Microwaves Kill Bacteria

Microwaves Kill Bacteria

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/27/health/27real.html

Microwaving your sponge will actually kill harmful bacteria that can cause food-borne illnesses. Numerous studies have been done on this subject. Most bacteria are killed within the first 15 seconds of being microwaved. Other more resiliant bacterial, like E. coli, will survive up to 30 seconds. But this can be a dangerous operation. Unless the sponge is damp, it has been known to start on fire. It is reccomended not to place your sponge in microwave, but buy a new one; it is much safer.

Microwaves are a form of electromagentic waves. Water absorbs the energy from the electromagnetic waves and aligns itself with them, this is because water is a polar molecule. This molecular movement causes heat. This process is what kills the bacteria.

Was smallpox really transmitted by Blankets?

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/13/science/13mqa.html?ref=health

Scientists are trying to determine if a virus, like smallpox, can be transmitted from a scab to a person. There is a myth that the Europeans infected the Native Americans with smallpox by giving them blankets covered in smallpox. The only way this could actually happen is if the blanket contained smallpox scabs. Viruses have the ability to live in a scab longer than in a “wet” form like droplets. But now we do not have to worry about contracting small pox because it has been eradicated, thanks to vaccinations.

But, there are still some samples left in high security labs around the world being used for research. This is possible by refrigeration. Refrigerators have the ability to freeze the virus and keep it. Refrigerators function by electrons giving energy to a metallic part which creates the motor. This is electromagnetism in action. Not to mention most refrigerators can be induced to being magnetic conductors by placing magnets on them.

New Electron Positron Machine

Scientists have developed a new 20 mile long machine that has the ability to collide electrons and positrons together with energies of 500 billion electron volts. This machine will recreate the conditions of the earth when it was one trillionth of a second old. Electrons and positrons, unlike neutrons, do not give off quarks and gluons when they collide. This reactions is better for the scientist because it is cleaner and easier for them to work with.

This is related to what we are discussing in class with voltage. Energy must be packed into the particles to make them explode when the collide and create fireballs of energy. We also have discussed how atomic particles can break down. Charge is conserved in the reaction between the electron and the positron, the result is neutral. When a neutron breaks down an electron and a proton are created.

Melting of Ice in Greenland

Warming of Greenland
NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/16/science/earth/16gree.html?pagewanted=2&ref=science

Because of global warming, the ice that makes up parts of Greenland is melting allowing for the true geological forms of the island show through. A new island has been discovered off the coast of Greenland that was originally thought to be a part of the mainland. Ice connected the two parts of land until recently. The coasts of Greenland are changing so rapidly and it is believed that Greenland could be losing 80 cubic meters of ice per year.

Explorers are now traveling on this new terrain trying to map out the ever changing coastline. Airplanes will fly over them and drop supplies they need to survive in the artic climate. Airplanes are powered by electricity. To start the engine a spark ignites the engine and causes the motor to turn. This is a type of electrodynamics because the spark is caused by the charging of the metal that is in the charger. The metal is a conductor that allows charge to travel through it.

Mechanical Foot

Electronic Brain in an Artificial Foot

Nytimes.com

Scientists have developed a new prosthetic foot that better simulates natural movement when walking for amputees. The foot contains motion sensors and software wired in to help reclaim lost muscle function and keep track of its location while walking. The accelerometer measures the foot more than 1,000 times a second to be aware of its exact location in the walking pattern. Depending on the pressure exerted by the weight of the body and the sensory input, the foot will flex and extend to better promote natural walking. The motor located in the heel actually changes the angle of the foot and the heel is specially designed for shock absorption. This allows for the prosthetic foot to act more like a natural foot and create a better gait.

This is applicable to Netwon’s 3^rd law, equal and opposite because the person walking is putting their weight on the ground and the ground is giving an equal and opposite force back up, normal force. The weight force is the person’s weight downward while the normal force is equal in the upward direction. Even when a person is walking up the hill, their body is exerting force causing them to move against gravity. The forces are still equal and opposite, but the normal force is perpendicular to the person, so it is at a slight angle.

But sadly, not everyone can afford this mechanical foot, since it costs thousands of dollars. Hopefully these new innovations in science can help amputees walk easier.

Saturn's Unsusal Rotation

A New Spin on Saturn
David J. Stevenson
Nature May 4, 2006
Volume 441 Issue 1

Saturn has a completely different planetary rotation than other planets in this solar system. “According to the International Astronomical Union Saturn rotates once every 10 hours, 39 minutes and 22.4 seconds.” The rotation of a planet is a fundamental property and can help scientists accurately measure the inner core and discuss the dynamics of its atmosphere. What is really interesting about Saturn is that its equatorial radius is 10% greater than its polar radius, making Saturn the most distorted planet in the solar system.

Saturn is made of mainly hydrogen and helium but it has an inner core made of rock and ice. The knowledge of the conformity of the planet will help scientists understand how it was formed. Saturn has a rotation unlike any other planet in the solar system and this may have something to do with its atmosphere and magnetic field. The winds on Saturn have been measured up to 400 m/s in the easterly direction, though scientists do not see how strong winds can have such an impact a planet’s rotation. The magnetic field of a planet is generated deep in the core and small changes can be influential to the rotation of the planet.

This is related to the vectors we are discussing in class. The planet’s rotation is in a uniform state of motion, but changes in that motion cause the velocity to speed up or slow down which is acceleration which is Newton’s 2^nd law, F=ma (with vectors). The rotation of a planet causes gravity and gravity is explained in Newton’s 4^th Law. The planet itself is not in a uniform state of motion because it is rotating around the sun, which is Newton’s 1^st law.

Scientists are unsure as to why Saturn has such a unique rotation, but they continue to research in hopes they will better understand the planet and how it was formed.

Speed of the Spread of Flu is Linked to Airline Travel

Speed of the Spread of Flu is Linked to Airline Travel

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/12/health/12flu.html

Scientists believe that the amount of airline travel is directly related to the amount of people who are affected by the influenza virus. Influenza is a pandemic that affects millions of people a year. A study was done to determine the correlations between the numbers of influenza cases each year around the peak season from 1996 to 2005. “They found that changes in the rate of spread and the timing of peak mortality each year correlated with yearly fluctuations in monthly airline passenger volume.”

This is similar to what we have been doing in lab. The faster something travels a distance, the steeper the slope is to the peak. If there is more airline travel, there are more people being exposed to influenza and if there are less people traveling, less people are exposed to influenza. This would be shown on a graph as an increase in the number of people getting influenza in a set time. The slope would be positive and start out gradually increasing into a steeper slope until the peak. The peak occurs in late February when more people die from influenza than in any other month. After the peak, the number of individuals who are infected with influenza will slowly decrease creating a steep to gradual negative slope.

This article is related to Newton’s first law because there are equal y-directional forces on the lift and weight/gravity of the airplane and a net force of forward motion in the x-direction. The airplane is in an equal and uniform motion in the liner direction.

This is believed to correlate with the number of individuals who travel via airlines in November. This was visualized in 2001 after air traffic was suspended after September 11^th. This year the peak for influenza was two weeks later, showing that air flight travel may play a significant role in the number of individuals infected with influenza.

The information gained from this correlation could be used to aid in the creation of more flu vaccinations. If there are restrictions on air travel, more vaccinations could be produced in time to immunize individuals who are likely to be affected. This will lessen the amount of contact between individuals who are possible carriers, since not everyone will be allowed to travel. This could be a way to control the influenza pandemic.