Googol and Googolplex - Siva Kuppa

*Note: Googol is not spelled google. It is just a common mistake.

When you are thinking of a big number, you might think of a million, or a billion, or even a trillion. However a really big number is googol, which is 10 to the power of 100. According to the video, googol quite bigger than you thought. An astonishing fact to put this into perspective, is that all the particles in our observable universe, which is 10 to the power of 80, is still less than googol. Imagine how big the universe is and how small the atoms and particles are. This for me is mind blowing. So now you might think that googol is big, however it is nothing compared to googolplex, which is 10 to the power of googol. Suppose you write a 1 and then use a particle to write down a 0. You would still not have enough particles to write down a googolplex. It is way too big.

I thought this article was very interesting. It made realize how big these numbers are and how small our universe actually is. Most people, including me, are unable to imagine the size of our universe, yet compared to googol the universe does not even measure up to the immensity of it. I found that this video had some really interesting facts and made me think about our world. I found this to be interesting because the actual facts and data were so large and shocking. I now have a whole new understanding on googol and googolplex. Although, it is not really useful to know how big googolplex is, I still enjoyed it.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GEebx72-qs&feature=etp-pd-n05-05

Training can lead to synesthetic experiences: Does learning the 'color of' specific letters boost IQ? - Gagandeep "Sunny" Mudhar

            Synesthesia is by definition the production of a sense impression relating to one sense or part of the body by stimulation of another sense or part of the body. In other words, this is a condition where an individual associates a taste for a word or "sees" letters as specific colors.  What fascinates me is the fact that people born with this "gift" have not only a higher intelligence quotient (iq) than most individuals, but also their cognitive skills far surpass those of the average human. In fact, a recent survey was conducted by the University of Sussex to lucubrate whether non-synesthetes could, with practice, faintly taste colors or associate a word for a color, and the results were indeed positive. The individuals not only acquired the basic fundamentals of synesthesia, but also on average had an increase of 10 points on their intelligence quotient score! Personally speaking, if I ever had the opportunity to practice this technique I would because of the multitude of benefits it provides albeit, never being able to reach the level at which the already borne with synesthesia patients have. 

           To learn more about synesthesia click the link below

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141118105522.htm

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Is The Cost for College Worth It? - Oliver Chiriac

    Nowadays, all students worry so much about their future. They believe that if they get good grades, then they will succeed in life. Now, everyone's definition of succeeding is different. I know that my definition, is to love what you do when you grow up, have a family that you enjoy spending time with, and being safe and healthy. However, for most people, especially in this WW-P District, the grades are all that matter. Now, in my opinion this is because most parents put a lot of pressure on their kids to study in order to get good grades, which will allow them to get a good job, and make money in the future. Money is not everything. Money does not last. Money does not love. Money is not life. It cannot buy love, life, or success.

So, in this article, it talks about how the price per year for high level Colleges such as Yale (top right), Stanford (top left), and Harvard (bottom). I picked this article because it clearly displays the tuition for many of the high ranking colleges in the world. I believe that it is necessary for students to be educated about the money that is involved with going to college. Parents work hard to support and take care of the family, and part of their job is to try to send you to college.

Now, in my opinion, education is an important aspect of society, however $50,000 per year for 4 years of college is definitely not worth it. With that money, people could buy property to live in, and supply themselves with many basic needs. Life is not just about education, it is also about experiencing different cultures, traveling the world, understanding the universe, and many other things. 

I found this article very interesting because most of these high ranking colleges are in the US, which attract many people from all around the world that may pay the current amount of tuition involved. This article pertains to me because I will soon be in the position where I am applying for colleges, hopefully, and I will have to decide, along with my parents, as to which colleges I have in mind. Now, since I am currently a Canadian citizen, I have the option to attend colleges in Canada such as the University of British Columbia, for approximately $8,000 per year. My parents went to the University of Waterloo, which is not one of the high ranking colleges nowadays, and they turned out to be successful in what they do. So, keep in mind that it's not what college you go to, it's what you do with the opportunity.

Do you guys believe College is worth the price?

