Ecology in Tangerine

Muck fires are fires that burn underground. They are started by decomposing vegetation spontaneously combusting or when the dried vegetation is struck by lightening. These fires can burn for weeks and are hard to extnguish. When burning underground, they create a horrible odor that lasts for weeks. (answers.com/fire extinguisherswww.cityfire.com)

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/news/2006-05-10-florida-muck-fires_x.htm

In Tangerine, Mr Costello, Paul's Dad is asked to replace the Director of Civil Engineering, when the current Director was removed for never caring about his job. Mr. Costello inherited alot of problems, including the muck fire. In order to end the fire, he hired a contractor to dig wells around the fire. The wells would pump water and hopefully, put the fire out. The solution did not work.

What happened was the water created a swamp around the fire, which created a breeeding ground for mosquitoes. To destroy the mosquitoes, the area had to be sprayed with an insecticide, which could be harmful to animals and people.

Mosquitoes found their niche in the swamp area. A niche is a habitat which supplies the factors necessary for an organism to survive (Merriam-Webster.com). Mosquitoes need water, shade and high levels of moisture to survive. They also need standing water to reproduce. A swamp is a perfect place for mosquitoes to breed.

The problem with mosquitoes is that they carry disease. They carry the parasites in their bodies and pass them to people or animals. The parasites that mosquitoes carry include those that cause malaria, yellow fever and Africian Sleeping Sickness. These are deadly diseases.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/list_mosquitoborne.htm

Because mosquitoes may carry parasites that cause disease, Mr. Costello made the right decision to have someone spray to eliminate the problem. But, the best way to eliminate the problem would be for the swamp to dry up, to eliminate the breeding area.

But, then the muck fire still burns....

Parasitism

Meet Oliver and Lola:

Meet whats in them:

This insect is called a tapeworm. If you have ever had dog, chances are, you have taken him to the docter for a shot to get these insects removed. If you have not, then these insects are living in your dog right now. These insects can cause abdominal pain, nervousness, weight loss, vomiting, or severe itching around the butt. Your dog can get it from ingesting fleas, trasmited from infected soil, or from eating rodents.
http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_tapeworm.html

Now meet Lola and Oliver worm free:

Tree

A tree is a biotic organism because it is living.

http://blabberize.com/view/id/231443

tornadoes

Why can't I go to sleep?

Recent studies show that going on your Ipad or Laptop before you go to sleep is bad. Scientists say there is like a sleep timer in your head and when the timers up, you go to sleep. This timer gets reset when the brain sees a bright light. When that happens your brain thinks its the afternoon and gives you extra energy to help keep you up. Reading a book with a little lamp does not reset that timer. So when its close to bed time, watch TV instead of going on your Laptop or Ipad.

6 to 7 hours of sleep is good, but 7 to 8 hours is suprisingly makes a big difference. In the morning that 1 or 2 hour difference in sleep realy helps. It will change your morning attitude completely.

go to this website for more info:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/05/13/sleep.gadgets.ipad/index.html?npt=NP1

Technology today is amazing.

Technology today is amazing. Scientists come up with everything. They are making a radio with no knobs! A radar system that can detect through walls, and is so sensitive that it could sense some one breathing! A headband that moniters your brain waves and translates those brain waves into computer comands. This headband commands the computer to do whatever you are thinking of! A pair of 3D glasses that turns your TV into 3D TV! An implantable antenna that docters put inside of you to moniter your health! These new creations are only in development now, but soon they will be available to buy in stores. How they come up with this stuff, I don't know, but its amazing. The Iphones today can do anything. For example you can buy a GPS app or a diagram of the human body that when you click on a part of the body it will give you a full explanation what it is, what it does, and where its located! These are only two out of thousands of awesome apps. You can watch TV on it, play checkers, chess, backgamon, monopoly, anything! If you want to find out how these items work click on the hyperlinks below.

