Biochemist interview podcast

Biochemist Podcast (Patriots Fan)

Class response

Recently in class we have started a lab where we have to shoot a cork out of a test tube and hit the window 3 times in a row. To do this we must put vinegar and baking-soda in the test tube and cork it. As the pressure builds up the CO2 expands, it will grow too great and shoot the cork out the end. To hit the wall you have to aim the test tube correctly and have enough pressure to shoot the cork as far as the window is. We are doing this lab so that we can learn about chemical reactions between different chemicals and chemical change, which is when an objects chemical properties or chemical makeup change such as when you burn wood and the ash is left. We are also learning about physical change, which is when an objects physical properties change but no new chemicals are formed, such as when you boil water its still there but in a different phase and no new chemicals have formed. It is still H2O. I think that this is helpful because it helps us learn about chemical reactions and it will be a gateway to new aspects of science and will help us in the future in science class and when people build future vehicles. Two pieces of other information relating to this topic are other experiments relating to baking soda and vinegar: on the Arm and Hammer website their is a project where you put baking soda in one tube and vinegar and dishwasher soap in the other and mix the tubes and the ball rides to the top of the one tube. Another experiment is where you take a film canister and put the inside cap on the ground and fill tightly with baking soda. Than put vinegar in the main part of the film canister. Finally put the main part on tight and step back and you'll have a film canister rocket.

TV Show EXTRA CREDIT

 Two days ago I was watching Myth-busters, and I noticed something interesting that I saw. When they shot the hot water heater they said their estimates of the hight and speed of the rocket. The rocket went about 500-ft. and when it came down the whole bottom was shot off like the cork shooting out of a test tube lab, except the cork stays behind (the bottom of the water heater is the cork the rest is the test tube). Also the chemical reaction was just the expanding of pressure instead of the CO2 pressure created by mixing baking soda and vinegar. They tested the this in California. I think this is good because this could be a real danger if you plug up all the pressure release valves on your water heater or they fail. also it proved that the heater could go through two-stories plus a roof so if this hit you bye bye. You get a free ride about 500-ft up but you probably will not make it. In conclusion many people can use this advice to help make safer water heaters that just burst lightly outward so that only the water is released and not shooting the heater upward.

MEGA SHIPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See that small ship next to the super tanker? That is a big sized oil carrier right now. The big one is a projected gas mining ship. That ship weighs 600,000 metric tons and is 480 meters long that's about 1575ft to picture this its about 5 and a quarter football fields long as in 0-0 line 5.25 of those. Imagine the Burj Dubai it is 818meters 2 of the super tankers equal the Burj Dubai. Shell is doing this to capture a chunk of the rapidly expanding market of gas. They are deciding where to make the ships but Shell probability will be a major investor. They are currently working on the plans to make the ship when they have enough sponsors. These ships will be made to reach stranded oil deposits where it is hard to build a stationary rig and where big storms occur so the ship won't have to leave. Lastly these ships won't become obsolete when the deposits dry up they can move to more deposits.
My opinion is that these ships aren't just the solution they make new problems such as will they fit in the Panama canal by width and draft dept and the same for the Suez? Also will they fit in the English Channel? Otherwise these seem to help increase supply. Also their is no invincible ship they can be attacked by pirates or by a super typhoon which destroys the cranes or the underwater rig with a super wave. These will help but they should use solar and wind on it to offset the cost and carbon footprint. I think there should be a ship one mile area and have a farm on it and use the farm to feed people and use filtered water for the people/ plants their needs. This would help the world more than some Super Rig/Boat it would feed people not power cars.

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2009-10/shells-megaships-will-dwarf-everything-high-seas

"LED LIghts"

Today we see LEDs in lots of products. John Rogers of the University of Illinois is working on a stronger bender LED for use in more places such as cars and buildings making them lighter and stronger. They are currently working on this for the Ford Motor Company as a third brake light. This will improve the strength of the LED's and lengthen their life. I think this is a good concept because it helps LED's become a more valuable light source for us to use for light this will help the economy and make better achievements in science and also will be important to the future. Plus with that advancement more scientific achievemants will help our world, and make it easier to go farther into space and advance other fields and make the world a better place. howstuffworks.com http://www.livescience.com/technology/090820-big-led-displays.html