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities

Kinetic Light Sculptures

Kinetic Light Sculptures by Paul Friedlander : 

Combining Science and Art 

           Friedlander,, a student of math and physics, decided to bring his two talents together when he was inspired by a kinetic light show in 1970, and from then on, he began pursuing a passion for making his own light sculptures. It is a relatively simple setup : pinning strings and chromastrobic light. "Chromastrobic light is light that changes color faster than the eye can see, causing the appearance of rapidly moving forms to mutate in the most remarkable ways," according to Friedlander. If you want to see some of his handheld sculptures in action, check out this link.  

photos and quote form Huffington Post

3D Printing Reveals The Power of Shark Skin -Thanmayee Maddipati

Did you know scientists have the ability to make an exact replica of shark skin using a printer? 3D printing of the newest and growing technologies has been able to simulate different material in order to be used for testing. 

After reading this article I was amazed at how advanced our society has become. For instance, when scientist 3D print shark skin they can use it's roughness/texture to test swim suits. The idea of 3D printing interests me is that the way it is done. Though its more easier said than done, by gathering materials and watching be created layer by layer can help science in many ways accurately, which has not been common before. Not only can u just print the material you are able to tweak it and add functions. 

The reason I share this article is because I don't think 3D printing is talked about much, as it is still a developing technology. It also shows how our country has progressed in such a short period of time. Not only can Shark skin be printed but many other materials as well that can help with other discoveries.

Although this is not directly connected to my life as a student, I do find it to be a beneficial technological device for the future that can turn into something that can benefit in regular life. 

The link to the article: http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-27409836

Birth Season Affects Your Mood in Later Life, New Research Suggests - Victoria Francois

New research shows that the season you are born has a significant impact on your risk of developing mood disorders. People born at certain times of year may have a greater chance of developing certain types of affective temperaments, which in turn can lead to mood disorders (affective disorders). This work is being presented at the European College of CNP Congress in Berlin.

Seasons of birth have traditionally been associated with certain personality traits, such as novelty seeking, and various folklore justifications, such as astrology, have sought to explain these associations. Now a group of researchers from Budapest, Hungary, are presenting a study which links birth season with temperament.

According to lead researcher, Assistant Professor Xenia Gonda, "Biochemical studies have shown that the season in which you are born has an influence on certain monoamine neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin, which is detectable even in adult life. This led us to believe that birth season may have a longer-lasting effect. Our work looked at over 400 subjects and matched their birth season to personality types in later life. Basically, it seems that when you are born may increase or decrease your chance of developing certain mood disorders."

"We can't yet say anything about the mechanisms involved. What we are now looking at is to see if there are genetic markers which are related to season of birth and mood disorder."

The group found the following statistically significant trends:

• Cyclothymic temperament (characterized by rapid, frequent swings between sad and cheerful moods), is significantly higher in those born in the summer, in comparison with those born in the winter.

• Hyperthymic temperament -- a tendency to be excessively positive -- were significantly higher in those born in spring and summer.

• Those born in the winter were significantly less prone to irritable temperament than those born at other times of the year.

• Those born in autumn show a significantly lower tendency to depressive temperament than those born in winter.

Commenting for the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Professor Eduard Vieta (Barcelona) XY said: "Seasons affect our mood and behavior. Even the season at our birth may influence our subsequent risk for developing certain medical conditions, including some mental disorders. What's new from this group of researchers is the influence of season at birth and temperament. Temperaments are not disorders but biologically-driven behavioral and emotional trends. Although both genetic and environmental factors are involved in one's temperament, now we know that the season at birth plays a role too. And the finding of "high mood" tendency (hyperthymic temperament) for those born in summer is quite intriguing."

Click link to read the article on Science Daily .

I found it amazing that there are so many factors apart from the genes we inherit that contribute to what shapes us into adults. I always knew about zodiac signs and how it is thought that your personality is based off of the month you are born in, and this article really highlights that popular belief with this study shown.

The Need for Sleep (Adolescent Version) - By Elyse Jo

Have you ever woken up in the morning and considered going back to bed?  Many teenagers feel the strain of homework and after school activities which result in them going to bed later and later.  However, the start times of schools just get earlier and earlier.  What’s the result?  Sleepy youths with barely enough brain power to get dressed for school.  

