Got Science?

Everyone, cheer for the arrival of monthly extra credit awards!! Yay! Now, the question is: how am I supposed to get extra credit?

Some amusing articles:

Tongue on Frozen Flagpole
Is it possible? Read to find out!

Can you freeze to death?
Well, yes and no. The thing is, you'd die before you become an ice cube- read for more details!

Angry Flies
Flies are seriously cool, but they can get angry just like anyone else.

Driving Impairs Talking
That is a "duh!" article. Why do they bother to research this stuff? I recommend to read this just to see what exactly they "discovered."

Apparently, Sunnyd is giving out extra credit on a monthly basis, so now I don't have to feel silly for promising extra credit when, well, there is none! But now there is, so don't worry everyone. Speaking of Sunnyd, here's her question:

What keeps the sewer gases from creeping back up the drain pipes?

The answer: I don't know. What I do know is that it's an extremely, er, not pleasant question. I read somewhere a long time ago that your (why, oh why do I have to write about sewage and waste?- the pun being you're not supposed to talk about this stuff, especially while eating a snack...) solid waste apparently stays in the pipe of the toilet (correct me if I'm wrong, for it will save me a good lot of grief) until you flush it again (yes, twice), but the noxious gases don't creep up because of the bendy shape (I don't see how that works, though). Here is a link, and this is what I learned. Water goes down the plughole and goes around a bend:

(picture from the link) as you can see in the picture. The water seal prevents all the stink from going back down and up the pipe, so you can't smell it (and remember, the water is under pressure). And that is enough of thinking about waste and sewage for today. Phew!

Now I am thoroughly grossed out and won't be able to answer the last question box. Sorry! Hope you learned something about sewage systems (and no, I'm talking about how water gets to your sink in the question box, not how it goes away- so no more sewage!)

Got Science?

Happy Turkey Day, everyone! Here are some holiday themed articles for your pleasure:

Splurging a little too much on Black Friday? A bigger Thanksgiving dinner can remedy that.

Pig out More at Thanksgiving and You May Shop Less
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091118163210.htm

I only got to skim this (and most of the other articles) quickly, but it seems as though there is a specific molecule that says, "I'm full! No more turkey for me!"

Brain Sense Fatty Food: Molecule Shuts Down Food Intake And Turns On 'Siesta Mode'
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/11/081126122207.htm

Hmm... Chugging down your Thanksgiving Dinner seems to a double no-no this holiday season (and at every other instance.)

Eating Quickly Is Associated With Overeating, Study Indicates
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104085230.htm

What does pie have to do with Powerpoint presentations? I don't know, but this interesting article turned up when I looked up "pie" on science daily. It's holiday related by a stretch, isn't it? (okay, I admit, it isn't, but it's still cool!)

Could Power Point Presentations Be Stifling Learning?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090611110829.htm

Well, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Make sure you eat lots of food!

Got Science?

Welcome all! This week's lineup seems interesting, so let's check it out.

It's the BEASTIE!! No, it's not, but here is an article on taming the "beastie."

Child Psychology: Tips on Taming the 'Boogie Monster'
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113083303.htm

What will you be when you grow up? Kids are deciding earlier nowadays, maybe you should too.

Today's Children Decide Their School and Career Path Early http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091115123711.htm

It thinks for itself. (of course, this is about bugs. Again)

Bigger Not Necessarily Better, When It Comes to Brains
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091117124009.htm

Guess what? The world isn't about to end, the Mayans were just going to celebrate another long cycle or something like that. Good thing that was cleared up.

'Doomsday' 2012 Prediction Explained: Mayan Calendar Was Cyclical
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091113122958.htm

Ooh, ooh, this is the funniest thing about science: most of the really big discoveries in science is made... by accident!! There's this really great quote that goes something like, "The (best or something like that) phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' but 'That's funny...' " Anyway, they apparently found the perfect blue dye by just fiddling around with some materials.

Accidental Discovery Produces Durable New Blue Pigment for Multiple Applications
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116143621.htm

Out of all of them, I'd say that the Doomsday article is the best read, the blue pigment a close second. See you next week!

Got Science?

Hello to all! We have an interesting lineup of articles here, so let's take a look.

Healthy ice cream? Well, I'm not sure whether I'd buy it, but it seems to be a good idea and some researchers seem to think so too. (Although I have to ask: why would a university have ice cream researchers in the first place? They explain it in the article, but still...)

Ice Cream Researchers Making Sweet Strides With 'Functional Foods'

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109194745.htm

Who here likes candy and soda? I do. But apparently, one of the ingredients, corn syrup, commonly found in many sweet treats that we like to eat causes high blood pressure. Who would have ever guessed it was *cough cough* unhealthy?

