Monday 1 April 2013

Gregor Mendel Lab



Gregor Mendel Biography
            Gregor Mendel, one of the greatest botanist of all times and the father of genetics, was born in Austria, 1822. The great scientist, was a monk and started doing experiments at the garden of the monastery, where he came up with the two Laws: the law of segregation and the law of independent assortment. He also worked at a school for 14 years. At the year of 1854, he began to research the ‘transmission of hereditary traits in plants and he chose to study it with peas, because they have many distinct varieties and they reproduce fast. Before he did his experiments and came up with the two laws, it was a fact that the hereditary traits were ‘merely the diluted blending of whatever traits were present in the parents’. Also that the hybrid would revert to the original form and will not be able to create new forms. After he crossed peas with different characteristics, tall-short, yellow-green, he created two conclusions. First, that there are dominant and recessive traits passed on randomly which he called it the law of segregation and second, traits are passed on independently which he called the law of independent assortment. Unfortunately, his findings were not applicable because they only applied to certain species. In 1868, his eyesight started to fail and that’s when he stopped his scientific work and died later on at the age of 62 at  January 6th, 1884.

Sunday 20 January 2013

Me, My Clone and I


Me, My Clone and I


I was created in a lab. Everything inside me is unnatural. Well… kind of. Every single gene, every single cell in my body was selected one by one and made me what I am. Perfect. When I was 2 weeks old, a young couple adopted me. I stayed with them my entire childhood. They didn’t expect a lot from me. They knew that I was ‘perfect’ so they let me choose what’s right or wrong. All kids my age would have been very happy if that happened to them, that’s why they were jealous. But they didn’t know what I have been through…  At the age of 1 my parents decided to adopt Richard. He was normal, unlike me, but he had enough power to destroy my life. He was about the same age as me, we liked the same things, we shared a room and our parents loved us both the same.  Well that’s what I wanted to think.  After Richard’s accident all the attention was on him. They kept asking him if he needed help climb up the stairs, to eat breakfast, if he had a special request for dinner and if he wanted help with his homework. All this for just a broken leg.  Sometimes, they even let him skip school because he was complaining his leg hurt a lot but of course that was an excuse. When he was healthy again, nothing changed in our parent’s behavior. They still seemed to care more about him than me even though I was the perfect one! Many young man like me wouldn’t care much if they were ignored by there parents in fact they would like it, but not me. I am different in many ways. After weeks of being depressed I decided to run away.  I quickly grabbed a big bag, put some clothes in it and took some money from the counter of our kitchen and closed the door behind me.  I had no idea where I could go but since I was already 18 I could get a job, get more money and go out of the country. I got a work as a waiter. After a year of working there and lots of tips from the clients, I finally had enough money to move to Europe and change the way I lived. I moved to England and where my dreams came true.

            Before I decided to run away, I got accepted in many good colleges and my parents and I had already agreed for me to go to Oxford University. With the few things I had with me, I took the bus and drove there. They were expecting me but not a year late. Because of the perfect scores I got in my exams they let me come. I didn’t need to pay for this since I had a scholarship but I still got a job as a cashier at Starbucks coffee shop.  These four years were hard, I can’t say they weren’t, but I had fun. I made friends, I never had any, I went out with them and had fun but mostly, I fell in love with a girl called Isabella. It was the best thing that ever happened to me and I was very happy for that. All these things that were new to me, made me have a strange feeling. I felt precious and worthwhile. Back in Switcherland, where I lived with my parents I didn’t have that feeling. People thought that just because I was perfect I also didn’t have feelings. The worse thing is that they made me believe that too. But this changed when I moved here, in England.  After these amazing 4 years I finally graduated with a degree in science and started looking for a job. I didn’t care if it was a big one or a small one, I just wanted to do what I want; that was work in a lab and create something big and live a happy life with Bella.

            After months for looking for a job and with just enough money to pay my rent, I got a job as an assistant in a lab.  I worked for Mr. McCoy, a nice, old man who spent years and years in this lab trying to make clones. He already knew how to, but the problem was that he hadn’t met the perfect person with the perfect genes and that’s why he chose me to help him. The first week, I got to meet him and learned how he could create clones and why he chose me to help him. After that, he was trying to convince me to give him some of my genes so he can put in action his plan. Having in mind that I could help the society and start a whole new world, I finally agreed. My first wish was done but something went really wrong with the second one. When I got the job, Isabella and I couldn’t see each other that much since I worked all day and all night at the lab and when I returned home she was already sleeping. That caused many fights because she though I was cheating on her and I though the same about her. But neither my version nor her version was true. We just had a lot of work. One day, I decided I would surprise her and return home early. When I got at the apartment, a big surprise was waiting for me. A note that she left on the kitchen table saying that she really loves me but she has to go away and find a bigger job and a bigger love. This really hurt me but I moved on and focused on my work.

           
            Now I am on a wheelchair sitting all day in the lab and observing my genes growing up and creating a new me. Don’t ask me how I managed to end up in a wheelchair. I will explain everything, word by word. One morning, I went to work and I was really tired because the previous night I was watching a documentary that helped me learn more about cloning. Although it was a sci-fi movie it had some important information that I couldn’t miss. I was feeling very sleepy so I decided to go fast and buy a coffee before Mr. McCoy arrives. With the coffee on one hand and the cell phone at the other I was walking fast checking the time every now and then. While I was crossing the road, Mr. McCoy called me and told me that he needed some coffee. When I finished talking I turned around and started walking towards the cafe. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t check if there were any cars so one of them hit me. Really hard. The driver took me to the hospital where I stayed in there for 5 weeks. The doctors took good care of me and I talked to Mr. McCoy every day to see how my clone was doing. He said it was almost ready which made me very excited so I asked the doctors if I could finally leave and go home. They said yes.

