Animal Cruelty

Animal cruelty is a very large problem that many people ignore. Sometimes you may be supporting it without knowing. Have you ever been to a circus? Well, every major circus that uses animals (including the Ringling Brothers) has been cited for violating the minimal standards of care set by the AWA. Do you eat chicken? Well, 90% of broiler chickens have trouble walking because they are injected with hormones. Have you ever done a biology lesson in which you dissect an animal? Over 115 million animals die in biology lessons, cosmetic testing, and drug or food tests. Sadly, many dogs and cats are abused by their owners.

How do we stop it? If you would like, create flyers that raise awareness about animal cruelty to hand out. Consider becoming a vegetarian. If that doesn’t work for your lifestyle, make sure you purchase meat treated without antibiotics.  You could buy free-range eggs. Talk to your parents and friends and have them spread the word as well. Tell your school, too. You might try to organize an assembly during school and perhaps invite a speaker from your local Humane Society. Report animal cruelty. If you would like to adopt dogs or cats or any other kind of pets use the ASPCARescue Me, or any other rescue animal site. These are all simple ways to help prevent animal cruelty. Please help.

We’re fighting so they don’t have to.-ASPCA

What other ideas do you have?

Weekly News

7 Earth-Like Planets Found

Astronomers studying the sky from a telescope in Chile found a weird pattern. While watching a star, dark dots came into view, almost like an eclipse. Indeed, these were planets that all could have life. What’s more, 3 of those planets are in what is called the Goldilocks Zone, which is the perfect distance from the star to have water on it. This water could support life. The star is called TRAPPIST-1. The planets are only known by letters, b through h.The star is a dwarf star that is 40 light-years away. Their orbits are closer to the star than Mercury is to our sun. Each one takes between 1.5 days and a few weeks. We might not be alone in this universe. Do you think we are?

 

New Dinosaur

A brand-new species of dinosaur was unveiled in Mexico. Yehuecauhceratops mudei is also known as “ancient horned face.” It’s horn is what distinguished it from other species. It is about 10 feet long, or 3.048 meters. Its cousin is a triceratops, which is very well known. “We know that there are not just dinosaurs in North America that are here,” says Hector Rivera, the Head of Paleontology at the Coahulia Desert Museum.” But there are dinosaurs that are Mexican and we will discover them.” What is your favorite dinosaur?

Hidden Figures

IF YOU ARE WATCHING THE MOVIE HIDDEN FIGURES SOON DO NOT READ!!!!!!!

Have you watched the movie Hidden Figures? I recently watched it at the historic Moreland Theater in Portland. It follows the lives of 3 African-American math geniuses, nicknamed “computers,” whose calculations were crucial in sending John Glenn into space, Neil Armstrong on the moon, and many more advances in space exploration. They worked for NASA in a time when women, especially African-American women, did not have the same opportunities as men. Their names were Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson. Katherine Johnson received the Presidential Medal of Freedom on November 24, 2015. The movie is a true story. Katherine, Dorothy, and Mary and their colleagues were in danger of losing their jobs due to an IBM mainframe that is gigantic. Remember, this took place in the 60’s. I was impressed by how smart and determined the women were. John Glenn was very kind to Katherine. He even asked for her to check the numbers for his landing.

John Glenn shakes Katherine Johnson’s hand, with Dorothy on her right and Mary on her left.

 

Weekly News

Storm Hits Northeast

One of the worst storms of this winter has hit the Northeast United States. A snow emergency was issued in Boston, Massachusetts, where 12-15 inches of snow have been dumped. Also, New York City got 8-12 inches. Many flights (1,600) have been canceled, the largest school district in the country (NYC) has also been canceled, warnings not to leave your house unless its an emergency have been sent out, and even snow thunder has happened , a rare natural phenomenon in which thunder and lightning occur during a snowstorm. Have you ever witnessed a thundersnow?  One-fifth of America’s population, or 16 million people have been affected. At NYC’s JFK airport on Wednesday February 8, the temperature was 65° Fahrenheit. The next day, it was 25° and snowing. This storm started in the West and is not technically a nor’easter, though some say it is.

365 Days Until Winter Olympics

Yes, we are one year away from the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, in South Korea. Here are some facts about the Games you might not know.

  • Norway have won the most medals, at 329, with 118 of those gold.
  • A lack of snow in Innsbruck, which hosted in 1964, required the Austrian military to climb mountains and get more than 50,000 cubic yards of snow and 20,000 blocks of ice. The soldiers packed down the snow and ice with their hands and feet.

  • No country in the Southern Hemisphere has ever hosted a Winter Olympics.
  • Before the start of the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, the Olympic torch traveled the longest distance in history to the North Pole, the bottom of Lake Baikal in Russia, the top of Mount Elbrus, also in Russia, and even into outer space.

What is your favorite Winter Olympic sport?

