lives-saving copper to the rescue in hospitals

  Recently, Adam Estelle and his fellow engineers have developed copper alloys that were germ-free and could save thousands of lives in hospitals.

  Many facilities in the hospitals, such as IV poles, sinks or bed rails etc, may seem clean and harmless. However, on these, there are millions, or probably billions of harmful bacteria and micro organisms that contribute to hospital-acquired infections, which may be fatal for the patients. This infection is also one of the main illness that causes death in United States, as 2 million people are infected every year. Studies conducted by UA research study shows that disease-causing organism can survive on stainless shell surfaces for two weeks, while 99.9% die within two hours on surfaces that contain at least 60% copper. Hence, copper surface can be very efficient in preventing the organisms from causing infections 
in the hospitals.

  Hence, Estelle and his fellow engineers have developed copper alloys for health care industry and also co operated with manufactures to gear up for producing copper alloy products, which can help to make the project more efficient. They also received the EPA certification for the antimicrobial effects of copper so that more manufacturers could tell the others the potential benefits of using these coper- alloy based products. Estelle also conducted a pilot test at Ronald McDonald House in Charleston, S.C, in order to test out whether the project was indeed useful. He redesigned the house so that most of the houses's frequently touched tools and furnitures, such as sinks, kitchen tables and chair arms, were made out of copper alloys. The results show that, this has created a safer environment for families, children and staff as there were 94% less bacterias than before. In addition, it  also helped out the manufacturers, for example, the Elkay company, to advertise their copper alloy-based products to hospitals. 

  Now, his next challenge was to persuade the hospitals to replace their previous surfaces with copper alloy ones. Many hospitals have been considering this changeover, since this has been proven to be quite effective and they also received the EPA approval. Another reason is due to reduced wasted money on the infections. Every year in USA, $35 billion to $45 billion are spent each year to treat hospital-acquired infections, but they have been proven ineffective as the chances of survival is very low about 1 out of 5. Thus, if the new changes are implemented and the hospitals changes their surfaces to copper surfaces, the number of hospital acquired infections cases would significantly drop about 50%, therefore reducing mortality rate as well as the financial costs. Estelle claims that this way the hospital do not have to manually ask the patients to take actions to prevent infection, and there is no need for maintenance for these surface cleaning procedures.

Here is a video of how copper surface can help get rid of germs.

Reflections
  Before I read this article, I never realized the effects of copper on bacteria and other micro organisms. When I first read the title of the article, I wondered, " how could a metal prevent bacteria from attaching onto the surface?" However, after reading through, I was surprised by how effective copper was in preventing bacterias. When the other surfaces such as wood allows harmful micro organisms to survive for 2 days, copper kills 99.9% of the bacteria within 2 hours. The idea of how this copper could be used to cure the hospital acquired infection was also unexpected, and I think that this is actually very creative. 

  I did not know what was Hospital Acquired Infection at first. Hospital acquired infection, according to my research done after reading this article, was an infection that patients get during their stay at the hospital, due to some micro organisms that exist on hospital facilities, hospital staffs, or other patients. It was also very astonishing that this was the 4th most deadly disease in United States. I was disappointed by the hospitals, how they did not take care of the sanitation and sterilization of tools and furnitures. The hospital was supposed to be where people are supposed to get treated, not to get infected and receive a deadlier disease. Hence, I believe that hospitals also have some responsibility to this problem 
in USA. 

One of the most significant hospital acquired infection: Clostridium Difficile.

  Although this copper-alloy surface may reduce the number of hospital acquired infection significantly, but I believe that this method cannot get rid of the infection completely. The bacteria and micro organisms that cause the infection are not entirely from the surfaces of hospital furnitures and facilities. They come from other patients, health care workers and improper medical treatment. Therefore, I believe that the hospitals' responsibility is the most important in preventing this infection. They have to ensure that the medical tools are sterilized before used and also make sure that the medical treatments are properly carried out. The hospital staffs should ensure that the patients do not contact with each other and stay away from each other. They should also check themselves and keep clean, so that there would not be bacterial or fungi on the clothes or the skins, which could infect a patient. 

  In conclusion, I believe that the co operation between the hospital and these remarkable group of scientists is needed. The hospital should always take care of the sanitation and the medical tools. Estelle and his group of engineers and with the help of the manufacturers, should continue to develop more copper-alloy products, and improve the quality until it can completely kill nearly all the micro organisms that exist on surfaces in shorter than 2 hours. If the co operation occurs and this project proves itself to be successful, thousands, or millions of people would be saved. 

term 3 reflections and plans for EOY exam

  In this term, we studied about the convex lens, colors of light and also plants and human reproductions . The topics were pretty interesting and fun, although they gave me a headache as we had to memorize a lot of words such as placenta or uterus. We also had a new teacher too: Mr Tan Kok Chong, who in my opinion, is a much better teacher than our previous teacher, Mr Yap. He explained the topics really detailed and simply, and answered our questions with simple yet complete explanations. He also gave us a lot of activities to do such as nature trail and drawing comics about STI, which added to the joy of science lesson.

  This term 3 science test was a test that showed my complacency and why I should always be humble and hardworking at all times. The test was pretty okay, without many questions that were out of syllabus, like last term's. However, during the test, I became to complacent and therefore ruined my MCQ section, getting 27 out of 38. I could have gotten so much better: all the mistakes were careless mistakes that if I read the questions carefully, I could have easily scored a mark. I was really regretful and embarrassed how I could get these easy questions wrong. Mr Tan also told us that since 7 marks were absent due to question error, he decided to give us a mini test, which would be out of 7 marks, and the score would be added to the paper scores to give the final scores of the term test. This was my only hope of getting A1. I had to get full marks. Since I was very desperate,  I went home immediately and started to study and read the notes once again, this time not missing out anything. 

