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Spring 2023

 In This Issue 

The "Immortal" Jellyfish

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Turritopsis dohrnii is a transparent, pinky-sized jellyfish that lives in tropical waters. It mainly eats plankton, fish eggs, and small mollusks. Although it is very tiny(0.15 in wide), this little jellyfish has a nickname, the “immortal” jellyfish. It is called the immortal jellyfish because when it reaches its sexual maturity, it reverts back to its baby phase. 

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Source:

“Turritopsis Dohrnii.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Feb. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turritopsis_dohrnii. 

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Magazine, Smithsonian. “'Immortal Jellyfish' Could Spur Discoveries about Human Aging.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 6 Sept. 2022, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/immortal-jellyfish-could-spur-discoveries-about-human-aging-180980702/#:~:text=Like%20a%20typical%20jellyfish%2C%20the,turn%20into%20medusae%2C%20or%20adults. 

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Berthold, Emma. “The Animals That Can Live Forever.” Curious, 24 May 2021, https://www.science.org.au/curious/earth-environment/animals-can-live-forever. 

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“The ‘Immortal’ Jellyfish That Resets When Damaged: AMNH.” American Museum of Natural History, https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/on-exhibit-posts/the-immortal-jellyfish. 

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McDonough, Meghan. “Can the ‘Immortal’ Jellyfish Help Scientists Cure Brain Disease?” Quartz, Quartz, 12 Apr. 2019, https://qz.com/1591895/immortal-jellyfish-may-help-scientists-cure-brain-disease. 

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At an early age, like a typical jellyfish, Turritopsis dohrnii begins its life as a free-floating larva. It finds a hard surface to attach to, such as a rock or shell, and matures into a branching, plant-like polyp. From there, multiple young jellyfish bud off from the polyp and turn into medusae(adults). But here’s the difference: when an adult “immortal jellyfish” is damaged or stressed, instead of dying, it absorbs its own tentacles and becomes a blob that settles to the sea floor. Over the next day and a half, this blob becomes a new polyp, which can then form more medusae. This process makes this jellyfish seem immortal, but it can still be eaten by its predators like sea anemones, tuna, sharks, swordfish, and sea turtles. 

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It is still not determined how this process is being done, but scientists are putting a special interest in it due to its potential in regenerating medicines. Scientists say applying Turritopsis dohrnii’s reverting process to humans could solve many issues caused by aging, including cancer.  

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Three Inventions that Got Banned 
By Alvin Sung

1. Nike Alphaflys

 

In 2019, Eliud Kipchoge from Kenya broke the world record for running a marathon in under two hours. His average speed was about 21.18 km/hr, which shocked everyone. Some people began to think that Eliud’s shoes were the reason for his great result. Studies later showed that the shoes increased running efficiency by 4 percent and speed by 3.4 percent because of its trio of carbon plates and cutting-edge midsoles. In 2020, the World Athletic’s guideline banned any shoes that had more than one carbon plate or had a midsole higher than 40mm from competitions.

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2. Flyboard Air​

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Franky Zapata invented a hoverboard called Flyboard Air in 2012. The hoverboard had a maximum speed of 93 miles per hour and could go up to 10,000ft, and he even set a Guinness World Record for the farthest hoverboard flight.  However, the French officials soon warned him to not fly again since Flyboard was considered as an unlicensed aircraft with an unapproved engine. Franky made unsuccessful attempts to rebel against this restriction.

3. LZR Racer

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At the Beijing Olympics in 2008, 25 new swimming records were broken, and 23 of them were set by swimmers wearing the LZR Racer. This new type of swimsuit by Speedo and NASA was lined with polyurethane plastic panels. This special material reduced skin friction by 24 percent when swimming. Additionally, this suit compressed the swimmers’ bodies and reduced their bluff-body drag, which was the v-shape wake behind swimmers as they swam. These two factors allowed swimmers to swim faster. FINA (International Swimming Federation) soon realized this unfair advantage and banned all polyurethane suits in 2010. 

Sources:

Witts, James. “Technological Doping: The Science of Why Nike Alphaflys Were Banned from the Tokyo Olympics.” BBC Science Focus Magazine, BBC Science Focus Magazine, 4 Sept. 2021, https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/nike-alphafly-banned-technological-doping/. 