Flu Season Peaks

Ever wonder why your mom always says that you have to get a flu shot? Ever feel sick right afterward? Well, that’s because the vaccine is working. I’ll try to answer some other questions as well. Going outside in the cold does not give you the flu. Well, why do most people get sick during the winter, then? The answer is because more people stay indoors during the winter, so it catches from person to person. Actually, the flu vaccine doesn’t keep you from getting the sickness, but it will offer plenty of protection. You will not be as sick, or if you do get sick, it won’t last as long. So your mom was right, but not for the reasons you thought. However, you should still wear your coat to keep warm. Other sicknesses might come from being in the cold without sufficient protection.

Weekly News

I’m sorry this is late, but I have been very busy in the past few weeks.

Super Bowl Kicks Off

On Sunday, February 5, at 3:30 pm, Super Bowl LI began. This year’s pro football championship game took place at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. The New England Patriots played the Atlanta Falcons. This was Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s 7th Super Bowl that he’s played in, and coach Bill Belichick’s 7th as well. The Patriots won last year’s Super Bowl 27-24 due to a Malcolm Butler interception on the goal line. This year, the Deflatriots got lucky again. They came back from a 28-3 deficit and won in overtime, due to some controversial refereeing. Some say there was a holding foul against the Patriots. Super Bowl XLIX was the most watched TV show and halftime show ever.

 

“Cave Squeaker” Found

A rare frog last seen in 1962 that was presumed extinct has made another appearance. In the Chimanimani region of Zimbabwe, the frog named “cave squeaker” due to its habitat was found. The frog was last seen in 1962 and was on the “red list” of endangered animals, possibly even extinct. The research team first found the frog on December 3, 2016 after they followed an animal call they had not heard before. Once they got to the cave, two other males and a female were found. The leader of the search, Robert Hopkins, said he had been looking for the cave squeaker for eight years.

195-Million-Year Old Tissue Found in Dinosaur

Scientists say they have discovered collagen preserved in a 195-million-year-old long-necked Lufengosaurus. A Lufengosaurus used to live in what is now Southeastern China. Scientists used to believe that only bones and teeth could be preserved over long periods of time. This new discovery has proved them wrong. The scientists didn’t remove the collagen sample from the bone because they did not want to risk damaging it. They studied it using high-tech tools to look at the bone in detail. They say that there was hematite found in the dinosaur’s vascular canals. Vascular canals are canals that give vasculature in the jaws.

 

 

Weekly News

For news today, a holiday worth traveling across the country for, the highest mountain in the worlds recent shrinking, and DOW reaches a milestone.

Chinese New Year Kicks Off

On Saturday, January 28, Chinese New Year will begin. There is a new animal of the Chinese Zodiac for each year. This year is The Year of the Rooster. There are twelve Chinese Zodiac animals. The signs are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, then finally Pig. According to Chinese folklore, the cat did not make it due to Rat. It is said this is why cats always chase rats. Over six million people leave from countries abroad, and many more people travel across China to make it home, even for just one day during the largest human migration.

 

DOW Hits 20,000

What do Apple, McDonald’s, Nike, and Walt Disney have in common? They are all part of the DOW, which recently reached 20,000 for their 30 companies. The 30 stocks in the DOW order dictate the entire stock market price. DOW is short for Dow Jones. The company was founded in 1896 by Charles Dow, Edward T. Jones, and Charles Bergstresser. These three also founded the Wall Street Journal. What if it was the Dow Jones Bergstresser? Well, Charles Bergstresser did as much work as Dow and Jones, but was a “silent partner”. A researcher says that the name Dow Jones Bergstresser and Company would not have been a big hit, like Dow Jones is now.

Mount Everest Is Shrinking

Many countries, such as Nepal and India want to lead expeditions up the mountain on the border of China and Nepal. Why do they want to lead such a dangerous expedition? To find out the height of the mountain. It was measured many years ago at 29,029 feet by the Indian government. Now, researchers say that it might have shrunk a few feet due to the magnitudes 8.1 and 7.3 earthquakes that hit in 2015. The project would cost about $800,000. Some people say the earthquake moved the Himalayan tectonic plate.

Amsterdam

My next post will be about Amsterdam, the official capital of the Netherlands (or Holland). Amsterdam was named for the Amstel River and the dam that was built to help construct the city. Most people know that Amsterdam is famous for biking. But did you know that 58% of the 2,349,870 inhabitants cycle daily? Plus, there are 215,000 buses, 3,000 taxis, 53,000 scooters, and 880,000 bicycles! There are 165 canals in the city.  There are only 409 bridges connecting Venice’s canals. Amsterdam has 1281 bridges, three times as many as Venice! 2500 houseboats line Amsterdam canals and many have been afloat for more than a century.

Weekly News

The first bulletin in this weekly news post happened a couple weeks ago. Sorry!(from now on, look for this post on Sunday.)

World Cup Expanding to 48 Teams

The World Cup, the world’s most famous soccer competition, will expand from 32 teams to 48. It will not happen immediately, but will instead come into action during the 2026 World Cup. In the previous World Cups, the way that teams moved on to the second round was through the group stage. There were four teams in each group. Whoever finished first and second moved on. With the expansion, that won’t work well. There will have to be a different system that will be announced sometime in the future. Strangely, the expansion’s reason is for money, says a sponsor. There are 234 national teams, but only some of them are recognized by FIFA. How could that be, when there are only 195 countries? Well, some islands, such as Martinique or Curaçao, have national teams. Martinique is owned by France, and Curaçao by the Dutch.