  The mini test was mainly about physics, involving long-sightedness and short-sightness. The questions were fairly easy, hence this was my opportunity. After reading the questions carefully, I could apply my knowledge about convex and diverging lens to get all the questions correct, scoring 7 out of 7. I was really happy, and also let out a sigh of relief since I really barely passed A1.

  This experience told me some valuable lessons that I would apply in my EOY test in term 4. Never ever be complacent and always have a proper mindset. Read the questions carefully and don't miss out necessary details. Since term 4 is the most important test of the year, which contributes to what class I would be assigned to, I had to do well for the science test. I really want to go into Science and Math special program me and term 4 was the only chance of me getting into it. I decided to study hard and really get a grade that I would never regret. All the experiences and lessons I learnt from the tests in term 1,2  and 3, I would be utilizing in term 4. I trust myself that I can accomplish a satisfying A1, as I can if I make my mind. So let's do this!

Bee sting as therapy?

  Many people think that the honey bees' stings are harmful and poisonous that can harm our body. However, some medical doctors claim that this fixed perception is wrong. In fact, the bees' stings can be used to cure diseases. This method is known as "bee venom therapy", which is a part of Apitherapy (using products from bees in medication).

The medical doctors claim that bee venoms are very effective in curing diseases, such as arthritis, rheumatism, back pain and skin diseases. The bee venom is a rich source of enzymes, peptides and biogenic amines. According to the doctors, there are at least 18 active substances in the bee venom that possess pharmaceutical properties. They believe that the bee venom reacts with the body's immune system, bring some changes to the immune system's functions and modify the level of cortisol in our body, which can help to fight back against these diseases. Some of the patients claim that this method has helped them to cure some of the diseases. 

This bee sting therapy is actually based on the methods of acupuncture, which was practiced mainly in China traditionally. The body areas that are stung and the methods of this therapy is highly similar to acupuncture. A live bee is taken out of a container using pincers, and is stimulated so that it would sting the patient's body. Then the bee is slowly removed while the bee sting remains in the skin, together with the intestines that continue to pump the blood into the body even when it is out of the bees body. Here, the places that are stung are based on the acupuncture system, for example, where are the main bloodstreams. This method has been actively practiced in some regions of China and Europe. 

Later the area reacts with the body's immune system and the region that is stung gradually becomes swollen, red and itchy. The doctors say that the more intense the reaction is, the better it is for the body. 

here is a documentary about the practice of using bee venom therapy in a clinic in Taiwan: many people believe that this therapy is indeed effective. 

  However, despite all these doctors' claims, many scientists say that this theory is not true as there are no valid evidence. There has been no proof that the substances that exist in the bee venom is effective against strong diseases such as rheumatism, when it cannot be solved even by our modern medication technology. Moreover, experiments conducted by some scientists show the otherwise. A group of scientist researched on how the bee venom could affect the white rats which were suffering from Experiment Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis. The results show that, the rats conditions did not get better, but instead got worse due to the venom. Another example was done on human patients. 26 patients were treated with bee venom therapy for 24 days but there were no signs of improvement. Hence, bee venom was not an effective medical treatment. 

Reflection 
  This is a very interesting topic as it brings what you know to the exact opposite idea. As most of us do, I thought that bee stings were very harmful and poisonous that can even lead to mortality in some cases, and we should try to avoid getting stung as much as possible. However, this article suggests that some people do want to get stung by bees! The article also explained how bee venom could be effective in treating many of the known diseases. I was puzzled and at the same time, quite convinced by the explanations given by the doctors who support this therapy. The bee venom have substances such as peptides which can contribute to breaking down bacterias and help the body to fight against diseases. I think that if the venom can affect our own body cells, why can't it attack the bacteria's and viruses too? Moreover, if the venom activates our immune system and stimulates it to release some substances to fight against it, the substances can also be used to fight against the diseases too. Hence, I believe to a certain extent that this therapy is indeed true and effective. 

  However, much research needs to be done. This is just not scientifically proven, just that it has been practiced for a long time and several patients have claimed that this method is effective. The experiments and studies that the scientists have shown that the therapy do not possess any effectiveness.  If bees' venoms  really had these substances that could cure those diseases that have remained to be problems until now, why didn't the scientists notice them and use them in medications before? In addition, only a small sector of the total patients who received this care answered that it had indeed cured their diseases. Can this serve as a reliable evidence that the therapy is useful? The evidences are too small and weak to validate this therapy as scientific.

  In my opinion, I hope that more research is conducted and figure out whether the bees' venom could actually help humans deal with these diseases before. If the scientists discover some useful substances that have pharmaceutical value, they may be able to use it for different medications to treat diseases such as cancer that could never been cured before. You may never know the potential powers that nature possesses. 

how video games can improve our vision

  It is a common believe that video games makes our eye sight deteriorate. However, Daphne Maurer thinks she has proven this fixed perception wrong: she actually claims that video games, which mainly includes First Person Shooter games, may help to improve the eyesights of people who are born with cataracts .

Medal Of Honor:
One of the games suggested by Dr Maurer that could improve one's vision.








  Dr Maurer is not a gamer: however, she was a psychologist who worried about how to solve cataracts that developed from a young age. After she read about Daphne Bavelier's report about how computer games could improve people's eyesight, she came to wonder, "If computer games could improve eyesights of people with normal vision level, why can't it help people with impairments?" Thus, she began to start her studies on how computer games could help people with cataracts.