While in previous studies it was proposed that early beginnings in schools help students’ education, it is now being reevaluated to show even greater evidence that children will be able to work more productively getting more sleep.

Students should get about nine hours of sleep, but with the daily excursions of being a teenager, many only get around five or six!  Researchers posed ideal sleep times (from eleven- eight-thirty) for kids but many of these students will sleep later and get up earlier due to the philosophy “the early bird gets the worm!”

Administrators may resist such an idea as it will be much work to change the whole schedule, however, the benefits greatly outway the costs.  Students will be more productive, they will be able to function later, and the stress of waking up early and memorizing data while it’s still dark out will merely be a thing of the past.  

Sleep is divided into five stages, one, two, three, four and REM sleep.  While these cycles occur for only ninety-one hundred fifteen minutes, there is generally more that one cycle where as the night goes on, stage four time will decrease while REM cycle time increases.  When children are deprived of sleep, their sleep patterns are disrupted and will change the next time they doze off.  This causes lethargy and insomnia.

I believed that this was the article that I would share because I feel like everybody wants to get another hour of sleep in.  No matter if it’s the all-nighter, the early bird, or the average joe, no matter how old you are the extra hour is like a heavenly blessing.  

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/11/11/why-high-schools-should-let-kids-sleep-in/

To Infinity, (Death), and Beyond!

Many people are always exhilarated when the topic of space is mentioned. What some people do not realize, however, is that space is very damaging to the body in many ways. Too many back and forth trips to space could result in death and other serious effects. So before you decide to sign up for NASA, you might want to take note of the very dangerous challenge you are going to face. Without further ado, here are ten marvelous ways to die (in space!) and what you can do to avoid them.

1. Loss of oxygen: this could happen easily during a spacewalk if an astronaut gets disconnected from the cord that is binding them to their ship. In this event, the astronaut and his/her companions still have about eight and a half hours to help the stranded astronaut to get back to the spaceship -- if the suit functions properly. If not, well, let's just say that the person's flexibility for time has been reduced to just 15 seconds. At this point, the astronaut will lose consciousness and death will quickly follow. So, it's just best to not get carried away and take a plunge off of the spacewalk.

2. Next, we have something called depressurization. This is actually the effect of space that most people are familiar with. If even a small area of skin is exposed to the space vacuum, the astronaut whose skin is exposed will have their lungs ruptured due to the super-inflation of the gases in the lungs. Meanwhile all of the water inside the astronaut's muscles would evaporate, causing the body to swell immensely like a balloon. The organs inside of the astronaut would burst and spill out whatever was inside while bubbles would form in the bloodstream, halting blood flow to the heart and brain. To protect yourself from bodily harm, you must be careful about deciding when to remove your spacesuit and making sure that your cabin isn't open.

3. The Sun's energy in space is so strong that sunscreen will not protect you from getting a space sunburn. Ultraviolet radiation provides vitamin D for our bodies, but when we are exposed to too much of it, we can get awful sunburns, and that's not the only problem UV rays can cause for you. They can give you cataracts in your eyes, they can stop your immune system from working well, they can make your skin age quicker, and they can give you skin cancer. Luckily, spacesuits have been highly experimented on and they are good protection against these powerful rays. If you remain in your suit, you will be fine, but there are still plenty of things that your suit cannot protect you from.

4. Alright, so we've avoided sunburn, but there are also other forms of radiation that can harm you which your spacesuit is incapable of saving you from. If you stayed in space for too long, this radiation could kill you from radiation sickness and will later give you cancer. In fact, the human body is exposed to so much radiation in space that if they took a trip to Mars, they would face an equivalent of getting a CT scan (sort of like an X-Ray scan, but for muscles) every 5-6 days.

5. Big drifting pieces of spacial flotsam are always a threat to astronauts in space. Most of this junk is due to the remains of space technology designed by us that we never bothered to take down. Sometimes it is remains of an asteroid or another rock body. Sometimes it is even the leftovers of a tragic accident. Whatever caused it, space junk is always looking for a chance to create another tragedy, so don't give it that chance. Always be alert and on the lookout for anything coming your way.

