SpaceX Rocket Sticks Landing on the 5th Try

After 4 failed attempts, SpaceX was finally able to land their Falcon 9 booster stage on a boat. SpaceX is an American space company owned by Tesla and Paypal’s Elon Musk that is often contracted by NASA to bring materials to space. This particular mission was hauling 7000 pounds of experiments and supplies to the ISS. The 4 previous times, the rockets had tipped over and exploded upon impact. However, this time the rocket stayed upright. Elon Musk has long believed that reusable rockets were crucial for efficient, commercial space flight, and this is one huge step in the right direction.

This article is very much relevant to us. Since the space shuttle was retired in 2011, the United States has been reliant on Russia Soyuz rockets to get astronauts to space. Although SpaceX has not performed any manned missions yet, they are giving hope for the US space program and national pride. Additionally, by stepping into the realm of commercial spaceflight, SpaceX is moving towards a vast, untapped market. The possibilities offered by commercial spaceflight are endless, from tourism to asteroid mining to possibly even setting up interplanetary colonies. Regardless, this is one giant leap for mankind.

I thought that this article was well written and gave a nice summary of what occurred. I would’ve liked for it to be lengthier, possibly including quotes from experts or new of what their competitor, Blue Origin, is doing in that department. All in all, it was a good, informative read.

Chang, Kenneth. "SpaceX Rocket Sticks Landing on the 5th Try." The New York Times. The New York Times, 08 Apr. 2016. Web. 11 Apr. 2016. <http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/09/science/on-fifth-try-mission-accomplished-for-spacex-booster-rocket.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=8&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0>.

Don’t Let Them Tell You You’re Not at the Center of the Universe

Overbye, Dennis. "Don’t Let Them Tell You You’re Not at the Center of the Universe." The New York Times. The New York Times, 01 Apr. 2016. Web. 02 Apr. 2016. <http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/02/science/dont-let-them-tell-you-youre-not-at-the-center-of-the-universe.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0>

Okay, let’s see if I can explain this: “the universe didn’t start at a place, it started at a time.” And that time? Around 13.8 billion years ago, according to the best cosmological data. However, many people believe the universe started someplace, as if the expansion was like a hand grenade going off and the rest of the universe was made from the shards. This concept is false in the sense that, by definition, the universe already fills all space. Yes, it’s true that everything we see today was once the size of a grapefruit, but technically, that grapefruit was already part of an infinite ensemble with no edge, except one made up of time. Instead, this expansion is over time, which we know is open-ended; we are looking into the past when we are looking out, and the farther back we look, the farther back the past. There is no direction for the future, but the present is the center. In other words: you are the center of the universe. Albert Einstein already discovered this in 1905 when he said that our eyes are time machines, and because nothing travels faster than the speed of light, any information we are receiving are from the past. Everything we feel, see, or hear are from the past. Looking at the moon, one is simply seeing an image of light was reflected from the moon traveling at the speed of light a second ago. And the farther away the object, the longer it takes to arrive. Because all our eyes are slightly different, everyone's universe is different as well. 

Though this article seems only relevant to astronomers and researchers of such, the main message and idea is for everyone: that they are unique. It may not exactly fit much into society, but it is another misconception that has been debunked. Even when we know that what we see is from the past, we have trouble understanding that the universe is not measured by space, but by time. Because we can’t physically touch time or occupy it, unlike space for the most past, it is more difficult to wrap our minds around this concept.

Personally, my mind was boggled. I thought this article was really interesting. At first, I thought it was going to be difficult to understand and boring with difficult terminology, but the author did a nice job of explaining the important information and in making the reader feel special in their own way.

“Diabetes Cases Have Quadrupled in Just Over 3 Decades”

Since 1980 the number of people suffering from diabetes has increased from 108 million to 422 million, about 8.5% of the global population. This increase in diabetes is due to a number of reasons, which were investigated by the World Health Organization, or WHO. According to their studies, 1.5 million people worldwide died because of diabetes, while 2.7 million died of high blood-glucose. Evidently diabetes is a major health issue that needs attention, but tackling the disease costs roughly $827 billion annually in patient care and medicine. Diabetes is classified in two types, type 1 in which insulin is not produced, and type 2 in which insulin is not used efficiently. The increase in cases of diabetes has mainly been in type 2 diabetes. As for the cause of this increase in type 2 diabetes, the WHO stated that the rise mirrors “the global increase in the number of people who are overweight or obese.” The increase of obesity can be found in the insufficient amount of exercise completed by both adults and adolescents. About a quarter of the population of 18 and older was found to have insufficient activity levels in 2010. Furthermore, 84% of adolescent females and 78% of adolescent males do not exercise enough. As for where the increase in diabetes has manifested, the WHO’s reports state, “Prevalence is growing rapidly in low-income and middle-income countries.” Specifically, this includes the Western Pacific, African, Southeast Asian, and Eastern Mediterranean regions. FInally, the WHO included some suggestions that could be done to attempt to decrease the prevalence of diabetes. Some examples include taxes on sugary beverages to discourage the consumption of it, or the promotion of non motorized transport in urban areas. Fortunately, things are already taking a turn for the better. According to the WHO, “Nearly three-quarters (72%) of countries have a national diabetes policy that is implemented with dedicated funding, and countries are also taking action at the policy level to address unhealthy diets and physical inactivity.” Hopefully these policies and reforms will lead to a decrease in the number of diabetes cases in the future.

