"With New Nonstick Coating, the Wait, and Waste, Is Over"

Tyler Stupart

Chang, Kenneth. "With New Nonstick Coating, the Wait, and Waste, Is Over."The New York Times. The New York Times, 23 Mar. 2015. Web. 24 Mar. 2015.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/24/science/with-new-nonstick-coating-the-wait-and-waste-is-over.html?ref=science&_r=0

Don’t you hate trying to squeeze out the last drop of toothpaste or ketchup out of of its container. A company called LiquiGuide, based out of Cambridge has found a way to lower the viscosity of substances and allow them to flow quicker and smoother. Their product is a special lubricant that can be used on the inside of containers and is non-toxic. The lubricant binds itself to the textured container and creates a texture with much less friction for the substance to slide across.

Not only does this new technology save time and make our lives easier it is also eco-friendly. With this new technology in place people will no longer throw out containers that still have substance in them. Mr. Chang says,“Tests by Consumer Reports in 2009 found that much of what we buy never makes it out of the container and is instead thrown away — up to a quarter of skin lotion, 16 percent of laundry detergent and 15 percent of condiments like mustard and ketchup.” With this new technology we will no longer waste as much because substances will be much easier to get out of their containers.

Mr. Chang did a very good job introducing me to a new useful technology that will have big impact on the world. Mr. Chang was able to show how the complex lubricant worked with simple diagrams. These diagrams really helped me to understand the concept. Mr. Chang also included many videos showing the difference between a LiquiGuide lubricated bottle and a normal bottle. These videos gave a side by side comparison and impressed me with the effectiveness of LiquiGuide.

Q, By Charles. "Puzzling Layer of 'Stiff' Rock May Lurk Deep Inside Earth."LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 24 Mar. 2015. Web. 24 Mar. 2015. 

<http://www.livescience.com/50233-rock-layer-deep-inside-earth.html>.

The article that I read this week is called “puzzling layer of Stiff Rock may lurk deep inside earth” by charles q. This article was about scientists revisiting previous data and discovering new things about it. At first, the scientists just inferred that they had known everything about how the minerals reacted at the high pressures in the Earth. But what they found shocking was that they had a sudden spike in their data, which triggered the scientists to revisit their data. They soon found there was an extra layer in the earth, technically a liquid with a viscosity of a billion trillion. In comparison, water has a viscosity of .001 while peanut butter at 200.

Although the information presented in this article might not affect mine or your lives, it affects the knowledge base of science. One it increased it and second it answered  long tome question of seismologists, about the sudden spike in the data of pressure down in the rock. This data will be used to discover new things about the earth and what really lies beneath the surface.

Overall, I thought that the author did a sub-par job writing the article. He did not include expert opinions or why this discovery was important, therefore the article had no purpose or argument. Also, what he did say was mainly filler text, and their was only a couple facts which stuck with me after finishing reading the article. Overall, the author didn't do a great job writing the article, because he had no purpose or argument.  

A One-Way Trip to Mars? Many Would Sign Up

A One-Way Trip to Mars? Many Would Sign Up

By Natalie Angier

In the article I read by Natalie Angier called A One-Way Trip to Mars? Many Would Sign Up, is a very well written piece about sending humans to Mars. Ellen Stofan, NASA’s chief scientist, said “sending humans to the surface ‘may be the only way to prove life evolved on Mars and what the nature of it is.’” The article states that recently there has been a public enthusiasm for space travel. NASA and about 15 other space agencies are hoping to have a team with international astronauts, in which will board to go to Mars by the 2030s. Mars One, a Dutch nonprofit venture that is talked a lot about in this article, has its eyes set on landing four people (two men, two women) on Mars by 2025. The “catch”, however, is that Mars One is not a round trip. Once landed, there is no coming back.  The founders say this would make the project “feasible and affordable”. Nonetheless, 200,000 people from around the world have applied, and they are now down to 660 semifinalists. The requirements include being over 18 and between 5’2” and 6’2”. Also, they need to “have a ready sense of humor and be ‘Olympians of tolerance’”.

