Astronomers Find Newly Discovered Asteroid is Earth’s Companion

Astronomers from the Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland have learned that a recently discovered asteroid has been following Earth as it orbits around the Sun. They believe that this has been occurring for at least 250,000 years. They also believe that this asteroid named 2010 SO16 may be related to the origin of Earth.

The WISE infrared survey satellite, launched in 2009, discovered the asteroid two months after it was launched. Scientists, Apostolos Christou and David Asher, started to study this asteroid after they realized that its average distance from the Sun was identical to that of the Earth. They also discovered that the asteroid’s orbit is almost circular so that it cannot come close to any other planet in the solar system except Earth. This is very unusually for asteroids. Most asteroids have egg-shaped orbits that take the asteroid through the inner solar system. Currently, three other asteroids of Earth are known to exist but unlike 2010 SO16, is by far the largest of Earth’s asteroids. It has an estimate diameter of 200-400 meters. Christou and Asher have already used the Las Cumbres Oberservatory’s Faulkes Telescope in an ongoing campaign to track the asteroid. Christou and Asher would ultimately like to know where the asteroid originated from. But for now, they are planning to study the physical properties of the asteroid from the ground to discover its possible origin. If it proves unique in some way, they hope a probe can be sent to study it up close and to bring back a sample for laboratory scrutiny.

I believe Christou and Asher’s research into this new asteroid will help us better understand how our galaxy was created. I am anxious to see what new information is discovered about asteroid 2010 SO16. A probe to 2010 SO16 would provide scientists with information to unlock some of its mysteries. I hope someday, the scientific world will send probes to space to analyze this asteroid as well as the other asteroids that orbit. I think a lot can be learned about our Earth by studying these asteroids.

Resources:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110406132024

A Renewable Twist on Fossil Fuels

Scientists attribute global warming, an increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s surface to increased levels of greenhouse gases. Man’s increased use of fossil fuels, industrialization, pollution and deforestation have created much more greenhouse gases which in turn has caused the temperature on Earth to increase at a faster rate than ever before. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that has contributed to global warning. Scientists are researching ways to reduce greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.

Joel Rosenthal, a chemist at the University of Delaware, is working on a method to transform carbon dioxide into gas for cars and a source of clean energy fuels. If he succeeds, we will be able to reduce the rising carbon dioxide levels responsible for global warming and also devise a method of creating renewable energy production. Oak Ridge Associated Universities, a consortium of 98 Ph.D. granting universities has selected Joel Rosenthal to receive the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award to pursue his research into turning carbon dioxide into a useful fuel. Rosenthal and his team are designing electrocatalysts from metals such as nickel and palladium that will freely give away electrons when they react with carbon dioxide. This will chemically reduce this greenhouse gas into an energy-rich carbon monoxide or methanol which in turn could be used as a basis for fuel production.

I am very interested in seeing if Joel Rosenthal and his team succeed in turning carbon dioxide into a new fuel source. His research is very important not only in providing a new fuel source but for the reduction of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas attributed to global warming.

Resources:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110505162938.htm

Tooth Pick Fish

We are currently learning about genetics in my science class. We’ve learned how to determine what alleles (physical traits) an offspring would inherit from its mother and father. Just recently we performed an experiment that was related to both genetics and ecology. We were given 24 toothpicks (8 green, 8 red, and 8 yellow) that represented three different form of a gene that controls one fish trait: skin color. The first step in our experiment was to make a first generation of fish. This was done by randomly pulling out genes (toothpicks) in pairs. This simulated the way offspring are formed by sperm from the male fish combining randomly with eggs from the female fish. In this experiment, the color green was the dominant gene, which meant that if a fish had a green gene, then it would have green skin. Since green was a dominant gene it was represented by “G”. The colors red and yellow were recessive genes, which meant that a fish would need two red genes (toothpicks) to be red. This also meant that a fish would only be yellow if it had two yellow genes (toothpicks). Since, they are recessive genes they are represented by “r” (for red) and “y” (for yellow). A red gene was co-dominant to a yellow gene. This meant that the combining of a red gene and a yellow gene would produce a fish with orange skin. This is called incomplete dominance, which means the two traits are mixed.

A way that we can examine an organism’s alleles is by analyzing their genotypes and phenotypes. The phenotypes are what the offspring actually look like. In this case, the phenotype is the skin color of the offspring fish. The genotypes are the genetic traits in an organism. It has to do with the genetic coding of an organism. In this chart, the genotypes are represented by letters to show the offspring’s alleles. In this experiment, the phenotypes and genotypes were as follows:

Green: GG, Gr, Gy
Red: rr
Yellow: yy
Orange: ry

As you can see, the phenotype is the color of the fish and the genotype represents their genetic coding. From this chart we learn that an offspring with green skin had a parent who had green skin. Since green is the dominant gene the offspring automatically inherited the green skin color no matter the skin color of the other parent. An offspring with red skin came from parents who both had red skin. An offspring with yellow skin came from parents who both had yellow skin. An offspring with orange skin came from one parent who had red skin and the other parent who had yellow skin. From the information from this chart, we can say that two red fish cannot have offspring with green skin because neither parent had a green gene. We can also say that two orange fish can have a red offspring because both parents have a red gene. From this chart, we can also determine that two green fish cannot produce an orange offspring. Since green is the dominant gene the offspring automatically inherits the green skin color no matter the skin color of the other parent.

