(～ o ～)~zZ A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes through the sun ande the earth. And on July 22, there was a longest solar eclipse of this century.It was the total eclipse , where the moon completetly blocked the sun as opposed to just part of it.
The eclipse lasted six minutes and 39 seconds, and residents on islands near Kyushu and Iwo Jima, southeast of Japan , got to view it in totality- with total darkness enveloping these areas.
However, Southeast Asian cities like Singapore , which because of it location in relation to the Moon's path, only experienced partial darkness.
i also find what is Lunar eclipse .As Earth orbits the Sun, it sometimes comes between the Sun and the Moon. When this happens the Earth blocks out some of the sunlight that would normally reach the Moon and creates a shadow which travels across the Moon's surface. This is called a lunar eclipse.



























3sincerity jiAn mEnG....20 O(∩_∩)O  ¶ 8:13 PM 0 Comments

  OUR FART The word "fart" comes an old English word "feortan". The fart gas in our intestines comes from air we swallow, gas seeping into our intestines from our blood, gas produced by chemical reactions in our guts, and gas produced by bacteria living in our guts.

Most of the air we swallow, especially the oxygen component, is absorbed by the body before the gas gets into the intestines. By the time the air reaches the large intestine, most of what is left is nitrogen. Chemical reactions between stomach acid and intestinal fluids may produce carbon dioxide, which is also a component of air and a product of bacterial action. Bacteria also produce hydrogen and methane. But the relative proportions of these gases that emerge from our anal opening depend on several factors: what we ate, how much air we swallowed, what kinds of bacteria we have in our intestines, and how long we hold in the fart. The longer a fart is held in, the larger the proportion of boring, inert nitrogen it contains, because the other gases tend to be absorbed into the bloodstream through the walls of the intestine.

The odor of farts comes from small amounts of hydrogen sulfide gas and skatole in the mixture. These compounds contain sulfur, which makes your fart stink. Foods such as cauliflower, eggs and meat are notorious for producing smelly farts, whereas beans, chich contain sugars that human cannot digest, produce large amounts of not particularly stinky farts. The sounds are produced by vibrations of the anal opening, depending on the velocity of expulsion of the gas and the tightness of the sphincter muscles of the anus. On average, a person produces about half a liter of fart gas per day, distributed over an average of about fourteen daily farts.

One may wonder why fart gas travels downward toward the anus when gas has a lower density than liquids and solids, and should therefore travel upwards. The intestine squeezes its contents toward the anus by peristalsis. The process is stimulated by eating, which is why we often need to poop and fart right after a meal. Peristalsis creates a zone of high pressure, forcing all intestinal contents, gas included, to move towards a region of lower pressure, which is toward the anus. Gas is more mobile than other components, and small bubbles coalesce to from larger bubbles en route to the exit. When peristalsis is not active, gas bubbles may begin to percolate upwards again, but they won't get very far due to the complicated and convoluted shape of the intestine. Furthermore, the anus is neither up nor down when a person is lying down.

Some believe that men fart more than women, which is not true. Women fart just as much as men, just that most men take more pride in it than most women. If men fart more often than women, then women must be saving it up and expelling more gas per fart than men do. A gentleman is mostly likely to fart first thing in the morning, while in the bathroom. This is known as "morning thunder," and if the gentleman gets good resonance, it can be heard throughout the household.

When a fart is held in, it doesn't get lost. It simply migrates back upward into the intestine and comes out later. A captive fart can escape as soon as the person relaxes. This means that a lot of people who assiduously refrain from farting during the day do so at great length as soon as they fall asleep, so you can refrain from farting as long as you can stay awake!

A carnivore's protein-rich diet produces relatively small amounts of intensely stinky gas because proteins contain lots of sulfur. A dog's or cat's farts are rarely audible, but the odor is overwhelming.On the other hand, large herbivorous animals such as cows, horses and elephants, produce vast quantities of relatively non-stinky fart gas which are noisy and can go on for astoundingly long periods of time. Some animals like sponges and cnidaria don't fart because they lack intestines and organs.

Believe it or not, the animal that has the highest worldwide output of flatulence is the humble termite. Because of their diet and digestive processes, they produce as much methane as human industry. Termite farts are believed to be a major contributor towards global warming.

The burning sensation that sometimes accompanies a fart is generally caused by a recent meal of hot peppers or related spices. The oils associated with these foods remain intact and active all the way through one's gastrointestinal system.

If you fart in the bathtub, as long as what comes out is only fart and no poop, your bath water should not be significantly polluted. Most of the gas just bubbles up and contaminates the air rather than the water.

Many people laugh when they hear a fart, simply because it sounds funny and it comes out from the anus. However this is just a reminder that it's human's (and non-human's) nature to fart, so ladies, fart when you need to! Otherwise you'd just be holding it in and collecting more fart gas for later expulsion, which might be louder. Thank god our farts are colorless. And now that you know global warming is partly caused by a termite's active farting, do your job to keep the termites away. Also, since fart gas comes from the air we swallow, practice some table manners and close your mouth when eating! Don't talk with your mouth full.

-http://www.fart-sounds.net/facts_on_farts.htm

Jiayun (22)
3hum  ¶ 5:35 PM 0 Comments

  Shervin's.   ¶ 4:29 PM 0 Comments

  Can a person be scared to death? Article:
A Charlotte, N.C., man was charged with first-degree murder of a 79-year-old woman whom police said he scared to death. In an attempt to elude cops after a botched bank robbery, the Associated Press reports that 20-year-old Larry Whitfield broke into and hid out in the home of Mary Parnell. Police say he didn't touch Parnell but that she died after suffering a heart attack that was triggered by terror. Can the fugitive be held responsible for the woman's death? Prosecutors said that he can under the state's so-called felony murder rule, which allows someone to be charged with murder if he or she causes another person's death while committing or fleeing from a felony crime such as robbery—even if it's unintentional.

But, medically speaking, can someone actually be frightened to death? We asked Martin A. Samuels, chairman of the neurology department at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.


Is it possible to literally be scared to death?
Absolutely, no question about it.

Really? How does that happen?
The body has a natural protective mechanism called the fight-or-flight response, which was originally described by Walter Cannon [chairman of Harvard University's physiology department from 1906 to 1942]. If, in the wild, an animal is faced with a life-threatening situation, the autonomic (involuntary) nervous system responds by increasing heart rate, increasing blood flow to the muscles, dilating the pupils, and slowing digestion, among other things. All of this increases the chances of succeeding in a fight or running away from, say, an aggressive jaguar. This process certainly would be of help to primitive humans, but the problem, of course, is that in the modern world there is very limited advantage of the fight-or-flight response. There is a downside to revving up your nervous system like this.

How can the fight-or-flight response lead to death?
The autonomic nervous system uses the hormone adrenaline, a neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, to send signals to various parts of the body to activate the fight-or-flight response. This chemical is toxic in large amounts; it damages the visceral (internal) organs such as the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys. It is believed that almost all sudden deaths are caused by damage to the heart. There is almost no other organ that would fail so fast as to cause sudden death. Kidney failure, liver failure, those things don't kill you suddenly.

What exactly happens in the heart when it's flooded with too much adrenaline?
Adrenaline from the nervous system lands on receptors of cardiac myocytes (heart-muscle cells), and this causes calcium channels in the membranes of those cells to open. Calcium ions rush into the heart cells and this causes the heart muscle to contract. If it's a massive overwhelming storm of adrenaline, calcium keeps pouring into the cells and the muscle just can't relax.

There is this specially adapted system of muscle and nerve tissue in the heart—the sinoatrial (SA) node, the atrioventricular node, and the Purkinje fibers—which sets the rhythm of the heart. If this system is overwhelmed with adrenaline, the heart can go into abnormal rhythms that are not compatible with life. If one of those is triggered, you will drop dead.

What is an example of one of these deadly heart rhythms?
In most cases, it's probably ventricular fibrillation that causes these sudden deaths from fear. Ventricular fibrillation basically causes the ventricles (lower chambers of the heart) to vibrate in a way that hampers their ability to deliver blood to the body.

