Behind The Scenes of My Gravity Powered Car: Class Response

I was assigned to build a gravity powered car for a science project. I used: an aluminum Coke Zero bottle, a jumbo yellow straw, two pencils, four plastic Coke Zero bottle caps, and hot glue.

Firstly, I took the jumbo straw and cut it in half, and I hot glued on half of the straw to the front of the bottle and the other half to the bottom of the bottle. Then I let the glue dry.

Secondly, I took the pencils and cut the eraser ends off with a saw and parental help. Then I took two bottle caps and filled them with glue, then I stuck one pencil in each bottle cap and let the glue dry.

Thirdly, put the pencils through the straws and filled the other two bottle caps with glue and I let those caps dry. I had to hold the car to make sure the weight of it would not come down on the bottle caps and make a big mess with glue.

That's how I made my car. If it needs more weight to go down ramps, then I can fill the bottle with a little water to give the car more weight.

Overall, this was a really fun project and if i had to do it again, I would.

Monarchs Moving North...Too Early?

The Problem:

Monarch butterflies make an annual migration north or south every year, depending on the season. In the United States, during the summer they move into the Northern parts of the U.S., normally around May, so around mid-spring. Also in autumn around the end October, the Monarchs move south around Texas and Mexico. This year, the Monarchs started moving north a bit too early. One Monarch lover was excited to see all the butterflies on April 14. This was a problem with many people who study insects. Chip Taylor, a professor and insect ecologist at the University of Kansas said, "The butterflies moved too north too fast." Which is true. The extreme fluctuation weather conditions Mother Nature has been throwing at us is not good for the butterflies. The Monarchs are moving farther north so quickly because of the drought in Texas. Especially for the Monarch species. The Monarch butterfly populations has been iffy for the past couple of years. Also the Milkweed plant North America, of which the butterflies feed as caterpillars, has been reducing. Professor Taylor also said that the Monarch butterfly population might reach a record low, beating 2009's record.

In My Opinion:

Monarch butterflies are my favorite type of butterfly, but there is nothing that humans can do to stop the lovely flying angels from migrating north. There is something internal in them, something instinctive that causes the butterflies to move each year. All humans can do is hope for better weather conditions and, if the butterflies are in your area, sit back and enjoy the view.

To learn more about the migration issue go to:

www.livescience.com/14146-monarch-butterflies-migration.html

To learn more about Monarch Butterflies go to:

www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/monarchbutterflies/monarchbutterflies.html

Blame It On the Dog

People sleep with their pets all the time, but they have not become sick from doing so...or at least they did not know it was because of the dog. But recent studies in California found that Todo might be a cause for catching infections. Dogs and cats carry fleas, if not properly treated for, kisses, licks, and sleeping with your pet may cause you to have a bacterial infection, such as pneumonia or catch the Bubonic plague. In 2008, there was an outbreak of the Bubonic Plague (The Black Plague) and most people who had it, slept with their pets. The researches do suggest not sleeping with you pet on a regular basis. If you pets lick you, or you kiss your pet, make sure to watch you hands, or wherever they licked you. Also, make sure that you check with the vet to make sure that your pet does not have fleas.

In my opinion: Most people who have pets, do sleep with them. People have been kissing their pets for years, and there has not been a dilemma about this either. There has not been a major issue on this subject yet, but if a problem comes around, then maybe people should start listening to the researchers. For now, people should be safe. As long as the owners take care of their pets and give them the proper care they need and deserve, there should not be an issue with catching illnesses through pets.

You can read more about this topic at:

http://www.livescience.com/health/pets-can-make-you-sick-110121.html

You can find the picture at:

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/83169604/Photodisc

Penguins New Fashion Statement: Bad for Their Health?

A ten year research project on penguins has shown that the metal bands the scientists use to identify the penguins are harmful to the bird. The stainless steal band is placed on the top part of the flipper with an identification number on it. These bands are supposed to be helpful, but they are interfering with the penguin's health and with research. Scientists have found that the king penguins in Antarctica are producing less chicks than before they started wearing the bands. Also, the birds who have the bands are taking longer to reach their chicks with food from the ocean that they have collected, which can reduce the survival of the chick. Some penguins have a electronic chip in them, like the ones the veterinary uses to track people's cats and dogs in case they run away, but the chips do not always work. The chips do not send out a signal, but they give back a signal when a transmitter senses a chip is near.This can cause issues when scientists need to identify the penguins when they are free. If the scientists can keep the penguins in a contained environment with transmitters are laid out in different places, then the chips will be just fine in the penguins, but when the penguins are free, the chips do not work as well. But the penguins with the chips have been doing just fine and have been carrying on like nothing ever was inserted onto them.

My opinion on this subject: take the bands off. It is effecting the research and the monitoring of the penguins and to me, it is just not right. The penguins deserve as long a life as they can live and is they are living a shorter life with this band. Also, have other scientists and technologists look into improving the electronic chips. Have the chips send out a signal, so then ever penguin can just have a chip that will send out its own signal and then scientists will not have to use the bands anymore. For the sake of the penguins and the sake of the research, stop using the bands.

You can learn more about this subject at: http://sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/68666/description/Marking_penguins_for_study_may_do_harm

You can find the picture of the king penguins with the metal band at: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/download/id/68668/name/WHERES_WALDO

You can find the picture of the metal band at:
www.penguinscience.com/education/Did_You_Know_Banding.php

Symbiotic Relationship

Symbiosis is a relationship between two organisms where at least one of the organisms benefit. To the right, is a picture of example of the symbiosis relationships. The picture is of a hairy rope growing on a tree. The symbiotic relationship between the tree and the hairy rope is mutualism.

Mutualism is the relationship where both organisms benefit from relationship. In this case, the hair rope benefits because it gets a place to grow. The tree benefits because it gets protection from having the rope grow on the tree. Therefor both of the organisms benefit.

Biotic Factor

These are the daisies outside my house. They are biotic limiting factors. They are limiting factors because they give bees food and if the daisies die off, there are many bees that would not be able to pollinate. Then any birds that eat the bees will have less food, and then they will die off. Then the bigger birds that eat the smaller birds die off from less food. It is a whole chain reaction, if one limiting factor that gives one animal food, dies.

HI EVERYBODY!

Hello all! Hope your summer was AMAZING!