Total number of each color of offspring:
First Generation: Lots of seaweed and algae everywhere
6 Green Fish, 1 Red Fish, 1 Yellow Fish, 4 Orange Fish

Second Generation: Lots of seaweed and algae everywhere
8 Green Fish, 1 Red Fish, 0 Yellow Fish, 2 Orange Fish

Third Generation: Lots of seaweed and algae everywhere
8 Green Fish, 0 Red Fish, 0 Yellow Fish, 3 Orange Fish

Fourth Generation: Lots of seaweed and algae everywhere
6 Green Fish, 2 Red Fish, 1 Yellow Fish, 2 Orange Fish

Survivors: Seaweed and algae die
0 Green Fish, 2 Red Fish, 1 Yellow Fish, 2 Orange Fish


My first generation of fish consisted of 6 green fish, 1 red fish, 1 yellow fish, and 4 orange fish. In the experiment, our fish lived in a stream that was very green and had lots of vegetation and algae covering the streambed and banks. Because of the environment they lived in, the yellow fish did not survive or reproduce because their color stuck out in their green environment and it was easy for them to be seen by predators. My second generation of fish yielded 8 green fish, 1 red fish and 2 orange fish. I notice that the number of green fish has increased. The green fish are well-camouflaged so the live longer and can reproduce. My third generation of fishes yielded 8 green fish and 3 orange fish. I notice that my second and third generations do not have any yellow fish. Since the yellow fish cannot camouflage themselves, they have fallen prey to predators. This has prevented them from reproducing and has caused their population to decrease. But fortunately, the yellow allele has not disappeared. It is still carried by the orange fish. The same situation can also occur in the wild. Animals that have traits suited for their environment can hide from predators, live longer and can reproduce, thus increasing their population. Animals with traits that do not suit their environment will fall prey to predators. Their population ends up decreasing and the traits they carry will disappear. For the fourth generation, I came up with 6 green fish, 2 red fish, 1 yellow fish, and 2 orange fish. During the fourth generation, an environmental disaster occurred. Factory waste was dumped into the stream and killed most of the seaweed and algae. This meant that there were only rocks and sand left, which made good camouflage for the red, yellow, and orange fishes. Since there was no greenery left, all the green fish were easily spotted and eaten by predators. The population of the green fish disappears. The survivors of the environmental disaster consisted of 2 red fish, 1 yellow fish, and 2 orange fish. The population of fish had decreased because its environment changed and they fell prey to predators.

In the beginning of the experiment, I noticed that the fish with yellow alleles were disappearing because of predators. The population of the yellow fishes dwindled while the green fish population flourished because the green fish possessed a dominate gene color and had the ability to blend in with its environment. This allowed them to survive and reproduce. By the third generation, there were less yellow fish in the third generation than the first generation. This can also happen in the wild because animals that have traits that cause them to be easy prey start to disappear. By the end of the experiment, an environmental disaster occurred and eliminated the green fish’s camouflage. This made the green fish easy prey for predators. The population of the green fish disappeared after the environmental disaster. Since green was a dominant allele, every fish that had a green allele would automatically be green. The green allele disappeared when the green fish perished in the environmental disaster. Future generations of fish will never inherit the green allele. The red, yellow and orange fish posses the red alleles and the yellow alleles. Since they survived the environmental disaster, the red and yellow alleles survived. This means that the red and yellow alleles can be passed on to future generations of offspring. This experiment showed me that dominate genes can be quickly eliminated while recessive traits can survive because they are hidden.

After the experiment was completed, I wondered what would happen if the lab had been changed. If both the yellow and red fish did not survive or reproduce because their colors allowed them to be easy seem by predators, what would happen? From the experiment, I concluded that the decrease in the red and yellow fish population would cause a decrease in the orange fish population as well. Fish with orange skin come from a red fish parent and a yellow fish parent. If the population of red fish and yellow fish decrease then the population of the orange fish will decrease.

