Cash In Exchange For Good Grades? Hmm . . .

By: Meera Dolasia 

Source: Web

11/26/2011

Have some school decided to give cash to do well in tests? Indeed they have. In several school in Virginia Beach, they have tested students to see what would happen, the result where quite encouraging. But this cash is not offered to kids in every grade. Only high school students who are motivated enough to enroll for AP (Advanced Placement) courses, take the test. Also, not everyone who takes the test will get the money, only students with a score 3 and above, being 5 the highest. Only those are rewarded. Even if $100USD seems a lot, most of id is used for paying to take the exams. The students usually end up with about $20USD per test. Even if this might seem a bit stupid it still seems to be working. 

I think that this is really cool and does encourage students to work better, but on the other hand the money they get also encourages them to buy foolish things and do bad things in school. I think this would help the teachers in many ways to get students to study and to be payed more. The more the Students get better in school, the more people will here about it, and the more parents will put their children in the school.

Octopus use coconut shells as mobile home and armor

By: Meera Dolasia 

source: web

10/28/2011

Most of the people think that octopuses are boring eight legged species, that spend its day wriggling around with its snake-like arms. However they do not know that this animal is very intelligent and is known to be able to go through mazes and try to escape from tanks. Octopuses are one of the 20 most intelligent animals with similar skills. Researchers had more than 500 dives between 1998 and 2008 in the islands of Northern Sulawesi and Bali to observe the behavior of twenty Veined Octopuses. Their discoveries where amazing! These octopuses would search for discarded coconut shells that where bigger than their 3 inch wide bodies. When they would discover one, they would use it to hide and as a lookout pint for predators or as a nice secure home. 

I think this is really cool that octopuses are so intelligent. I really think that they would be able to hide from predators and so on. They hold on to the coconut and walk around instead of leaving it behind. These creatures are very interesting and fun to watch!

Flying car is one step closer to lift off!

Flying car is one step closer to lift off!

By: Meera Dolasia

Source: web

07/02/2010

Engineers have been working on future models of all kinds of things. They are trying to make them lighter and easier to use. They have just put in a button into this vehicle, which switches it from a two-seat car into a aircraft in about 15 seconds. The wings simply fold in or open out depending on what the driver wants. Unlike other airplanes it runs on unleaded fuel, so it can be refueled at any normal gas station.

It is fitted with a 100 horsepower engine, it can fly the distance of 500 miles on a single tank of gas and drives at a speed up to 115 mph. However the company had a hard time fulfilling all the safety regulations whilst to maintain the vehicle's weight under the requires 1,320lbs. 

I think that this is much better than having a car, or being in an airplane knowing that an airplane wight tons more. This would be much better to have in the future because you can buy one and fill it up with gas easily and instead of using an airplane which pollutes the air and cars too, u can have one that doesn't do that as much as an airplane. Wouldn't it be cool if you or your parents had one of these? They could fly you to school! 

Current event- Is this the helicopter of the future?

Is this The Helicopter of the Future?

By: Meera Dolasia 

Source: web

11/12/2011

Every few years engineers come up with new inventions that hey believe will be transportation of the future. There where jet-packs, the flying car and now the first remote controlled helicopter. This is made of eco- friendly particles, there is a yoga ball under the driver's seat. It has sixteen propellers that enables it to lift of and land similar like a helicopter. It is much easier to fly then a normal helicopter and much safer. If something went wrong it would still land safely even if it up to four out of sixteen propellers, and since their are no propellers on top, it can be easily fitted with a safety parachute. It weighs about 176 pounds (80 kilograms), it is said to be a really light vehicle in most countries, meaning that the user dose not have to be a licensed pilot. It can only stay up for half an hour till its battery runs out. Wouldn't it be cool to have this to go to school or even to work! 

I think this would be really cool to have in the future or even now, but it can only hold one passenger. However it is eco-friendly and does not take up fuel, and it is not likely to fall and to get injured. 

current event- Why ants never lose their way

Why ants never lose their way

By Meera Dolasia 

source: web

10/31/2011

Researchers believe that ants always know where they are going and never seem to lose their way. The Technical University of Munich and Brazilian Center for Physics Research believe that they might have the answer. The say it has all to do with their in-build GPS system.  A scientist studied the behavior of  termite ants using sophisticated microscopes. They say that just like human-build GPS systems, they have magnets build into their antennas which help them navigate. While we rely on on huge expensive satellites, ants get their magnetic navigation from the minerals in the soil and the earth's magnetic field. The scientists say that while they are walking around, tiny mineral particles like iron oxide from the soil get stuck to their antennas. 

I believe this makes sense because ive played with ants before when i was small, and i would pick it up and out it in the grass and watch it, but it always seemed to go back the sane way where i had found the ant. 

http://dogonews.com/2011/10/31/why-ants-never-lose-their-way

Where's the Evidence?

Title of the Lab:  Where's the Evidence?

The guiding question:  What are some signs that a chemical reaction has taken place?

Your hypothesis: I think that in each substance there will be a different chemical reaction. Some might be hotter, some my become colder. Maybe even one might overflow. Some of the substances might even change colors.

List of the Materials used: 
-Substances
-goggles
- tubes


Data Table with ALL observations: 

Analysis of your results.  I thought that some of the reactions might explode. One of them just over flowed and the others either got hotter or changed colors. The way i knew that the reaction was over was, one of the substances had bubbles and after it sopped bubbling i knew it was over. After one of the liquids over flowed i knew it couldn't react anymore.  

Conclusion: Some signs that showed me that the reaction had started was smoke/heat, color changing, bubbling and so on. Some of the experiments did overflow and some did change color. I think one new substance was formed from all the experiments we did. I think that all the reactions did come to an end, i just don't know because i wasn't in class after the bubbling was still going on.  

Further Inquiry:  I think that we should have done something more exiting in class, like the elephant toothpaste. I still wonder what would have happened if we added heat to all of the experiments above. 

Evidence of a Chemical reaction

In this video i observed that the water was turning yellow, then from the bottom of the tablet red stuff came out and the water turned red.

 

In this video the Lithium does not explode in the water but the piece goes around the bowl like a tiny fireball.  

In this video When he/she puts the Cesium in the water it sounds like if it explodes.

In this video The potassium is dropped in the water, and goes around the bowl and explodes after a few seconds. 

I think this video is really cool. The sodium and potassium are thrown in the water and spins around and then has a big explosion.

I noticed that the reaction is slow, but when it start s to overflow the liquid also starts to turn black, and smoke comes out from the top making me think that its hot.

The gummy bear just melts, and the tube also stays really hot.

I don't really understand the effect in this one, but i did notice that when the salt crystals are added something is twirling in the water and making a pretty design. 

My Choice

I think this is so cool. I love how in the first one it comes out so slow, and in the second one i was not expecting it to come out shooting like that. I notice that the Elephant toothpaste also has some kind of heat in it.