Exotic Particles, Chilled and Trapped, Form Giant Matter Wave

ScienceDaily (May 24, 2012) — Physicists have trapped and cooled exotic particles called excitons so effectively that they condensed and cohered to form a giant matter wave.

This feat will allow scientists to better study the tangable properties of excitons, which exist and offer promising applications as different as harvesting of solar energy and ultrafast computing.

Excitons are composite particles made up of an electron and a "hole" left by a missing electron in a semiconductor. Created by light, these coupled pairs exist in nature. The formation and dynamics of excitons play a critical role in photosynthesis, for example.

Then they set an electrostatic trap made by a diamond-shaped electrode and chilled their special semiconducting material in an optical dilution refrigerator to as cold as 50 milli-Kelvin, just a fraction of a degree above absolute zero.
A laser focused on the surface of the material created excitons, which began to accumulate at the bottom of the trap as they cooled. Below 1 Kelvin, the entire cloud of excitons cohered to form a single matter wave, a signature of a state called a Bose-Einstein condensate.

By doing this the scientist were able to achive things never achived before!

Endangered Flora and Fauna

Endangered Flora and Fauna

A new study shows that in within 100 years, about 90 percent of mammals will have lost their native habitat range due to climate change. Of these mammals, 10 percent of them won’t be able to move fast enough to keep up with their shifting habitat. The most at-risk species are actually primates because of the changing climate and because they won’t be able to get to live-able conditions fast enough.  Tropical regions are also a concern which are very sensative climates. The mammals that are expected to fare better are those that can move greater distances, such as elk, moose and sloths. AND GUESS WHAT?! 90 percent of species that are listed under the Endangered Species Act are recovering at their predicted rate!! YAY!! :)  The downside to this news is the fact that there are more species that should be listed as endangered or threatened than there are funds to protect them.
                                                        By Donna Coffman :)

A gas leak on a North Sea oil platform has been stopped wednesday, after more than seven weeks.  Heavy mud was pumped into the well in an attempt to stop the leak on Total's Elgin platform, 150 miles from scottland.  Gas had been escaping from the site since late March. Reporters say the leak cost Total around $3 million a day in relief operations and lost net income.

The French firms chief executive Christopher de Margerie has said the Elgin leak would cost the company more than $300 million in lost production in a worst-case, where production did not restart before the end of the year.

Endangered Penguins

Penguins are small aquatic based birds that live in the arctic. They hunt their prey in the water and they eat krill, fish, and squid. They do not see humans as a threat because we do not seem dangerous to them.  In fact, we are very dangerous to them.  The biggest problem with penguins right now is the oil spills that humans keep causing.  The oil in the water harms penguins by coating their skin and getting in their eyes. Commercial overfishing also contributes to the extinction of penguins by downsizing the amount of food available to them.  Penguins have natural predators too, but none of those are threatening the penguins existance quite like the humans are.

Ocean Acidification

As the acid levels in the ocean increases the safety of shell creatures is slowly decreasing. Higher acid levels decrases the carbonate levels. Carbonate is essential in the making of shells. Without carbonate, new shells are very difficult to produce, and also keep them hard and functionable for the animal. The acidification will have a ripple effect on the entire ocean and the food webs. If the acid levels continue to raise the pH will lower, causing shells to literally dissolve. This would be terrible for ocean life everywhere. If a species of shell creatures becomes extinct, even if they are very small, it will disrupt the entire food web. Article

Pacific Islands Refuge for Coral Reefs?

Scientists predictions state that water temperatures in the Pacific ocean will rise by the end of the century. With the temperature on the rise this raises a threat to the coral reefs in the pacific ocean. Scientists believe that once the changes start to rapidly occur the islands in the Pacific will become an "issolated refuge" for the fish and the coral reefs. As the temperature rises the currents change. The current will push water towards the islands and create cool water pockets that the fish can survive regardless of the raise in water temperature. Although there is no certainty that this will actually occur, it would be a great plan to help save the fish and reefs in the pacific ocean.Article

Hawaii's beaches are in retreat and its way of life may follow
Katie Nissen

The majority of beaches on Hawaii's three largest islands are eroding and is predicted to accelerate as sea level rises, said the United States Geological Survey. On average beaches lose about a few inches a year but the fact that some can lose a few feet is shocking and scary. Reports say that over the last century almost 9% of the coast has disappeared. Thats about 14 whole miles of beach gone! Dr. Fletcher says that to fix this problem we need to retreat from the beaches (structure-wise) and build buildings further from the coast. Although it is easy to say retreat it is much harder to implement it. "We don't define what rules and laws are written about coasts and exactly how they are managed," he said, "but this is information that can be factored into that process." I think that this needs to be considered and that we need to conserve all beaches for the future. 