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B., Urian. “Nike Alphaflys Technology Explained: Why Was It Banned from the Olympics?” Tech Times, 6 Aug. 2021, https://www.techtimes.com/articles/263829/20210806/nike-alphaflys-technology-explained-why-was-it-banned-from-the-olympics.htm.

 

“Nike Alphafly Men's Road Racing Shoes. Nike.com.” Nike.com, https://www.nike.com/t/air-zoom-alphafly-next-flyknit-ekiden-road-racing-shoes-fNntgL/DO2407-728 nikemt=true&cp=34492719349_search_%7CPRODUCT_GROUP%7CGOOGLE%7C71700000088292143%7CAll_X_X_X_X-Device_X_Nike Clearance_X_SSC%7C%7Cc&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=Cj0KCQiAsoycBhC6ARIsAPPbeLtJxwrhxK0gsuENb8sU20F9boeixoeASeBJ-E3fUcBaxS72GuoBuykaAgSxEALw_wcB. 

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Farber, Madeline. “France Bans Franky Zapata from Flying Hoverboard.” Time, Time, 16 Mar. 2017, https://time.com/4703406/france-hoverboard-franky-zapata-flyboard-air/. 

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“Franky Zapata - Inventor of the Flyboard® Air.” Zapata, 8 Nov. 2022, https://www.zapata.com/en/zapata/. 

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O'Brien, Chris. “French Hoverboard Creator Says He May Leave France after Authorities Banned the Flyboard Air.” VentureBeat, VentureBeat, 14 Mar. 2017, https://venturebeat.com/business/french-hoverboard-creator-says-he-may-leave-france-after-authorities-banned-the-flyboard-air/. 

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Betuel, Emma. “Olympics Flashbacks: How a NASA-Designed Swimsuit Rocked the 2008 Games.” Inverse, Inverse, 5 Aug. 2020, https://www.inverse.com/innovation/olympic-glory-week-lzr-swimsuits. 

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“The Technology behind Speedo's High-Tech Swimsuits That Challenged the Olympics.” Engineering.com, https://www.engineering.com/story/the-technology-behind-speedos-high-tech-swimsuits-that-challenged-the-olympics. 

“Background.” Speedo Fast Skin LZR Racer, https://oacasinnovations.weebly.com/background.html. 

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“Best Inventions of 2008.” Time, Time Inc., 29 Oct. 2008, http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1852747_1854195_1854154,00.html. 

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three inventions

By: Ashley Sung

Why We Wash Our Hands

 

Germs are everywhere: your hands, the surface you touch, in the air you breathe. Most germs are not harmful, however, some germs can lead to sickness or infections. People frequently touch their nose, mouth, or eyes without realizing but that’s how germs find their way into the body. One way to prevent getting sick and keep germs from spreading is to wash your hands. When washing your hands with only water, the bacteria on your hands decrease significantly. The use of soap increases the effectiveness of removing germs from your hands. However, it is important to know that soap and water don’t kill the germs. As you scrub your hands with soap, you simply break them up and remove them from your hands. 

 

The Glo Germ experiment demonstrates the importance of washing our hands. You simply need Glo Germ and UV light. As you apply Glo Germ to your hands, the UV light allows you to see the “germs” on your hands. When washing your hands after applying the Glo Germ, wash your hands how you would normally wash them. As you use UV light to check for the germs again, it is likely that there are still germs under your nails or on your knuckles. That is because people normally miss those spots when washing their hands and they don’t wash their hands for at least 20 seconds. The longer you wash your hands, the less germs there are on your hands.

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So what are the proper steps of washing your hands? First, wet your hands under warm water. Then apply soap and lather well. Next, rub your hands for at least 20 seconds and scrub all surface on your hands including the back of your hands, wrists, palms, between your fingers, and under your fingernails. After that, rinse your hands and finally use a clean paper towel to turn off the faucet and dry your hands. Follow these steps to keep germs away!

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Resources:

"Show Me the Science- Why Wash Your Hands." CDC, 10 Sept. 2020, www.cdc.gov/handwashing/why-handwashing.html. Accessed 18 Mar. 2023.

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"The Handiwork of Good Health." Harvard Health Publishing, 1 Jan. 2007, www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/The_handiwork_of_good_health. Accessed 18 Mar. 2023.