6. Space dust is another problem for astronauts, but not as of right now. When the time comes that we will start sending humans to Mars for exploration, they will have to beware the dust particles on Mars, as these particles could stick to anything due to their static electricity. Inhaling these particles would make it chemically combine with water to create harmful chemicals. Although the suits will shield astronauts from this space dust, the dust will stick to the suits and will, consequently, get into the living area of the astronauts, where they take off their suits.

7. Space doesn't take kindly to the immune system. It is highly oppressive against the immune system, which yields a higher risk for astronauts falling sick. Micro gravity in space stops the activation and spread of T-cells, a kind of white blood cell. According to the article, if a person on Earth is infected, the body will release 99 kinds of genes which command the T-cells to attack the infection, while a person in space who is infected will have 91 of those 99 genes turned off. Scientists compared the severity of this to an HIV infection.

8. Muscles and organs aren't the only body parts affected by space. The skeleton, which is actually composed of living tissue known as osteoclasts (old-bone-destroyers) and osteoblasts (new-bone-creators), is affected by space as the microgravity increases the number of osteoclasts and decreases the number of osteoblasts. This upsets the balance and causes the bones to weaken quickly. On Earth, the osteoclasts and osteoblasts are balanced such that they work against each other at an equal rate. What happens in space on the bones also happens naturally on Earth as people get older, causing osteoporosis. In fact, studies performed on Russian cosmonauts showed that the test subjects lost one-fifth of their bone mass after spending some time in space. Lastly, space also messes up the spinal disks and gives astronauts backaches.

9. Forget about TV. Space is up for ruining vision as well! Space causes the optic nerve to swell and it also morphs the eye structure. Sometimes, the effects are so severe that it could nearly blind the astronauts and indirectly lead them into a fatal accident.

10. Many people suffer mental problems due to space. Being an astronaut is not fun and games. The work that people have payed a lot of money to send you up for is extremely stressful. There are also many people working on the same thing at the same time, which is known to cause claustrophobia and anger. People often also suffer from fatigue, sleeplessness, and mood/anxiety disturbances. A longer time in space means more stress for people.

This is why it is very risky being an astronaut. It is however an important job. I found this article interesting because I found many new ways on how space is dangerous which I did not know before. I recommend this to anyone who wishes to learn more about what astronauts face in space.http://science.howstuffworks.com/10-ways-space-kill-you.htm#page=1

Woolly Mammoth Mummy Yields Well-Preserved Brain - Rohan Krishnakumar

The mummified carcass of the 39,000-year-old woolly mammoth nicknamed Yuka.

The brain from the mummified woolly mammoth carcass in dorsal view.
Credit: Courtesy of Anastasia Kharlamova

View full size image

The most intact woolly mammoth brain was found on August 2010 in the Siberian Permafrost. The brain came from a wooly mammoth named Yuka, that was 6 to 9 years old when it died. The mammoth was kept in ice storage after being found.

A researcher named Anastasia Kharlamova wrote "Until now, there was no opportunity to examine the whole brain of a woolly mammoth, which might have had complicated behavior, similar to modern elephants,"

The size of the brain was smaller than it was originally because the cranial cavity had almost two times as much volume as the actual brain. Also scientists found that the brain structure of a woolly mammoth is similar to that of elephants because both species are part of the same family. 

Yuka was the first mammoth with an intact brain, but was not the first woolly mammoth to be found, there were two woolly mammoths found in 2007 and 2009. These mammoths died many years ago, so their brains were not very well preserved.

I found this article interesting because this is the first time people have had an opportunity to observe a full brain of a woolly mammoth. After finding this brain we may be able to compare it to modern animals, which can show us how closely related the woolly mammoth is to other animals. Also this will help us to learn more about what woolly mammoths were like before they went extinct.