The significance of the article is important to humanity because sending people to Mars would be a huge step in furthering our knowledge about our universe. Although thinking about the universe and its depth becomes a little scary, it's still important to investigate it and not stay wondering what could be out there. By actually placing people on Mars, we can receive so much information that we would never have imagined possible. I believe it will definitely take a couple more years and the development of newer technology, but we are taking a step in the right direction. I think that these developments and advancements will occur during our generation and its very exciting to see its progress.

Natalie Angier wrote a very well written article. I found it very interesting and informative. Before reading this article, I was aware some sort of research was being done on Mars, but I had no idea that they were planning on sending people to Mars by the late 2020s. The article was a little bit long, but not hard to follow. I honestly didn’t have any questions while reading the article because Angier gave plenty of detail for every point she was making. Also, something that Angier did very well was add some counter arguments about Mars One. For instance, she states “many experts and Mars aficionados remain deeply skeptical about the program’s odds of success”. I think it was important for her to include this point because its always good to give your reader both sides of your argument. Lastly, it seems to be a credible article because the author mentions many different scientists and experts with credible associations. For example, Andrew Rader, a Mars One candidate and expert in human spaceflight with a doctorate from M.I.T.,  is quoted throughout the article. After reading this article, I am excited to hear about anymore advancements in this project to send humans to Mars.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/09/science/a-one-way-trip-to-mars-many-would-sign-up.html?_r=0

Angier, Natalie. "A One-Way Trip to Mars? Many Would Sign Up." The New York Times. The New York Times, 08 Dec. 2014. Web. 22 Mar. 2015.

"Biologists Call for Halt to Gene Editing Technique in Humans."

Sarah Billings

Mr. Ippolito

Core Chemistry D-even

Wade, Nicholas. "Biologists Call for Halt to Gene Editing Technique in Humans." The New York

Times. The New York Times, 19 Mar. 2015. Web. 19 Mar. 2015.

<http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/20/science/biologists-call-for-halt-to-gene-editing-technique-in-humans.html?ref=science&_r=0>.

I chose to read the article, "Biologists Call for Halt to Gene Editing Technique in Humans" for my current events issue in science. This article describes the concern that many scientists have for the newly improved technique that can alter or enhance human DNA. In the past, the concern hasn't been major, as the technique was still in its early stages and scientists were just testing on small animals like mice. However, in 2012, a new enhancement to the technique has made it much easier to control and biologists, like David Baltimore, are concerned that physicians might take it too far. “You could exert control over human heredity with this technique, and that is why we are raising the issue,” says Baltimore, a former president of the California Institute of Technology and a member of the group whose paper on the topic was published in the journal Science. This issue is very debatable, though, because there are pros which include clearing any viruses in the DNA, and there are cons which obviously include the consequences of changing heredity.

This current issue is very important to society because, if it’s tested further and more knowledge is gained on the topic, this could be a life changing solution for millions of people with diseases or defects. In addition, a hereditary disease could be eliminated completely. It’s also very important that we know that scientists are waiting and being cautious about this new technique because then, if it’s ever approved for physicians to use, we will know it’s trustworthy. Lastly, knowing more about our DNA and how it works is really important because its still a big mystery in science so the more we know about it, the better.   

I thought this article particularly well written because was very thorough in many ways. For example, after describing the issue and why it’s relevant, it gave background to past advances in the subject and then went further to explain the newest technique and how it works. By making sure the reader understands what it is that they are reading about will help make the author’s argument clearer. Also, the article backed up each argument with many quotes from scientists of that subject. Many viewpoints make all the facts stronger and provide different kinds of analysis on the subject. This article was really good and well supported so I couldn’t find any major faults with it. Overall, it was interesting to learn more about DNA and what the future might hold for our perfections of the human genome.   