The extreme increase in diabetes cases certainly affects today’s society. 422 million people are suffering from diabetes, and while diabetes can’t exactly be prevented, an individual’s chance of getting diabetes can be lowered through lifestyle choices like exercise and a healthy diet. Drawing attention through an article such as this one can hopefully aid in raising awareness about the increase in diabetes and persuade people to make better lifestyle choices or governments to implement new policies. Furthermore, not all countries are able to easily access insulin, so perhaps raising awareness could also help those countries in their struggle to get enough insulin for the increasing number of those suffering from diabetes.

Overall, I found the article very informative, and even enjoyable to read. The topic of diabetes is pretty interesting, especially since we just recently discussed it in class. The author did a nice job of making the topic clear and easy to understand through giving just enough detail and using vocabulary that is understandable to people who aren’t scientists. The author also included many quotes from scientists and experts, specifically from the World Health Organization, so I knew that the information was from a reliable source and all the claims that were made by the author could be backed up. The only thing that could have been done better in the article would have been to supply more details on what kinds of policies different governments are enforcing to try and control the number of diabetes cases. While the author did mention the introduction of new policies, the author didn’t give any examples which could add to the reader’s understanding and make the article more detailed and interesting. In the end, I did definitely learn a lot from this article and found it pretty interesting.

Cullinane, Susannah. "Diabetes Cases Have Quadrupled in Just Over 3 Decades." CNN. Cable News Network, 7 Apr. 2016. Web. 11 Apr. 2016. <http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/06/health/diabetes-quadruples-who-report/index.html>.

Cutting Food and Carbon Waste-lines for Healthy Climate

Kinver, Mark. "Cutting Food and Carbon Waste-lines for Healthy Climate."BBC News. N.p., 7 Apr. 2016. Web. 10 Apr. 2016. <http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35988093>.

New studies have shown that reducing food waste and changing caloric sources can help cut carbon emissions and help feed the growing global population. As more and more people eating a meat based diet as countries grow richer, this trend proves to be unsustainable because meat production requires more energy. Scientists, including Professor Kropp from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, also found that 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions could be caused by food waste by 2050. If we continue with our current ways, we will face major obstacles in feeding the population and cutting carbon emissions in less than half a century. Although many may not be aware of the negative impact of food waste, there has to be a change in the way people consume food in order to create a sustainable future.

The information in this article is very relevant to society because we can individually make an effort to help reduce food waste and change our food consumption to cut carbon emissions and work towards a safer future. For example, people can eat less meat in their diet because they would be consuming more energy efficient sources of food. They can also try to reduce food waste in their daily lives. There are some environmental problems that seem to be out of reach for many everyday citizens, but people can definitely help towards solving the issue of food waste that is presented in this article by changing their daily habits.

This article was very concise and presented the information in a way that a larger audience can understand. They used language that was easily understood without extensive scientific knowledge. However, the author could have expanded on the types of researchers that conducted this study and included a few more scientific details. Although I was able to gain a general understanding of the topic, it would have been beneficial for the author to write about the different programs that they used to conduct the studies and make predictions. Sharing such information with the audience would have made the article seem more credible and detailed.

The FBI’s ability to hack into an iPhone may not last much longer

The FBI’s ability to hack into an iPhone may not last much longer

By Lulu Chang

If you have not been keeping up with the latest Apple news, the multi billion dollar company has been in a tough lawsuit with the United States government. Apple denied the government’s request to unlock an iPhone that belonged to the criminal behind San Bernardino.  However, just recently the US government found their own way into the iPhone, but according to this article, they won’t for much longer. once the security flaw that allowed officials to get inside the mobile device is fixed, the opportunity for police to exploit this weakness will be gone for good. And it looks as though the exposure of that security flaw is inevitable. The FBI said it will reveal how it gained access the iPhone 5C “when the time is right”, but experts note that the government may soon have to reveal its secrets in a court of law.