What other emotional states besides fear could lead to these fatal heart rhythms?
Any strong positive or negative emotions such as happiness or sadness. There are people who have died in intercourse or in religious passion. There was a case of a golfer who hit a hole in one, turned to his partner and said, "I can die now"—and then he dropped dead. A study in Germany found an increase of sudden cardiac deaths on the days that the German soccer team was playing in the World Cup. For about seven days after the 9/11 terrorists attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon there was an increase of sudden cardiac death among New Yorkers.

Who is most likely to suffer from sudden death?
A predisposition to heart disease would probably increase your risk of sudden death, but it happens at all ages and can happen to otherwise healthy people.

Source: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=scared-to-death-heart-attack





Summary:
Yes, a person can definitely be scared to death. And in fact, an old women was scared to death by a fugitive who was on the run. The process of the body reacting to the surroundings when it is faced with a life-threatening situation is called the fight or flight response. Its happens when the nervous system responds to the surroundings with an increasing heart rate, increasing blood flow to the muscles, dilating the pupils and slowing digestion. All these responses by the body increase the chance of succeeding in fight or running away from dangers. Nervous system will use hormone adrenaline to send signals to the body to activate the fight or flight response. Worst come to worst, when the heart is flooded with too much adrenaline, it will cause calcium channels in the membrane to open, calcium will pour into the cells and muscles could not relax. Thus the heart will beat abnormally and you will die if any of the nerve tissues in the heart which are used to set rhythms of the heart are being triggered. A sudden death could hapen to any person no matter old or young.


Reflection:
After reading the article, all I could say is that human’s life is indeed vulnerable. Each and every organ of ours is delicately made by God. A little destruction to any of them could probably cause you your life. I was indeed shocked at how a person could die just because of a little scare. The human body is like a machine which works non-stop. It could produce many cells in just a single second or even a nanosecond. And our brain acts like the control centre of the human body. It commands and sends signals to all parts of the body for us to react to stimuli and more. After reading, I had a deeper understanding of the human body and how delicate they can be. At the same time, how easily they could be harmed. Sometimes I really thought about how ignorant I am about the body I had been living in for about a decade. How can I be ignorant to all of this information? So I guess I have to learn more about my body so that we could educate the next generation about how wonderful and amazing our body is! :)


Dione Cheok (11)
3 Humility  ¶ 1:02 PM 0 Comments

  Why Does money have value?
  ¶ 11:06 AM 0 Comments

  Lower IQs in kids Research have suggested that polluted air can cause a 5 point drop in a young child's IQ.

It all starts as early as in the mother's womb. Children heavily exposed to combustion pollutants in the womb have an IQ of 4.5 points lower than average children by kindergarten age.

A study was conducted. 400 soon-to-be moms were recruited from the cities of New York. They were then given a backpack with a PAH (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon) sampler to wear for 2 days during the last trimester of pregnancy.

The children that were born after that showed a PAH-linked decline in mental development by the age of 3.

At age 5, only those who primarily spoke English were shortlisted for IQ tests. The effect of PAHs on IQ was very significant even after accounting for other factors which may affect IQ.

The moms range of exposure to PAH varied from 0.5 to 34.5 ng/m3. Anything above the mean value of 2.26ng/m3 was considered high. Kids whose moms were in this group were compared with kids in the less exposed group.

It was discovered that kids in the more exposed group had IQs of 4.3 points lower than the other group. Also, most of the kids' mean verbal IQ was 4.67 points lower. When the kids were all compared individually, there was no evidence that PAH had no effect on IQ.

Bruce Lanphear, a pediatric epidemiologist at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, Canada states, "For any individual child, unless it’s your own, you might consider a 5-point drop in IQ as no big deal. But extrapolate that across a population the size of the United States, and a downward shift in IQ by 5 points will increase by 3.5 million the number of children who meet the criteria for mental retardation. It also increases the number of children needing more, costlier help in school."

After reading this article, I feel that we should all the more stop polluting the Earth. Pollution not only dirties the environment. In this case, it even causes lower IQ in kids. We should learn to protect the Earth more. It is afterall our home.

Crystal Boey (4)
3 Unity

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/45849/title/Traffic_hydrocarbons_linked_to_lower_IQs_in_kids  ¶ 9:52 PM 0 Comments

  Human Decay The various stages of decomposition can help determine how long a body has been dead.

The first stage is self digestion, also known as autolysis. This happens when the cells break down the body into elements the cells can eat; this creates a liquid that gets between the layers of skin and makes the skin peel off. During this stage, flies (when present) start to lay eggs in the openings of the body: eyes, nostrils, mouth, ears, open wounds, and other orifices. Hatched larvae (maggots) of blowflies subsequently get under the skin and start to eat the body.

The second stage of decomposition is bloating; bacteria in the gut begin to break down the tissues of the body, releasing gas that accumulates in the intestines, which becomes trapped due to the early collapse of the small intestine. This bloating occurs largely in the abdomen, and sometimes in the mouth and genitals. The tongue may swell. This usually happens in about the second week of decomposition. Gas accumulation and bloating will continue until the body is decomposed sufficiently for the gas to escape.

The third stage is putrefaction. It is the last and longest stage. Putrefaction is where the larger structures of the body break down, and tissues liquefy. The digestive organs, the brain, and lungs are the first to disintegrate. Under normal conditions, the organs are unidentifiable after three weeks. The muscles can be eaten by bacteria or devoured by carnivorous animals. Eventually, sometimes after several years, all that remains is the skeleton.

Corpses buried in coffins are embalmed. Embalming fluid is pumped into the body via an artery (commonly carotid, or femoral). This rehydrates the tissues and severely reduces the pace of decomposition. Embalming is used to preserve the corpse temporarily, but may last for years. The corpse is then ready to go into the coffin. The embalmers then lower the corpse into the coffin, and then lower the coffin into the grave. The body will then be preserved for a long time.

After reading this article, I learnt that there are three stages of human decay and it is a rather slow process. I thought decay was a simple process. In fact, it is not true. The body cells break into smaller parts and organs are slowly decomposed, cells multiplying constantly. And, embalming chemicals are a variety of preservatives, sanitizers, disinfectant agents and additives used in modern embalming to temporarily delay decomposition and restore a natural appearance for viewing a body after death.

Valerie Hoe (13) 3 Humility  ¶ 8:33 PM 0 Comments

  does crying solve anything? Women cry more than man. That is a fact which nobody can change. According to a research done by bio-chemist William Frey in the US, girls and boys cry about the same amount of times until the age of 12. By age 18, women cry on average 4 times more than men.

Blame it on social conditioning. When women cry to express their emotions, nobody will blink an eyelid. But when a man cries, that’s when eyes pop out. They are culturally pressured to control their feelings.

Hormones play another part, in particular, the hormone prolactin which is connected to the production of tears as well as breast milk. Boys and girls have the same level of this until they are 12. The amount in girls then rises so that when they are 18, they have 60% more prolactin than boys.

Tears in men and women are also anatomically different. According to Dr Frey’s research, when men cry, 73% of the time tears don’t fall down their cheeks. But when women cry, it’s like a tap that has been turned on and tears form rivulets down their face.

Crying also relieves stress. When we shed “emotional” tears, they excrete toxins that have been built up inside us due to stress. The act of crying also reduces the body’s level of manganese, a mineral which affects mood.

However, some researchers says that it is not so much crying that makes us feel better but the effect it has on people around us. They will typically respond with sympathy and support and it is this that comforts us.

Whatever the case, it is clear that crying lessens the depth of guilt, whether as a result of lowering stress levels or the sympathy it gets us.

But the bad news is, we cannot cry a problem away. Whatever it was that caused us to be sad, the problem doesn’t disappear when we weep buckets.