Icicles

Gorman, James. "Why Icicles Look the Way They Do." New York Times (2015): n. pag. New York. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/17/science/why-icicles-look-the-way-they-do.html?src=me&_r=0

I read the article by James Gorman, describing why Icicles look the way they do. I found the article very intersting because it made me think about something I don't really pay attention to in everyday life or think about. The article explains how  growing icicles in a refrigerated lab had its frustrations. “At first they grew into really strange shapes,” he said. Without air flow, icicles grow multiple legs. So the researchers had to blow air to get them to form as single upside-down cones. Then they rotated the growing icicles to get images of all sides. Scientist Stephen Morris states that a reason icicles ripple is caused by impurities in the water. I didn't think the way they describe the process the Icicles was great but it definitely answer my questions I had. Overall I think this was a great article and I really think that it took a topic and made it something very interesting.

Why Icicles Look the Way They Do

Gigi Pennoyer                                                          Why Icicles Look the Way They Do

Chemistry Current Event                                                   By: James Gorman

Gorman, James. "Why Icicles Look the Way They Do." The New York Times. The New York Times, 16 Mar. 2015. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.

The article I read was about icicles and why they look the way they do. We see icicles very often in the winter, and no one knows why they look the way they do. Stephen Morris and Anthony Chen are both scientists who studied icicles. Dr. Chen created, “the most elaborate study of icicle morphology ever done,” said Dr. Morris.  The two scientists had first created stalactites, and then they changed to research with icicles. They were growing icicles in refrigerated labs, and this made it hard because there was no airflow to the icicles while they were forming. Since there was no airflow, the icicles were growing many legs. The scientists heard from other scientists that the ripples in icicles formed because of surface tension, but Dr. Chen and Dr. Morris found out that the ripples were not an effect of surface tension, but formed because of the waters impurities.  Also in the experiment they found out that the space between the ripples does not change based on the amount of impurities in the water, there is always about one centimeter in between each ripple.

One way that icicles affect people is they cause damages to houses. When icicles build up in size and weight on roofs they can damage the building its on, which can result in expensive fixes.  Icicles can also be part of an ice dam, which forces water back up and under the roofing into houses, causing mold and structural damage.  When they build up to great sizes and weights they can pull off parts of the roof. Also serious injuries can be caused by falling ice, including death. For example, this winter three people have been killed by icicles in Moscow according to the BBC.  And signs warning of falling ice can be seen around high rise buildings in big cities like New York and Chicago.

I liked this article and I think it was well written. One thing I think that I think could be changed is the flow. I don’t think it was written in the right order. It went from one thing to another and then back to what it was talking about before. Another thing I think the author could have added is some more detail about the experiments he and Dr. Chen did with icicles. He didn’t have much information about when he made the icicles, he mainly had information on the findings of the experiment.

Link to article: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/17/science/why-icicles-look-the-way-they-do.html?ref=science

Why Icicles Look the Way They Do.

Scott McGrath
Core Chem
Current Events 5

Gorman, James. "Why Icicles Look the Way They Do." New York Times (2015): n. pag. New York. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/17/science/why-icicles-look-the-way-they-do.html?src=me&_r=0

I reviewed the article "Why icicles Look the Way They Do," by James Gorman. I found this article interesting because it answered some basic, everyday questions I had about such a simple thing. The article explains the real reason icicles look the way they do, as the article's title states. The answer is actually quite complex. Scientist Stephen Morris states that a reason icicles ripple is caused by impurities in the water. Scientists then created icicles in a refrigerated environment to see if different purities of water affected the type of ripple. They added salt, used tap water, but still no difference.“The ripples have a universal wavelength of exactly one centimeter, no matter what you do,” Dr. Morris said. Distilled water, on the other hand, created no ripples. This is thought to be because the surface tension is what really shapes the ripples on the beautiful wintertime treasures. 

The significance of this article isn't too great, but answers a question you had always wondered about but had never thought deeply about. This now makes me think of all the small things in this world that I would have never taken notice of. It also informs you that the purity of the water and the surface tension can affect the formation of the ice. This is something I would have never thought about but after reading this article I feel like I know something most people don't, even though it isn't very important.

Overall, this article was well written but had some flaws. For starters, there wasn't much to the topic, but they made the article very long. However, I really like how they took a supposedly boring topic and made it somewhat interesting. The way the Author incorporated different scientists opinions added a sense of variety and was a very good addition. To sum it all up, I think the Author did a good job writing this article and was also able to capture a sense of interest in a uncommon idea.