The reason I picked this article was because it followed a case that tested the privacy laws in the United States. The case proved that Apple would not breach the security of on of its products, regardless of whether the government commands them to. Conversely, it showed that the government would do anything to get the information it needs. The article shed light on the weakness that the government officials exposed, and just how much longer they will be able to do this.

The article did a good job presenting the necessary information in a short but sweet manner. I liked how Chang quoted an Apple engineer to show the progress Apple is making on fixing the security flaw and how confident they seem.  I did not like, however, some of the language the author used. Sometimes I felt she said things that made it hard to understand what her point was, and wish she just simplified her sentences. Maybe she could have included some pictures in her article.

Chang, Lulu. "The FBI’s Ability to Hack into an IPhone May Not Last Much Longer." Digital Trends. N.p., 03 Apr. 2016. Web. 03 Apr. 2016. <http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/fbi-hack-iphone/>.

Mummy genomes reveal just how catastrophic European contact was for New World

Wade, Lizzie. "Mummy Genomes Reveal Just How Catastrophic European Contact Was for New World." Mummy Genomes Reveal Just How Catastrophic European Contact Was for New World. 2016. Web. 03 Apr. 2016. <http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/04/mummy-genomes-reveal-just-how-catastrophic-european-contact-was-new-world >.

A new study has come out showing that European contact with indigenous american populations had a major impact on their genome. Using 92 skeletons and mummies, alive from 8600 to 500 years ago, researchers looked at the mitochondrial DNA, which is directly passed from mother to offspring, in order to retrace the population all the way back to Siberia. The data showed that the Native Americans were last in touch with their Siberian ancestors 23,000 years ago. They then began crossing the land bridge, which they were stranded on for 6,000 years, until taking a boat down to the Americas. In total it took them, “1500 years to cover the entire continent.” And then, much to the scientist’s surprise, everyone settled down with no inbreeding between different groups. When the Europeans arrive, 84 or 92 lineages were found untraceable, or in other words, they were completely wiped out.

I thought this article said a lot about the genetic diversity of Native Americans. It is true that there are still many holes in the information, and things that still need to be discovered, but overall it is very significant. For example, it paints a clearer picture of the variety of Native American genes, how their ancestry can be traced back, and the route they took to reach the Americas. Most importantly, however, it showed the genetic impact of the European contact with Native Americans, and how it decimated their family lines.

I thought this article was well written, but it was slightly dry at times. I wish they had focused more on the impact of European contact, than talking about how they didn’t have that much information. I loved reading about the background information however, because I think it was very interesting and involved things that I never learned about. Overall, it was nice to learn something about Native Americans and their genetic diversity, since not a lot is focused on them.

The Bionic Pancreas Is Getting Closer to Reality

The bionic pancreas, the biggest invention in type 1 diabetes management ever. It has the possibility to make type 1 diabetes very easy to manage, by automating the process that diabetics used to have to go through. iLet (like the islet cells in the pancreas), the program that was created by BU professor, Ed Damiano, has now been turned into the company Beta Bionics. Beta Bionics just received $5 million from Eli Lilly, the pharmaceutical company that makes the insulin for the artificial pancreas. This has pushed Damiano and his colleagues closer and closer to making their bionic pancreas a reality. The Beta Bionics’ pancreas samples blood sugar levels in the body every five minutes and automatically adjusts for the blood sugar level in the blood. Unlike most other artificial pancreases that are being developed now, the Beta Bionics’ pancreas would not only release insulin, the hormone responsible for lowering blood sugar, but also glucagon, the hormone responsible for raising blood sugar. All of this activity would be monitored on a smartphone, so you could track what the pancreas is doing and to monitor your blood sugar levels.

Type 1 diabetes is also known as juvenile diabetes, therefore, it is diagnosed most often in children. Younger children with diabetes have to be constantly monitored, so they cannot always lead regular lives, and neither can their parents. This bionic pancreas, would allow parents to monitor their child’s blood sugar levels on a smart device, while the programming in the artificial pancreas did all the work. This would eliminate the need for juice boxes in backpacks and insulin shots after lunch. This discovery would revolutionize the way we manage type 1 diabetes and would be especially helpful to the thousands of children who are living with this disease.

I enjoyed this article very much. I think it is a really amazing concept and could have an outstanding impact on the diabetes community. I think that the author did a really good job of explaining the concept of the artificial pancreas, but she lacked in explaining the details of how the artificial pancreas would be implanted, the risks that correspond with that, and how the artificial pancreas would actually do the monitoring of the blood sugar and release of hormones. Even though this piece was missing, this article was very informative and interesting.

Citation:

Sifferlin, Alexandra. "The Bionic Pancreas Is Getting Closer to Reality." Time. Time Inc., 01 Apr. 2016. Web. 03 Apr. 2016. <http://time.com/4278068/bionic-pancreas-company/>.