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Pollution Creates Big, Warm Thunderclouds

A new study suggests that pollution is warming up the atmosphere through summer clouds. The atmosphere is warming up because pollution particles in the air strengthen thunderstorm clouds by making the clouds anvil shaped tops, spread out higher in the atmosphere. This captures more heat, especially at night. These large amounts of heat trapped in the clouds can potentially impact regional circulation and modify weather systems. Other studies show that non windy day’s pollution produce bigger clouds. This is because the water in the air is spread between more particles leading to smaller rain droplets that are too small to rain. Than the small particles ride up updrafts to a higher elevation and then freeze. These frozen particles then absorb more water vapor making the clouds bigger and allowing them to live longer. In other studies the thunderstorms that are produced in polluted air led to stronger storms with larger anvils than thunderstorms in non polluted area.

In my opinion I believe that these larger thunderstorms can become a serious problem in speeding up global warming. But I also believe that this will not occur for a very long time. Also, I think we should pollute the air less so that this will never be a problem.

To read this article:  http://www.livescience.com/20445-pollution-creates-big-warm-thunderclouds.html

Bellevue, WA planetary Resources are in the process of creating space ships that can mine asteroids. These space ships would mine for precious metals, minerals, and water. The first space ship would be called Arkyd 100 series. There job is to track and photograph asteroids as they fly past Earth. It would also photograph Earth to help scientist learn more about our planet. After the kinks are worked out than the Arkyd 200 series space ships would be sent out. This ship compared to the first has better equipment, tracking devices and will be able to orbit Earth at higher altitudes. It will also have prolusion system to allow movement around asteroids. Next to be sent up into space would be the Arkyed 300 series. These ships determine if an asteroid is worth to mine and than it would go and mine that asteroid. But the mining process is still in development, since they don’t know how to achieve it yet in the zero gravity environments. This final step in this process to collect resources will have to wait at least ten years. But once the wait is over, we’ll be getting resources that can be used for our needs. For example a ninth eight foot asteroid has about fifty billion dollars of platinum inside. Than these resources can be sold and used to create new products.

My opinion about mining asteroids for resources is that it is a good and bad idea. It’s good because if the planet gets overcrowded and resources are diminished. Than we can replace them from ones from space. But it’s a bad idea because the prices of precious metals will drop because there will be more of that product. Reducing the prices of a lot of other products. That’s why I think this is a good and bad idea to mine asteroids.

To read this article click here:
http://www.dogonews.com/2012/4/27/planetary-resources-plans-to-extract-precious-metals-and-minerals-from-asteroids

Medical school exam will test more than science

To sum up the article the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) will be changing to give a broader knowledge of psychology, sociology, and the social components of health. This change will occur in 2015 and is the first change to the test since 1991. The new test is aiming to help medical students with the rapidly changing health care system. The test will also help doctors address a new and diverse population.  The new section of the test will help future doctors.

My opinion about this article is that I think they should change the MCATs. This is because I think doctors should learn more about their patience so that they can better help them. Also, with the rapidly changing health care we need doctors ready to handle these new changes. That is why I think they should change the MCATs.

Medical school exam will test more than science

Labs For Physical And Chemical Properties And Their Changes

Observing a Candle

For the lab observing a candle we used candles to learn about how to distinguish physical and chemical properties. Before we lit a birthday candle we found all of its physical properties. These properties were that it was a solid, pink, and that the candle had small slits on the side. But the unlit birthday candle did not have any chemical properties. After we lit the candle the properties changed, which aloud the class to learn about physical and chemical change. The only physical change to the lit candle was it started to melt. Now the chemical changes were that the birthday candle was lit. This lab helped us understand about physical and chemical properties and their changes.

Pouring a Gas

                In the lab pouring a gas we created carbon dioxide by mixing vinegar and baking soda. Than we poured the gas over a lit candle and the candle went out. This was because carbon dioxide does not support fires. This lab helped us understand about gases. Also it taught us about physical and chemical changes.

Marshmallow Fun

In the lab marshmallow fun we learned about physical and chemical properties and about their changes.  First we had to describe the two marshmallows we were given. The first marshmallow was a solid. It was also small, fluffy, white, and squishy. The second marshmallow shared all the same qualities except it was larger than the first. Than the class had to rip the first marshmallow in half to observe a physical change that occurred. Than we had to eat the two half’s and describe how they tasted. They were so yummy and good, also very sweet. Next we lit the Bunsen burner and charred our second marshmallow. To char it we needed to set it afire and that was amazing. There was a giant fire ball for a few seconds, before I had to blow it out. Than we had to eat the hardened outside of the marshmallow, it was disgusting. All crunch and burnt. It didn’t even taste like a normal marshmallow. Than finally were we aloud to eat the good part of the marshmallow after we finished the lab. The good part is the melted, gooey insides of a burned marshmallow. This lab helped teach us about physical and chemical properties and about their changes.

Observing Changes in Matter

                In this lab we learned about physical and chemical properties and about their changes. To learn about physical properties we examined a sugar cube. It was small, cubed, white, sweat, sugary, hard, smooth, rough and it was a solid. First we had to crush a sugar cubed. We examined a physical change when it was all over. Than we pored the sugar crushed sugar into water and instantly it dissolved to create sugar water. The water tasted horrible. The sweat sugar taste was gone. It is like if u ever had bread and then it got soggy. The soggy bread just does not taste right, to wet. It is the same thing for the sugar. Next, we put two sugar cubes into a test tube and held that over a lit Bunsen burner. In minutes the sugar cubes started to melt and then bubble. This melted sugar now started to burn and there were brown and yellow patches in the white snow looking material that was melted sugar. Than it completely turned brown and it started to smoke. But we had to keep it over the fire till there was yellow smoke and once that happened the sugar was gone. In its place was carbon. Carbon is pitch black and fragile, but yet still rough. This lab helped teach us about physical and chemical properties and about their changes.

Test Tube Being Heated Over a Bunsen Burner

The procedure for the Separating Mixtures lab

1.     Pour out the water, from the mixture into the beaker. The water should be your first item.

2.     Take out the items still left in the cup. There should be some beans, glass oval, and toothpicks. These should be your next three items.

3.     Separate the sand and the iron filings by passing the magnet over the mixture. These are your next two items.

4.     Than turn on the burner and put just the water on it. The water should be still in the beaker.

5.     After the water evaporates, there should only be salt left. This is your last item.

6.     Lastly clean up.

The seven items you have collected should be:

·      1 glass oval

·      2 toothpicks

·      Some beans

·      Water

·      Sand

·      Iron filings 
·      Salt

Frog Dissection

          In science class this week we dissected frogs. The frog dissection was a fun way to learn what the inside of a body looks like. While inside the body we than had to find many types of organs. For the dissection I was able to cut the frog, which I didn’t find discussing. Unlike most people. The smell though was horridness. It smelled like something died in the class room and been there for weeks. Which is kind of true. If I was able to do this dissection again I would only change one thing. That change would be for my teacher to spray air freshener everywhere. I personally can’t wait to dissect more things in science class.