Daphne Maurer

  She gathered a group of volunteers, and several parents allowed the test to be conducted on their children as they hoped their children could get better vision. They were warned of the potential dangers, such as the violence and addiction to FPS game. Her experiment team tested the volunteers' visions first, and first supervised their gameplay as even games needed a specific learning curve. After teaching them, the team made the volunteers to play the game for several hours, around 10 hours per week. This experiment continued for a month.

  After a month, Dr Maurer gathered the results and figured out that the volunteers' visions surprisingly improved. Most notably, the volunteers could detect direction of motion easier than before. They could also see smaller details, notice their surroundings and see things that are in lower contrast. These result suggested that sensory brain could change in adults. The reason for these positive consequences can be found in the nature of FPS games. To start with, the person must have a wider view of the screen, not only what is in front of them. They have to be observant since the enemy could appear form anywhere. The brain have to react quickly to what the person is seeing and carry out the action. This increases the dopamine level in the brain. The researches have also tried the experiment using Tetris game instead of FPS games. However, since the game was not fast paced, it did not have any effect.


  Dr Maurer suggests that the scientific explanation behind this phenomenon is that the FPS games are changing balance of excitation and inhibition in the inputs to neurons in the visual cortex. The brain could be useful in breaking old connections and allow new visual connections to form. The brain also becomes more active as it reacts to even small and weak signals. Although some critics claim that the number of volunteers that are used (7 people) was too small to confirm the success of the experiment. However, Dr Maurer says that these people had suffered cataracts for long and they all improved in a month period. Hence, this shows that the experiment was indeed quite successful. 

 One of the main question that whether the video games should be violent. She hopes not and she is currently researching on how to create a game without any violence and also perform the same function. Maybe it could be the adrenaline that could have driven the peoples' eyesights to be better, but she still has a lot to figure out. 

Reflection
  This topic was an interesting topic to me, as it was an idea against our fixed perception that computer games were bad for our eyesight: instead, it went even further. This was a study that suggested that computer games could cure eyesights of people with cataracts. Our parents always tell us to stop playing computer games since it could damage our eyesight, but this theory may have proven them wrong.  

 eyes with cataracts 

  In my opinion, I think that this study is an amazing breakthrough, as it can help many people recover and improve their eyesights. If this research turns out to be successful and confirms itself as a valid scientific theory, game developers can co operate with these researchers to create more games which can function similarly and help the people with cataracts to improve their eyesights. They can also try to create a game together which is less violent, but can function the same way as the FPS games. This way, the negative side effects of the experiment, which were addiction and violence, can be solved. 

  The explanation that Dr Maurer also makes sense to me in some aspects. The player has to concentrate not only on one main focus but have to look over the entire monitor sand observe carefully even the smallest thing since there  could be enemies everywhere in a FPS game. Moreover, when the player sees the enemy, his brain has to react on what he sees and make an action corresponding it. Hence, this can improve the activity of the brain and also enhance the connection between visuality and the brain performance. The eyes can also spread its vision wider and also concentrate on small things depending on different situations. I think that this actually makes sense. In the game, we have to switch our view models several times depending where the enemies are. The researchers can utilize this fact and help the people with eyesight problems to improve on their visions.

  In conclusion, I hope that Dr Maurer continues her research and elaborate more on how the game can really influence the people's eyesights and also perform another experiment to validate her theory. Last but not least, she should try to co operate with the game companies to create a nonviolent game that helps to improve people's eyesights, and cure cataracts. 

Here is a video of a related topic, about how video can games may cure lazy eye. 

10 of the most bizarre animal defense mechanism in the world

  There are thousands and thousands of animals that exist in Earth. Each of them have different characteristics, as well as different methods to survive in the harsh nature. Among these animals, there are 10 animals, whose defense mechanisms are the most bizarre and strange in the world.

1. Malaysian Exploding Ant

These ants, as their name suggests, explodes when they are attacked. These ants have glands that are full of acidic toxic. When they meet a predator that is potentially dangerous, they contract their abs and the glands explode, spraying the poison at the predator. This method, although fatal to the ants themselves, can be very useful in causing the predator to run away, or even die.




2. Sea Cucumber

 These "cucumbers" can change their body states- from solid to liquid, and liquid to solid. The Sea Cucumbers have collagen in their skin, which allows them to effectively absorb or excrete water, to change their body states. The Sea cucumbers turn to liquid and squeeze through small gaps while returning to solid so that they cannot be extracted. A more interesting fact is that, these creatures can turn their body inside-out, which means that they can flip their digestive tract, leaving them exposed. The toxic juices from the digestive tract poison the predator.

3. Hagfish

The hagfish: they are not eels, neither they are snakes. These creatures secrete a very sticky micro fibrous goo when they sense a threat. This goo reacts with the surrounding water to create a suffocating slime barrier, almost immediately. This slime is very fibrous, and also firm, which makes it difficult for the predators as well as preys to escape. Some hagfish fall to their own defense mechanism sometimes, but they usually twist themselves into knots in order to escape from their own goo barrier.


4. Hairy Frog

These frogs have "painful" defense mechanism. They break their own bones when they sense threat, in order to release sharp claws which pierce through the skin and scratch the predator. The powerful muscle tissues around the claws contract when the frog senses danger, and hence pushes the claw out of the skin, revealing a strange yet deadly weapon. The scientists figured out that the wound would eventually heal itself, but they are not sure whether the "claws" can be retracted back or not.