Sumatra's Volcanic Eruptions

Oregon State University had been following the progress of Sumatra’s volcanic activity. They have discovered that within the past 35,000 years that there have been as many as six volcanic explosions, all that have the same or more explosive intensity of Mount St. Helen’s eruption in Washington in 1980. There aren’t solutions to this problem. No one can stop a volcanic eruption from taking place. The only thing that anyone can do is keep track of the volcanic activity. I think that this is awful that this country may go through another natural disaster. In 2004 and 2005 Sumatra had multiple earthquakes and tsunamis that killed a ton of people. Also in April, Sumatra had another earthquake hit that had a magnitude of 8.6.earthquake.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120516140105.htm

Green Marketing

As you walk down through a store you will see many products that are advertised as enviromentally friendly. Also known as "Green Products." Many companies are seeing larger profits due to the style of marketing toward these green products. But are these products really green? Do they really come from recycled material? Are they going to save you money on your next energy bill? A New York Times article shows that companies are really making an effort to promote green products just to see green in return. As companies grow in success, others are jumping on the bandwagon and offering many green products to customers. The green marketing industry is quickly growing and reaching many consumers everyday.

 http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/11/marketing-plan-solve-a-problem-then-spread-the-word/

Cesium radiation spikes in Tokyo Bay

Tokyo bay per-contamination

 Sludge samples taken from the two major rivers flowing into Tokyo bay showed signs of radioactive cesium contamination this Monday. The contamination has been linked to the recent Fukushima nuclear crises in August. although the contamination poses no immediate health risk,  professor Yamazaki at Kinki University's Research Institute for Science and Technology told The Japan Times "Contaminated sludge appears to be . . . accumulating on the bottom at the mouth of the rivers". Samples of mud showed an increase of radiation from even the August readings directly after the crises. "If the contamination were to spread to fish, it is possible that radioactive isotopes could accumulate when bigger fish feed on smaller ones," Yamazaki said. http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120515a4.html

Africa may struggle to extract groundwater

They believe that groundwater in Africa may not be easily extracted because of political and technical challenges and the also the cost. But some maps have shown that the continent has more than 20 times more freshwater storage capacity of lakes on the continent. It is also said that it has one of the largest aquifers in Northern Africa. Some suggest that this discovery could mark the end of water shortages on the continent experts say, but they now are looking for funding to get this groundwater.

ORVR's Reduce Car Emission

Over the years, gas stations are beginning to capture car emissions by practicing vapor recovery, a process that recovers gasoline and other gases from being predominately in our air. Along with filling stations, since 2006 automobiles are being made to have ORVR systems which also assist in capturing car emissions; this took place under the Clean Air Act that now requires all cars be made with Onboard Refueling Vapor Recovery technologies. With this beneficial invention, this will aid in reducing pollution in the air, because the fossil fuels that do get into our atmosphere contribute in the ozone and even smog. I feel these vapor recovery acts are benefiting not only our environment, but the entire human population. I think this should also be further studied so people are aware of what changes can be made with this invention, but also the negatives. I also like how it is a rule that cars must be made with ORVR’s, which shows that we are heading in the right direction.

Link: http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/44385 

Reactors in Japan Shut Down

The last reactor of Japan's 50 reactors was shut down on May 5th, 2012 in response to public outcry after the recent incident at the Fukushima Daiichi when a magnitude 9 earthquake caused wide spread damage at the facility and an ensuing tsunami caused more problems and further complicated the matter. Since that disaster there have been numerous demonstrations against nuclear power and under public pressure, the government started to shut down all 50 reactors in the country. The reactor shutdowns are temporary but the timeline for their reactivation has not yet been determined. The Fukushima accident released tons of radiation into the surrounding areas and as a result food grown there has been banned and most of the residents have still not been allowed to return their due to radiation concerns. The meltdown was classified as a class 7 meltdown, with the Chernobyl incident being the only other accident being rated as a 7. 




http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/06/world/asia/last-reactor-of-50-in-japan-is-shut-down.html?ref=earth

