Giant rat and tiny possum discovered in Indonesia jungle

As the article states, "Finding new species of mammals in the 21st century is considered very rare." Recently, in Jakarta, Indonesia, a giant rat and a tiny possum was discovered by a team of American and Indonesian scientists. The animals were found in the Foja Mountains rainforest in eastern Papua province. "The giant rat is about five times the size of a typical city rat," said Kristofer Helgen, a scientist with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. "With no fear of humans, it apparently came into the camp several times during the trip." The article also says that the possum was described as "one of the world's smallest marsupials." This discovery made me wonder whether or not there are even more new, exotic species of animals out there in the world. If there are, then our world has so many more magnificent creatures waiting to discover. My opinion on this article is that discovering more new animals is a fantastic thing, and this article really enlightened me.

I found my information at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22290101/

Omega Meme : 6 Questions

I’ve tagged students for the Omega Meme!

The rules are as follows:

Each player answers the six questions posted on this blog.

The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those answers are listed.

At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their blog names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Then follow the instructions about adding a page element at omegascience.blogspot.com.

6 Questions:

1. My favorite TV show is House because I like how they solve medical mysteries and the interesting patients they cure from various diseases and problems.

2. My favorite meal is Thai food because it tastes really good.

3. My favorite non-school activities are playing basketball, dance, and being with friends because I like to play sports and my friends are amazing.

4. Someone I look up to is my parents because they always support me and tell me to always think positive.

5. My goal for the future is to be some kind of doctor.

6. In the first hour after school I usually watch TV, go on the computer (AIM), hang out with friends, or do homework.

Class Response: Wikis and Earthquakes

In class, we've been learning about earthquakes, and why and how they occur. I find this subject very interesting. Earthquakes occur when the tectonic plates rub together, and the movement forces waves of energy to come to the earth's surface, causing the earthquake. Long ago, earthquakes were undefined, and unexpected. No one could tell the difference between 2 earthquakes, because they did the same exact thing. But the the seismograph was invented, still making earthquakes unexpected, but it created a seismogram, which is a picture of the motion of the earthquake, for future records. This helps scientists figure out the where the earthquake began, and what direction its moving in. Earthquakes are tragic happenings, and can cause serious injuries, and even death. They can cause building to fall and freeways and roads to fall or cave in. In addition, in class we are also learning how to post up wikis, and I find it fascinating. For future partner projects, a wiki is something I definitely plan on using. All in all, what I've been learning in class is really interesting.

I got my information and facts in school, in class.

Wikis and

Scientists unearth Superman's 'kryptonite'

Apparently, 'Kryptonite' which in the movie Superman Returns kills or takes away Superman's powers, has actually been discovered as a real mineral, that actually exists. On April 24th, 2007, this mineral was found by geologists in Serbia, and shares same chemical composition as the fictional kryptonite from outer space, used by Lex Luthor in the movie to weaken Superman. Chris Stanley, a mineralogist at London's Natural History Museum, was the one to discover the true identity of the mineral after searching online for its chemical formula, sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide.

"I was amazed to discover that same scientific name written on a case of rock containing kryptonite stolen by Lex Luther from a museum in the film 'Superman Returns,'" Chris Stanley says.

After many tests, this substance has been confirmed as a new mineral by scientists at the Natural History Museum in London and the National Research Council in Canada. But instead of the large green crystals in Superman comics and movies, the real thing is actually a white, powdery substance which contains no fluorine and isn't radioactive. This mineral, to be named Jadarite, will go on show at the London's Natural History Museum.

I found my article at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18289647/

Class Response: Waves

In class, we are learning about waves. The waves we learned about are Longitudinal waves and Transverse waves. Longitudinal waves are waves that move the medium parallel to the direction in which the wave is travelling. Transverse waves are waves that move the medium at right angles to the direction in which the waves travel. Did you know that the highest point of a transverse wave is called the crest, and the lowest point is called the trough? We also learned a little bit about Electromagnetic waves, but these aren't visible. Most waves need a medium to travel through. A medium is the material through which a wave travels. The different types of mediums that waves can travel through are liquid, gas, and solid. But Electromagnetic waves don't need a medium to travel through. In longitudinal waves, there are compressions and rarefactions that occur. A compression is the part where the coils are close together, and a rarefaction is just the opposite, when the coils are spread out. Energy moves in waves.