High Fructose Corn Syrup: A Recipe For Hypertension, Study Finds

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029211521.htm

Erm... This study was about bugs, everyone. Really!

Why Nice Guys Usually Get the Girls

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105143817.htm

For my dinosaur loving friend, here is an interesting article for your examination and commentation (which is apparently not a word). For everyone else, feel free to read it!

Warm-blooded Dinosaurs Worked Up A Sweat

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110202853.htm

"EBF3, I want two bicycles and an ipod touch, pronto!" Okay, maybe that's a little too far. Anyway, the machine that I'm talking about can create metal parts, layer by layer, as long as you can provide it a detailed 3-D drawing that's compatible with it's functuality, of course. Pretty cool- probably bordering sci-fi.

Star Trek-like Replicator? Electron Beam Device Makes Metal Parts, One Layer At A Time

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110071535.htm

And that's it for this week!

Got Science?

Welcome to the second weekly Got Science? post! Today, we shall look at some rather odd science news worth blogging about (and just in time for that homework assignment too!)

Tick tock, tick tock! We aren't the only ones with clocks, you know. Apparently, they have discovered that hydrogen peroxide could be the main chemical responsible for the rhythms in cells.

Not Just Bleach: Hydrogen Peroxide May Tell Time For Living Cells

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103145607.htm

Guess what? No matter how many times people say "Don't judge a book by its cover," we seem to anyway! The first one is about how we make judgements about people just by looking at them (or their photo). The second is about how if your teacher ruins his/her first impression(s), there's not much they can do to make up for it. Kind of sad, if you ask me. I know a friend who thinks a really great teacher I know is really mean because the teacher slammed the door once quite hard and tore some person's packet in half (although that person wasn't innocent in any way). I'd suggest you blog these two together because they are related and the first one provides good info and the second is easy to relate to.

First Impressions Count When Making Personality Judgments, New Research Shows

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103112253.htm

Poor Start Between A Class And Its Teacher Almost Impossible To Rectify

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029161530.htm

In physics, the ultimate speed limit is the speed of light. Apparently, there seems to be a speed limit for evolution as well. This relates well to what we're learning in class, so if you want something like that, then this would be the one for you.

Speed Limit To The Pace Of Evolution, Biologists Say

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171726.htm

Does anyone get irritated at those stickers on fruit that you have to take off before you eat it? Has anyone eaten one of those by accident? (I haven't... yet) Now there seems to be a sticker-free and approved alternative to labeling grapefruit: lasers! Completely random if you ask me, but I suppose that there are scientists and companies out there that just can't stand stickers.

Laser Etching Safe Alternative For Labeling Grapefruit

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103153752.htm

Got Science?

Need a topic for current events? I found this insanely amusing (although I have no idea why).

Clean Smells Promote Moral Behavior

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091025091148.htm

Here are some questions that I had when I read it:

Why do clean smells promote moral behavior?

How did anyone seriously consider doing this experiment in the first place?

If humans were made by nature, then where's the Windex in nature?

If you need help with your "opinion," here are some suggestions:

1. 
   
   Do you agree that clean smells (or Windex) make you behave better? If it were me, and I was sitting in a room full of Windex, I'd be rather irritated because artificial smells like Windex and perfume make my nose feel funny.
2. 
   
   Why would clean smells make people behave better? It doesn't have to be a serious or correct explanation, it's just what you think. Of course, if it were me, I'd say that.... never mind.
   
   Just to make this clear, this article is for people to use for their current events. In other words, I was too lazy to type up my opinion and a summary and all of that for this article, but it was too interesting to pass by. (Okay, okay, it was really because Sunnyd asked me to, but I was lazy too!) It's relatively easy to relate to, doesn't have a whole lot of neurology or the stuff that I usually like, and invites those "Ooh, once there was this time when..." kind of stories that are great for supporting your opinion and connecting them to real life. This is not one of my current events articles, it's for you.
   
   
   I'm not going to elaborate on these links in great detail, but I'msure someone will be interested in these:

Professor Sees 70 Percent Chance For Yankees to Win 2009 World Series

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091027170850.htm

(Sorry, kokopelli1015) For those baseball (it is baseball, right? Not football?) fans. I didn't even try to make any sense of it.

Changes In Brain Chemicals Mark Shifts In Infant Learning

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026125359.htm

This has to do with the Maslow that we're learning about in Social Studies. Quite interesting.

Science Articles

http://www.sciencedaily.com

I generally go on this website (that's where all of these articles are from) for news. There is an overwhelming amount of articles here on many, many branches of science, so looking here is a surefire way to get a good article.