Memories Weaken Without Reinforcement, Study Finds

Memories Weaken Without Reinforcement, Studies Find

Belluck, Pam. "Memories Weaken Without Reinforcement, Study Finds." The New York Times. The New York Times, 16 Mar. 2015. Web. 16 Mar. 2015.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/17/science/memories-become-weaker-without-reinforcement-study-finds.html?ref=science&_r=0

The article “Memories Weaken Without Reinforcement, Studies Find” is based around the two theories as to why memories are weakened over time. The first stating, “One is that memories do not diminish but simply get overshadowed by new memories.” The second theory says,” The other is that older memories become weaker, that pulling to mind new passwords or phone numbers degrades old recolation…”.  The author Pam Belluck, bases her entire article around these two theories and provides to the readers examples proving how our memories get weaker each day we do not reinfoce memories and information. Old memories are easier to recover when they are only “papered” by newer more evident ones. But once a person is unable to recollect evidence and information about a memory it is harder for the memory to overshine newer ones, showing how our minds are slowly weakening. A study came out providing physical evidence that people’s memories are weakening. They show this through an activity of showing pictures of (ex: Marilyn Monroe or a hat), this activity proves that over time only some images stick in participants minds, while others, like the hat were not as prominent over time. This brought up questioning for the scientists, as to why the participants couldn’t remember the image of the hat they had previously chosen, but they could remember the one of Monroe. While many people find this study concerning with memories weakening, in some cases it is beneficial. People are able to cloud over the memories of an abusive relationship, or erasing someones fears. “If you want to actually weaken a memory, what you need to do is flush it out. It’s the process of the memory coming to mind as a competitor, but losing the competition,” said Kenneth Norman, a Princeton neuroscientist.

Memory loss across the country is becoming more evident and substantial, and is concerning to many people. Participants in the study had to pick between the pictures of Monre and a hat as explained before. The result of people not being able to remember the hat picture was interesting to scientists. “It’s pretty hard to think that your inability to pick the right hat has anything to do with Marilyn Monroe at that point.” Which is true, the reason as to why participants weren’t able to remember the correct hat is puzzling, and confusing to scientists. When shown the word sand in a “cue word” test, the memory of both Monroe and the hat was substantial, but once the cues were abandoned the relevance of the hat. Scientists are still puzzled by these results, but the study has greatly helped the public and people working in similar fields as these results.   

I think that the author did a great job writing this article. She included a lot of information about the study and explained in great detail the various activities, trials, and some of the studies. Teh article included visuals that were very helpful and interesting while reading the article, because when confused by aspects of the article reader were able to look at a visual to better understand what was said. I’m really pleased that an article like this was published and stood out to me, because during the school year I get frustrated when I don’t remember information I worked so hard to learn and remember. This article shows me that its not just me not being able to recall facts (etc), but its also the fact that all the information taken in constantly “papers” the old information. I was overall very happy with this article, but I think that the author could have included more numerical statistics and or charts/ graphs.

An Unlikely Driver of Evolution: Arsenic

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/13/science/an-unlikely-driver-of-evolution-arsenic.html?rref=science&module=ArrowsNav&contentCollection=Science&action=keypress&region=FixedLeft&pgtype=article

Zimmer, Carl. "An Unlikely Driver of Evolution: Arsenic." The New York Times. The New York Times, 12 Mar. 2015. Web. 15 Mar. 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/13/science/an-unlikely-driver-of-evolution-arsenic.html?rref=science&module=ArrowsNav&contentCollection=Space+%26+Cosmos&action=keypress®ion=FixedRight&pgtype=article>.