 

President Trump’s Inauguration

On Saturday, January 20, the new U.S. President, Donald Trump was sworn in to office. He will stay there until at least 2020. His inaugural speech took place outside the United States Capitol Building. No official numbers have been released, but it doesn’t appear that as many people attended it as former President Obama’s first inauguration in 2009. He ended his speech by saying that he will “Make America Great Again.” It will be interesting to see how the next four years will go.

Baboon Calls May Tell Us About Human Speech

When you listen to a baboon’s calls, it might seem like a bunch of random sounds. But, if you listen carefully, you will hear vowel-like sounds, exactly like humans make. This tells us that human speech originated much earlier than previously thought. The reason that scientists thought it originated later was because monkeys have very high larynxes. Larynxes are what we use to pronounce words. Humans have lower larynxes. So, are these monkeys turning human?

Weekly News

To begin today’s weekly news post (sorry it’s late), we focus in on one of the oldest structures known to man-Stonehenge.

Plans to Build Tunnel Under Stonehenge

The British government has approved a plan to build a tunnel under Stonehenge to alleviate traffic. Well, not exactly under Stonehenge. The plan also has the support of the English Heritage Organization and the United Nations. Stonehenge was constructed in 300 B.C. So, it would make sense for critics to say that it might destroy old artifacts. Says one opposing historian: “The tunnel will last at best 100 years and decimate a landscape that has lasted for millennia.” The project would cost $2.4 billion and take four years to build starting in 2020.

Welcome to LA, Chargers!

The San Diego Chargers have moved to Los Angeles. They’re not the only relocating team. The Oakland Raiders have plans to move to Las Vegas. The Chargers have gone through three logos after all of them being mocked on the Internet. The St. Louis Rams also relocated to LA. The Chargers moved after a failed Measure C, which would use tax money to build a new stadium in downtown San Diego. The Chargers would play in the same stadium as the Rams.

My favorite part about the new Chargers logo is how easy it is to color into a turtle.

Coral Reefs in Trouble

Reefs can be bleached white when they get stressed. This can happen when there is a cold or heat spell, or when there is pollution in the waters. This can have a big impact on humans too. In some places, they rely on those waters and coral reefs for food. What if you had, say, a garden in your backyard. You couldn’t go to the grocery store. You could only eat that food that’s in your garden, but your neighbor keeps throwing chemicals into there. You would still have to eat that food. That’s what some people have to live with around the world, but they rely on the fish in the coral reefs, and the reefs are getting killed. You can help. Don’t throw trash or anything unpleasant into the ocean. If you want to, you can join a conservation group.

This Week in History

  • The London Underground opened in 1863, making it the oldest underground railway in the world.How many of you have been to London and taken a ride? If so, please comment on your experience.
  • President Theodore Roosevelt named the Grand Canyon a national monument in 1908; it became a national park in 1919.

Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon?

Weekly News

To kick off the New Year (Happy 2017!), I am doing a new addition! A weekly news update that I will post every Friday! Without further ado, let’s get to it!

Radio Signal Traced to Dwarf Galaxy 3 Billion Light-years Away

A mysterious signal coming from space. 3 billion light-years away, a communication from aliens might be found. Sounds sci-fi, doesn’t it? But, all of that is true. Many scientists believe that it is not an alien community, though. The radio signal is called an Fast Radio Burst (FRB). Only 18 FRBs have been recorded. This one was the only one to repeat. According to some scientists, it might be very different from the others because of this characteristic. Could it be a first communication with ET? We don’t know-yet.

LG’s New Innovative Products

Next up, technology. LG, a company that makes every kind of electronic imaginable, has just come up with something that’s hardly imaginable. A new bendable TV screen, and chore-performing robots. This is just about the robots, so click on the link for info on the screen. OLED TV. The company’s robots (the name was not shared) are often used for cleaning, but this new one is used for lawn-mowing. It is the first non-cleaning robot made by LG. It has sensors in front of it to recognize if hedges or other lawn decorations are in front of it. LG also showed off robots made to clean the floors and escort you around. You scan your boarding pass using the “Airbot” and it will tell you about your gate and what the weather is like at your destination.

Massive Ice Sheet to Break Off Antarctica

In the Weddell sea, there is a big ice sheet called Larsen C. There is a very large crack in between it and the mainland, though. In fact, this sheet is the size Delaware. When it breaks free, it will add 10 centimeters to global sea levels. “I think in terms of the impact that the iceberg has on the ocean, it’s a very spectacular event but its not going to be a huge thing in itself — the iceberg is big but the oceans are a lot bigger,” says researcher Martin O’Leary. When it collapses, it will be the third “Larsen” ice sheet to collapse, after Larsen B in 2002.