PLASTICITY :D

Two weeks ago our class did a lab on plasticity. in this lab we used cornstarch and water to make a thick liquid goo. We first had to put corn starch in a beaker then add a little bit of water. After stirring all of the ingridients together you get a liquid substance but if you feel it you feel at first a liquid but if you stick your whole hand in there you feel a thick dry substancce. This was a very cool lab that taught our class about the eaarths layers. and it was very fun to do I hope to do this again.

October Sky

In class last week we watched the 1999 movie "October Sky". This movie was a very cool it was about a boy and his friends who built rockets and wanted to make one that actually works and will get them to win the science fair. Nobody in there town never made it out of there so it was Homer's dream to make it out of there and work with rockets as an adult. I really enjoyed watching this movie it was very intricate. I look forward to watching another video, preferably "The Magic School bus".

Blogging About down syndrome

I recently wrote about ALD disease but now I'm blogging about a blog. That blog is about Down syndrome. Discovered in 1959 Down syndrome is a disease that people deal with everyday. The symptoms of that disease is low growth, weak muscles, short wide neck with excess fat and skin, stocky short arms and legs, a single crease across the center of the palm, a nasal bridge that looks pushed up, mental retardation and heart defects. One in seven-hundred-forty newborns would have this disease which shows its not uncommon. 85% of infants survive one year 50% of that can live up to the age of 50 and over. In order to come up with a cure we first must know what causes it.

Understanding Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD)

Adrenoleukodystrophy is a rare inherited disorder that leads to progressive adrenal failure and brain damage. This disease/disorder was discovered in 1993. The symptoms of this disorder/disease is: seizures, degeneration of visual and auditory function, ataxia, Addison's disease progressive stiffness and neurological abilities. Approximately 1 in 20,000 boys are diagnosed with Adrenoleukodystrophy. The treatments for this disease is dietary treatments but there is currently no cure. This disease is not common in the united states or the world due to to the fact its a rare disease. Approximately 1 in 20,000 boys are diagnosed with ALD. Clinical trials are currently in progress to see if the proposed treatments were successful. Death occurs within one to ten years of presentation of symptoms. In summation Adrenoleukodystrophy is a hard painful disease to live with it is a rare and hard to understand disease that some people suffer from every day.

DNA Extraction Conclusion

Last week in class we did an experiment to extract our DNA(Deoxyribonucleic acid).I had to do the animal cell experiment. In this experiment you have to circulate gatorade in your mouth for a full minute. After that u spit it into a test tube u put a soloution into the test tube and some alcohol and rotate it upside-down and rightside-up. 15 seconds after that procedure I held it up and viewed this little blue substance floating to the top. This procedure was a complete success of extracting DNA.

Free iPods in Japan!?!

In Japan any person who signs a two year contract with the carrier will recieve a free 8GB 3G iPhone. Though some people may prefer the 16GB in which case it will cost $118. The offer will end in May of 2009. Japan has a very competetive cell phone market. A marketing consultant predicted that apple may have a hard time on this cell phone market.

http://apple20.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2009/02/26/in-japan-iphones-are-now-free/

N. Korea: Ready to launch satellite

On Tuesday North Korea announced they were ready to launch their satellite. "Full-scale preparations are underway at a satellite launch site,'" a North Korean space committee spokesman said through the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). North Korea will continue with its space development.The Kwangmyongsong-2 satellite is said to launch off of the Eunha-2 rocket.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/02/23/nkorea.satellite/index.html

My Roller Coaster Website

The Freeloader

Roller Coaster of a Week!

This week in class we've been making a roller coaster or a skate park. My group of four chose the roller coaster. Throughout the year we've been earning "Omega Money" to buy our supplies to make this roller coaster. For example toilet paper rolls(to make the roller coaster)costs 1 Omega Dollar. You earn Omega dollars by doing good deeds. The Roller coaster demonstrates Newton's laws of gravity. I feel very confident about our project.

N.J. School Report Card results show high failure rates for middle schoolers!!!

New Jersey Governer Jon Corzine dream of raising grades for high school and middle school students. There are too many students failing tests that determine placement for the next level.State officials said "it was important to raise the bar last year for passing a new, more rigorous test so younger students could be readied to make the transition." Many others say the state is asking for too much too soon.

http://www.nj.com/news/

A Historic Inauguration

Over 1,000,000 people came to DC to witness history in the making: The inauguration of president Barack Obama. Barack Obama was sworn in january 20th 2009 at at noon. An estimated 1.5 million went to the national mall to see history in the making. people were so excited of what will happen next with president Obama in charge or our country.This inauguration is different then any other one before it.

In the article from CNN.com it mentioned how over joyed the country was. It said "People sang, danced and waved flags as his swearing-in approached". It mentioned the economy and how much confidence the country had for the future. "1.5 million people on the National Mall on Tuesday with somber yet confident tones, saying the country will overcome its serious economic and international challenges".

The courierpress.com article talked alot aboout how it was different then any other inauguration. "It's going to be very difficult to break the record crowd that arrived in D.C. for the event," echoed Dave Crooks of Washington, Ind., a former Democratic state representative and now a radio political commentator."An inauguration by itself is a big deal," said Hakim-Shabazz, an Indianapolis political radio talk-show host and TV commentator. "To go from one party to another is history in itself, and then you have the whole Barack Obama, first African-American president, so you have all these multiple story lines happening at once." those two quotes talked about saying that its already a big deal but now its a bigger deal being that Obama is the first African American president.

I think that Obama will do a very good job as our president. He has already started the changel. I feel very confident about the future with him as our president.

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/jan/25/history-rewritten-with-inauguration-of-obama/?partner=yahoo_headlines

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/20/obama.inauguration/index.html

Infrared Rays

In our class we've been learning about wavelengths and visible light. Such as gamma rays x-rays visible light and ultraviolet rays to name a few. Our class got assigned one of those from the Electromagnetic Spectrum. I got assigned Infrared rays. If you don't know what infrared rays do I'll give you some examples of where its used: In toasters, Remote controls and, night vision goggles. The project is to make a fun advertisement for infrared rays. I feel pretty confident about my project.

"Best version of Windows ever"

Microsoft's CEO Steve Ballmer showed the world the future of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system. As predicted windows will be releasing a beta version of Windows 7."We are on track to deliver the best version of Windows ever," Ballmer told an audience of several thousand tech professionals and journalists inside a cavernous ballroom at the Venetian hotel. "We're working hard to get it right and get it ready."Windows 7 will make PCs faster and easier."Windows 7 makes it easier to move between the things on your desktop," said Microsoft group project manager Charlotte Jones. Windows 7 is said to be the "Best version of Windows ever."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/01/08/microsoft.ballmer/index.html