               The article, titled An Unlikely Driver of Evolution: Arsenic, tells about natural selection in one of the driest places on earth.  The author, Carl Zimmer, wrote about how in the Atacama Desert, there have been high levels of arsenic in the geography.  Arsenic is a substance that can poison people through water, pollution, and pesticides.  The article states that this was “the first documented case of natural selection in humans for a defense against an environmental poison.”  A geneticist at Stanford University named Jonathan Pritchard said that the results were “convincing.”  He also stated that it was “a very small number of known human selection signals.”  The liver of these people adapted by taking in larger amounts of carbon and hydrogen, which made the arsenic atoms flow out through urination.  After scientific testing, it has been proven that it is a gene that has been passed down, through chromosome 10.  Mattias Jakobsson, a professor of genetics at Uppsala University and a co-author of the new study, claims that “It’s a confirmation that this gene is really, really important for arsenic excretion.”  Him and many other scientists took tests, and stated that around 70% of the people who live in San Antonio de los Cobres are resistant to arsenic.  Dr. Jakobsson said that they weren’t fully resistant, but the gene allows the consequences to be a lot smaller.

               Arsenic poisoning threatens around 200 million people worldwide, and these findings could be crucial to the current world by helping people research and reduce the suffering of arsenic poisoning.  These findings also show a lot about how and why the process of natural selection works.  It starts as civilians having a problem, and then their bodies adapt and change to benefit the civilization through many generations.  In this case, the civilization lived in an area where there were very high levels of arsenic, which is poisonous to humans.  Over time, these people adapted and created a resistance to the chemical.  Also, this article showed how natural selection and toxic chemicals could drive the evolution of humans.  These finding could help us become more aware and defend against arsenic poisoning.

               The author of this article, Carl Zimmer, did a good job writing this article and proving the information that he had.  One downside to the article was that I think that he could have organized his paragraphs and information in a better way throughout the article.  I felt like he would make one point, move onto another topic, and then make another point about the previous topic after that.  It would make it easier for the reader, and would also make them remember the information better.  Otherwise, he used many facts from scientists, and he also even stated what these findings meant for humanity.  I enjoyed reading this article, and I would love to hear more about the topic.

Measles Cases Linked to Disneyland Rise, and Debate Over Vaccinations Intensifies

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/22/us/measles-cases-linked-to-disneyland-rise-and-debate-over-vaccinations-intensifies.html?ref=us&_r=1

Nagourney, Adam, and Abby Goodnough. "Measles Cases Linked to Disneyland Rise, and Debate Over Vaccinations Intensifies." The New York Times. The New York Times, 21 Jan. 2015. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.

This New York Times article by Adam Nagourney discusses the increase in cases of measles linked to Disneyland. This disease was said to have been eliminated in the United States in 2000, but with the recent outbreak it is causing concerns about childhood vaccinations. Over 59 cases of measles have been linked to Disneyland and the disease has moved beyond California and into other states too. Five of those cases include workers at Disneyland where this started. This has been recorded as the largest number of measles cases in the U.S. after 2000, since the “termination” of the disease. Before the vaccine for measles was created in 1963, about three to four million Americans developed the disease and 400-500 died from it each year. This matter is especially concerning in California. “I am asking unvaccinated Californians to consider getting vaccinated against measles,” said Dr. Gilberto F. Chávez, the deputy director of the California Center for Infectious Diseases. In Orange County, if a student could not prove they had gotten a measles shot, they could be barred from their class. Over 20 students were sent home because of this precaution.

This find of the outbreak of measles has helped health officials become more aware of childhood vaccines and bacteria and germs at public places such as Disneyland. Areas like this are particularly dangerous when it comes to this because it attracts many people from all over the world that will be in the same place, very close together. This allows the disease to spread with the people who have it. I have become more aware of my surroundings and others near me. This should be a warning to people that vaccines are very important and staying healthy and clean is also very important.

This article was very well written and very informative of the outbreak of this dangerous disease. Although I learned many interesting things about measles, I would have liked it if the author had included more facts and statistics to back up his argument. It would have been very helpful if he had made his point of view on the subject clearer. I would have liked to know how to prevent catching an illness at a public place such as Disneyland and the risks of possible illnesses when you take your family there. This would have emphasized the importance of your health.

Two Strains of H.I.V. Cut Vastly Different Paths

Zimmer, Carl. "Two Strains of H.I.V. Cut Vastly Different Paths." The New York Times.