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Young, Sarah. "Coronavirus: Black Light Photos Show Importance of Washing Hands amid Outbreak." Independent, 6 Oct. 2020, www.independent.co.uk/life-style/coronavirus-wash-hands-correctly-photos-black-light-germs-a9384321.html. Accessed 18 Mar. 2023.

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​Howland, Jason. "Mayo Clinic Minute: The Proper Way to Wash Your Hands." Mayo Clininc, 5 Dec. 2020, newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-minute-the-proper-way-to-wash-your-hands/. Accessed 18 Mar. 2023.

The Ancient Calculator: Abacus 
By Alvin Sung

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History of Abacus

 

Abacus is a counting device invented thousands of years ago. The exact origin of it is still unknown. However, we know that the abacus was first invented to count large numbers and has been used for commercial transactions throughout history because it allowed merchants to count goods that they sold and bought. 

 

There are different types of abacus. For example, the Chinese abacus has two beads at the top and 5 beads at the bottom. The Roman abacus has one bead at the top and 4 beads on the bottom, and it is made of stones and metal plates. The most widely used abacus is the Japanese abacus or soroban. Its structure is similar to the Roman abacus but uses beads instead.

 

 

Soroban

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Roman Abacus

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Chinese Abacus

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How to use an abacus (soroban)?

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Each top bead represents a value of 5, and each bottom bead represents a value of 1. Before any calculation, the top beads should be up, and the bottom beads should be down. Each column represents a place value, and the farthest column on the right is the ones place. The next column is the tens place. However, we can also assign the farthest column on the right to be tenths or hundredths place if we want. 

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To count a digit, we would either move the bottom beads up or the top beads down. If we want to show 1 on the abacus, we will push a bottom bead up. If we want a 2, we will push 2 bottom beads up.

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To show a 5, we would push a top bead down and move all the bottom beads down. For numbers larger than 5, we would keep the top bead down and push the bottom beads up.

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The process is the same for multi-digit numbers. If we want to show 29 on the abacus, we would make a 9 on the first column and make a 2 on the second column.

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Addition

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Example: 2 + 5 = 7

We start on the first column and push 2 bottom beads up, then push the top bead down to add a 5.

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Example: 7 + 4 = 11

We start on the first column and make a 7. Since we don't have enough beads to add a 4 on the first column, we need to push one bottom bead up on the second column and take away 6 on the first column because 10 - 4 = 6.

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Subtraction

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Example: 9 - 7 = 2

Again, we start on the first column with a 9. Since 7 is made of one 5 and two 1, we push 2 bottom beads down and the top bead up.

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Example: 5 - 1 = 4

 

We push one top bead down on the first column. We don’t have any bottom beads to subtract, so we would push the top bead up to remove 5, and we push four bottom beads up to add 4. 

 

In other words, we first subtract 5 (move the top bead up)  and then we add 4 (move four bottom beads up), which is the same as subtracting 1. 

 

5 - 5 + 4 = 5 - 1 = 4

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Example: 11 - 3 = 8

 

We push one bottom bead up in both the first and second columns to make an 11. Since we don’t have enough beads to subtract 3 in the first column, we remove a bead in the second column which is the same as subtracting 10, and then we add a 7 to the first column by pushing the top bead down and 2 bottom beads up.

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11 - 10 + 7 = 11 - 3 = 8

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Multiplication

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Example: 34 x 12 = 408

For multiplication, we start with the farthest left column. We would set the column to zero as a representation of the multiplication sign and the equal sign.

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First, we multiply 3 by 1, which is 3. We put it on the first column to the right of the equal sign. We then multiply 3 by 2, which is 6, and put it on the second column to the right of the equal sign. Next, we multiply 4 by 1 and add it to the second column. Finally, we multiply 4 by 2 and add it to the third column. The answer is 408.

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Division

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Example: 34 ÷ 2 = 17

In division, we put the divisor on the farthest left column and leave a few spaces for the quotient, and then we put the dividend.

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We first divide the first number in the dividend by the divisor (3 ÷ 2). There is only one 2 in a 3, so we would add a 1 to the second column on the left side and remove 2 on the first number of the dividend. 

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Now we divide 14 by 2, which is 7, so we put 7 on the third column to the left and remove the 14.

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We ignore the divisor, so the answer is 17. 

 

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What are the benefits of practicing abacus?