I really feel that this article really relates to me very well. As all my friends know, I cry very easily and regularly. Whether it’s because I failed a test, feel stressed out, or just because I feel touched about a scene in a book or movie. After I cry, I would feel like everything inside me has been washed out and that I would be able to start everything again. Sometimes, I would feel so tried that I would fall asleep. When I wake up, I would feel refreshed and recharged. So I guess it really just applies to the individual whether or not crying solves everything. But 1 part of the article which I heartily agree on is that the support and comfort friends shower on me when I cry, is really what made me feel better about everything and garner the courage to tackle the problem. So in an indirect way, crying helps me to solve problems, or should I say most problems. So although I end up looking like hell, all puffy eyed and red nosed, I feel that it’s worth every thing. :D
This information if taken from: The Sunday Times, Lifestyle. 26/07/2009

Done by: Lim Li Jun (8)
3 Sincerity.  ¶ 7:58 PM 0 Comments

  How weed killers might protect our eyes Farmers — and the rest of us — often employ modern chemistry to protect our botanical babies from bullying weeds. And while our crops and ornamentals may benefit, weeds have always been the real target of the herbicides that we apply. But that may change.

A new study finds that at least one herbicide, when applied directly onto young sweet corn plants, can boost the pigment content of the kernels that mature a month or more later. Dietary sources of those pigments appear to play a critical role in helping the human eye stay healthy.

The newly observed corn effect is highly selective, says Dean Kopsell of the University of Tennessee, in Knoxville. It’s also far from what this vegetable crop physiologist had expected when his team began its experiments.
The herbicide they’ve been studying — mesotrione — works by mucking up the leafy machinery by which plants produce a family of important chemicals known as carotenoids. They’re best known as the plant pigments responsible for making carrots orange and watermelons red. But they’re produced in almost all plants, even those that are simply green.

Carotenoids can serve as solar collectors, Kopsell notes, harvesting light just as chlorophyll does (but from a range of wavelengths chlorophyll doesn’t handle effectively or at all). Carotenoids also help dissipate heat so that sunlight doesn’t fry tender plants. Bottom line: In broad-leaf weeds, mesotrione will bleach the greenery and eventually kill the plant.


Through this article,i learnt that large and growing body of evidence indicates that these carotenoids play an important role in the human eye by absorbing blue light. Without sufficient concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthin in the retina’s macula, this region of the eye may become damaged. Indeed, a review of the literature by scientists at Tufts University and the Agriculture Department’s Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (both in Boston) found “ample evidence” that the lower the concentration of these carotenoids in the macula, the higher an individual’s risk “of age-related macular degeneration, an irreversible process that is the major cause of blindness in the elderly.”

Hitomi 3 Unity  ¶ 7:40 PM 0 Comments

  Why Do People Cry ?


You’re watching the final scene in Thelma and Louise, and you’re on your third handkerchief. You turn your tear stained face to the side and look through blurred, saline-flooded vision at your cat, who is staring back at you witnessing the curious spectacle. Why is it that humans can be reduced to blubbering messes, while other members of the animal kingdom don’t seem to let out even a sniffle?

We have tear ducts to lubricate and protect our eyes from dust and other particles. The ducts are under the upper eyelids and produce a salty liquid—a tear-–-that gets spread throughout the eye after each blink. Animals too have the ability to produce tears, but not necessarily for the same reasons that we humans produce them.

Three types of tears are generated by the human eye. Basal tears protect the eye and keep it moist. Reflex tears flush out the eye when it becomes irritated. And emotional tears flow in response to sadness, distress, or physical pain.

Studies have shown that emotional tears contain more manganese, an element that affects temperament, and more prolactin, a hormone that regulates milk production. Sobbing out manganese and prolactin is thought to relieve tension by balancing the body’s stress levels and eliminating build ups of the chemicals, making the crier feel better.

But this minor physiological benefit aside, the most likely reason we produce emotional tears is because it’s a means of communication. Before babies can speak, they can cry. The only way for infants to express frustration, pain, fear, or need is to cry. Adults may use crying to bond with other humans. Expressing sadness can prompt comfort and support from peers. Different languages can provide barriers to spoken communication, but emotions are universal. There are also culturally acceptable reasons for crying that bring people together, such as at funerals or weddings.

Though there is a significant debate over whether animals have emotions and can express them, some animals do appear to cry for emotional reasons. Elephants seem to grieve when a family member dies and will guard the body and travel long distances to view it. Elephant experts at the London Zoo once told Charles Darwin that the animals do indeed mourn. Chimpanzees also appear to cry, but some scientists still insist that the tears released by these animals are strictly for cleaning the eye.

Whether or not animals shed tears for emotional reasons has yet to be scientifically proven. Humans, however, can and do dissolve into tears for any number of reasons. Cleansing the eye, relieving stress, conveying pain, communication, and societal assimilation can all lead to an empty tissue box. So weeping after that sappy movie might not mean that you are a total wuss after all. In fact, it may mean that you are behaving like a perfectly normal human being.





**

After reading this article,i'm pretty astonished to find that there are such theories behind crying.Shocking. When we cried, we are generating 3 different types of tears, like who would have known ? Crying is to let out our emotions and relieve tension by balancing the body’s stress levels and eliminating build ups of the chemicals, making the crier feel better.
Crying is even considered as a communication for humans. Before babies can speak, they can cry. The only way for infants to express frustration, pain, fear, or need is to cry. Adults may use crying to bond with other humans.



Totally superb.





Liau Madeline (7). 3 Sin.
http://scienceline.org/2006/10/23/ask-driscoll-tears/  ¶ 6:00 PM 0 Comments

    ¶ 1:10 PM 0 Comments

  AWWWWWWWWWW, *YAWNS* Why exactly do we, people yawn? There are many theories about why people yawn. One shows that when we are bored or tired, we just don’t breathe as deeply as we usually do. As this theory goes, our bodies take in less oxygen because our breathing has slowed. Thus, through yawning, it helps bring more oxygen into the blood and move carbon dioxide out of the bloodstream.

Yawning is something that we cannot take control of as it has to help us control our oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. However, other studies have shown that breathing more oxygen does not decrease yawning. Likewise, breathing more carbon dioxide does not increase yawning.

Another theory is that yawning stretches the lungs and lung tissue. Stretching and yawning may be a way to flex muscles and joints, increase heart rate, and feel more awake. Other people believe that yawning is a protective reflex to redistribute the oil-like substance called surfactant that helps keep lungs lubricated inside and keeps them from collapsing.
From this article, I learnt many theories about why people yawn and most importantly, it changed my point of view towards these irritating yawns. If I don’t yawn, I would not be able to survive till today as yawning helps me to get back the loss of oxygen. From this article, I can finally understand why yawning is contagious. When one recovers their loss of oxygen, the amount of oxygen found in the surrounding decreases. Therefore, another has to yawn to recover the oxygen level in their body. And this cycle goes on and on.

http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/yawn.html
Quek Jian Ler [32]  ¶ 1:05 PM 0 Comments

  INSOMNIA Many people have insomnia. People who have insomnia may not be able to fall asleep. They may wake up during the night and not be able to fall back asleep, or they may wake up too early in the morning.

Things that may cause insomnia include stress, too much caffeine, depression, changes in work shifts, and pain from medical problems, such as arthritis.
It's not really a serious problem for your health, but it can make you feel tired, depressed and irritable. It can also make it hard to concentrate during the day.

Most adults need about 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. You know you're getting enough sleep if you don't feel sleepy during the day. The amount of sleep you need stays about the same throughout adulthood. However, sleep patterns may change with age. For example, older people may sleep less at night and take naps during the day.

If the cause of your insomnia is not clear, your doctor may suggest that you fill out a sleep diary. The diary will help you keep track of when you go to bed, how long you lie in bed before falling asleep, how often you wake during the night, when you get up in the morning and how well you sleep. A sleep diary may help you and your doctor identify patterns and conditions that may be affecting your sleep.

The treatment of insomnia can be simple. Often, once the problem that's causing the insomnia is taken care of, the insomnia goes away. The key is to find out what's causing the insomnia so that it can be dealt with directly. Simply making a few changes in their sleep habits helps many people.