DC3: Chemistry of Thunderstorms

The DC3 mission is to study the chemistry of thunderstorms. The team is using an airport in Kansas as there spot to explore the impact of large thunderstorms on the concentration of the ozone in the upper troposphere. The troposphere is the lowest part of the atmosphere; it has about 80 percent of the atmosphere's mass and 99 percent of its water vapor. The troposphere is important because water vapor, ozone, cirrus clouds and particles make contributions to the amount of heat that is aloud in and out of the atmosphere. This experiment is being lead by the National Center for Atmospheric Research. James Crawford who is one of the team members said that, “thunderstorms provide a mechanism for rapid lifting of air from the surface to higher altitudes in a matter of minutes to hours.” A possible solution to this research is to figure out what cause such large thunderstorms to occur. Barriers that could occur are that not enough strong thunderstorms will occur so the team can collect an accurate amount of data.

 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120509171415.htm

Rain Forest Logging

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120510132719.htm

This article is about how scientists study the affects of selective logging could be only on few options we have to make agricultural cash with out destroying the rain forest. Studies show that with selective logging if the land is giving enough time to resupply without disruption can repopulate well without damage done to nature. Scientist conducted over 100 different studies to prove this information. Even though this might not bring money in as fast it would help us in the long run it would keep 76% of the carbon and 80% of plants and animals diversity. This only does not work if the land is turned into rubber or palm oil plantations.

Within the essay, “How Safe Are Cell Phones?,” it discusses the concerns of cellular devices creating health problems to its users. Due to the fact that cell phones give off slight radiation leaves it in question. Are cell phones safe to use over time? It is being studied on whether or not cell phones are giving people brain tumors due to the radiation it gives off. However, it is supposedly being extremely recommended by a number of scientists that instead of avoiding cell phone use to be cautious when using them. The scientists stress speaking on cell phones more than texting so they emphasize talking on the phone only when it is absolutely necessary and using hands-free whenever possible to keep the phone away from your head.


http://environment.about.com/od/mobilephones/a/phone_safety.htm

Gaseous Emissions from Dinosaurs May Have Warmed Prehistoric Earth

Sauropods could have possibly produced enough of the greenhouse gas, Methane, to warm the climate millions of years ago. Dave Wilkinson said, that a mathematical model suggests that the microbes living in sauropod dinosaurs may have produced enough methane to have an important effect on the Mesozoic climate. The microbes helped the sauropods by fermenting the plants that they ate. Recent studies have been conducted on animals in order to derive equations that predicted the methane output of animals and how it is related to the animals' sizes. It was proven that methane emissions from Sauropods were around 520 million tons per year. The study's conclusions show that microbes and methane are extremely important to the global climate.     http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120507102324.htm

Stone Throwing Chimp Back At It Again

Three years ago, a stone throwing chimp named Santino stunned the science community by his daily actions. He would calmly gather stones in the mornings at the Furuvik Zoo in Gävle, Sweden, which he lived at. That's not the amazing part of this story. The fact that he would gather the stones every morning, arrange them in neat piles, and throw them at oncoming visitors was the shocking part. Seeing as monkey's are the closest animal in correlation to humans the fact that the monkey was able to plan ahead for what he understood was coming his way is amazing. Some scientist suggested that there was no importance of this monkey throwing rocks seeing as in the wild monkey's would throw poop, food, and sticks to show dominance in the tribe or of a location. Seeing as now Santino has begun to hide the rocks in different places where he know visitors will pass suggests his power to think and better yet plan ahead. By realizing this we can apply this to us as humans and gather a better understanding of how we live and function all based of a monkey named Santino who consistently throws rocks.

http://www.enn.com/wildlife/article/44382

Kelsey Clifford: Ice sheet melting in the Arctic

This article is on the Antartica ice sheets and how they are becoming a problem due to global warming. Scientists have been have watching and taking data from this area for years and are now finding a problem with the ice. Because of global warming, the thick ice sheets are starting to melt at a rapid pase and scientists are saying that this will contribute to the rise of sea levels in the the next couple of years. The ice is being held back by land and scientists are worried that this problem will cause more than just the sea level rising a little bit. They are trying to come up with ways to slow down the melting process while they come up with other ways to protect the land and the people living near this ice. The ice melting will also cause a temperature change will cause more ice to melt and the cycle will continue to happen.

http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/10/11637277-vast-antarctic-ice-sheet-in-play-with-global-warming?lite