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  • Boost Confidence

Students that practice abacus would often receive positive comments because of their outstanding math skills. This could boost their confidence in future challenges. 

  • Enhance mental math

By visualizing the calculations, students can understand mathematics better and faster. With some practice, students will be able to visualize an abacus in their minds and do complicated calculations virtually. 

  • Brain Development

Since students use their hands to move the beads, using the abacus activates both the left and right hemispheres of the brain, which can enhance cognitive development. 

Sources:

Ganapati, Priya. “Nov 12, 1946: The Abacus Proves Its Might.” Wired, Conde Nast, 12 Nov. 2009, https://www.wired.com/2009/11/1112abacus-beats-calculator/. 

 

“Japanese Antique Jitsubutsu Kanban: Shokeu Type Shop Sign: Meiji/Taisho Period.” Mingei Arts, https://mingeiarts.com/products/japanese-vintage-kanban-soroban-abacus-taisho-period

Bruderer, Herbert. “How Did the Romans Calculate?” ACM, 20 Feb. 2019, https://cacm.acm.org/blogs/blog-cacm/234881-how-did-the-romans-calculate/fulltext. 

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“Mathematical Treasure: Modern Chinese Abacus.” Mathematical Treasure: Modern Chinese Abacus | Mathematical Association of America, https://www.maa.org/press/periodicals/convergence/mathematical-treasure-modern-chinese-abacus. 

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The Abacus: A Brief History, https://www.ecb.torontomu.ca/~elf/abacus/history.html

wikiHow. “How to Use an Abacus (with Pictures).” WikiHow, WikiHow, 20 July 2022, https://www.wikihow.com/Use-an-Abacus. 

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.“Japanese Abacus (Soroban).” Japanese Abacus, http://www.alcula.com/soroban.php?number=00000000000000012. 

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“Japanese Antique Jitsubutsu Kanban: Shokeu Type Shop Sign: Meiji/Taisho Period.” Mingei Arts, https://mingeiarts.com/products/japanese-vintage-kanban-soroban-abacus-taisho-period. 

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“Abacus : Five Key Learning Benefits.” Abacus, Vedic Maths, Coding, Rubiks, Music, Academic Coaching Classes, Live Online, 1 Mar. 2023, https://augmentedutech.com/five-key-benefits-of-learning-abacus/. 

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“Abacus Class & Future Advantages.” Mastermind Abacus, https://www.mastermindabacus.com/blog_detail/353/abacus-class-and-its-future-advantages-for-kids. 

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Dehaene, S., and S. Pinel. “[PDF] Representing Exact Number Visually 1 Representing Exact Number Visually Using Mental Abacus: Semantic Scholar.” [PDF] Representing Exact Number Visually 1 Representing Exact Number Visually Using Mental Abacus | Semantic Scholar, 1 Jan. 1970, https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Representing-Exact-Number-Visually-1-Representing-Dehaene-Pinel/5f3a204a632b7ee875e5f954f18c5a6658dd8635. 

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“Abacus-World's First Calculator: History of Computers.” Cuemath, https://www.cuemath.com/learn/abacus-history/. 

Orchidadmin. “11 Key Benefits of Abacus for Children - Orchids International School.” Orchids, 25 Jan. 2023, https://www.orchidsinternationalschool.com/blog/child-learning/benefits-of-learning-abacus/. 

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Das, Rajnish. “8 Amazing Benefits of Learning Abacus.” EnthuZiastic, 12 Jan. 2023, https://enthu.com/blog/abacus/benefits-of-abacus/. 

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Cryptocurrency
By Alvin Sung

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What is cryptocurrency?

Cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual asset designed to work as a medium of exchange. It uses cryptography to secure and verify transactions as well as to control the creation of new units. There are now more than 21,000 cryptocurrencies in circulation, and their value depends on supply and demand. If the demand for a cryptocurrency grows and its supply doesn’t, then it will become more valuable.

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How are transactions in cryptocurrency secured?

Cryptocurrency records all transactions in a digital ledger, and each computer has their own copy of the ledger. If a new transaction occurred, all the ledgers will update simultaneously.  A common type of ledger in cryptocurrency is blockchain. Each transaction is turned into a “block” that is connected to the previous block, or previous transaction. Therefore, if one of the transactions was not correct, all the blocks after that transaction will notice the error. This made it extremely difficult for hackers to steal crypto from someone else, since not only do they have to tamper with all the blocks following the transaction, but they also need to do it on all the computers. 