patriots

They won the season opener!! 25 pats 24 bills

Plasticity Lab Report Conclution

Conclusion

            If cornstarch is mixed with water than it will form a polymer with the property of plasticity. The data my group collected showed that this is true because when we balled the mixture up it because a solid like blob, but when we opened our hands the mixture flowed out like a liquid and that is what plasticity is. The results were that it worked and our observations were that it was runny when we tilted our hands sideways and that when we poked it the mixture became a solid like semi hard jell-o. I think this occurred because this mix is a suspension where if it is under pressure the atoms bunch up and make the mix a solid, when released the atoms settle down and then they flow like a liquid. I think the experiment was very reliable because the only outside variables that could have effected the experiment were that the water could have had chlorine or fluoride that changed the consistory of the mix and changed the way the experiment turned out. Also we could have put into the mix too much/too little water or cornstarch which made the mix more hard or runny, the temperature could have changed the experiment. The experiment was controlled because there were only two ingredients in the mix water and cornstarch. Also the fact that the cornstarch was still unopened until we used it gave us some control over what was in the cornstarch. I learned about the properties of plasticity and what it does to Non-Newtonian fluids. Also this tells me about the way suspension fluids work. This relates to the world in the fact that the mantle has the property of plasticity.

Movie

A few days ago we watched the movie October Sky which is about a boy who launches rockets. This movie relates to rockets in science because in science they launch rockets to the moon and to launch satellites also they use rockets to take data from space and other planets. Also the movie talked about the rocket Sputnik which was the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth, which was made by the U.S.S.R. which was a world power in the Cold War who launched the first space headed rockets in the world. The movie also talks about a type of math called calculus. Which they used to prove that their rocket did not start the fire that burned a forest to the ground by using a special formula. This also talks about character traits because they cooperate to find the rocket and to make the rocket fuel non-bubble filled. It also tells about self control because the guys don't scream or fight when the rocket burns the forest they give up than try to prove it wrong. They also respect the mining industry and the main persons dad and don't make fun of it or vandalise the place because they get yelled at.

This is a link to my friends blog.

I am responding the blog my friend wrote on Cri-du-chat syndrome it is really sad becauses it makes people dependent on others and they can't function in society and that it is like autism only much worse and it is in 1:20,000 newborns it is slightly more common in female than males. To me this is so sad that there is no treatment and the fact that it affects so many people. To me this is one of the worst illnesses in the world. Also because scientist don't understand it they can't cure it or prevent it so it makes it all the sadder. Plus you think that the kids get this without their knowing. To me even if we go to pluto with a person. It won't be a great an accomplishment as finding a cure for this disease.

Patau's Syndrome

Today I researched a disease called Patau syndrome or Tristan 13 because the children born with this disease have an extra copy of of their parents chromosome. This disease was discovered in 1657 by Eramus Bartholan but it was ascertained by Dr. Klaus Patau in 1960. Some of the symptoms of this disease are a cleft lip, missing an eye, under developed brain (not formed into hemispheres.), lung problems and heart problems mental disorders and extra fingers or toes. There is no cure for this disease but doctors can fix the extra fingers or lung or heart problems but not the brain so they will never be fully cured. Most babies with this disease 82% die during the first month and 5-10% die in the first year most die before adulthood only one man made it to 33yrs old. This disease infects 1:16,000 people. babies are most vulnerable to this disease because you get it when you are born. The cells of the person are deformed because they have an extra copy of of the chromosome. there is no way to prevent this disease. They need to know how to cure the brain of this disease. i think this is really sad because it is almost a one way ticket to death and no cure or way to prevent it makes it sad for the kids who have it and their family's. Plus they didn't ask for the disease and they got it.

Science blog 8

Today in science class we learned about the parts of the cell. Ms. A. told us what each part of the cell do. We learned that the lysosome in your cells are the digestive an defence systems of the cell. That the Golgi complex transports proteins from the soft endoplasmic reticulum to outside the cell. Animal cells don't have a cell wall only a cell membrane. I learned from a science website that ATP stands for adenosine triphosphate. Also that the nucleolus is where ribosomes RNA is produced.


Cite:

Social studies blog

France plans to help Italy build several new nuclear power plants near Rome to revive nuclear power in Italy. The French company EDF and its counter part in Italy ENEL have made a deal to give plans to Italy to speed up its nuclear power plants construction. They will be completed by 2020. Italy's nuclear power came to a close when the Chernobyl disaster happened. France will give them 8-10 European Pressurised Reactors (EPR) to power the 3rd generation power plants. I think this is good because it will release Italy's dependence on foreign oil and natural gas. It also will show the world that nuclear power is safe and that it should be used all over the world.

