Tran,+Faith

__Chemical Elements in Fantasy and Science Fiction__ 28 August 2010

I found that this article was pretty interesting to me. I personally love the science fiction genre, even though I don't watch any of those, but it was still nice to see that a whole new world is created within a show. One that has new elements with a complete history like the ones mentioned in the text. Because these elements are science fiction, of course they are going to have uses that are beyond any ability of known elements possess. Mithril being nearly invincible and somewhat the ideal material to use to make armor; dilithium being able to withstand anti-matter; and vibranium, which can break down molecules. If the real Earth could have something this overpowered, I think that it would have to be contained. Although most of the time made up elements are usually something that is very powerful or else there would be no other use for it. I can think of one some more elements that are fictional, such as the element from Avatar, unobtainium. This element is also super powerful and worth very much, which is the very reason why they invaded the planet.

Faith,

Great post! I like you writing style. BTW is that for real about unobtanium??? I didn't see Avatar :(. 5 stars! MW

__Redefining the Kilogram__ 2 September 2010

I always liked the "only one of its kind" things that exist in the world. To me, it says that that thing is especially unique and nothing could possibly be wrong with it or else it's really bad. Before reading this article, I had read about it in the Chemistry textbook and found it very interesting so I looked it up on Wikipedia. Something I saw on Wikipedia but I didn't see in this article was that each prototype around the world was not truly a kilogram, but in fact, they are several micrograms apart so compare to the real kilogram. I saw another article on NBC site (I think) talking about the missing weight from the kilogram. I'm surprised to find that 50 micrograms had gone AWOL since the last time they had checked it. Since it is the size of a fingerprint that had gone missing, it really makes me think someone made a mistake and touched it. Or even worse, they touched to be the only one who had touched the kilogram. But then oil from the finger would've shown or been included in the weighing. So, who knows? I was a bit confused about the mathematical side of trying to find a constant, but it seems Planck's way is to use light speed and Avogado's is using Carbon 12 atoms. I think Planck's way would be better personally. Light speed seems more accurate. Since I read about //the// kilogram in the textbook, I had been joking with my friends that I planned to steal it. I think the most valuable point of this article was that there needs to be a way to find the exact kilogram in nature. Without one and using the prototype, the kilogram may erode even more and no longer be even close to exact. Overall, very fascinating.

Faith, Very in depth summary. Again your writing style is both informative and entertaining. I guess that would be the crime of the century - stealing the kilogram and holding it for ransom! 5 stars! MW

__Crude Oil__ 17 September 2010

I had thought that crude oil could only be used for one thing, but apparently I was wrong. I find it amazing that crude oil can be made into different kinds of fuel to use. I wonder what properties are different from the different hydro-carbons other than their make up. Fractional distillation reminds me of a sorting machine for coins. In the coin sorter, the hole that lets the coins through get smaller to stop the quarters, then nickels, pennies, and dimes through. This is a bit more complex, yet not so much either because it's just using boiling points instead of size. This makes me think that the BP oil spill was even more damaging than I thought. They wasted precious resources AND destroyed the ocean.

Faith, Great analogy and an excellent point. If you think of it from a purely economic standpoint that oil that spilled at say 2 dollars a gallon represents a great loss. Another awesome post. Keep up the great work - I really look forward to reading your commentaries! 5 huge stars! MW

__Motion Detectors__ 27 September 2010

Reading about how the spectrum helps to create many things that we see in everyday life is fascinating. Though I knew there were motion sensors in things like automatic doors, I didn't know that there were different kinds of motion detectors. I thought all detectors relied on a beam which, when changed, activated the task. I knew that humans had infrared radiation that came off of them, however I did not know that we released enough to be detected by sensors or even by other animals such as the rattlesnake. I'm amazed at the fact that rattlesnakes have pits that can even do that and I'm curious if any other animals can do that as well. It definitely seems helpful. As mentioned in the article, Einstein was only widely known for his equation "E = mc^2" and unfortunately I fell on the same boat. But no longer. I always knew that that equation had to have come up from somewhere and now I know it was from studying and researching quantum theory. While reading the part where the article explains the how the eye creates images (by having those visible frequencies of light commence some chemical reactions), it made me wonder what causes the human eye to become have that worsen and become distorted and blurry. I read up on how the eye works before because I'm trying to reverse my nearsightedness, but they never really described the science involved. The articles always were vague in that aspect. It's weird to find out that even in the clearest glass possible some form of light is blocked by it since normally we use glass to be able to see through something. Humans miss out of so much by only being able to see certain wavelengths, but perhaps we'd be better off since it would be utter chaos to see more in this world in the present time and future.

Faith, Interesting ruminations! I think you are correct in your assertion that not seeing too much is a good thing. Our brains really need to filter out quite a bit so that we can stay focused - and not go crazy! 5 stars! BTW some people get Lasik (sp ) surgery to correct their vision - seems to work well! MW

__Where Do Chemical Elements Come From?__ 21 October 2010

Chemical elements form from stars through the heat and pressure of stars, which combine together into different elements up to Iron. Supernovas create heavier elements.

Faith, Nice Job! 5 stars. MW

__Sugar: An Unusual Explosive__ 9 December 2010

When I started reading the article, I thought that it had to be through very special conditions of which sugar could explode. But of course I was wrong. I thought that it was interesting that just sugar dust in the air can cause explosions. I had no idea that surface area had anything to do with combustibility, but the article explains why quite well with its analogies and it makes sense as well. I also didn't know that our bodies slowly digest the sugar and that that is pretty much the only difference that causes the sugar not to explode within. The equations in the article are relevant to what we have learned in class since they are balanced and they show changes in states of matter, which is directly related to how the explosion occurs. Unfortunately, the plant had to learn the hard way that inadequate ventilation is not for the best.

Faith, Good points! Yes surface area means a lot when it comes to reaction rate! 5 stars. MW

__Question From the Classroom: Helium Balloons__ 22 December 2010

To every action, there is a opposite reaction. So basically, there are opposites, such as gravity and buoyant forces, which act against gravity. This is what I think is the most valuable point. These forces act on everything, however these forces are not nearly as strong as gravity. If the buoyant forces do overcome gravity's forces, then the object floats. Air is neutrally buoyant, meaning it weighs as much as the buoyant forces are pushing on it, essentially canceling it out. I knew there was a such thing as buoyancy, but I didn't know that it affected everything. I figured density was the sole reason for anything that floats and that not much defied gravity.

Faith, Good quote of Newton's first law. 5 stars! MW