The basic properties of waves are amplitude, wavelength, frequency, and speed. Amplitude is the maximum distance that the particles of the medium carrying the wave move away from their rest positions. Wavelength is the distance between corresponding parts of a wave. Frequency is the number of complete waves that pass a given point in a certain amount of time. Lastly, speed is the rate at which an object moves. This is one of the many things I learned in Science class, and waves are definitely fun to learn about.

Turtles swim Pacific in 'race' for survival

In this article, I read about turtles, Leatherback turtles to be specific, and how they are 'racing' to get to the Galapagos Islands from San Jose, Costa Rica, which have a distance of about 950 miles.

The turtles need to get to the Galapagos Islands, because that is where their feeding ground is. These turtles are on the endangered species list as well, and they have inhabited the oceans for about 100 million years. These Leatherback turtles have been tagged with satellite communication devices so that way their progress is being monitored, as well as their position. Now people are actually allowed to log on to this website [www.greatturtlerace.com] choose a turtle, and track the race. Some company sponsors have adopted turtles, and all the participants are asked to donate as well. The winner will be the turtle that travels farthest by April 29. And as for the satellite devices that are tracking each turtle, scientists consider it a huge breakthrough in science. Watching the world through the eyes of a turtle is truly fascinating.

I found my article at [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18038071/]

S. Korean team claims first cloned wolves:

Wow, after I read this article, I was shocked. I still believe that cloning should be banned everywhere, even though some types of cloning are beneficial, like therapeutic cloning. But full body cloning is absolutely wrong in my perspective. As this article stated, some South Korean scientists cloned the first wolf. They claim it was for saving these endangered species. It also turns out, that this team of scientists also produced the world's first cloned dog in 2005, an Afghan hound named Snuppy . Now, they have cloned 2 wolves, and the clones were named Snuwolf and Snuwolffy, that were born a year and a half ago.
This aricle really had me interested. I used to think it was a bad thing, but now, it seems that maybe, just maybe, it can help. While reading this, I found out that dogs/wolves are actually the hardest animal to clone, because of their reproductive cycle. But some how, this group of scientists managed to clone them anyways, and this is an amazing accomplishment.
[picture above: one of the clones of the wolves]

I found my article at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17796859/

Class Response: Genetics Assessment

For Genetics Assessment, my project is on Therapeutic Cloning, and I have to oppose this operation. I have researched, and found enough information to answer my questions. It was a little difficult finding some information opposing Therapeutic Cloning, because most people are all for it, as it saves lives. But what people don't know, is that the term, "Therapeutic Cloning" was created to confuse the public and present this technology as something beneficial, when in reality, it kill people. How you ask? Well, Stem Cells are needed for this type of cloning. Embryonic Stem Cells. And these come from embryos, which are basically babies, not yet fully developed. Although my position was assigned to me, I very much agree, and oppose any type of cloning.

So far, Genetics Assessment has been pretty easy, and I have been managing my time wisely. For my presentation, I am planning to do a slide show, which I have already begun working on. Genetics Assessment is for showing how much you understand the subject, Genetics. I understand it well, after all those projects and worksheets. Genetics is a very extraordinary part of science.