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When there’s a new transaction, Proof of Work (PoW) and Proof of State (PoS) are consensus algorithms that are used to validate transactions and add them to a blockchain. PoW requires users to perform computational work and solve complex mathematical problems to verify the transaction. This requires a large amount of electricity and computer power, so some worry about the environmental impact of PoW. On the other hand, PoS is more energy-efficient, and it requires users to stake their cryptocurrency as collateral. This could prevent fraud since If hackers attack the system, they lose their collateral.

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Cryptocurrency vs Cash

Cash is issued by a central authority, such as a government or a bank, while cryptocurrency is decentralized because it only depends on blockchain. There isn’t any bank controlling it. 

Cash is more likely to be lost or stolen, and it is difficult to track the money. Cryptocurrency is protected by technology such as blockchain, PoW, and PoS, but it could still happen. 625 million worth of crypto was stolen in 2022 by Lazarus, a North Korean hacker group. 

Cryptocurrency is more volatile compared to cash, which means the value of cryptocurrency changes a lot. For example, each Bitcoin was worth US$ 0.0008 in 2010, and now it’s worth over US$20,000. For US dollars, $10 in 2010 is worth $13.61 now.

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Sources:

Royal, James. “What Is Cryptocurrency?” Bankrate, https://www.bankrate.com/investing/what-is-cryptocurrency/. 

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Intelligence, Insider. “Use Cases of Blockchain Technology in Business and Life.” Insider Intelligence, 25 Jan. 2023, https://www.insiderintelligence.com/insights/blockchain-technology-applications-use-cases/. 

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“Bitcoin Price: BTC Price, USD Converter, Charts.” Https://Crypto.com/Price/Bitcoin, https://crypto.com/price/bitcoin.

cryptocurrency
Math and Geometry Tools

Complete this math puzzle!

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*answer key is available at the end

Short Science Explained

By Hadassah Choi

Learn about interesting and famous experiments in 30 seconds! 

Young Blood Rejuvenation 

The skins of an old and young mouse were stitched together. The mice’s circulatory systems were thus connected. The old mouse experienced revitalization in its muscle stem cells. Scientists were able to isolate a specific stem cell activity regulatory protein that they think is responsible. This protein is abundant in young mice, but its levels drop as the mice age. 

 

Kaiser, Jocelyn. “Young Blood Renews Old Mice.” Science, 4 May 2014, https://www.science.org/content/article/young-blood-renews-old-mice

Dolly the Sheep 

Dolly was the first mammal to be cloned by scientists. She was born in Scotland in 1996. An egg was taken from a Scottish Blackface (a sheep with a black face); the nucleus was taken out of the egg, meaning the DNA was taken out. The nucleus of a Finn Dorset (white face sheep) was fused into the egg using electrical pulses, so the egg had the DNA of the white face sheep. The cell was placed back inside the Scottish Blackface sheep and eventually developed into Dolly. Dolly’s white face showed that the experiment worked, as black face sheep do not produce white face sheep. Dolly’s genetic material was identical to the white face sheep who’s nucleus was inserted into the egg. 


Fridovich-Keil, Judith L. “Dolly.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 15 Feb. 2023, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Dolly-cloned-sheep.

                                                                                                                                                                                     By: Ashley Sung

How vaccine works

 

Vaccines and shots are taken every few months ever since you are born. Vaccines help you to fight the infections faster and more effectively. But how does it work? As the nurse or doctor gives you the shot, they are actually injecting antigens or foreign substances that cause you to make an immune response. They inject the weakened versions of the germs or parts of the germs into your body and that shot is enough for your body to learn to make specific antibodies for the antigen that is being injected into your body. Antibody is a protein that is produced by the B cell or specialized white blood cell that helps you counteract a specific antigen. In this way, your body is trained to fight that specific antigen and will remember the antigens the next time it appears.