http://www.cnn.com//2009/TECH/10/28/future.gadgets/index.html?npt=NP1

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/03/18/cnet.3d.tv.glasses/index.html?npt=NP1

http://www.apple.com/iphone/apps-for-iphone/

3D glasses and Brain moniter for computer

Radar machine and Radio with no knobs

Math blog

Global warming has alot to do with math because global warming is the increase or decrease of temperature. From 1906 through 2009, there was a 1.3 degree F. increase in temperature throughout the world. Because of pollution, the temperature is rising at a more rapid rate. The more the population of the world pollutews, the quicker the temperature will increase over time. Global warming can even be caused by humans, because as we breathe, we ehale carbon monoxide. That doesn't mean that breathing will increase global warming at an alaming rate, though is important to think about. I'm not suggesting that we all stop breathing, just that we are aware of how easy it is to increase global warming. To reduce global warming, we should increase planting trees, because tree realease oxygen and take in carbon monoxide. ANother way to decrease global warming is to invest in solar panels. Solar panels take in sunlight and produce electricty, naturally. Solar panels are a bit expensive, but they will pay for themselves over time. My Dad has solar panels, and his electriv bill was decreased to $2.00 per month, all by using natural energy. Additonally, the government will pay apprixmately 50% of the solar panels and installation, and send the owner of this system a rebate to decrease the overall cost. If your family buys solart panels, let me personally thank you for reducing your carbone footprint. A carbon footprint is how much carbon monoxide you or your family may release into the environment during its life time. Reduscing carbon monoxide reduces global warming!

http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/11/the_mathematics_of_global_warm.html

Why use steroids?

Why are all these baseball players on steroids? They're illegal! How can a drug make a baseball player better!? It's a drug, not some magic pill that will make you magically stronger! Or is it?

Anabolic steroids are a version of the male sex hormone, testosterone. Like testosterone, anabolic steroids increase muscle mass by stimulating cells to produce new protein. Normally, without steroids, you can only workout once every few days because when you workout, you push your muscles more than the max amount of weight you can lift. Doing that causes your muscle tissues to rip and grow back bigger so you can lift more. When your tissues rip, your body requires a few days rest or your muscles will hurt. With steroids you can work out every day. Steroids also help you work out by giving you the ability to train longer. Taking steroids can cause high blood pressure, mood swings, heart damage, acne and even baldness. Professional athletes are prohibited from taking anabolic steroids, yet they still do. Even if you take anabolic steroids, you don't become a better athlete, you become a cheater.

Here are a list of baseball players that have used steroids:

Click picture to go to website.

(When you get to the website just scroll up because it will be scrolled down a bit.)

http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/Drug_guide/Steroids

a patch that can replace a shot

Researchers have recently come up with a patch that can replace a painful shot. This new patch is like a band aid with microscopic needles inside. These needles are about 200 microns long and only a few strands of hair wide. This patch is painless and can be applied easily. This patch can be picked up at a pharmacy.

http://www.livescience.com/technology/090819-microneedle-patch.html

What to do and not to do to prevent you from getting H1N1

There are several things to do and not to do when trying to avoid H1N1, AKA the Swine Flu. What not to do is to stock up on antiviral drugs that you don't need because if you do and you don't need it then you are making it that much harder for people who do need it to get it. Do people a favor and buy only whats needed. One way to help prevent H1N1 is to wash your hands because washing your hands kills germs and that might prevent you from getting the swine flu if the swine flu germ is on your hands. In addition to washing your hands, cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. If you are thinking about getting the nose spray version of the swine flu vaccination, think twice! To get this, you have to be fully healthy and you have to be aware that you are getting a weakened version of the swine flu. People that get the shot, receive a dead version of the swine flu.




Some of the symptoms of H1N1 are: having a fever, stuffy nose, aches, and chills. If you have any of these symptoms, DON'T COME TO SCHOOL. Go see a Doctor and feel better.





http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/13/swine.flu.checklist/index.html

5 States of Matter

In my Science class we only learned about 4 states of matter. I recently discovered that in 1995 someone discovered a fifth! The fifth state of mater is called Bose-Einstein condensate. They called it this because in the 1920's Albert Einstein and Satyendra Bose predicted a new state of matter. This state of matter is the exact opposite of plasma. Plasma is an over-active state of matter and Bose-Einstein condensate is an under-active state. Bose-Einstein condensate is only a three billionths of a degree higher than absolute zero. In case you are wondering what absolute zero is, it is the temperature at which all molecular movement stops. You will not see this often in someones house. This is an extremely dangerous state of matter if you compress it under a lot of pressure. It will make a black hole!




http://www.chem4kids.com/files/matter_becondensate.html