Underground Parks are on their way!

Plans for an underground park in New York City have been introduced, this proposed park would convert an old trolley station into a public park for residents to escape the busy atmosphere of the city above. The plans propose a series of reflective arches to capture sunlight and fiber optic cables to then direct the sunlight down below to the park for the plants that will be growing. Inspired by the already existing park above the city called the Highline, made out of an abandoned stretch of railway, this new park will be called the "Lowline". Similar to many other scientific revalations, this project will not be coming cheap, for the " Lowline" to become a reality $60 million will be needed. Most of that money will be attained through private investors and groups. If this money can be raised in time construction is due to begin in 2019.

1. Summary: NASA launched spacecraft, Orion aboard a Delta IV Heavy rocket. Orion's purpose was to test what may happen when NASA sends astronauts to asteroids and eventually, Mars. 
2. Personal Reflection: As a child, outer space has been an interest of mine. I like the thought of being in outer space. I wonder what NASA's definition of "deep space" is because that is where they plan to go. 
3. APA Citation:

NASA. (2014, December 5). Successful launch of NASA's Orion spacecraft heralds first step on journey to Mars. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 8, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141205142327.htm

The Dangers of Obesity

        This article expresses the stress obesity puts on your body. Obesity can shorten your life expectancy by 8 years. The h Institute of the McGill University Health Cent and the University of McGill also found that if weight was gained at a younger age the more harm there are more risks of developing different conditions and or dying earlier then someone who lived a healthier life. This article also goes over the different ailments you can get from being over weight. This article was very interesting because It stresses how important it is to have a healthy life style.

McGill University Health Centre. (n.d.). Obesity may shorten life expectancy up to eight years. Science Daily. Retrieved from Science Daily database.

Researchers based in Australia have transferred over 40% of the suns solar cells into electricity to power the grid.

Researchers based in Australia have transferred over 40% of the suns solar cells into electricity to power the grid. "This is the highest efficiency ever reported for sunlight conversion into electricity," UNSW Scintilla Professor and Director of the Advanced Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics (ACAP) Professor Martin Green said. The 40% is an achievement that has been waiting a life long. "The new results are based on the use of focused sunlight, and are particularly relevant to photovoltaic power towers being developed in Australia," Professor Green said.

I choose this article because I feel that we should be greener. I think that we should be greener with our energy because solar energy is safer. If you look back in history you can see multiple examples of nuclear energy plants leaking nuclear activity or worse.

University of New South Wales. (2014, December 7). In world first, researchers convert sunlight to electricity with over 40 percent efficiency. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 8, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141207091648.htm

Researchers create a 3D haptic image that can be felt

Researchers have just recently developed a new and brilliant advancement in the field of haptics (otherwise known as touch feedback). They have created, through the use of ultrasound, a device that can project a tangible 3D object that can actually be felt. The device works by focusing ultrasound onto the subject's hand causing vibrations which can then be felt. In addition to this, by focusing the chaotic patterns of the ultrasound, the air disturbances caused can be seen as floating 3D shapes. This technology could lead to the development of many other amazing developments in the future and could change the way we view and feel the world.

This technology, I feel, is a huge advancement for us and our lifestyle as humans, and could be of great use in many different fields. What I love about this discovery is that could practically be used for anything imaginable. This invention could create the future that every futuristic Hollywood movie envisions. The benefits of 3D haptics to fields such as surgery and engineering would be absolutely astronomical.

Works Cited

University of Bristol. (2014, December 2). See it, touch it, feel it: Researchers use ultrasound to make invisible 3-D haptic shape that can be seen and felt. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 5, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141202123846.htm

How Brain Cues May Affect Memory

A new study from the UT Dallas Center for Vital Longevity has shown that the brain activity prior to seeing an item is related to how well it is later remembered. In addition, the researchers found that the activity in different areas of the brain is also related to how the information was remembered. Dr. Richard Addante, a senior lecturer in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and lead author of the paper, says that a way to help improve memory is by knowing the factors that make memory worse and the factors that make it better. For the experiment, the participants decided which of two words or pictures would fit inside the other, and functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to look at the participants' brains. Before the participants did this, however, and "X" would show up if the items would be presented as words or an "O" if the items would be presented as pictures. 20 minutes after each participant did his or her experiment, they were tested to see how well they remembered the pairs of items. The experiment concluded that the brain activity prior to seeing an item is related to how well it is later remembered, and that the activity in different areas of the brain is also related to how the information was remembered. I chose to use this article because I am interesting in how the brain works and especially how it affects memory. I liked how the researchers did not only find that brain activity prior to seeing an item is related to how well it is later remembered, but that they also found that the activity in different areas of the brain is also related to how the information was remembered.

University of Texas at Dallas. (2014, December 3). Brain study uncovers new clues on how cues may affect memory. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 7, 2014 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141203084059.htm

Religion, Science, and Morality

Summary of "Print: atheism's poster boy Sam Harris on the science of morality" by Olivia Koski

In this article, Sam Harris, one of atheism's four "horsemen", is interviewed about his new book, The Moral Landscape. In it, he discusses religion's view of science and how one can be moral without religion. He emphasizes that morality that is science based is about caring and doing what is best for others, and that one will do something that will only benefit everyone as a whole. Although many will  claim that religion helps others behave morally, Harris argues that religion can give people bad reasons to to good things. For example, donating to stop world hunger because it will get you into heaven is morally wrong compared to donating to actually help those in need. Many think that atheists are inherently immoral because of their lack of religion, but Harris says that religion is "the wrong software" for making decisions that affect human well-being as a whole.

I think this article is especially interesting because the application of science to our daily lives is not exactly what many people think of when they think about science. Also, Harris points out that science transcends borders and the research is universal. Another more controversial topic he discusses that is very relevant in students' lives today is the idea that scientists cannot be religious without being hypocritical, frankly. So, Harris criticizes scientists who try to form connections between the two, and I personally find it difficult to imagine how someone can analyze data and evidence all day, then come home and completely ignore the evidence, rather lack thereof, and return to religion.

References

Koski, O. (2010, November 29). Print: atheism’s poster boy Sam Harris on the 

     science of morality. Wired. Retrieved from http://www.wired.com/2010/11/      pl_print_harris/