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History of Vaccine

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The very first vaccine was created in 1796 by Dr Edward Jenner to eradicate smallpox. Smallpox was one of the deadliest diseases in the 18th century to the 20th. It is estimated to have killed 300 million people in the 20th century. Dr Edward Jenner, who heard the local beliefs in rural communities that cowpox protected against smallpox, inoculated a 8 year old boy named James Philips with cowpox from a local milkmaid’s hand. James Philips reacted to cowpox and felt sick for several days but eventually made a full recovery. Two months later, Dr Edward Jenner then inoculated James Philips from a human smallpox sore to test his resistance. He remained perfectly healthy and became the first person to be vaccinated from smallpox. However, not everyone believes in Dr Edward Jenner’s method and people even created rumors that it will turn people into cows! By 1801, there had been extensive testing on Dr Edward Jenner’s method and finally those testing had proven that his method of treating smallpox was effective. 

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Resources:

 

https://www.who.int/news-room/spotlight/history-of-vaccination/history-of-smallpox-vaccination 

https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/medicine/smallpox-and-story-vaccination 

 

“ImmunizebBC.” British Columbia, 19 March. 2020. https://immunizebc.ca/how-do-vaccines-work 

“How Do Vaccines Work?” World Health Organization, 8 Dec. 2020. www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/vaccine-safety-6-common-questions-answered 

“History of Smallpox Vaccination.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/news-room/spotlight/history-of-vaccination/history-of-smallpox-vaccination. 

“How Vaccines Work.” Immunize BC, 25 Apr. 2022, https://immunizebc.ca/how-do-vaccines-work. 

Lisa Hayes, M.D. “Vaccine Safety: 6 Common Questions Answered.” Mayo Clinic Health System, Mayo Clinic Health System, 15 Dec. 2020, http://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/vaccine-safety-6-common-questions-answered. 

“Smallpox and the Story of Vaccination.” Science Museum, https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/medicine/smallpox-and-story-vaccination. 

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Can You Find All The Objects?

download.jfif

Northern Lights

By Hadassah Choi

Solar storms on the sun's surface constantly push out electrically charged particles called the solar wind. Some of these particles hit the Earth. Around 98% of these particles are deflected by the magnetic field. The particles that do not get deflected are funneled downwards towards the Earth's magnetic poles. 

The atmosphere is filled with different atomic molecules. When these charged particles hit those molecules and heat them up, they become excited (meaning temporarily occupies an energy state greater than its ground state), creating rings of auroral emission. 

Different gasses give off different colors when they are heated. 

Earth's atmosphere primarily consists of Oxygen and Nitrogen. The green color is due to oxygen, while the purple, pink, or blue are caused by nitrogen. 

Left: Aurora borealis

Below: Image from space

Left: Diagram of model

“What Causes the Northern Lights? Aurora Borealis Explained.” Aurora Borealis Explained | Royal Museums Greenwich, https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/what-causes-northern-lights-aurora-borealis-explained.

Radiation and Cancer

By Hosannah Choi

 

Think of some healthy snacks: strawberries, nuts, raspberries, bananas… Sounds yummy, right?

But what if one of the listed snacks was radioactive! Bananas are actually slightly radioactive because of how rich they are in potassium. A very small fraction of that potassium is radioactive inside the bananas. If you had enough bananas, it would trigger a false alarm on radiation detectors that are instead looking for radioactive weapon threats. 

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But why is radiation so dangerous? Radiation is a mutagen and has many effects on the body, one of them being on your DNA (which carries genetic information for cell re/production), and another could be directly on the way your body functions. Constant exposure to radiation can lead to higher chances of cancer later on in life, which is paradoxical considering that radiation is actually sometimes used to treat cancer. So how does radiation treat cancer? But firstly, what even is cancer? The basic description of it is when uncontrolled division of abnormal/malformed cells occurs, leading to cancerous tumors. DNA damage can happen from UV rays from the sun, radiation, chemical exposure and more. The body has an established routine of dividing cells (mitosis/meiosis), but sometimes it goes wrong and leads to this turbulent division.

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As mentioned before, radiation permanently damages DNA and kills cells. So when a cancer patient undergoes radiation therapy, doctors use high-energy beams such as x-rays or protons, which kills cancer cells. Even though it kills the cancer cells, it can also kill healthy functioning cells. Another way to treat cancer is through chemotherapy which uses strong chemicals to kill rapidly growing cancer cells, but it has the same catch: it kills other cells as well. As of now, there is no way to fully cure cancer without disadvantages from treatment. Cancer is unpredictable, happening to even the healthiest of people, and takes hundreds of thousands of lifes. Maybe one day you can find a cure!

radiaton an caner

Math Puzzle Answer Key

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