The New York Times, 09 Mar. 2015. Web. 15 Mar. 2015.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/02/science/two-strains-of-hiv-cut-vastly-different-paths.html?ref=science

This New York Times article by Carl Zimmer focuses on the strains of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV, and how they have evolved differently. The deadly virus consists of two unique types, HIV 1, which is the virus that has killed 39 million people and infected twice as many,  and HIV 2, which is only found in remote regions of western Africa. Since the HIV outbreak in the 1980’s, scientists have been working to piece together the background and evolution of the different strains of HIV. It is currently believed that the horrific disease that has decimated millions of people originated from a form of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus, which is found in several monkey species, particularly the Sooty Mangabey breed. SIV has been around in gorillas and chimpanzees for thousands of years but the virus only spread to humans in the early 1900’s when hunters probably ate infected meat. HIV 1 has been separated into four different groups, M,N,O,P. Group M is responsible for almost ninety percent of HIV 1 infections and group N is from a similar species of monkey. However, no one had the slightest idea where groups O and P originated. In 2006, a team of scientists made a shocking discovery, the first SIV in gorillas. This species of gorillas was found to be the origin of the two mystery strains of HIV. The chemical in your body that fights HIV is called tetherin and it works to contain the virus to smaller amounts of your cells. The O and P strains have not adapted to the tetherin protein as well as the other groups, probably because of the multitude of genetic differences between gorillas and chimpanzees. Also, in the 1990’s, someone infected with group M traveled to Kinshasa, the rapidly expanding capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This created the boom that was necessary to turn group M from a regional disease to a worldwide epidemic. “M got into Kinshasa and went boom,” said Beatrice H. Hahn, a microbiologist at the University of Pennsylvania. “If the O group had similar chances, we might have had a second epidemic”. However, because the other groups did not experience the expansion that group M did, as well as having a different chemical makeup, the human race was saved from another fatal wave of HIV.

This recent discovery plays a huge role in the understanding of the HIV virus, which has affected families all across the U.S. Understanding where the disease originated not only will help eradicate the virus, but it will help us understand the nature of Simian diseases and whether any other types may be harmful to humans. The new research has also contributed to the understanding of the genetic code of HIV and may help virologists extensively in their search for a cure for HIV, something that has eluded them for over thirty years. These new studies of the forgotten HIV strains will aid the understanding of HIV and if one of these strains were to break out in the future, scientists would be prepared.

In my opinion, Carl Zimmer did an admirable job in this article which attempted to explain some confusing topics. There were several things that stood out to me about the article. First of all, his inclusion of quotes from various experts contributed to his argument and solidified his major points. Furthermore, though the events had happened in the past, Zimmer created a good evolution of the events and added suspense to his writing. Finally, I thought he did a nice job explaining the two different types of HIV and this was extremely helpful, particularly to someone who does not have background in science. However, I believe that some of the other scientific  terms could have been better explained, such as the protein tetherin and its function. He also could have improved his background on the devastating effects of the HIV virus. This would have created a better sense of how important this research is to the understanding of HIV.

Miniature chemistry kit brings science out of the lab and into the classroom or field

The article “Miniature chemistry kit brings science out of the lab and into the classroom or field” by Amy Adams talks about a device made from a music box that weighs only 100 grams and is able to test water quality or soil samples and take small scale experiments. The article explains that this device created by Manu Prakash and George Korir is able to be hand cranked to wind a punch card that drops a chemical to help detect whether the water and soil are in good quality or not. This device is also able to carry out chemistry experiments without the requirements of a lab and it is also very slim and not bulky which makes it easier to use.  Prakash also created a functional 50 cent microscope which allows many scientists and groups to study the environment.

The watch is able to be used whether you are younger or older it is just a simple set up hand crank machine that helps scientists and humanity find results about water quality and soil quality on sight. This will help with building operations where you have to test the soil for if it is safe and it will also help people be able to do their jobs much quicker than it would to drive back to a lab and have to wait for results when you could find the results at the sight that you are running the experiment on. It is also accessible to the kids crowd where they will be able to do experiments without requiring a laboratory.