5. Bombardier Beetle

Bombardier Beetle is the only known animal that is able to freely combine different chemicals together, to form a defensive mechanism. The insect's abdomen contains two combustible chemicals, which are hydrogen peroxide and hyrdroquinone. When the beetle meets a predator, it quickly mixes the two chemicals inside the body. After that, the beetle produces a special enzyme which allows the beetle to control when the explosion would occur. When the insect is ready to shoot, it fires a boiling hot chemical mixture through its anal glands. This chemical mixture is so hot that it can even cause skin burn when sprayed. It is also incredibly fast in speed, with considerably good aiming, since its abdomen can turn in 270 degrees, just like a turret.

6. Texas horned lizard

This lizard is usually found in the Southwest region of United States. Many people would expect the defense mechanism of this lizard as its horns and spiky scales on their body. In fact, the interesting fact is that this lizard defends itself by firing blood through their eyes. The lizard pressures its own sinus cavities, until the blood vessels around the eye explodes, firing blood through the eyes. This seems to be an intimidating defense mechanism, and there is a chemical inside the blood that gives a foul taste to the predators, chasing them away.





7. skunks

The skunk is one of the Mustelidae family, which includes weasels and ferrets, and is known for its musk, which has an incredibly disturbing smell. The skunk's anal musk is very powerful- in fact, it is so strong that when sprayed directly, the victim may suffer temporary blindness. The smell is also a very powerful defense weapon. The musk contains chemicals such as thiols, which contains highly offensive smell like rotten eggs, burnt rubber and garlic. This smell is powerful enough to chase off predators and can last for very long. The skunk can usually fire its musk from 3-6m, and the smell can be detected by human nose even from a mile away.


8. Opossum

Opossum is the actor in the animal world. It can play dead, which is so realistic that it can trick predators easily. It can foam at its mouth, in order to convince the predator that it is poisoned, sick or insane. The Opossum can also secrete a green fluid, which contains chemical that emits a foul smell. It is known that when the predator meets an Opossum playing dead, it easily loses its excitement of killing it, and just leaves the Opossum.

9.  Potato Beetle (larvae stage)

Potato beetle larvae does not have a hard shell until it becomes an adult insect. Hence, it appears as a very tasty meal for many predators, including other predatory insects and birds. A Potato beetle larvae has a very effective yet disturbing method of self defense. This beetle feeds on nightshade leaves, and after eating, they secrete feces which they pile them on their back, and carry around. When the predator tries to attack, it immediately presents its feces, which is smelly, distasteful and also poisonous. Hence, the predators usually avoid this insect. This method of defense is also referred as "fecal defense".





10. Hemeroplanes Caterpillar

Hemeroplanes Caterpillar is just an ordinary caterpillar at first, just with an exceptionally long and thick body. However, when it senses a threat, this insect immediately transforms into a different creature. This caterpillar is a master of disguise and camouflage- when it inflates its body, its triangular shaped head, together with a snake-like body skin, makes it resemble the pit viper, a poisonous and aggressive snake which is a predator to many animals. This caterpillar is also capable of flailing, mimicking the moves of the viper when it is ready to strike its victim. Hence, many predators tend to avoid this caterpillar, making its defense mechanism a very effective weapon.

Reflections
 The moment I saw this news article from the title lists, I was very curious and interested since I loved animals and their characteristics that allowed them to survive in the nature simply were out of our imagination. After reading this article, I was dumbfounded, and also respectful how amazing the nature was. These creatures had defense mechanisms that we could never think of or imitate.

 One of the two animals among the article that impressed me the most was the bombardier beetle. This beetle is basically a "scientist" in the bug world. No other animal knew how to combine different chemicals together, to form a steaming hot substance, which could potentially cause skin burns and even death to some smaller predators. It was so bizarre how a bug, when it did not even learn chemistry or how the hydrogen peroxide works, could utilize it so effectively that it could save its life, as a self-defense weapon.

  Anther animal was the Hemeroplanes caterpillar. This caterpillar really tricked my eyes when I first saw a photo of it. It really looked like a snake, and it was so realistic that I read the animal's name over and over again. This caterpillar was the master of disguise- the more interesting thing is, it did not just imitate an ordinary snake, but instead, it took the appearance of a pit viper, which was a very aggressive venomous snake. I was really surprised by how clever this caterpillar was, and realized that this appearance could indeed prevent many predators from attacking this caterpillar. The funniest thing I learnt about this caterpillar was its behavior. This crafty little caterpillar hunched its body back and forth, just like how the viper moved when it was ready to strike its victim. It was amazing how this caterpillar could even imitate the moves of the snake. Did it observe how the snake move and learn from it? I have no idea, but I had to admit that I was amazed by the mother nature once again.

Breast milk-the power of mother's love

  The first "food" that a baby receives when it is born is his mother's breast milk. The benefits of breast milk have long been known and appreciated, but recently scientists at Duke University Medical Center figured out that breast milk was much more effective in protecting the infants from potential diseases and illness.

Recently, a research was published in the "Current Nutrition & food science" that the a mother's breast milk fosters colonies of microbiotic flora in a newborn's intestinal tract that provides the infant with better nutrition absorption and also improve their immune system. 
  
   William Parker, PhD, associate professor of surgery at Duke and senior author of the study claims that this study would be useful as it tells us how the breast milk could affect the bacteria system. Moreover, in cases where breast milk was not available, they could mimic a similar type of substitute in order for the babies to maintain its nutrition level and immune system.  Scientists have also figured out how the diet, together with the intestinal flora, of the infant could play a key role in his immune system. Earlier studies have shown that breast milk lowers the incidence of diarrhea, influenza and respiratory infections during infancy, while protecting against the later development of allergies, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and other illnesses.

