage which causes white pox disease in the Caibbean elkhorn coral. This white pox takes fives days to appear definite evidence that humans are the source of this pathogen. Florida Keys is a popular tourist attraction, where humans spend money on water-related activities. By doing so, humans are polluting our water and destroying the ecosystem that the sea creatures live in. Diseases such as HIV or bird flu, have also made an impact on the decline in population of marin invertebrate. These diseases from humans are killing corals, but we can solve this problem with wastewater treatment. The University of Gerogia and The Collins College have funded 2.2 million dollars to help investigate the affect of white pox in the Florida Keys.

The beautiful reefs and colrals in Florida Keys are being harmed by humans. We are destroying something that is irriplaceable. I agree that we humans need to make an effort in keeping our enviroment clean. Not only do we need to create wastewater treatment facilities but we need to enforce the law of littering. We need to limit the the water-related activites, so we can keep our oceans uncontaminated. This article is a great way to spread awareness on the affect of how humans are polluting our earth. Not only is our activities on the water affecting the ocean, but also in the atmosphere. We need to be more aware of what we do that contributes to the polluting of our earth.

Link:  Human Pathogen Killing Corals in the Florida Keys

SONGBIRDS USE GRAMMAR IN TWEETS

Justin C. -- Birds prove to be much smarter then we thought. Japanese scientist’s discovery that songbirds use their own form of grammar. This study shows that humans man not be the only organism to use grammar in sentences. The birds used in this experiment were Bengalese finches which are very social birds that do a lot of vocalizing. Each male bird has a different unique song call. Scientists played jumbled up bird songs to different birds to see how they would react to it. All the birds reacted to certain ones and had no reaction at all to other ones. It also seems that the order of the syllables mattered to the birds which suggest that the birds use grammar.

This article just amazed me. It is an excellent example of how animals are not given enough credit for what their capable of. They are much smarter then most people think. But I do think that maybe the birds are not listening for grammar but for certain sounds and they only recognize those certain sounds. I think that the scientists should play different languages to the birds and see how they respond to each language, this could prove if their listening for grammar or just sounds.

Link:  Songbirds Use Grammar in Tweets

Linking Trees’ Fibonacci Sequence to Solar Power Wins Student A Young Naturalist Award

Antonio W. -- Recently, a thirteen-year-old named Aiden used the famous Fibonacci Sequence of adding the previous two digits together, which can go on forever(0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8). He noticed that Oak trees, using a very similar method in the angles of the branches, had enough sunlight to spare for each leaf. After testing the angles with a protractor, he made his first prototype out of PVC pipe branches and PV solar panel leaves. The tests were conducted during winter and compared to other, normal solar panels at the same time. The leaflet solar panel design was more efficient by about 50%, as there were not many shadows cast on the leaves below, and they didn't have to turn towards the sun. He wrote an essay called The Secret of Fibonacci Sequence in Trees, which officially won the Young Naturalist Award. Aiden is currently working on finding out if there are other trees that are more efficient, hoping that Mother Nature found a solution.

            This shows that inspiration truly can come from anything to anyone. It also proves, as previously stated, that Mother Nature usually has the best answer. For instance, Velcro was inspired by burrs sticking to clothing and dog's fur. The simplest things we see every day can help more and more as we progress technologically. What we take for granted has more thought to it than we may think. Even though, admittedly, what came out wasn't strictly thought up by anything in particular. As Human Beings grow as a society, we must remember our roots, or we will forget what path is a smart path.


Link:  Linking Trees' Fibonacci Sequence to Solar Power Wins Student a Young Naturalist Award

Boys Reach Sexual Maturity Younger and Younger: Phase Between Being Physically but Not Socially Adult Is Getting Longer

Dakota P. -- This article is about how the sexual and physical maturity of young males and how much earlier they were maturing since the mid 18th century. This also shows that since the mid 18th century boys have been maturing closer to the same rate as girls. However, they are still demoted to being a child until around 21 even though they are maturity wise ready for anything that can be thrown at them. Though because society says “no” then they must wait for them to be of any legal age no matter what their maturity level maybe.

Taking this as a male myself I found this article to be very uplifting. I also found it as ammunition in a way because if a girl ever says to me that she is more mature than me I can say that since the mid 18th century we have been maturing at the same rate so what now. I also find this ironic because lately I have been hearing a lot of people saying that because of maturity levels girls are better than boys and just to prove them wrong I decided to write my review on this article to prove the people wrong.

Link:  Boys Reach Sexual Maturity Younger and Younger

Cuba-Florida swimmer “fails” at “only” 50 miles!

Zane R. -- ‘Ultra’ Athletes are becoming much more common as of recent years. The definition of an ultra-endurance event is any run longer than a marathon or a cycling over 100 miles. While there is no set mark for swimming, but any swim threw oceans or the like tends to be where people draw the line. The most common (and probably most difficult to answer) question is “why”? People are drawn to these intense sports because of how difficult they are. They want a chance to prove themselves to themselves and others, and to text the limits of there physical and mental endurance. Also, its easier for older people to preform these feats, when their past the point in their lives where they would be fast enough to compete in shorter races, but have lived long enough to have a strong will and a great endurance. It becomes more a point of finishing than finishing first. However, scientists are worried about the effects of such intense exercise:

“Ultra-endurance sports can hurt. Bikers can suffer neck seizures and genital numbness, or crash. Runners injure feet, joints and soft tissue. And there is some evidence linking regular, long-term exertion with atrial fibrillation, a sometimes permanent heart-rhythm abnormality. “Endurance sport practice increases between 2 and 10 times the probability of suffering atrial fibrillation, after adjusting for other risk factors,””

Also, there seems to be some correlation between increased exercise and shortened lifespan, simply because the body wheres out faster. On the other hand, exercise has shown in many cases a great deal of benefits both physical and mental. The cerebellum deteriorates as people get older, and exercise can help rebuild in. In fact, as little as 1 hour a day has been seen to counteract as much as 20 years of aging in the cerebellum.

This article presents information about astounding feats of physical endurance among humans as well as a great deal of interesting and helpful facts. Such as the effect of exercise on the cerebellum or the fact that humans are the most efficient endurance runners on the planet. It describes a new trend occurring in recent years that tends toward the extreme and the most common/ likely psychological motivation behind it. And it presents it all in a well organized and easily understandable way. The article tends on the long side. Seen with the summery above being significantly over the 7 line minimum and not even discussing every major point of the article. However it makes up for it with a body of information that catches the attention, and had I come across it I would have read it even without the need to review it. All in all an effective article over an interesting topic.

Link:  Cuba - Florida swimmer "fails" at "only" 50 miles!