The article by Amy Adams could have given a real example of someone using this device to find the water quality or soil quality and had maybe put a couple quotes from the person using the device to see if they preferred it more than waiting in a laboratory. Adams also could have expressed the feelings that scientists had about this new contraption and whether they liked the design and if it should be used to run these types of experiments.

Will the Apple Watch Make People Healthier?

Ned McCann
Chemistry IH
Current Event 4
3-10-15

Will the Apple Watch Make People Healthier?
http://www.livescience.com/50097-apple-watch-people-healthier.html

         In this article written by Rachael Rettner, it explains the advantages and disadvantages to the new Apple Watch device coming soon. The article explains how this device has the ability to make people across the world exercise more and become aware of their health habits.  A health professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Sherry Pagoto says, "I think the big question will be, for whom will this be motivating or change behavior." There are many advantages for this new device, for example, the device sets goals based upon the users past behavior, opposed to having the user set their own goals. This will make the goals more achievable and realistic for the specific user.  Some disadvantages in the article include that the device may be giving false hope towards the user. For instance, the user may think that the number of calories lost that day may seem like a lot, they could stop exercising. The article gives insight from experts in the field like Sherry Pagoto, Dr. Mitesh S. Patel, an assistant professor of medicine and health care management at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and the author Rachael Rettner. 
          I have been hearing about this product for a long time now, and this article gives a lot of information I needed. In my life, I am constantly being lazy by watching TV or playing video games so this device could help me to use my time more productively. Also obesity is a huge problem in the United States, so this device could really help to get people more active. This is a very innovative idea, though it might not be as useful as people think. 
         This article did an excellent job in previewing some of the pros and cons to the new device. Rettner, the author, uses great details in describing what to expect in the new product. For example, "The Apple Watch is, well, a watch, means that the device may fit more easily into a person's wardrobe than devices that need to be clipped to a belt or worn as a bracelet." I think it could have done a better job talking about the durability of the product, or whether it can withstand rain or snow. Also, Rettner could have touched upon the price range or date of its arrival to stores. Overall I really like the article.

Wings of Steel

March 9, 2015

Core Chemistry

Current Event

Will Maze

Wings of Steel

The Economist, February 2015

http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21642107-alloy-iron-and-aluminium-good-titanium-tenth

Researchers at the Pohang University of Science and technology have discovered a new alloy that is as strong as steel but as light as titanium.

This is an important discovery especially for manufacturing things such as automobiles, trucks and especially airplanes, or anything that needs to be cheap, strong but light. By manipulating the structure of steel on a nanometer scale, the scientists led by Dr. Kim, can produce this strong and light steel at a very low cost compared to titanium, the strong and light material that is currently being used.

It is important for us in our everyday life as it will make cars less expensive to buy and to drive because less weight makes it more fuel efficient so therefore less gas to buy. It also means airfares will be less expensive. It is also environmentally friendly as less fuel will be burned.

While steel is strong and cheap, it is too heavy for practical use in cars or planes. In fact, to be more fuel efficient, the amount of steel in a car has dropped from 68% of all materials used in a car in 1995 to 60% today.

Automobiles now use more aluminum instead of steel because it is lighter and cheap, but not as strong. Alloy of aluminum, carbon and iron (components of steel) is too brittle. Adding manganese helps but does not make it strong enough for cars. Dr. Kim found that adding nickel solves the issue. Alloys are a mix of materials not compounds, but some metal alloys can for inter-metallic compounds called B2 class, which have an equal number of atoms of two different metals within them. The nickel combines with aluminum to form B2 crystals, which strengthens the steel.

One of the world’s largest steel producers, POSCO, is planning a trial production of Dr. Kim’s steel. If it goes well there will be new strong, light and cheap steel to use in cars, planes and maybe an Iron Man suit!

This article was well written and informative. The author explained why it is important to have cheap, light and strong materials especially for transportation. It was also educational regarding the chemical process of metal alloys and how Dr. Kim discovered the new compound. I felt the author could have explained more about how quickly Dr. Kim’s steel will be available to manufacturers or how we can follow the progress.