  In order to prove their theory correct, the scientists grew bacteria in samples of infant formulas, cow's milk and breast milk. For the infant formula, the researchers used three brands each of popular milk- and soy-based products, and they purchased whole milk from the grocery store. Breast milk was donated and processed to separate different components, including proteins, fats and carbohydrates. They also tested a purified form of an antibody called secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA), which is abundant in breast milk and helps establish an infant's immune system. These products were all assigned with E-coil bacteria. In the breast milk, bacteria stuck together to form biofilms -- thin, adherent layers of bacteria that serve as a shield against pathogens and infections. Bacteria in the infant formula and cow's milk proliferated wildly, but it grew as individual organisms that did not aggregate to form a protective barrier. The bacteria in SIgA had mixed results, suggesting that this antibody by itself isn't enough to trigger the beneficial biofilm formation. Hence, it shows that the breast milk of mother's was much more powerful and healthier than any artificial milk-based products and even SIgA. 

E-coil bacteria 

  
This study has allowed the scientists to mimic the mother's breast milk as closely as possible, and potentially help out those infants, who by some accident, did not receive their mother's milk. Parker claims that his group would conduct more researches and studies on human whey have a clumping effect on the bacteria, and what bacteria could be protected from the body. The scientists hope that they can produce a more healthier version of infant formula, which can work as effective as the breast milk.

here is a video about the benefits of breast milk; 





this video talks about how the breast feeding is not only important to the child's development, but also important and beneficial to the mother who is feeding the child as well.

Reflections

  I never knew that a mother's breast milk was so beneficial to her child. It was basically an all-rounder medicine, which provides everything that the child needs during its infant stage. I believe that the breast milk is what allowed us to be here, healthy and strong. Without the breast milk, I doubt that we would be able to survive, as we would be prone to many diseases including infant-stage infections. 

  I hope that the scientists succeed in developing substances that can work extremely effective, almost perfectly imitating what the mother's breast milk does. This could help to save many children who can not receive their mother's breast milk, due to some factors. Moreover, not only a "super milk" could be created, the substances that can be found in mother's breast milk can be used to create medicine and vaccines that can help to improve the immune system of many people who are suffering from diseases.

  In my opinion, I believe that the reason why breast milk is so beneficial to the infants is not only due to the healthy substances inside the milk that can prevent diseases and infections, but also partially thanks to the mothers' love towards their children. Without the mothers' love towards their children, their children would not be able to grow healthily. This may sound superstitious, but it is also proven scientifically. According to a research done by some scientists, the baby feel more comfortable and relaxed when he is breast fed, than drinking milk through a bottle. Hence I feel that an incredibly important bond between a mother and her child can be form when she is breast feeding her child, and therefore influence the child's development. 

How do babies learn language?

  One of the main characteristics that define humans from the rest of the animals is the ability to communicate with language. It seems natural that humans learn how to speak, just like an instinct, but how do we learn our language? The journey begins when we are first born.

  For years, scientists have struggled to figure out the explanation for this incredibly complicated process. MIT's linguist as well as political activist Noam Chomsky thinks he has the answer.  He claims that the babies have some kind of unconscious understanding of syntax and grammar, allowing them to learn language incredibly quickly. Moreover, they have a built in "bias" which helps them to understand the languages and pick up words from other people's communications. He suggests that the babies' brains understand the grammatical structure of our communications and try to utilize it to communicate.

  The languages in Earth can be categorized into 4 categories, according to the grammatical structure, involving the placement of modifiers such as adjectives or numbers, before or after a noun. Thus, the babies' brains learn the formula of the languages, and use it to form their own sentences. The babies also learn language by segmenting different sentences. When babies meet a sophisticated and long sentence that is hard to understand as a whole, their brains break the sentence into several segments, allowing the babies to easily understand what the sentence is telling them. The babies later utilize their vocabulary and put them together in a similar structure, and hence create their own sentences.

  The babies learn words, mainly by imitation and linking. The babies hear numerous words in one day: according to research, in one day, the approximate number of words that the babies hear is 18,000 to 30,000 words. This is incredibly a lot of words. The amazing thing is, the babies' brains actually take in all these words! They try to imitate the sounds, length and the pitch of the words, even when they do not know the meaning. The babies' brains eventually match the words with the pictures that match the words, and this is how babies learn words. For example, the most common word that babies first learn is "mom" or "dad". The parents usually speak these words to the babies, and since the babies see their mother or father while they listen to these words, they can link the words "mom" and "dad" to their parents.

Reflections
  After reading this article, I was literally amazed by how complicated the process of learning language was even when it seemed to be natural to us. The scientists also had a lot of difficulties when trying to figure out the explanation behind the phenomenon. It was also surprising by how the babies' brains could understand the grammar structures even when they did not have any lessons on the topic and also utilize the structure to create their own sentences. However, I wondered what is the "special understanding of grammar syntax". How did the understanding of syntax came to exist in babies' brains? The scientists say that it is a natural instinct, but then how did we get the ability? That is still a homework for us to solve in order to fully understand how we learn our language.

  The most interesting fact in this article was how the babies learn words. The babies start with simple words such as "Da" or "Ma", but after a few days they begin to speak words such as "car". It is so amazing how the babies could learn words, just by imitating other people's speeches and linking them to what they could see. I think the babies' brains do an excellent job. They could also put together and associate different words together and utilize as their own statement. This is an amazing ability since it allows the babies to be more creative and express their thoughts.

Here's an interesting video of babies "communicating" with each other.

As you see in the video, the babies speak with "da" all the time but they seem to communicate with each other, expressing their thoughts. Hence, this is the beginning process of how babies learn to pick up language.

In conclusion, I believe that although studying and explaining our amazing ability to learn language would be very difficult. However, I can see the benefits and potential influences it can bring to the scientific world. If we figure out what allows us to learn language, maybe we can utilize this ability in many different ways, such as enhancing our ability to learn language.