Reflections
From this article, I’ve learnt more about insomnia, its causes and ways to solve this sleeping disorder. Also, I once thought that sleeping pills would help solve this problem. They are not a cure for insomnia but only a temporary form of relief. Sleeping pills can be unsafe to use if you have certain health problems. Ask your doctor if sleeping pills would be helpful for you. To sum up, I’ve learnt tips to solve this disorder and could use this knowledge in my daily life be it to help my friends or maybe myself in the future.

Samuel Goh ( 33)
3 Sincerity  ¶ 1:04 PM 0 Comments

  The creation/destruction of energy

Energy can not be created or destroyed, even the existence of a perpetual motion machine like that of Bessler would not change this. You cite as evidence of the creation and destruction of energy the idea that the earth is warmer today than it was 100 years ago. A physicist would tell you that this was not the consequence of the creation of energy but as a consequence of a local entropy increase, the energetic conditions here on earth fluctuate as a consequence of entropic decrease and increase, this occurs because of two reasons, there exists large amounts of radioactive and fissile materials (Uranium-Thorium) in the earth's outer core, radioactive decay and fission release potential energy. Also the sun radiates energy onto us as a consequence of the release of potential energy from the fusion hydrogen atoms and as it happens, within the last 100 years the amount of greenhouse gas (CO2) has increased in our atmosphere (It is thought to be partly natural and partly a consequence of man). As a result some of the energy that the earth produces and some of the energy that it receives from the sun is trapped and reradiated to the surface of the earth causing it to increase in temperature. The sun and the earth are both like giant thermal batteries, they were both formed with some potential energy (It can all be traced back to the Big bang, the only event in history where energy was created-there were no laws of thermodynamics to prevent it) and that potential energy is draining, eventually the earth and the sun will both run out of potential energy, it will have all become thermal energy and been radiated out into space hastening the entropic heat death of the universe.When a person is born there is no creation of energy, the energy for their growth and development is supplied to the fetus in the form of chemical energy from what the mother allocates to the fetus in the way of nutrition. Again when a person dies there is no destruction of energy-just an increase in entropy!The laws of thermodynamics are not questioned because every situation where they might not hold true has been tested to exhaustion-the result being that they do hold true, they are more than laws, they are axioms, absolute statements of truth. To disprove them and make the case for the creation/destruction of energy you would have to site a rigorous math proof and several experiments demonstrating that any 'created' or 'destroyed' energy can not be accounted for another way.I do not believe that the existence of a perpetual motion machine violates these laws, take Besslers wheel for instance, if genuine, it would have run on gravity, even today we know little about gravity, there is evidence from quantum gravity however that it might be caused by a 'radiant pressure' from the highly energetic electro magnetic zero point field. So Bessler's wheel is tapping (albeit rather inefficiently) into the zero point field. It is thought by many scientists that there will be ways to tap more directly and efficiently into the Zero point field. See what I am getting at... If your machine is a genuine over unity then it is more than likely tapping into an alternative energy source. No violations of thermodynamics are needed for perpetual motion, in theory....



Above this is the full article.

After reading this article, i have learnt that energy cannot be created or destroyed and up till now no one can prove that energy can be created or destroyed, so all things that happen on the earth or any elsewhere, energy is not energy created or destroyed, only being transferred from one form to another, even when a person is born or someone dies, it is only an increase in entropy or a decrease. I have also learnt that the sun and the earth are two big balls filled with thermal energy and one day both the sun and the earth will run out of potential energy. Thank you.

By Chenhan 3sin  ¶ 12:57 PM 0 Comments

  Gamma-Ray Wipe-Out This article talks about gamma-ray burst, it is one of the most powerful explosion in the universe since the big bang. Gamma rays were discovered in the 1960s where during the cold war, the US military sent up satellites to detect signs of illegal nuclear testing by the Soviet Union and unexpectedly detected great explosions of gamma-ray photons coming from space.

It is said that this gamma rays was the cause of triggering the ice age 440 millions year ago which cause the extinction of species. This gamma rays may hit the Earth anytime, no matter if it's tomorrow or even millions of years later, and worst of all, we can't stop it from happening.

After reading this article, I get to know about how impressive science is, as it can find things happening 440 MILLIONS ago. It is also interesting to find out how we became what we are now, without those gamma ray burst that hit the Earth, maybe Earth will still be submerged in water. With such interesting facts, it makes science a much more interesting topic.

Sng Wei Long (37)
3 Sincerity
http://www.firstscience.com/home/articles/space/gamma-ray-wipe-out_31878.html
By Naomi Miles  ¶ 10:00 PM 0 Comments

  Scientists discover way to reverse loss of memory
This article is about how scientists managed to find out how to reverse the loss of memory by accident. It was supposed to be a brain surgery for an obese man to control his eating habits. Although the surgery was a failure, it seems that scientists unlocked how memory in the brain works. Also, the man, after the surgery is experiencing déjà vu in a intense level. Even things that happened 30 years ago appear in the man's memory. Professor Andres Lozano, a professor of neurosurgery at the Toronto Western Hospital, Ontario, who is leading the research says that this discovery that stimulate memory had wide implications.
From the article i have learnt that the human brain is very interesting organ as something so small can actually store memories of 30 years ago and yet still able to function as a center for all of our emotions, reaction, thinking and other stuff in our daily everyday life.
link: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/scientists-discover-way-to-reverse-loss-of-memory-775586.html

Done by: Eric Tan
Class: 3 Sin
Index number: 23  ¶ 9:34 PM 0 Comments

  Eclipses This article is about the solar eclipses. A solar eclipse occurs when moon passes between the sun and the earth so that the sun is covered. There are a total of four types of eclipses. A total eclipse occurs when the sun is totally obscured by the moon. An annular eclipse occurs when the moon only covers a small part of the sun. A hybrid eclipse transitions between a total and annular eclipses which rarely occur. A partial eclipse occurs when the sun is partially obscured by the sun as the moon, earth and sun is not in a line. The recent solar eclipse happened on the 22 July 2009. It was a total eclipse. Since the sun is much larger and further from the moon, this makes the moon and the sun appears roughly the same size in the sky. When the moon orbit about the earth happens to be between the sun and the earth, an eclipse will occur.

From this article, I have learnt about the cause and the different types of eclipses.
I think that the happening of eclipse was actually quite amazing as a bright morning would suddenly become dark when an eclipse happens.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Eclipse

Koo Hui Yan (7)
3 unity  ¶ 9:01 PM 0 Comments

  Can laughter help people heal? 

As the saying goes "Laughing is the best medicine", can Laughing really be the best medicine?
According to researchers at California's Loma Linda University, laughter can:
- Boosts our immune system, such as human growth hormon.
- Decrease the levels of the hormone epinephrine, which plays a role in hypertension and heart failure.
- The pituitary gland releases its own opiates, which suppress pain.
- and etc.

Besides that, laughters also help to heal people suffering from depression and other mental illnesses. An assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at the Penn State College of Medicine, William Klinger, says: "No matter where our physical, spiritual and emotional life is, humor keeps everything balanced." Professor Klinger even used humor as a therapeutic tool in individual and group counseling sessions.
As research on the subject grows, it is becoming more evident that laughing can make us healthier physically as well as mentally.

After reading this article, it does seem that laughter benefit all of us. Everyone feels better after having a laugh too. Laughing is always said to be the best medicine. Laughing tends to make people happier, and also healthier! Moreover, it seems to be true that "laugh and the whole world laughs with you", because reasearch also shows that laughters are contagious. When one laughs, the people around them will be affected and thus burst into laughers too.
I've heard that people suffering from certain illnesses if they live their life optimistically, and try to be happier, actually helps them from recovering their illnesses faster. Humor can make them laugh, and happier.
From what I heard, laughters actually appears to burn calories too! Isnt' that a good thing? Also, laughters protect us from heart attacks. Feeling rundown? Try laughing more. It definitely helps you to feel better.

It may not be a treatment to everything, but laughing does no harms, instead it improves quality of life! As the comedian, Charlie Chaplin, says "A day without laughter is a day wasted" live your life to the fullest, and try to laugh everyday! "HAHAHA!"


