Food Science

This is a podcast of a radio show interview with a food scientist.

mooselover1892

Social Networking and Kids

I recently read an article on the concerns of children on social networking sights such as Facebook and MySpace. The sites have an age limit but there is no telling that the child may be lying about their age. Some scientists worry that the use of these sight by children may lead to internet addiction and can damage the brain and the child's relationships. I never thought that kids were on these sights and to think of it, it does make sense because the children go onto the sights to play games. I knew that preteens have been using these sights but I never knew that children were. This worries me and I think it it ridiculous that the parents of these children allow them to have a social networking profile becuase not only can it cause an addiction but it can also put the children in danger. This will hopefully stop and hopefully there will be a way to make sure that the age of the user is not a lie.
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Peshawar Bombing (Extra Credit)

I recently read an article on a bombing in Peshawar in Pakistan. The bombing tragically killed eleven people, three being children, and injured at least twenty, two of which were police. There were also several cars destroyed because this was a suicidal car bombing. This article relates to science because the explosions were science and because the mental issue of the bomber that caused him to bomb the car line were psychological issues. Psychology is a study in science of the mind or of mental states and processes. The explosion of the bomb was science because it was a chemical reaction that made it explode.
The article's URL is: http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-11-14-voa14.cfm

Science and Glee

Glee is a show about a high school glee club, a grouping of students who sing an dance together, in Ohio. When watching this show you would not think it relates to science but it does. In the glee club, the students sing and when singing, you use the voice box or larynx, which houses the vocal cords which connect the base of the neck to the trachea and the air from your lungs then strikes the vocal cords and produce song. That right there is science. Singing is actually physics as well because the vibrations of the vocal cords which convert air movement into sound energy. On the show they also choreograph and dancing is both biology and physics because it requires muscle fibers and is movement. There are also laws of gravity involved and that is science too. Though this show and many other shows are not thought of as science, they are and everything is science. How do you think you watch shows on your TV?

Roof Tiles That Change Color

I recently read and article on these roof tiles that change color to make heaters and air conditioners less strained. I chose it because the idea caught my eye and I was not sure what the title meant by " Roof Tiles Changing Color" .These tiles would turn white in sunny, hot weather to reflect the sun and in cold weather, the tiles would turn black to attract the sun. These panels will then either cool or warm up the house and will make the heaters and air conditioners less strained. The tiles are made up of layers of thin, clear plastic and a substance similar to the common hair gel. I personally believe that this was a great idea and am surprised that it was not thought of before. It is commonly know that the color black attracts heat and that white reflects the sun and this idea was simple and I really am surprised it was not mentioned sooner. I personally could have came up with the idea but would not have known how to make the product work. This idea actually interests me and I actually want to be an architect of environmentally friendly buildings and this is something someone in that career would use.

http://www.livescience.com/technology/091015-heat-tiles.html

Global Warming And It's Drastic Effects

I recently read an article about global warming and how drastically it is effecting not only the arctic but places everywhere around us. This personally scares me and I feel that action needs to be taken. I have always had a belief that global warming was not good and that it needs to stop but this article has made me realize how serious this matter is. For some animals such as some reindeer, global warming is actually good for them because the moisture from the heat is making the plants that they eat grow so finding food is easy for them. Other animals on the other hand, such as the caribou have not been able to adjust there calving season so there population is decreasing. Though the growth of these plants is good for the reindeer, it is not good for the environment because there is an over population of plants in those areas. The reindeer would have been fine with the plants that the environment has provided them with. All of this is happening now and will continue to get worse if we do not do something about it. Making a change is really not very difficult at all. What we can do is simple if everyone would just carpool more often and save gas in anyway possible and use less electricity. By doing this, we could create a huge difference.

http://www.livescience.com/environment/090910-arctic-biology.html

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Structure of Earth

I recently did an experiment on the structure of the Earth and the texture of the Earth's mantle. We had to add water to cornstarch and mix it together.The mixture created was floury and solid when pressure was applied. When not, it was liquid. The mixture was both liquid and solid depending on the pressure. When handled, the mixture becomes solid and more dense. When I pushed my finger into the mixture quickly, the mixture becomes solid beneath my finger. When I push my finger in slowly, my finger goes deep into the mixture and the mixture stays a liquid. When slowly poured into the other hand, the mixture stays a liquid and does not solidify. After a while of handling the mixture, it began to remain solid and would not become a liquid as often as before.The mixture is similar to the earth's mantle because the mantle moves slowly just like the mixture and the density is similar as well. They are also both very thick. In conclusion, the experiment was successful in proving that water mixed with cornstarch is similar to the earth's mantle and I have learned the similarities.
Bill Nye the Science Guy: What In the World?