Journal Entry #12: Architect

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/images/p06-to-p07/p066-1-jpg.jpg

Career Overview

An architect is someone who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of a structure, for example a library. In architecture both art and science is involved. Just like other forms of art, there are many different types and styles in architecture, such as “post-modernism.” A lot of science and physics is also involved in architecture.

Journal Entry #11: Nanowire Battery

Silicon nanowires before and after lithium absorption
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2008/january9/gifs/battery-nanowires.jpg

Introduction

For the grant proposal, my group’s idea is to make an efficient and reliable electric car while using various types of renewable energy to power the car (wind, solar, water). By doing this we wish significantly reduce the dependence on fossil fuels for transportation.
In order to increase the efficiency of the car, I decided to research upon a highly efficient battery that we could possibly use for our project. I came across a scientific journal in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, titled “High-performance lithium battery anodes using silicon nanowires.”

Journal Entry #10: Super-Sensory Hearing

Newspaper article: Key to Super-Sensory Hearing? Newly Identified Hearing Organ in Bushcrickets' Ears May Inspire Acoustic Sensors

Article by: ScienceDaily

http://images.sciencedaily.com/2012/11/121115141538-large.jpg

Summary of the Article

Scientists from the University of Lincoln and Bristol have discovered an organ, called the “Auditory Vesicle” in the ear of a bushcricket. This organ converts sound waves to mechanical, hydraulic, and electrochemical energy. This discovery reveals that the bushcricket ear does “air to liquid impedance conversion and amplification” like the ear of a mammal. Dr. Fernando Montealegre-Z, one of the researchers who discovered the new organ, plans to further study the ears of different bushcricket species in order to understand how the insects can each other’s high pitched sounds over long distances.

Journal Entry #9: Computer Hardware Engineer

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/computer-hardware-engineers.htm#tab-1

Career Overview

Computer hardware engineering is a career that I find interesting. A computer hardware engineer develops, designs, and tests computer equipment. Examples of equipment that they design include circuit boards and computer chips. This career appeals to me because I have an interest in computers and technology and I like seeing the way things work. In addition, computer hardware engineers use chemistry, which is one of my favourite parts of science.

Journal Entry #8: Cancer

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Cancer

During our biology unit a few days ago, we learned about cancer. We learned what cancer is, how it develops, what the possible causes are, and what treatments are available for it. I knew some of the things that we learned in class, for example, I knew that cancer was unregulated mitosis (division) of abnormal cells. From the class discussion and lesson on cancer I learned quite a bit that I did not know. I learned that cells become abnormal because sometimes the DNA isn’t copied correctly into the new cell. When this happens, usually the cell will repair its DNA, or if it cannot be repaired, the cell dies.