I found some of my facts at [http://www.religioustolerance.org/clo_ther.htm]

hey guyss.. comment me =] ahh genetics assessment is here ! although its pretty easy =P

Class Response: Super Hero Project

The superhero project was very fun. It really got me into Genetics. Also, it helped me understand the subject better. For example, I finally understood the point of a Punnett Square. A Punnett Square is a chart which shows or predicts all possible gene combinations in a cross of parents, whose allele combinations are known. Using a Punnett Square, you can predict the genotypes and phenotypes of the offspring. On one website [http://www.usoe.k12.ut.us/CURR/Science/sciber00/7th/genetics/sciber/punnett.htm]
I found out that Punnett Squares are named after an English geneticist, Reginald Punnett. Now, for the superhero project, we used these to figure out the traits of the offspring of two random superheroes, of our choice. I had Toad and Silver Fox, who were two villians. Their offsrping barely inherited any of their traits. The offspring only got 3 superpowers, out of like 10. This helped me realize that heredity is almost random, in an organized way. Its like the traits are picked out of a hat, but they are done in a very organized manner. Like when scientist were trying to prove their theory(s) about heredity, they used these Punnett Squares, and other charts. Also, I understood about DNA, and RNA. In addition, I learned about dominant and recessive alleles, and how they affect every persons traits. I think Genetics is a very important part of science, and now I understand it much better.

"As Asia Keeps Cool, Scientists Worry About the Ozone Layer"

In Asia, in the China and India area to be specific, heat is really killing them. About four months ago, a couple of scientists discovered that the “hole” made by the world’s use of aerosol spray cans, aging refrigerators and old air-conditioners had caused the ozone layer to once again expand, stretching once more to the record size of 2001. Now we can't let any more damage come to the ozone layer, for it protects us from the sun's ultra-violet rays. But now many scientists are concerned that with all these air-conditioners booming, more problems could occur.

The "hole" was found above Antarctica, and was mending very slowly. Scientists put the blame on 'chlorofluorocarbons', a chemical used in refrigerants. Some scientists are now saying that the damage to the ozone layer could take over a quarter of a century longer to heal, which is way more than they predicted.

I find this very scary. What would happen if out entire ozone layer disappeared? What would happen if the part of the ozone layer above Antarctica never healed? These are some of the questions I have, and would like answered. I think that everyone should stop using aerosol sprays as much, and the old refrigerants, too. They are really damaging our enviroment, and if our enviroment is damaged, we won't be able to live. So save our Earth!

I found my article at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/23/business/23cool.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=science

"Marine life grows where Antarctic ice collapsed"

Antarctica, our southern-most continent, has been covered in ice for hundreds of years. And because of this, its marine life has remained a mystery. But then several years ago, when the ice shelves began collapsing, scientists decided it was time to research the marine life of Antarctica. The location of theses ice shelves was near the Antarctic Peninsula, which was an area warming faster than any other. Many scientists and researchers believe that this meltdown somehow has to do with human-produced carbon emissions.

I feel this is a great opportunity for researchers and scientist to finally find out what kind of animal life lives in the great depths of the ocean under the ice. I sure would like to know. What kinds of animals live under the ice? How do they survive the cold waters? I bet the scientists have just as many questions as me. I'm sure they'll have most of their questions answered, and their fasination with this subject will surely be shown.

I found my information at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17344334/

"Wrinkles in spacetime may reveal black holes"

Black holes are dangerous things. They could swallow you up, and spit you out somewhere entirely different, lightyears away from where you started. They have so much gravitational
force, that they even capture light. This creates a huge issue for scientists, because all of
the instruments they use for observing and researching objects in space, rely on light.

So currently, astronomers at the Space Telescope Science Institute are using "high-energy radiation" which is emitted by the swirling matter falling into them [the black holes]. I think this is really fascinating.

“If material actually falls into a black hole, it gets shredded apart and it heats up,” said Roeland van der Marel, a researcher with the Space Telescope Science Institute. This is why we must be able to detect black holes, so we don't get sucked into one. Another technique that scientists used to identify black holes was to see how other neighboring objects behave towards the force.

Long time ago, Einstein made a theory about black holes. Now scientists are trying to find out whether the effects caused by a black hole match his predictions. I find this very interesting, and I plan on reading on more about black holes, and how to spot them.

I found my article on http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17260859/

touch of pink

heyyy. im gonna start the blogging assignment in a little while. kbyee<33