By: greendragon

Mission to Mysterious Ice Giant Uranus Proposed

A group of 168 scientists from Europe and the United States have submitted a proposal to the European Space Agency (ESA) detailing their desire to explore Uranus. A mission called Uranus Pathfinder is being planned to investigate Uranus’ orbit and to study the planet’s chemistry, rings, and moons. Scientists believe that an investigation of Uranus will help them better understand the evolution of planets in our solar system as well as how other star systems form. Twenty-five years ago, NASA’s Voyager 2 flew past Uranus on its way to Neptune. It provided scientists with a glimpse of Uranus. Scientists are anxious to get a better look at this planet. Uranus, Neptune, Jupiter and Saturn are called gas giants because they are massive planets with thick atmospheres and solid cores. Uranus and Neptune are very different from their gas giant cousins, Jupiter and Saturn. Uranus’s and Neptune’s clouds of atmospheric gases contain water, methane, ammonia, and traces of hydrocarbons whereas Jupiter and Saturn are composed mainly of hydrogen and helium. Uranus is also called an “ice giant” because it contains large amounts of ice in its atmosphere. There are many mysteries surrounding Uranus that scientists would like to investigate. Uranus’ axis of rotation has an extreme tilt. It appears that Uranus orbits the sun on its side. Scientists are also interested in studying Uranus’ magnetic poles which appear to have a very different magnetic field. Unlike other planets, Uranus generates little heat and it has 27 moons. Scientists believe there is that there is a wealth of knowledge that can be obtained from the study of Uranus.

Since Uranus is so far from Earth, a spacecraft to Uranus could take anywhere from 8 to 15 years to reach the planet. Until recently, such an exploration did not seem feasible. The farther away a planet is from Earth, the more difficult and the more expensive it is to get there. Technological advances have made the cost of sending a robotic mission to Uranus more manageable.

I am very interest in seeing if and when the mission to explore Uranus will take place. Since Uranus is so far away from Earth little is know about this planet. I am anxious to see what new information is discovered about Uranus. A mission to Uranus will provide scientists with information to unlock some of Uranus’ mysteries.

By: greendragon

Citations:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41257486/ns/technology_and_science-discoverycom/

IBM Computer Takes on Two Jeopardy Champions

Recently, the game show, Jeopardy, announced that they will pit man versus machine this season. The IBM computer, Watson, will be taking on two of Jeopardy’s former champions, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter. Ken Jennings broke the Jeopardy record during the 2004-2005 season for most consecutive games won. He played 74 games during the 2004-2005 season and accumulated more than $2.5 million. Brad Rutter was a contestant who had won more money than any other contestant on Jeopardy; more than $3.2 million. The IBM team hopes that their IBM computer, Watson, can answer questions as fast as a human. They have created Watson to listen to the questions then quickly and correctly answer them. In preparation, the IBM computer has been playing mock Jeopardy games with former game show participants. The developers believe that the IBM computer is now ready to face Jeopardy’s most successful champions. The Jeopardy challenge is similar to the chess match played by an IBM machine in 1997. In the chess match in 1997, the IBM computer called Deep Blue beat chess champion Garry Kasparov. Deep Blue was able to calculate 200 million chess moves per second based on a fixed problem. In the Jeopardy challenge, Watson will have to work differently then Deep Blue. Watson will have to listen to the question, interpret the question, figure out what it is being asked and answer the question.

The Jeopardy games featuring Watson will be airing February 14-16. The IBM researchers hope that question-answer systems like Watson will have real-life impacts on businesses such as health care, online self-service desks and tourism. The computer’s ability to quickly sort large amounts of data and answer precisely, as well as rank its confidence, will improve the intelligence of computerized systems and thus make life easier for humans.

I am amazed that new question-answer computers like Watson actually exist. I am anxious to see how well Watson performs against humans. I can’t wait to see if a computer system like Watson can think and react like a human. Like many others, I will be watching Jeopardy to see how Watson performs in this Jeopardy challenge. If the IBM team can create a computer that can think like a human, there is no telling what advances can be made to artificial intelligence.

Citations:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/40656286/ns/today-entertainment/

http://www.eweek.com/index2.php?option=content&task=view&id=65508&pop=1&hide_a...

By: greendragon

Pine Barrens Website

This website is made by greendragon, jazzmatazz9 and blackshinyarmordragon:

http://www.omegaredpinebarrens.webs.com/

Mutualism

This picture shows me standing in the foyer of my house with a tree. My parents purchased this tree when I was a baby. It sits in our foyer and has grown quite a bit since when we first bought it. You may be wondering what kind of relationship I could possibly have with a tree. Well, this tree and I represent an example of mutualism. Mutualism is a relationship between two organisms in which both benefit greatly from the association. This association is necessary for the organisms to survive. Without plants and trees, humans could not survive. Plants and trees produce oxygen which is the most important nutrient to the human body because life could not exist without oxygen. Every cell in our body uses oxygen. Brain function decreases dramatically when it does not have enough oxygen. Humans cannot survive without the oxygen produced from plants and trees. On the other hand, plants could not survive without humans. Humans produce carbon dioxide when we exhale. Plants take the carbon dioxide to make their food. The carbon dioxide is combined with water and sunlight in a process called photosynthesis. Oxygen is a byproduct of that process. Without the carbon dioxide produced from humans, plants could not produce food to survive. Plants (and trees) and humans are dependent on each other for their survival.