Chrysillia (2)
3unity.
http://www.rps.psu.edu/probing/laugh.html  ¶ 8:23 PM 0 Comments

  Some people have gray hair in their early 20's or 30's, even some teenagers do get them; this is called premature graying.

So, what causes premature graying?

Basically there are 3 reason for our hair turning gray.

Firstly, it could be caused by heredity.
*heredity: The genetic transmission of characteristics from parent to offspring.

Secondly, hair is initially white. The cells in our hair follicles called “Melanocytes” generate pigments, the main one being Melanin. This gives our hair its “Color”. In general, the more melanin present, the darker the hair color; the less melanin, the lighter the hair color. When these Melanocytes stop producing the pigment, the result is a transparent hair. The transparent hair against your healthier darker hair gives the appearance of gray hair. (In reality the hair is not gray but transparent)
Scientists have proved that a failure of melanocyte stem cells (MSC) to maintain the production of melanocytes could cause the graying of hair.

Lastly, it could be caused by stress or prolonged illness!

If the hair had already turned gray, it's impossible to turn it back again, BUT there are ways to prevent them! It is said that there are products out there that help to triggers Melanocytes which helps overcome the tendency to produce less melanin as body pigments when one have gray hair by increasing the body’s ability to produce melanin pigments!

After reading the article, i've learnt that gray hair are not always related to one's age and although we can't turn grown out gray hair back, there are still ways to prevent gray hairs, so it isn't that hopeless or depressing after all. Stay healthy and don't get too stressed up people!


http://www.hair-n-skin-care.com/hair-care-tips/what-causes-white-hair-and-prevent-white-hair-tips.html
http://www.disabled-world.com/health/dermatology/hair/gray-hair-causes.php

Charmaine (19) 3 sincerity  ¶ 8:18 PM 0 Comments

  Why can't we sneeze with our eyes open?

We often try to sneeze with our eyes open but most of the time or infact for every try, we fail.
This is because sneezing is a reflex action. In other words, sneezing is an action which we cannot control. As sneezing is a reflex action, closing of eyes when we sneeze is also a reflex action. Sneezing is like the shut down of the whole body organs like brain, kidney and lungs. They all stop for just a second and the same happens with the eyes.

Why can't our eyes open when we sneeze? Well, there is a tremendous pressure on our bodies when we sneeze and pressure of air on our eyes which disallows the eyes to remain open.

The act of our involuntary muscles can be one of the two reasons why we close our eyes. As for the second reason, closing our eyes will restrict the entry of water droplets that come out while sneezing. Chest muscle, vocal cord muscle, belly muscle and also muscles present on the back of throat are very much involved in sneezing so some people give the reason that if we will not shut our eyes these will come out from the sockets because of the pressure of head and respiratory system. In fact, our eyes get closed to protect them.

After reading the article, i havefinally found an answer to my question- why can't we sneeze with our eyes open. I used to think that it closing our eyes when sneezing is just a normal reaction that everyone has. In fact, it is actually caused by our involuntary muscles! I find this amazing as small little actions like closing our eyes when sneezing can actually help to prevent water droplets in our eyes from coming out.

celine tam (17)

3unity

SOURCE

  ¶ 8:16 PM 0 Comments

  Sokman's 3rd. Déjà vu
Déjà vu is more than just an odd feeling.

Yes, déjà vu! This time round, I’m going to talk about it. A feeling which gets me fascinated and thinks that I could predict the future or even, see the past!

Déjà vu is sudden and fleeting, leaving as unexpectedly as it came. While the experience is striking in its clarity and detail, it is difficult to recapture or recount. Generally, it is left unexplained. It is a condition where people can recite details of a situation, they've never encountered before. Déjà vu, “already-seen” in French, has been defined as "familiarity without awareness." While the situational cues of a déjà vu are familiar, there is a definite lack of awareness about the specific source of the memory.

Déjà vu is considered a common phenomenon. Surveys show that about one third of the population has had the most common form of déjà vu sensations. Due to the subjective and often indescribable nature of the associated feelings, it has been difficult, to determine who is actually experiencing déjà vu.

There are several possible explanations for what is occurring during a déjà vu experience. One possibility is simply the occasional mismatch made by the brain in its continuous attempt to create whole sensual pictures out of very small pieces of information.

Another explanation for déjà vu has been given by psychoanalysts, such as the manifestation of wish fulfilments. Here, déjà vu is the subconscious repetition of a past experience, but with a more positive ending.

From this article, I have gained so much more information about Déjà vu. It has been a long time since I’m experiencing Déjà vu, but I’m actually anticipating for the “arrival” of encountering Déjà vu another time. The feeling is so special; I don’t mind having it many many times, as different situations have different kind of feeling! :D

http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/1682


Sokman, 3 Sin.  ¶ 7:26 PM 0 Comments

  Is there a possible link between Influenza-infected pregnant women and schizophrenia?


According to reports of the journal Biological Psychiatry, a new study showed that when mothers contract influenza during their pregnancy, it may increase the risk for schizophrenia in their offspring. However, it suggests that the observed association depends upon a pre-existing vulnerability in the foetus. Moreover, these findings are dependent upon the type of influenza. The association was only present after foetal exposure to influenza B, as opposed to influenza A. The new study indicated that a genetic or an additional environmental factor associated with psychosis is probably necessary for the foetal brain to be vulnerable to the effects of influenza, and a lesser likelihood in cognitive performance was only observed in influenza-exposed children who developed a psychotic disorder in adulthood.

From my own knowledge, pregnant women are considered at high risks for influenza infections based on previous pandemic events and from intense influenza seasons. Influenza is a serious disease also in pregnant women and young infants. However, it is not a very good idea for pregnant women to be immunised with influenza vaccinations yet, so prevention of influenza by other means is an important goal. The findings mentioned above in the article are extremely vital to everyone including those who are not pregnant, as it gives us all a clearer in-depth understanding of Influenza and how careful we should be in the phase of the current Influenza pandemic. After reading the article, I realise that Influenza not only has the ability to adversely affect everyone’s health, it can affect babies as well.
With this article, it is able to influence many people to take precautionary measures in maintaining their health, to make greater efforts by practising better prevention, early intervention and treatment strategies, such as taking steps to maintain good hygiene and, if clinically appropriate, administration of the influenza vaccination to reduce infection among women prior to pregnancy, so that there will not be increased risks of health problems, psychosis and other malformations in their offspring.


Claudia Wong (25)
3 Humility

(http://behindthemedicalheadlines.com/articles/womb-flu-link-to-schizophrenia)  ¶ 6:56 PM 0 Comments

  How Is Lightning Made? Cold air and warm air are needed to make lightning. When they meet, the warm air goes up and a thunderstorm cloud is formed. The cold air has ice crystals. The warm air has water droplets. During the storm, the droplets and crystals bump together and move apart in the air. This rubbing makes static electrical charges in the clouds.

Just like a battery, these clouds have a positively charged end and a negatively charged end. The positive end charges in the cloud are at the top. The negative end charges are at the bottom. When the charge at the bottom gets strong enough, the cloud lets out energy.

The energy goes through the air. It goes to a place that has the opposite charge. This lightning bolt of energy that is let out is called a leader stroke. It can go from the cloud to the ground. Or, a leader stroke can go from the cloud to another cloud. No one is sure why lightning bolts follow a zigzag path as they move. The main bolt or stroke will go back up to the cloud. It will make a flash of lightning. It will also heat the air. The air will spread quickly. It will make the sound we hear as thunder.

I think this information is very useful as we get to know what lightning is made up of without experimenting ourselves as the experiment can be dangerous. Lightning is something we see usually during a storm and so, there is a need to know how they are formed.

LIEW HONG XIANG (29)
3 SINCERITY 09 (:

http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/home/F_What_Causes_Lightning_Flash.html  ¶ 6:06 PM 0 Comments

  immjoo - 3rd article review.

What are Meteor showers?