My science ACE and my term test

  This term I opted for science ACE. The science ACE category comprised on 1 science trip reflection, and a brochure about how gas masks work. For the science trip, I decided to visit Singapore Science Centre with my friends.

Here is are a few screenshots of my science ACE field trip report.

The science trip was very fun and interesting. It did not change a bit since I last visited it when I was primary 3. However, I could re experience many interesting scientific facts. The best part of Science Centre was that you can try out the different tools and learn how it works by yourself, instead of just watching it and trying to learn. My friends and I had a lot of fun there, and hence, it was an interesting experience. 

Here are screenshots of a brochure I made about how gas mask works. 

Overall, I think I did a pretty good job in the brochures since I made a lot of research and tried to explain as much details as possible. The brochure was quite informative- although the brochure is quite short, around 4 pages, I managed to squeeze the details inside, without missing any of them. It was a difficult thing to do, but through this experience I learnt how to effectively use words and summarize long passages into simple, yet detailed paragraphs. This topic itself was quite interesting. It involved many chemical procedures, and the best part was I could link this topic, to biology. The gas mask gets rid of the unwanted substances by filtering. The filter is very fine and have a large surface area, so that it can catch more unwanted substances. I could recall a similar method being used in biology, inside our own body. The villi in our intestines, the air sacs in our lungs and the taste buds on our tongue all uses this method. I was fascinated to learn that science is all linked to each other, to a certain extent. This topic itself may seem like chemistry, but it can actually be seen as biology in some extent too. 

<Term test>

To start with, I am not really happy about my science grade in term 3. I just got the marks to get an A2, which is very unfortunate for me since I wanted to get an exemption for EOY exams. This term's test topics were chemistry and mirrors, reflections and refractions. I believe that the reflection and refraction part was generally okay: I did not get a lot wrong. However, it was chemistry that took all my marks. This test was really hard. There were chemical equations that I never saw before, and thermal decomposition? Did I even learn it? What about the chemical equation for critic acid CH3COO3 and nitrate? I was so confused during the test, and therefore, I didn't get the marks that I wanted to get. Overall, my class did not do so greatly as well, but I was really regretful about how I did not study enough for atoms and ions. If not, my chance of getting exemption was still there. After this experience, I promised myself never to be overly complacent (After reading the notes once I was confident that I could do well for this term test), as well as to study this topic more carefully and thoroughly next time during the End Of Year paper. 

global warming: is it real?

  Global warming has remained to be a controversial issue in the modern society. Some people believe that global warming is real while the others claim that there is no evidence to show that it is a real phenomenon. There are both arguments for and against the statement that global warming is happening.

  To start with, there are arguments against this statement. A lot of scientists and climatologists show skepticism and do not believe that human activities can affect the Earth temperature significantly. Over 1200 scientists have signed petitions that suggested that global warming was just a virtual phenomenon and was not real. Moreover, some of our reliable data shows no sign of global warming. The satellite and weather clouds, which can measure up to 0.01 degrees Celsius, show that the atmosphere do not show temperature increase over the past 20 years. The reason why some studies show that Earth's temperature is rising is that only the land temperature shows a global warming trend, due to the urbanization. Another argument is that the increase in temperature only occurred in some specific parts of the world, not the entire globe, hence it cannot be seen as "global warming". Last but not least, the computer measurement of global warming trend may not be accurate, as it is a rough calculation.

  However, there are also arguments for this statement. The scientists of NASA have researched that during the last decade, there have been unusual natural phenomenons and extreme weather approached frequently. For example, in the United States, there were more frequent storms and rainfalls. Recently, a draught burst out in the same country, causing its crops to wither. This shows how the weather became extreme and fluctuates very frequently. Moreover, the research shows that  the Earth temperature has been rising since 1880, and the warmest 10 years of the 20 years came from recent years, which means that the Earth's temperature is growing warmer and warmer. The oceans have also absorbed significant amount of heat, the temperature increasing about 0.302 Degrees Fahrenheit.

  In addition, the amount of ice melt in Canada, Greenland and the arctic pole region shows that global warming was indeed a real phenomenon. These regions both lost 150-250 cubic kilometers of ice each every year and in 2012, the amount of ice in the antarctic region has reached the lowest in the history. This also destroyed the habitats of arctic animals, such as penguins or polar bears. Not only ice in these regions is melting, but the glaciers are also retreating at a rapid speed. In Alps and Himalayas, the glaciers have decreased more than half of its original size since the last few decades. This resulted in the increase in sea level, which rose around 17 centimeters, the biggest increase in the past 1300 years. THis is nearly double of the increase of sea level of the last century.

  In my opinion, although there are some evidences that shows that global warming is not a real phenomenon, I think it is really happening and influencing our daily lives. The weather pattern has been irregular in the recent decade, from raining to drought. For example, the United States have been suffering from intense droughts which in the south east Asia region, there have been a few hurricanes recently. Hurricanes are caused by intense heat in the sea water, which builds up energy to form a massive group of wind. Moreover, in Korea, the fishermen were only successful in catching fishes that swam in the warm current, instead of fishes that swam in the cold sea water. Hence, it can be inferred that the sea is gradually becoming warmer, by global warming.

  I think that in order to prevent global warming to keep continuing and devastating the Earth, we should all make much effort to save the environment. This beautiful Earth is not one person's possession: it is shared among the 65 billion other people and many species of plants and animals. However, there are several selfish people who do not understand this value and tend to irresponsibly react. For example, they throw litters on the floor and waste food, causing pollution, leading to environmental problems. These are selfish act that would eventually bring consequences that would not only destroy their own, but also other people's environment. Hence, we must spend much time and effort in saving the environment. It may start from small actions such as picking up litters from the floor: but every of the actions count and gradually help to conserve the environment. The quote, " Every little makes a mickle" has always proven itself to be correct.

