11 New Planetery Systems!!!

26 new planetary systems have been discovered and they have 26 confirmed planets!!  "These discoveries nearly double the number of verified Kepler planets and triple the number of stars known to have more than one planet that transits, or passes in front of, the star."(quoted from the article.)  This will help astronomers learn more about how planets are created. Their orbits are different, they very in between 6-143 days, so that means that they are closer to their star, in fact all of them are closer to their star than Venus it to ours. "Prior to the Kepler mission, we knew of perhaps 500 exoplanets across the whole sky. Now, in just two years staring at a patch of sky not much bigger than your fist, Kepler has discovered more than 60 planets and more than 2,300 planet candidates. This tells us that our galaxy is positively loaded with planets of all sizes and orbits." this was said by Doug Hudgins. Because of all the gravitational pulling going on between all the planets, it causes some of their orbiting speed to accelerate, while it causes other to decelerate. Also what is very interesting (quoting from the article) is that "Five of the systems contain a pair of planets where the inner planet orbits the star twice during each orbit of the outer planet. Four of the systems contain a pairing where the outer planet circles the star twice for every three times the inner planet orbits its star." Also according to Jason Steffen he said "These configurations help to amplify the gravitational interactions between the planets, similar to how my sons kick their legs on a swing at the right time to go higher," that I think is a great analogy about the swing and the kicking of the legs at the RIGHT time to go higher each time. 

I think this article is really interesting becuase it just goes to show how much we have developed in this region of study. Look at around the time of Galileo, we were still working on discovering all the planets in OUR own solar system, and now we are at solar systems and planets and stars way beyond our own. We are also not only looking at the large things we are looking at light and air and atmospheres and water and heat and cold and distance and rotation and gravity and so much more. And go back around to Columbus time, we even once though the world was flat. Just look at then and now, big difference right? And this article just made me so much more aware of our development in this field, and how we will go even farther. To us, the planets, and the future!!!   

Amazing story!!! please read this as well, it is where I got all my information http://www.dogonews.com/2011/11/10/gecko-inspired-adhesive-tape-can-hold-up-and-adult-and-be-re-used

This is a very interesting article about the recently invented and discovered tape (20 by 20cm) can hold an entire man. It has the same elements of a geckos feet and is the first time we have ever been able to mimic it. The reason geckos and some other animals do walk on surfaces without being affected by gravity or things such as it is because they have thousands of tiny hairs called setae (pronounced see-tee). They cover their entire feet and legs. Eventually the hair is split into a thousand pieces and at the bottom of each one there are these sort of suction like cups called spatula that hold the gecko on the wall or ceiling or whatever they are on that gravity does not effect. If they want to let go and fall they just send their setae to another angel. The only problem about it is that it is very costly and will not be out into he market for purchases or use to any media or anything until they are able to reduce the price.


   I find this article very interesting. I find it simply ravishing and amazing that it is even possible for a 20cm x 20cm piece of tape can hold a full grown average height and weight man. Up until now this has never even entered my mind. I cant wait to and hope to see the day that it is released onto the market so i can try this miracle tape myself. I feel that this article shows how far science can go and that all the possibility are endless.

Class Rabbit Population Chart

Mock Mission to Mars Article Summary and Reflection

Mock Mission to Mars is a Dogo News Article from here It was published on November 6th 2011
In this article they talk about how the European Space Agency (ESA) had six very brave astronauts  who agreed to do a pretend trip to mars They were sealed in a 1,000 square feet for five hundred and twenty days. They were all from different nations and the only form of contact that they had with the outside world was through via time-delayed e-mail or through the mission controllers. Because this was all they would have if they were really to go to mars. Just think of having to sort our how much food was allowed to be eaten and how much water was allowed to be used throughout the day. You had to think also for the water extra because there was a greenhouse for growing fruits and vegetables, so you would have to calculate how much water would be used for growing fruits and vegys and how much would have been used for daily consumption. Also becuase of this ti has allowed us to get many answers to mnay questiosn that we were not sure of for when in decades to come, we would actually travel to mars. For example, we did not know how people would act in a confined space for such a long time.

However, I do ask my self some questions. Could they leave when they wanted to, and could I ever do that?? I would think that is something dreadful happened, for a close member of the family or friend died, you could leave, or you just simply coukdnt bear not being with your familt any more, or you just wanted to leave, you could. Personally I do not think I could ever stand that. Being away from my family and friends for that long would be impossible. Also I was wondering if those astronauts knew each other and were friends, or they simply only met for this project. But cootos to them!!

One Man's Quest To Restore Florida's Coral Reef.

Ken Nedimyer is a man who's goal is to restore and save Florida's Coral Reef(s). When he was thirteen his whole family went on vacation to Florida and then he went back to   Florida for collage and stayed to live there. In 1977 some cold fronts hit Florida and the Staghorn and Elkhorn coral that wasn't killed was terribly wekend and later got infected with White Band Disease. And just as the coral started to get better in 1985 two hurricanes hit Florida and killed a lot of the coral, this put them on the endangered list. Ken and his Daughter decided to grow back, artificially, 

this coral and then place it back in the ocean. They got her high school to do it as a project and it was incredibly successful and after that they decided they waned to continue on with this project. Finally in 2004 they got their first 

granted permission from Florida Keys National Marine to start a project. Now in 2011 there is much improvement, however it may not be back to normal yet, but we have re grown and re planted coral over the entire Florida Reef Tract all the way to the US Virgin Islands 

Dolasia, Meera. "One Man's Quest To Restore Florida's Coral Reef." Dogo New's 

23 Oct. 2011: 1.

     Dogo New's. Thursday. 27 Oct. 2011. <http://www.dogonews.com/2011/10/24/

     one-mans-quest-helps-restore-floridas-coral-reef>.

Dirt: the Movie

The movie that we watched in Science class about dirt was a very interesting video. There were many valid points in it such as how we need so save the dirt and make it as it once was; fertile, moist, healthy, and a good source for growing our food. Due to modern technology and chemicals used to preserve the food and kill the pests with pesticides it has caused harm to the soil, filled the food with toxins, and harmed the hydrological cycle, also harmed humans health, because they toxins get into the air and we breath the air and that can harm our bodies and possibly give us future cancer. Birth defects sometimes also occur here is an example:

This baby was born with no arms or legs because of what pesticides did to her mother while she was carrying. No one should suffer from birth defects or health problems because the industry wants to make some more money. However, they do benefit us as well, they allow us to grow more crops, faster, and makes them cheaper as well for less fortunate families and individuals.

Also look at the people who spray the pesticides on crops. Depending on the part of the world you live in, some are better equipped than other, for example, in India and China those workers are not at all protected and there is a high chance that they may get a fatal disease later in their life and may weaken their organs, such as their lungs and heart, and lower their immune system, who also work for very little amounts of money. While someone in America may be equipped with gloves, masks, and protection from the toxins sprayed. They may not get sick due to toxins, because they have the proper tool and equipment. So compare these two men and how their lives may be differ. Think of the man with all the proper tool and equipment, and how his future health may be, and how the man with no proper tools or equipments future health may be. This video about dirt was very informative, however to biased I think. It favored one side over the other, which is ok, as long as you give the positives and negative's of BOTH side. This video only focused on the positives of their opinion and the negatives of what they are against. They did not stat any of their negative's or positives of their opposing side. For me to form an opinion I would need to hear something more only stating the facts, not opinions,