It is a tiny piece of cosmic debris which has entered the earth’s atmosphere at great speed and vaporized. As the earth moves around the sun in it’s orbit, the planet encounters a trail debris. This trail was left in the path of a comet which has gone across the path of the earth’s orbit on it’s own way around the sun and back out to the outer solar system. Comets are famously called ‘dirty snowballs’ as they are made up of ice and rocks. As comets approach the sun, they begin to melt, shedding pieces of themselves in their path which is visible as the comet’s tail. These pieces of the comet spread out a little, but mostly remain in the path which the comet took around the sun. When the earth crosses this path the comet particles encounter the earth’s atmosphere and burn, resulting in a meteor.

Done by : Tan Imm Joo [18]

: S3-Sincerity'09

: 27.07.09

  ¶ 9:45 PM 0 Comments

  Vitamin E shields lungs from smog effects Does Vitamin E shields lungs from smog effects?

Nowadays, due to the rise of the concentrations of ozone, many people develop a shortness of breath, wheezing or other forms of respiratory discomfort. Due to this, Researchers at the New England Journal of Medicine show that due to chronic exposure to ozone increases the risks of dying due to lung diseases. However, Diet can affect how your lungs respond to the environment and we could prevent this by consuming more of foods rich in Vitamin E . Thus, people has to consume between 0.7 and 2 grams gamma-tocopherol per day but drinks and food that are rich in Vitamin E like soybean oil, contains 80 milligrams per 100 grams of oil. So, if people were to consume a gram of gamma-tocopherol a day, they would probably need to consume dietary supplements.

After reading this article, i found out that we could prevent the risks of us getting lung diseases by consuming more of this 'gamma-tocopherol' contained in Vitamin E. However, there are after effects of this 'gamma-tocopherol' which might make you grow fat if u do not work out regularly. So, if u want to prevent yourself from having lung diseases in the future, consume more of foods rich in Vitamin E ! But most importantly, remember to watch your diet !

Samuel Goh ( 32 )
http://sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/41877/title/Vitamin_E_shields_lungs_from_smog_effects


  ¶ 9:51 PM 0 Comments

  talk and die??





  ¶ 11:21 PM 0 Comments

  Can probes actually ride to the Earth's core in a mass of molten iron?


This particular idea came from geophysicist David J. Stevenson of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Imagine this, we can blast a crack in the Earth's crust, pour in a few thousand tons of rock-busting molten iron, and then toss in a grapefruit-size instrument designed to ride the plunging elevator of liquid metal to the planet's core. He contends that such a mission to explore the Earth's interior is technically feasible.
People have drilled into our planet's crust to investigate conditions there, but even the deepest borehole penentrates only about 9 miles. Stevenson also mentions that Seismic analyses suggest that the continents, the thickest portions of Earths's outer layer, are between 200 and 250 km thick. Below that hardened crust lies the viscous mantle, which surronds a liquid outer core and a solid inner core that are both made predominantly of iron.
Stevenson's plan would be to exploit that property. If scientists pour molten iron into a narrow crack at least 300 meters deep, the pressure at the bottom of the fissure would be enough to fracture the rock there. As the crack grows deeper, the molten iron would flow downward and maintain pressure at the crack tip. The crack will seal after the iron passed by and the probe would travel about sixteen inches per second to the Earth's outer core and the probe will take a week to reach the Earth's outer core.
There would be several problems with this theory as a suitable probe would be needed due to the fact that temperatures deep within the Earth rise to 1800 degrees celsius and pressures there are thousand times more than that of the the deepest ocean dept. Under those conditions most metals might corrode in the presence of liquid iron or dissolve with it.
I have learnt a lot from this article as this could mean we can actually know more about mother nature and this theory from Stevenson is also environmentally-friendly. Who knows what what we can find beneath the Earth's surface when metals can be served as suitable probes to be sent down. Some fairy habitat, dwarfs or maybe aliens. Perphaps, the energy below can be harnessed to fuel our vehicles that does not cause pollution. http://www.sciencenews.org/20030503/note11.asp
(Done by Nicholas Ng) index number 31  ¶ 4:20 PM 0 Comments

  Chenhan Do superhumans exist?
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080723164859AAHLpjX

I have learnt from this article that we usually only use about 10% of our brain power to do things
and usually one cannot use 100% of their brain power to do things, as the brain might shut down if used too much. This has also help me know that people can do things beyond their ability, like when a child is being under a car and an average sized person is able to lift the car just long enough for the child to escape before putting the car down. This is not impossible, and not superpower, its just that the body is being over drive, focusing everything on the car, allowing him to use 100% of his power to lift the car.
It has help me to be more confident of myself and i think one could do anything when focused and put his heart into it  ¶ 3:31 PM 0 Comments

  Website:http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/20/science/earth/20bears.html?_r=1&ref=science Authour: Andrew C.Revkin Date of publication: March 19, 2009 This article tell us about the need to protect polar bears in the Arctic due to climate change, which is identifed as “the most important long-term threat” to the bears. Nations that are near the Arctic have already created a treaty nearly four decades ago to protect polar bears. Some of this kind of protection are aimed at limiting direct threats to bear populations from increasing tourism, shipping and oil and gas drilling in the warming region. However it is mentioned in the article that without worldwide cooperation, it would be unable to tackle the problem of saving the polar bears. I find out that the artcile hold some very important lessons. First, the mention of climate change. Climate change, which was identifed as the main threat to the polar bears, is a very serious problem as the change in climate cause bring about a decrease in the number of polar bears as the change in climate can and will melt the ice which is need for the polar bears to move around on. Secondly, the increasing tourism, shipping and oil and gas drilling is also one of the problems that is identifed as a threat to the polar bears. To make matter worse, those threat are cause by humans. This certainly proves that we are partly to blame for what the polar bears are experiencing now. To sum up, protecting the polar bears in the Arctic are very important as if polar bears were to be extinct, it would be like a human body missing out one important organ. I am sure u do not want your polar bear soft toy to be the only polar bear that u see, right?(------Done by: Eric Tan------Index number: 23------Science Article for week 10-----)  ¶ 2:56 PM 0 Comments

  Why You Can't Stop Eating CHOCOLATES?!  ¶ 11:06 PM 0 Comments

  Researchers Seeking Next Generation Electric Vehicle Battery

This article tells us that scientists are making rechargeable batteries for newer electronic vehicles, which uses clean energy to power. The energy is inexpensive and easy to get. Despite the energy used may be inexpensive, it is better than using gas and fuels as it can be used for a longer period of time and provide more power for the vehicle. The battery can also be repeatedly recharged so new batteries do not need to be bought often. The final product is a paper-thin cell with a shiny side of lithium, a side covered in black carbon, and a thin polymer electrolyte in between, so, it will be lighter and the vehicle can move faster due to less air resistance and weight. Despite the new electronic vehicles may be more expensive, the fuel cost is much cheaper, so in the long run, more money can be saved. Also, electric vehicles do not produce combustion when travelling, which can help a lot in air pollution.

From this article, I think that the invention of the battery and vehicle is very important, as the fossil fuels on Earth will be depleted sooner or later. By inventing these things, we are preparing ourselves for the future. Earth is also experiencing global warming, so, by inventing vehicles that do not produce smoke, this is also helping to prevent air pollution, making the world a better place for all.
I also learn that we need to plan for the future even though there is still a long way before it arrives. As we know that in the not so near future, fossil fuels may be depleted, scientists have already started making things that may be of use in the future. I also learnt that we should not wait till the last minute before we plan for something. We need to anticipate the future and make certain changes to adapt in the future. If we waited till the last minute, we may not have enough time or certain things may occur to slow us down, leading to problems in the future.

LIEW HONG XIANG (29)

http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/cairns-batteries.html  ¶ 8:46 PM 0 Comments

    ¶ 3:39 PM 0 Comments

  What do plants need to make food? This article is about the compulsory things a plant needs to make food. As we all know, only plants can make food. This is because the structures inside our cells are different from those of the plants. From this article, we can learn more about what are the things a plant need to make food.

Chlorophyll, light, water, carbon dioxide, nutrients and minerals are the compulsory things a plant needs in order to make food [photosynthesis]. Plants make food in their leaves, which contains chlorophyll. To make its food, the compulsory things mentioned are important.

