Block C Even Mr. Ippolito
Light Can Generate Lift
Sanders, Laura. "Light Can Generate Lift." Science News. 05 Dec. 2010. Web. http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/67050/title/Light_can_generate_lift
In the past light has been used as a means of energy. Light collected by solar panels could be used to power machines as complex as automobiles. Light had even been used to physically push extremely light objects in the opposite direction of a beam of light blasting it. Since then, signifigant advances have been made in the study of light and its ability to physically move objects. When a stream of light is arranged in the right way, a stream of light can be used to raise a tiny object into the air in the same way that airplane wings lift a jet off the ground. Where before light could only push objects now it can create the more complicated force called lift. The force known as “lift” is what it sounds like, it is when a flow of energy causes an object to move perpendicularly. Given its novelty, light’s new ability hasn’t been used in any practical endeavors yet (we’re not going to be able to power a jet’s flight with it yet.) However, scientists are already thinking of ways the fledgling technology could be implemented in small ways. For instance, it could enable better steering methods on solar sails.
Our planet is has been in a constant energy crisis for the past decade; when even a resource as abundant as fresh water is in a higher demand than can be met it is clear that an energy crisis is at hand. Fossil fuel’s are in high demand and the demand for them pushes up the cost of them. But the tactile cost of oil is only one cost of that industry, one has to think of the externality costs of the industry. The want for oil causes conflicts in countries with a lot of it and the burning of fossil fuels is bad for the environment. The advancement of light technologies is critical to the displacement of these problems. If people were able to lift planes off of the ground without the use of fossil fuels the demand for oil would drop drastically. Light is the most abundant source of energy in the solar system and it’s free. It is critical, in the coming years, that people tap into this source of energy and develop new technologies that harness it because if people could, our energy would be much cleaner and less costly.
The article was good but there were wrong with it. The biggest problem I had with the article was that sometimes it would mention things that I was not privy to. For instance, when I read the article at first I had no idea what solar sails are. When they explained their experiment with the rods I had to read it through a few times to understand what was going on. Perhaps that isn’t the fault of the person who wrote the article because at this point we’ve gotten into territory where things are just very complcated. Also, the article did not touch on why the new technology will be useful as it advances more; I would have liked to hear some speculation on what visionary technologies might be made possible by the new technology.
There were a few aspects of this article review that I thought were particularly well presented. The first one was the explanation of oil and fossil fuels in the middle east. It was good how the demand for and difficulty of obtaining fossil fuels was explained. Another positive aspect of this review was how the demand for water was mentioned. It was argued that although fresh water is one of the most abundantly supplied things on earth, we still need more of it. One final positive aspect of this review was how it explained the way light beams can be used to lift objects. This is definitely a very confusing topic to explain but it was well simplified in the review.
ReplyDeleteThere were however some aspects of this review that could have been improved. One aspect that could have been improved was the final paragraph. It was not a very good criticism to put down the article because you were not aware of some subject areas, simply because the article was not written directly for you. Another thing that could have been elaborated on more was the future uses of the light lifting methods.
One thing that I found very interesting in this article was the main topic of it, the idea of light lifting. I think it is so cool that things no matter what weight can be lifted be light, and it could be such a key factor in solving our energy crisis if the idea is developed more.
John did a great job with his current event overall, but there were three aspects that made it great. The first thing that he did well was that he explained how light can lift very well. He used examples and explained how lift works with light, so I could understand it without reading over a few times. He used easy to understand vocabulary, which also made his description comprehendible. The second thing that John did well was that he explained our current situation with energy and then explained how we can use light as an alternative energy source because it is infinite and free. He said as long as we can learn how to use it to lift things, prices for oil and gas will go down. The last thing that John presented well was that he gave a good critique of the article that explained how hard it was to get information from. He used great vocabulary when critiquing the article, as well.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the review was great, a couple of things could have been done to make it even better. The first thing is that John could have added some facts that prove that using light for energy would be better than using fossil fuels. He could have added some quantifiable data that would have proved his point. Another thing he could have done to improve his article was that he could have listed some of the ways that scientists are trying to use the fact that light can lift objects. Some future projects explained would have made the review more interesting.
One thing that impressed me by reading this review was that light could actually be used to lift objects off the ground. I did not know light was that strong. I did not even know that light could push objects in the opposite direction if the light was strong enough. I found it very interesting that light can be used in these ways and I look forward to learning more about light in the future.
John did a good job explaining his very interesting article. He explained how if the light beam is positioned correctly it can cause the same effect that an airplane’s wings do when they lift the craft off the ground. He also used understandable words and there was not much I was not familiar with. There was a mention of solar sails which I had no knowledge of, but John made it clear that he was unfamiliar with them as well. The final thing that he did well was how he related the use of light to our current state of affairs. He said that light could be used as an alternative energy source as opposed to oil which is expensive due to a high demand.
ReplyDeleteThere are some improvements that could be made to his review. I would have liked to know how the light beam is used and what makes it lift objects. He said that the beam has to be positioned properly, but what is properly? I also would have liked to know how practical is the use of light for energy? In the future when scientists are more knowledgeable about light’s advantages, will it be able to power machines with equal or greater proficiency than fossil fuels? I acknowledge that that piece of information may not have been in the article, but it would have enhanced it.
This whole review taught me something new. I had no idea that light had the ability to lift objects no matter their size or shape. It is interesting to see that we are moving in a direction that is taking advantage of the very available resources we have.
I felt john did a nice job critiquing the article. It was good for several reasons. first, I felt he gave a clear summary of the article with a nice introduction of the previous advantages of light know to man. I also liked how he explained the impact of this discovery on our current global energy crisis. Such a discovery may be the answer to the world's limitations on fossil fuels and other dwindling sources on energy. Finally, John's extensive vocabulary was the cherry on top of a great review.
ReplyDeleteWhile there were many positive areas, John's article had areas in need of improvement. He could have taken a couple extra minutes to proof read the article. There were a couple areas that contained misspelling and improper grammar. I also felt John could have given more information as to who or what organization was experimenting with this new discovery.
I learned a very interesting fact about light in this article. I had no idea that light had the potential to lift objects. I would love to see scientists and engineers take advantage of this discovery and create something incredible.
John's summary of the article was very effective. I like that he highlighted the importance of this discovery, because alternative resources of energy and saving the environment are very pressing issues. He also used examples of the way light works to move things, which made it more understandable. Lastly, his summary included just enough information for readers to get the idea of the article without overwhelming them.
ReplyDeleteHe could have explained the article a little better though. He says that there were parts of the article that took him a while to understand, but he never explained what they meant, so it leaves the reader questioning what he is talkng about. I would have liked to know how long it would take for this technology to be very effective.
I thought this article was interesting, because I never knew light could be used in this way. I had only ever heard of using sunlight and solar panels, so it was surprising to me that light could be used to lift things.