Even if global warming may not be real, we should be always aware of what we are doing and how our activities can affect our surroundings. Let's say that global warming is not real: does that mean that we can just ignore the environment? The answer is, definitely no. People should care more about the environment and be aware of what they are doing. This Earth is our only home and there is no where to go if the world is environmentally destroyed. The mother nature has provided the humans with countless of benefits since the beginning of human history. However, it is apparent that we humans do not appreciate her help. It is time that we do something for Earth. Let's put our efforts together to prevent global warming.

Can robots camouflage?

Recently, researchers have built a squishy robot that could perfectly camouflage into its surroundings. 

The image of the squishy robot

The scientists claim that this robot is based on the characteristics of the squid and starfish, of how they could camouflage into their surroundings perfectly. They also mentions that most of the robots created are generally rigid and large, imitating movements of mammals. However, they discovered that starfish and squids' characteristics could also help in various aspects. They published their research and invention on the current issue of the journal Science.

The materials that these soft robots are made of should be soft and strong, as well as partially transparent since light had to go through it. Hence, they are made of a silicone-based polymer called "poly di methyl siloxane", or PDMS. They were created using 3-D printers, as were the recently added “color layers.”

There are channels attached to the robots that send them colored waters that allow the robot to change its color, depending on the color of the surroundings.

Moreover, by pumping liquids with different temperatures, such as heated or cooled liquids into the channels, the robot could even camouflage in infrared, making the robot more efficient and full of potential. 

The scientists claim that the feature to camouflage and to change color can be useful in making search-and-rescue robots. The robots can also serve as a visual marker to assist in finding the crew members. Since the robots are light, yet powerful and less rigid, they can easily go through obstacles such as mud or rocks that heavy and huge robots cannot access. The robot can be made 

“They are very light and can make their way across mud in a way that a heavy robot would have trouble with,” Dr. Whitesides, a professor associated with the robot development, said. “A way of seeing a robot there is to make it very visible in the infrared. Since we just need to change the temperature of the liquid flowing into the robot, it is relatively easy to make it visible in infrared." 

These robots have gone through various experiments, and they are proven to be able to pick up vulnerable and fragile objects, such as eggs, and even small living things such as live mice. Hence, this characteristics make these robots apt for science research, in environments where the scientists cannot easily access, such as the deep sea floor.

Last but not least, the probably best long term benefit of theses robots is the cheap price. The manufacturing fee causes only around $10, which is very cheap compared to the other robots and easier to make, giving it more potential.

Reflection

  After reading this article, I was both amazed by how creative and useful this invention could potentially be, and surprised how many times mother nature have inspired the humans to have another creation in the form of mimicking the behaviors of different species of animals and plants. 

I figured out that this invention could be really useful and can be helpful in multiple purposes. Most importantly, I believe that since this robot could camouflage and even remain undetected by the infrared, it can be used for scientific research purposes. All the undiscovered places which includes the deep sea bed and animal habitats, can now be researched, without provoking the surroundings or go there by himself. Some animals are very sensitive to their environment which makes them difficult to study. However, with the help of these robots, which can camouflage perfectly into the environment, the scientists would be able to research the animal species more closely, and even collect a few samples using the robotic arm. 

Not only for scientific research purposes, this robot can be also used in search and rescue missions. These robots are small, free and easy to camouflage among the surroundings, it would be able to visit places that people would not be able to go. Hence, these robots can be efficient in finding lost crews and also visit restricted places, traveling easily through obstacles such as mud. I thought that this idea could be very interesting, and in fact, quite valid. If the robots are soft bodied and could squish through obstacles just like squids, why can't they be used as search and rescue robots?

Last but not least, I was amazed by the greatness of mother nature. I realized how many inventions made by humans are actually based on the mother nature: the behaviors of different animals and plants. For example, the airplane is an imitation of the birds flying in the sky and the Bullet Train in Japan is inspired by a Kingfisher bird. (the nose part imitating the beak). A lot of inventions were inspired by what is around us, and this made me astonished, by how great the mother nature can be. Even as the technology develops in a rapid speed, the mother nature still possesses something that humans should learn from, and we humans would always have to observe it carefully. 

To summarize, this article helped me to get a wider view of how effective this robot can be and also  how much we still need to learn from mother nature. 

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Introducing: The 10 "Super foods" of the planet!

  Everyday and everywhere in our life, we can see different kinds of foods around our surroundings. There are millions and millions types of food that exist on this planet. In a recent studies, a few scientists have displayed some of the healthiest food on Earth: the 10 Superfood. These super foods are known to be effective disease fighters and have abundance of nutrients that can boost either growth or health condition. These super foods also do not contain harmful substances such as artificial chemicals or saturated fats. Let's take a closer look.

<Lemons- king of vitamin C>

Lemons are commonly known as "The King Of Vitamin C". In fact, a single lemon contains more than 100% of daily intake of Vitamin C, which makes it an efficient source for nutrients. The reason why Vitamin C is so important to our body is it involves in many of our daily body procedures. To start with, it is essential in the growth and repairing of tissue cells, such as the skin, ligaments and blood vessels. Moreover, vitamin C serves as a major antioxidant, which blocks damage from some free radicals, and therefore, preventing diseases like cancer or heart problems. It also maintains a good cholesterol level in the body. Hence, lemon is a very healthy fruit. 