Through this article, I understand how the plants make their food better. Furthermore, there are fascinating animations to let us visualize how the process take place. Also, after reading this article, I wonder if the researchers have a way to inject plant cells into human body so that we would not waste our time eating 3meals a day. Through this, we would also not starve to death if we are lost in the jungle. Therefore, I could not wait for the researchers to further research a way to let human make their own food.

Done by: Quek Jian Ler [32]
http://www.mbgnet.net/bioplants/food.html  ¶ 9:06 PM 0 Comments

  Seeing the future hot spells This article talks about how scientist uses new ways of predicting when heat waves will strike. Climate models can often predict that whether a heat wave is coming by checking the soil moisture, but a number of factors like how they interact affect the strength and extent of a hot spell in unpredictable ways. Like the heat wave that hit Europe in 2003 which trigger forest fires and crop losses.

Studies show that regional climate models provide better results if they include accurate data about soil moisture and satellites are a good way to gather such information as soil moisture may vary even in small distances. When scientists can get a faster heads-up about conditions that might aggravate heat waves, preventions could be done.

After reading this article, I realised that satellites have more abilities than I expected, not just use for broadcasting live shows. Scientists had done alot of researches to improve our life, and in this case, to prevent us from any type of harm. After they found these new way of predicting more accurate results, prevention can be done to stop disaster like forest fires.

Done by: Sng Wei Long (36)

Source: http://sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/41736/title/Seeing_the_future_hot_spells
Date: Friday, March 13th, 2009 by Sid Perkins  ¶ 4:15 PM 0 Comments

  Light could heal materials. URL: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/41696/title/Light_could_heal_materials

LIGHT COULD HEAL MATERIALS
New material repairs itself when exposed to ultraviolet light

Scientist found out that ultraviolet light can heal scratches on cars or any other scratches. When the scratches is expose to sunshine for a long period, the scratches will heal, meaning, the scratched part will be gone. But it will take a longer time to heal, whereas, if you want it to recover fast, just shine ultraviolet light over it, it will heal faster. Scientists have used a substance from the shells of shrimp to create a new material that repairs itself when exposed to ultraviolet light. Scientist are still investigating other things that can be heal like all kinds of coatings, such as paints, and surfaces on everything from surgical instruments to countertops. Materials is acting just like out body. When we fall and hurt ourselves, our cells and with the help of medical oil, our wound will heal. For materials, when they get scratched, it will "bleed", but it will remake bonds through an interaction with an external stimulus such as heat, water or, in this case, UV light.

regards
immjooTAN. x3333333  ¶ 8:51 AM 0 Comments

 

People could cry for a few reasons, to reduce the stress and tension level, to keep their eyes clean and lubricant and lastly, it could also be a form of communication. (eg. for babies or animals)

Humans eyes produces 3 types of tears. Basal tear, which are released regularly are the primary tear which keeps the surface of our eyes clean and moist. Reflex tear, also help "wash" the surface of our eyes, but they could get rid of the irritants more quickly than to the basal tears due to the different chemical composition they contain. Lastly, the Emotional tear, is released when a person is in the extreme grip of a particular emotion like sadness, anger or sometimes happiness too. It contains manganese which highly affects our temperament, thus it could help drop the level of stress and tension when they are released together with the tear.

In short, tears are produced because of irritants that bothers our eyes, the high level of stress and tension one is feeling, and also not forgetting, it is also a way for babies or animals to express their discomforts or get attention from the adults.

There is no harmful effects for crying. In fact, some researchers say that the people who cry more frequently would enjoy good health, it is also proved by scientists that humans cannot control their tears when they are in the extreme of a particular emotion, therefore i see no reason for people to try and hold back their tears. I think that if one tries to hold back their tears, they are at the same time, suppressing their feelings. Wouldn't that make them feel even worst? Come to this, it might even affect their health in the long run. So since it is holding back, that make the person feel worst, one should relax and just let what should go, go. Only then, they will feel better. After reading this article, I realised the great role tears carries.

http://scienceline.org/2006/10/23/ask-driscoll-tears/

Charmaine (19)

15/03/09

  ¶ 8:52 PM 0 Comments

  The Endangered Cheetah This article tells us about the number of cheetahs in the world at a declining rate. Thus researchers at zoos and breeding centres have been constantly trying to boost the cheetah population by encouraging captive cats to breed. Thus, scientists have also come into help to help maintain the population.

Through this article, I found out that cheetahs are actually endangered and many kinds of community have come into help to preserve these magnificent beasts which are the fastest sprinters on Earth. I also found out that a captive cheetah differs from free-living cheetahs in terms of health. Captive cheetahs have poor breeding success and are more prone to diseases compared to a free-living cheetah. Researchers have also found out that free-living cheetahs are endangered primarily because their habitat is shrinking and because cheetah behaviour prevents the animals from thriving in game reserves. Also, by changing the way zoos manage the cats seems to have higher success rate of breeding. Thus, scientists are still looking into the matter and may have more ideas to prevent this species of getting extinct.

After reading this article, I’ve learnt that cheetahs are endangered and needs to be preserved so that it wouldn’t be extinct like some of the population such as Saber-Toothed Tiger, Mammoths and Dodo birds. Thus, to prevent more kinds of animals from getting extinct, scientists and researchers are doing their best to come up with solutions to preserve the species. I hope that they would find more solutions to this and prevent the extinction of such a magnificent beast. Also, I can’t wait to admire this beautiful and magnificent beast when I go to the zoo the next time.
Samuel Goh [32]
http://animals.howstuffworks.com/endangered-species/endangered-cheetah-info.htm  ¶ 9:26 PM 0 Comments

  eat bright,eat right From the article, i know that brightly coloured food always plays an important part in most cuisines around the world. One of the properties in the red colour of the tomato helps protect skin from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. Eating tomatoes can also help skin to stay young even if we are out in the sun year in and year out.The luminous colour of soft fruits contains a property that stimulates the memory area of brain.This can help reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, the condition of extrem forgetfulness that comes to some people,esp in old age.Drinking cranberry juice is good for our blood flow and heart.The cranberry colour contains an agent that helps reduce fats that build up in arteries and heart.Studies from US and Europe show that broccoli contains properties that heli boost the body's ability to fight off cancers.However,sometimes free radicals go wrong and become harmful.This can lead to cancer.

After reading the article ,i learnt that i have to eat more fruits and bright vegetables ,also have to be more careful about daily diets. I need to eat more tomatose and fruits ,such as kiwis ,strawberries.



jian meng(20) 3sin

JUST ENGLISH pg40by ILKA BRANSHAW
vol.4 issue 3
PP11694/2/2008

  ¶ 7:59 PM 0 Comments

  A little stress may keep cells youthful


Do you know that a lot of stress can turn your hair gray, but a little stress can actually delay aging. A protein tied to protecting cells from stress also helps slow aging.
Exposure to heat, cold or heavy metals can damage proteins and unravel them from their usual conformations — trauma that can cause cell death.
But cells have a damage-limiting mechanism called the heat shock response to combat these and other stresses. As part of the heat shock response, special protein repair molecules patch up the damaged proteins and refold them correctly, preventing death and extending the life of the cell.
Scientist have found out about something new: Sirtuin 1, or SIRT1, an aging-related protein. It’s the first evidence linking SIRT1 to the protein-protecting heat shock response. Scientist have found out too that that Sirtuin 1 has many roles in longevity. It’s remarkable that it also affects heat shock response.”
One mild stress that can activate the heat-shock response is a calorie-restricted diet, which has been shown to extend the life of all species tested so far, including mice and dogs. Calorie-restricted diets increase the levels of Sirtuin 1, or SIRT1, an aging-related protein.
When a cell is under stress, heat shock factor 1 latches on to DNA and steps up production of the protein repair molecules. But the cell can’t exist in a state of emergency all the time. After the protein repair molecules become abundant, the damage-limiting mechanism shuts itself down
I have learnt that with this i should introduce some stress to myself so maybe i won't age at all. i have learnt so many things about our selves and how cells work( Done by: Nicholas)  ¶ 7:28 PM 0 Comments

  Why we can't imagine death? Almost everyone has a tendency to imagine the mind continuing to exist after the death of the body. Even people who believe the mind ceases to exist at death show this type of psychological-continuity reasoning in studies. Rather than being a by-product of religion or an emotional security blanket, such beliefs stem from the very nature of our consciousness.