            I’m looking at me but I can feel that it isn’t really me but he looks like me. I’m kind of scared and excited but I still need to wait a few more days till my clone is ready. I had a plan. I am going to teach him everything about him, what I like and what I don’t, what I eat and what I don’t, what I do and what I don’t but I will never mention him anything about Isabella. It’s going to make me sad and since there is no way I’m going to see her again since she moved to France there is no need to introduce that topic to Allan 2 (that’s how I call him, number 2).  The days passed fast and Allan was finally ready. “Hi” I tell him “can you speak?” Allan looks at me, then makes a circle to observe the environment and then looks back at me. “Yes” he says “Yes I can speak. Who are you?” he asked with curiosity. “I am your clone!” I answer “No wait. You are my clone. We look exactly the same because you are made from my genes”. He looks to understand but I am still not sure. I take him home, introduce him to 2025 and how people live and tell him everything about me as I had already planned. I talk to him about life and everything he needs to know, teach him how to speak properly. “Everything is going great” I tell myself. Suddenly the phone rings. “Hello” I answer, “Yes hi. Is this Allan Elton? I need to speak with him” the man says across the phone “Yes this is me. Is there something wrong?” I ask very curiously “I am calling from the hospital and the doctors said that your exams weren’t that good. They need to see you as soon as possible” The man says “Okay, I will come as soon as I have time. Thank you very much. Good night”. I put down the phone and sit on the couch thinking. “I know what is wrong. I am not risking it to go and see a doctor”. I ran across the hall, put on my jacket,  take my car and office keys and say goodbye to Allan 2.  I finally arrived. I run up the stairs go strait to the lab and take a shot. I put it inside my vain and I start loosing my senses. I just realize that I killed myself.

            Observing from the sky, my life went on and instead of me living it, Allan 2 was living it. To be exact his new name is Allan Elton. That used to be me; not any more. No one really noticed that it was my clone and not me, except Mr. McCoy who knew everything because Allan told him. He lives my life as I would live it, he makes the decision that I would make but one thing he can’t do and that’s fall in love. 

Tuesday 6 November 2012

The Incredible Glove That Makes 'Touch Screen' Keyboards So . . . . . . . Yesterday!

by Meera Dolasia on October 28


 Many people think that touch screens are cool and I agree. But wouldn't it be much cooler if we had a clove and my doing small touches we typed? I bet it would. Jiake Liu with the help of a team of researchers he made this awesome glove that you probably connect it with your phone via bluetooth and then you make small touches a the letters that are across the fingers.... and VOILA you typed a text message. If this glove is sponsored by someone and goes on sale it can help hundreds of blind and 
handicap people. 

This is one of the coolest inventions I have ever seen. It's going to help many people for typing, not only blind or handicap but also old people that are not so used having phones. 


http://www.dogonews.com/2012/10/28/the-incredible-glove-that-makes-touch-screen-keyboards-so-yesterday

Sunday 4 November 2012

One World Essay: Electronic Waste


We need to make a One World Essay about an issue that we have seen with our own eyes and we can suggest solutions. My topic is electronic waste





Wikipedia: "Electronic Waste." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_waste>.

Greenpeace: "Where Does E-waste End Up?" Greenpeace International. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2012. <http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/toxics/electronics/the-e-waste-problem/where-does-e-waste-end-up/>.

1800 e-waste: "1800ewaste - Electronic Waste and Computer Recycling Service." E Waste and Computer Recycling. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2012. <http://www.ewaste.com.au/>.
Maine waste management: "E-Waste." Electronic Waste, Waste Management, Maine Department of Environmental Protection. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2012. <http://www.maine.gov/dep/waste/ewaste/>.

IOP: "'E-waste Pollution' Threat to Human Health." 'E-waste Pollution' Threat to Human Health. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2012. <http://www.iop.org/news/11/may/page_51103.html>.

Monday 22 October 2012

British Scientists Create Gasoline From Thin Air (And Water)!

By Meera Dolasia on October 22, 2012


Would you look at that? This is soo cool. How would you feel about making  your own fuel for your car? Well scientists are not quite sure yet if all the cars in the future are going to be able to use this awesome fuel but the race cars are for sure. Scientist found a way to produce their on fuel by mixing carbon dioxide with hydrogen and then, using a catalyst , it turns it into fuel. It doesn't create byproducts that are harmful when the fossils are burned down fro the normal fuel. I wondered if this is harmful to the environment but no. In fact it is good because it takes the carbon dioxide from the air we are breathing



 I think it is awesome how scientists' imagination is thinking. Making your own file? This is really cool. And the most important thing is that it is not harmful to our environment but in fact it helps it!



Highlighter Reactions

In class we did this cool lab were we took a white piece of white paper and made a dot with a highlighter. Then we put the tip of the paper on a cup with water. We observed that the highlight color was going up the paper while forming different shapes. Each color forms different shapes. We also learned that FBI and the police uses this method of what the reaction will be to see if the pen (for example that a note was written) is the same as  the suspect's and if the reaction is the same it means the pen (for example is the same)