Article Link: http://www.livescience.com/48625-mummy-woolly-mammoth-brain-revealed.html

First Solar Bike Path in the World- Trisha Sindhu

A $3.74 million dollar project, officially opening on November 12, a 230 foot bike lane near Amsterdam, Netherlands has been constructed with solar panels, the first of its kind. With panels built using square concrete modules fitted with solar cells and covered with tempered glass, although sounding delicate, can handle the weight of a truck.

The TNO (The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research) has planned to elongate the bike path another 328 feet by 2016, and by then the path should be able to generate enough power to light three houses. With the solar power that could be potentially used for anything, the bike path is going to be monitored on the amount of energy generated and how it is like to bike on the path, especially with up to 2,0000 daily riders.

I found this article interesting since I believe solar energy is the most efficient way to generate energy. 

Through the use of the worlds most powerful heat source, the sun, solar energy is sure to provide a sufficient amount of energy to provide for parts of our world. 

Starting on a small scale such as bike paths, we can slowly male driveways, sidewalks, roads, and eventually highways!

 link to article: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2014/11/05/worlds-first-solar-bike-path-netherlands/

Scientists Close to Finding Another Earth

The possibility of another Earth--is it something of science fiction? Not according to NASA scientists, who are saying the discovery is quite close.

The eternal question of our being alone in the universe is one that constantly floats around the astronomy community. "Finding Earth's twin," John Grunsfield says, "that's kind of the holy grail." Grunsfield is an astronaut who aided in the repair of the Hubble Telescope in 2009, now an associate administrator at NASA. Along with being an issue of philosophy and exploration, the concept of a "twin Earth" relays various complications. For one, the size: finding a planet Earth's size is difficult, as these bodies give off much fainter signals. In addition, finding another planet with Earth's perfect conditions that make it habitable can be problematic.

However, these challenges have not put down scientists, who are still searching. Many believe that greater strides in science are to come, as evidenced by the last decade. "We already know that our galaxy has at least 100 billion planets," says the director of the Space Telescope Science Institute, Matt Mountain, "and we didn't know that five years ago." The hunt for this planet has been conducted majorly by the Kepler Space Telescope, which seeks out planets by finding dips in the brightnesses of surrounding stars. This search is aided by equipment like the Hubble Space Telescope, which because of lightyear travel, allows scientists to see millions of years in the past, and further construct their theories. The scientists write that the path to finding this new planet is ready; now all that is left is to wait.

This article was really interesting to me, someone who goes out of his way to see the latest in space exploration (even when documented in a Christopher Nolan movie). Although when this planet is found, it probably won't have a major impact on our lives, it still does relay an answer to the question of our being alone in the universe. The conclusion of this experiment would bring about so many answers, and just as many questions, and that's something to look forward to.

For more information, refer to: CNN Article

Scientists create World's coldest object by Mridul Bansal

A scientist observing a cryostat containing the copper cube.

Recently, a chunk of copper (1 cubic meter) was cooled to the point that it became the world's coldest object. It was cooled to 6 millikelvins, or six-thousandths of a Kelvin. This is colder than how cold the Earth without the Sun! It took them 10 years to design and build the cryostat where the copper is frozen.

While it is interesting that they created this frozen specimen, it was not to set any World Records. They want to explain why there is so much more matter in the universe than antimatter. They reason that since matter and antimatter "cancel" each other, and they were equal in quantity at the beginning of the universe, meaning that the universe shouldn't be the way it is. However, matter came to dominate, which is beneficial towards us, seeing as how otherwise we wouldn't exist.

This experiment allows scientists to view neutrinos, and to see how they interact with other particles. I don't completely understand the science (they are professionals), but what I do know is that if the experiment is successful, it will define physics and cosmology for years.

I personally think that the discovery is one of  many to follow about the beginnings of our universe and I believe that it is important to know how we came to be. Knowing how the universe was created can help answer some other questions, like: Are there other universes or What will happen to our universe? Also, the development of cryogenic technologies could improve the way we store our food.

The chamber is called Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events. The copper cube is surrounded by lead so no radiation gets in or out. As of right now, the particle detection chamber has not been built, but when it is, expect to see some sparks fly.

Link to article and picture: http://www.livescience.com/48514-coldest-object-created.html