The brain is like any other organ: a part of our physical body. And the mind is what the brain does—it’s more a verb than it is a noun. Why do we wonder where our mind goes when the body is dead? Shouldn’t it be obvious that the mind is dead, too? The common view of death as a great mystery usually is brushed aside as an emotionally fueled desire to believe that death isn’t the end of the road.

From this article, i feel that as death isn't like anything we've experienced, we cannot imagine what it will feel like to be dead. In fact, death won’t feel like anything, when we die, what’s next is nothing. Death is a black hole, the end of experience, the permanent extinction of being.

I believe that we have seen death taken place before, like people older than us who has already deceased. Some of us actually hope that the deceased can tell us what happens during afterlife, but that is never going to happen.

I find this article interesting, and i think that if the world was very advanced and progressed, we can actually experience death before death itself with an advanced technology equipment, but who knows? For now, i'll just let the mystery be.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=never-say-die

- Low Jing Yi Shervin. (11)  ¶ 3:57 PM 0 Comments

  Bats and Echolocation This article is about how a bat would navigate through a place with echolocation. As we all know, people always describe a bat as blind. Therefore, we had the impression that a bat does not have the sense of sight. Furthermore, a bat is more likely known as a nocturnal mammal. True enough, a bat does not use their eyes to sense where they are going. Instead, they depend on their pair of ears. So, how do they navigate through the night when it is completely dark and the moonlight is the likeliest source of light?

Through this article, I learnt how a bat navigates itself through the night. Echolocation is actually by rushing air from your lungs past your vibrating vocal chords. These vibrations caused sound waves. The changing air pressure pushes surrounding air particles out and then pulls them back in. These particles then push and pull the particles next to them, passing on the energy and pattern of the sound. In this way, sound can travel long distances through the air. However, bats produce sound from either their mouth or nose. For most bats, the echolocation sound has an extremely high pitch (ultrasound). The sound travels through the air as a wave, and the energy of this wave bounces off any object it comes across. A bat emits a sound wave and listens carefully to the echoes that return to it. The bat's brain processes the returning information the same way we processed our shouting sound using a stopwatch and calculator. Therefore, a bat can determine where an obstacle is, the size of it and which direction is it moving to. This is how a bat navigates trough echolocation.

After reading this interesting article, I wonder if scientists or researchers could use this echolocation to help the blind. Since the bat can still navigate itself without its sense of sight, there must be some possibility that a human being could also use echolocation to navigate its ways through busy streets. I really look forward to researchers applying echolocation to a blind person’s life, so that they would not have to carry a walking stick wherever they go. If it really does happen, it would add to our noise pollution.

Done by : Quek Jian Ler [32]
http://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/bat2.htm  ¶ 11:44 PM 0 Comments

  Chenhan http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq1750.html
Special animals that live inside carnivorous plants.
This article has allowed me to know much more about these carnivorous plants. I have always thought that animals who went close to those plants would have been trapped and eaten but after reading this article, i find that some animals actually live in plants! For example, the article wrote that the yellow crab spider lives with the yellow sepals of Darlingtonia and is happy in its carnivorous home, and green lynx spiders on Sarracenia which often hides under the lid, and if frightened scurries inside the pitcher. These special animals do not get eaten by the plants, instead some of these animals feast on these poor, sad, defenseless carnivorous plants as they pull out the preys that was captured by the plants! Stealers!
Sadly the article did not mention why those animals did not get eaten by the plants.
I have always thought those plants were in a sense bad, but this interesting article just made me change my bad impression of those plants into a sad and helpless plant and starting to pity the plants.  ¶ 8:47 PM 0 Comments

  Taking Age Stereotypes to Heart Have you ever impose any negative or disapproving attitudes towards the elderly? If so, it will be better to quit such habit as a recent study has proven that young and middle-aged adults who endorse negative stereotypes about older people display higher rates of strokes, heart attacks and other serious heart problems in their later life. It is proven that a larger amount of people with age stereotypes had suffered a heart ailment of stroke compared to those who rejected age stereotype.

After reading this article, I think this study can help teenagers and adults to change their way of thinking towards the elderly even if it’s by forced. Since they themselves will one day become old and will have young people who discriminate them, so why not first change your view over the elderly. They have totally forgotten about the contribution made by these elderly which impacts our daily life so much.

For myself, I don’t endorse negative stereotypes towards older people. I’d rather treat them with respect other than preventing myself against heart ailment or strokes. This article can provide a big sound-off to people the amount of young generations who discriminate the olds.

By: Sng Wei Long (36)

Source:
http://sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/41105/title/Taking_age_stereotypes_to_heart
Publication: February 23rd, 2009 by Bruce Bower  ¶ 10:00 PM 0 Comments

  What causes depression ?

Though the exact cause of depression hasn't been determined, we do know that women experience it twice as often as men. Symptoms of depression vary from person to person - but there are common indicators of depressed feelings. Different causes require different treatments for depression. For instance, if you're depressed or have defeated feelings because of unexpressed anger, you may benefit from counseling. If your brain chemicals are wonky (a common cause of depression) then antidepressants as treatments may be helpful.

There are three main theories that seem to explain the causes of depression or the "common cold" of psychiatry (dubbed as such by Martin Seligman).

Cause of Depression: Unbearable Loss

Depression can be a reaction to a loss in your life. Death, divorce, separation are hard blows – and they can definitely cause depression. Other emotional losses can be just as traumatic: loss of hope, self-identity, faith, innocence. You can lose sight of your self-worth or self-esteem and spiral into depression. You can lose sight of your dreams, which can cause depression.

Cause of Depression: Unexpressed Anger

"Depression is anger turned inward." Causes of depression include unexpressed anger or rage. An example of this is the perennial nice guy who never has a negative comment, who never expresses his anger no matter how bad the situation is. Being easy-going is one thing; swallowing your rage is another. Not expressing yourself can cause depression.

Cause of Depression: Brain Chemicals

Noradrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine are brain chemicals that are abnormally low in depressed people. These chemicals are involved in the transition of nerve impulses in the brain – they're also known as monoamines. So, regardless of how wonderful your life is, you could struggle with depression simply because of your brain chemicals – or lack thereof. Unstable or low brain chemicals can cause depression.

Drug or alcohol abuse and hormonal disorders have also been cited as causes of depression.

Other Factors That Cause Depression:

• Family history of depression (genetic vulnerabilities cause depression).
• Being female (women are almost twice as likely as men to experience depression).
• Stress (eg, battling a chronic illness) can cause depression.
• Perfection - unrealistic expectations can cause depression.
• Struggles with other medical conditions (for instance, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, cancer patients have higher rates of depression).

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On televisions, Newspapers, or even articles having people who have got depression.
However, it is not taken seriously, and forgotten the next .
How serious can depression be ?
We've watched numerals drama shows on depression, with people ending up committing suicide.
Not much know what is the true cause of depression, and how terrible it can get if its serious.

From this article, i have learn what are the few reliable causes of depression, and how can we prevent it to happen to us, or even our loved ones.Knowing the risks and causes of depression can help us to avoid it.

Depression is hard on the person who suffers, and it's tough on the people who love her. Knowing how to act and what to say can be difficult especially if you don't know the cause of depression. Finding a good therapist who specializes in causes of depression would be helpful.

Depression is not a disease.
Thus, we should not fret or fear of those who have got depression.
In fact, we should step forward, and lend a helping hand to the those who needs help at that very moment.



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This article can be found at http://psychology.suite101.com/article.cfm/causes_of_depression


Done by : Madeline(7)  ¶ 5:09 PM 0 Comments