Download Michael Fera 9/13/09 HW#2 Selecting a Topic 1. Planck Sees Light

Michael Fera
HW#2 Selecting a Topic
9/13/09
1.
Planck Sees Light Billions Of Years Old, NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
Aug. 26, 2009, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090814202536.htm
2.
The article I read, “Planck Sees Light Billions Of Years Old”, talks about how
light was collected by the Planck space telescope that scientists believe was from the
original big bang explosion. The light traveled more then 13 billion years when it
reached us on August 16th 2009 and was received by light traveled in cosmic
microwave background, which is a type of EMR (electromagnetic radiation) that fills
the universe and can only be seen with a special radio telescope. The radiation was
received in a test and information like this will be gathered for 15 months or so and full
results from scientists will be expected in three years.
3. How is this important to society?
This is very important to society because it can change peoples beliefs forever.
If the mission’s results go well, it can prove the big bang theory true which would also
be disproving many huge theory’s and religions thought’s on how the universe became
the way it is today.
4.Who are some of the top scientists in this field? Where are they working?
Some of the top scientists in this field are all from NASA’s JPL (jet propulsion
laboratory) and are from very well known university’s such as: The California Institute
of Technology, The Infrared Processing and Analysis Center at Caltech; University of
California, Davis; University of California, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California; Princeton
University, New Jersey; University of Miami, Fla.; Stanford University, Calif.; and
University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
5. What type of equipment or organism do they use when they study this topic?
The scientists at the JPL use powerful telescopes and cameras. The main
telescope being used for this mission is on an observatory space craft named “Planck”.
6 Why is this interesting to you?
This topic is interesting to me because I am fascinated by deep space and the
studying of EMR. I would possibly do a project studying a topic pertaining to the
electromagnetic spectrum.
Michael Fera
HW#2 Selecting a Topic
9/13/09
1.
Dramatic Biological Responses To Global Warming, SceinceDaily, September
11 2009, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910142348.htm
2.
The article I am reviewing is called “Dramatic Biological Responses To Global
Warming”. This article talks about the problem with global climate change and how it is
dramatically affecting the northern and southern Polar Regions. Almost every aspect of
these areas has suffered. For example, over the last 30 years, 45,000 square kilometers
of sea ice coverage has melted each year, which completely changes the habitats of
hundreds of species of animals. The team of Eric Post, the top scientist on this topic, has
noticed that some of the severe damage caused by vegetation was a result of an
unexpected release of methane into the atmosphere.
3. How is this important to society?
This article is extremely important to society, because the results of global
climate change can dramatically change the ecosystem because many animals are dying
and having to change living habits because of loss of resources in areas in the north.
4.Who are some of the top scientists in this field? Where are they working
The leading scientist of this project is Eric Post, a biology scientist at Penn State
University
5. What type of equipment or organism do they use when they study this topic?
The equipment used to study this topic is common weather equipment;
Thermometers, Humidity readers, and carbon dioxide and methane detectors that read
levels of gasses in the air per cubic foot.
6 Why is this interesting to you?
This topic is interesting to me because I enjoy reading and studying biology
topics. I enjoy learning about different species and it is also makes me more considerate
to animals and wild life that are effected by global climate change and makes me want to
help do something to prevent polar region’s ecosystems to collapse.
Michael Fera
HW#2 Selecting a topic
9/13/09
1.
Fossils From Animals And Plants Are Not Necessary For Crude Oil And
Natural Gas, Swedish Researchers Find, ScienceDaily, September 12, 2009,
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910084259.htm
2.
This article talked about information pertaining to alternate sources of energy,
which are very necessary in the time we live in. The article mostly talks about how
animal and plant fossils aren’t needed anymore to create oil, because they found new
sources of creating oil that can be found all over the world. Creating new oils can be
very helpful because the supply of fossil fuels is lower then the demand meaning
society is using more crude oil then is available and eventually the amount available
would reach zero, but that wouldn’t happen for a while anyway. These new sources can
help add to the amount of fuels supplied and give time for fossil fuels to be created.
3. How is this important to society?
This is extremely important to society, because it changes the entire ecosystem
and has a big effect on the economy. With more oil being supplied prices can lower in
oil, leaving people with more money which and stimulate the depressed economy.
4.Who are some of the top scientists in this field? Where are they working?
The top scientist in this field is Vladimir Kutcherov, a sweedish science professor at the
Division of Energy Technology at KTH (A European institute of technology)
5. What type of equipment or organism do they use when they study this topic?
The equipment used to study this topic is an oil refinery, drills, thermometers, a
globe divided into a grid used to study the surface of the earth.
6 Why is this interesting to you?
This topic is interesting to me, because I enjoy learning new ways to create
sources of energy. I also enjoyed this topic, because I want to maybe do research and
create a project based on alternate forms and creating forms of harvesting energy.