My Roller Coaster Website

Whril Pool 

science class

The newest project is a roller coaster project. This uses newtons first and second laws of motion, by having a hill for the all to pick up speed by gravity to go over the hills. Next we have a bulls' eye for the Ball to hit to stop it at the end of the ride. Also we used the cardboard tubes and plastic to cover the tape to reduce the friction. I think this is a fun way to have a project and more fun than just learning facts and taking notes. This helps us by giving a fun way to learn Newton's laws. Also I have researched that there are 1. Many variations of this project 2. That they all teach laws of motion but some teach Kinetic Energy and Potential Energy


Cite:
http://http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/Phys_p037.shtml

Fire in Nuclear Power Plant

The Nuclear Power station in Ocean County (Lacey Twp.) , called Oyster Creek had a fire from an electrical transformer over the weekend, the fire poses no threat to people near the plant.
This plant has run for 39 years 339days. Environmentalist say this is proof the plant should be retired from operating. Tomorrow the Nuclear Regulatory Committee is supposed to vote on its licence renewal, its previous one ends on April 9, 2009. The plant is also in question about the steel lining which protects from the radiation of the reactor. Some say that the plant's lining is corroded and will no longer provide adequate protection from the radiation.(NRC says it will last at least until 2012 if they pass the license.)
To me this means that Nuclear power is doing its best and people are still criticizing it for a uncontrolled fire and that its the oldest commercial power plant still in operation. This means is also the opposite of what environmentalist's say normally because they push for alternate energy sources than get angry for trying to use them. The power plant should have a renewed license and not loose its license because of the fire.

Cite: picture and article from;
http://http//www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/02/oyster_creek_nuclear_plant_rem.html#post

Flying Car

New how would you like to own a flying car yes a. Well if you can afford to spend 194 grand on a plane than yes you can own one when the production starts in 2010. A group of MIT students has started the company in 2004. The group is based in Boston. They plan to start test flights this year. This new company's name is Transitions to make the transition from car to car-plane. Thehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gify are doing this because they want to make affordable flying cars for people to own without having them being custom made and in the millions of $$ range. They can do this because the Federal Aviation Association has loosened its restrictions on pilots licenses so nearly anyone can fly these planes.


Citation


http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2009/01/22/flying-car.html

Obama is President

Obama's inauguration is important because he is the first African American President of the United States of America. This is important because no African American has ever made it to try to be elected, but Obama did that and he won. He also has given a speech to tell what he plans to do as president so we can know about it.

The first article is about the inauguration and what happened during it. It talks about the times all of the events that are happening will happen, and the events that will take place such as the ten balls that Obama is going to, the time he was supposed to be sworn in and the time the speeches will take place, and the time people will be aloud to enter the Washington mall and the time they can enter the parade routes. The quote is "They include the Neighbourhood Ball, the Obama Home States (Illinois and Hawaii) Ball, the Biden Home States (Pennsylvania and Delaware) Ball and the Youth Ball."

A summary of this second article is about what happened at the inauguration such as the speech he said and the things that happen not just the things that were predicted. Also they talked about how the speech was important and what it consisted of. They also talked about the people who came to watch the inauguration in the national mall. The quote is "A man whose father, less than 60 years ago, might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath." I think this quote means that our country has come from segregation to the same race of people becoming president.

In my opinion this is important because this is a true fulfilment of the American promise for equality and freedom for anyone to be elected to the highest office in the country. Also that the country can change for the better with this.

First article

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/obama_inauguration/7838095.stm

Quote:

President Barack Obama

Second article and quote:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/20/obama.inauguration/index.html

Golf Danger

BANG! a noise not commanly used when refering to golf until now. New studies show golf is harmful for your ears, Yes the relaxing sport and fun passtime is dangerous. The new types of drivers (a special type of club.) made of titanium are skinier and they create a high deccibal noise that is harmful to ears. A golfer used a King Cobra LD titanium club for several months. Than found after he played his ears hurt he quickily ditched the club and went to a doctor who said he has his hearing damaged by the "sonic boom" made by the club hitting the ball. And this is all happening now in Britian and America. The reason for this is titanium drivers hit the ball farther than steel clubs. This can happen because people want the best so they get it regardless of the side effects. In my oppinion this is bad and this is sad that this can hapen to such a good sport to go bad.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7811143.stm#top

Golf Danger