<Broccoli- the green flower> 

Many people mistake broccolis as small tree- like plants. In fact, Broccolis are flowers, very health flowers. One medium stalk of Broccoli, contains more than 100% of your daily intake of vitamin K. It also contains almost  200% of daily intake of vitamin C. These two vitamins are very vital to our body as they help to strengthen our bones and rebuild our tissues.  Other than those two vitamins, Broccoli contains vitamin A, fibers, which are essential for our digestion, and also protective substances that shield us from diseases, such as cancer or cholesterol problems in our blood veins.

<Dark chocolate>

This may be unexpected and strange for many people, who thought chocolates were sweet and made artificially, therefore, not healthy. However, scientists have discovered the numerous nutrients that exist inside one tiny chunk of chocolate. Just one piece of dark chocolate bar can help reduce blood pressures and give sucrose and different vitamins that are necessary for our daily activities. The sucrose and other sugary substances inside dark chocolate gives out energy when broken down, hence humans can use the energy for their activities. 

<Potatoes-ugly but healthy>

Potatoes can be commonly found in a lot of foods. This potato has proven itself to be one of the top 10 healthiest foods on the planet. One red potato contains 66 micrograms of cell-building folate, which is important for our body growth and also repairing our dead body cells. Hence, potatoes can help us to recover faster and grow taller.  The potato also contains a lot of healthy nutrients such as vitamin A and minerals, which may be helpful in fighting against different diseases. In fact, a study has shown that one potato has 8 times the amount of cancer-fighting and immune-boosting vitamin A needed per day, and this proves why potatoes have proven itself to be very efficient.  

<Salmon>

Salmon can be seen as a "factory" of high quality fats and proteins. Salmon contains different vitamins, such as vitamin A, D, E, B6 and B12, which are essential in our body growth and also fighting against diseases. To illustrate, one piece of salmon meat is sufficient enough to fight against heart diseases, and blood vessel diseases, as well as Alzheimer's disease. Since Salmon is a fish, it also contains lots of minerals, mainly water. Last but not least, Salmon contains a very important source of fat: the Omega-3 oil. This is a very healthy source of fatty acid, as this prevents heart diseases and cholesterol problems from forming. 

<walnuts> 

Walnuts are also very health food. It is the "King Of Nuts". Most notably, it contains the most amount of Omega-3 fatty acid, among all types of nuts. Similar to salmon, it works as an important antioxidant, preventing high blood pressures and heart problems. In fact, it is surprising that a single walnut contains antioxidant that is 15 times as powerful as normal vitamin A which is found in other sources of nuts. There are a lot of healthy nutrients, such as high quality proteins, dietary fibre, lots of vitamins and also healthy minerals.

<Avocados> 

Avocados are commonly known as a good source for fats. The fats found in one Avocado is sufficient enough to lower cholesterol by 22%. It also contains a lot of dietary fibre, which helps digestion, as well as help to enhance chemical procedures occurring in our body. It contains 40% of daily amount of folate required, greatly reducing the risk of having a heart attack. Last but not least, avocados help to increase the amount of key nutrients that can be consumed a day, such as beta- carotene, from approximately 3 to 5 times.

<Garlic>

It is shown that when red blood cells react with digested garlic, a compound called hydrogen sulfate, is formed and this helps to regulate blood pressure and increase our blood flow, therefore reducing the risk of having heart related diseases. A substance called Allicin also helps in preventing cardiovascular deformities from happening. The garlic is also known as a powerful bacteria fighter. It contains substances that can prevent the growth of some species of bacterias such as E.coil and hence prevent diseases. 

<Spinach>

Spinach is known to be a great antioxidant: it contains three vital substances, lutein, zeaxanthin and beta carotene, which serve as a boost for antioxidants and also improve our eye health. In fact, Spinach is proven to be one of the most effective food for fighting cancer. There are also diverse kinds of health substances and nutrients. For example, there is  lipoic acid, which helps to regenerate vitamin C and E. Moreover, spinach contains lutein, which helps to prevent the aging process, encouraging macular degeneration. Hence, spinach is considered to be very healthy and powerful antioxidant. 

<Beans- small but powerful>

Beans, although they are small, they are very powerful source of nutrients, especially proteins. Beans have high fiber and antioxidants, which helps to shape the body and also prevent the diseases from occurring. Moreover, the calories that humans can earn from beans are great, which can even be compared to a slice of meat. This means that beans produce more energy for us to use in our daily activities. The beans contain high quality proteins, which contribute to the muscle and bone growth in our body. According to a scientific research, one cup of cooked beans can contribute to half the amount of proteins and fibers needed for a adult woman a day. Hence, beans can be seen as a powerful source of nutrients. 

Reflections 

After reading this article, I was quite surprised that the "Super foods" were just simple foods that we could find in our daily lives. I expected them to be unique and new type of food that we did not know before, but it turns out that we were eating the "Super foods" everyday in our lives. For example, we could find potatoes easily in our food. I was also fascinated the benefits that each of the foods have: how the nutrients were actually helping us to perform activities and also prevent the body from getting sick. I never knew that in one type of food, there could be so many diverse kinds of nutrients that were beneficial to our body. Through this article, I could learn about various kinds of nutrients and antioxidants and how they can influence our body and the chemical procedures that occur inside it.  

Moreover, I felt that it is important to keep a healthy lifestyle. Nowadays, due to lack of understanding about the importance of food nutrients, people tend to avoid these healthy food and choose unhealthy foods such as french fries or sweets. They do not understand how important it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle and also what kind of food have healthy nutrients. They should take more care about what they are eating and by knowing these 10 "Super Foods", I hope many would try to fix their food habits and try to make it healthier than before.