If you haven't already picked a topic, here are some ideas you might want to explore. Some of the ideas will have a name next to them. Those students have expressed interest about the topic. Also pay attention to this: some sceince is "scientifically controversial" other science is "socially controversial". I'd like you to think about that, too.
Fuel cell technology - Most cars today are powered by what's called an "internal combustion engine" which needs fossil fuels to run. Fuel cells covert hydrogen into electric energy. It would be clean and abundant energy. Many people think fuel cells will never be able to meet all the world's energy needs. LUIS? You've expressed interest in mechanics.
Other forms of alternative energy -- wind, hydro electric, cold fusion etc. (Except solar. I already did that.)
Pluto - Is it a planet or an asteroid? Trung? You like space science.
Evolution - This scientific topic has been debated for 150 years. Whatever you say will probably have been said, but that's okay. It will be good practice to write and develop a thesis.
Stem cell harvesting - This is a hot topic! Studying it will reinforce all you know about mitosis and meiosis. And it will give you insight into a hotly debated topic.
Cloning - this could include cloning animals like Dolly the sheep to raise for our food supply. Many people don't agree with this because it changes our food source. Others say that we could choose traits which would help the animal grow faster or resist disease.
Genetically Modified Organisms - Every country right now is in the middle of this debate. Some people think we should not mess with our food that we grow. Others, just like the argument above, feel that if we can make a tomato that will be immune to white flies, why not? What's the problem with that? Argue it. Khoa, you seemed to be interested in this topic.
Global warming - mostly socially debateable because there's so much scientific evidence to prove that the world is heating up. Scientists like proof.
String theory - I just learned that this is up for argument right now. I won't pretend to know anything about physics but if it interests you, go for it. String theory and the nature of matter.
Human body clock and issues related to time -- This also enters into the field of physics. Of course we've not explored any physics but maybe in your country you did?
Artificial intelligence - This has long been a topic for film makers too - A.I., Blade Runner, Minority Report, I Robot. Remember you'll have to study some of the science out there. M.I.T (amazing U.S. university) has a huge A.I. program.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
The 2011 Science Project
1.A small introduction
Sir George Porter, a well known British chemist and thinker, once said, “I have no doubt that we will be successful in harnessing the sun’s energy . . . If sunbeams were weapons of war, we would have had solar energy centuries ago.” (thinkexsit quotes) Sir Porter ironically notes that we will efficiently use the Sun’s energy someday but the chance is about as probable as humans never fighting again. Once a solar panel system is in place it can power many of our needs from small house holds to large companies. Yet solar energy and other renewable energy sources only meet 7% of the world’s energy needs. While solar energy is a cleaner energy source than fossil fuels, it is still not efficient enough to power the world’s needs on a daily basis.
2. A brief description that teaches us about your science
Currently, the most common way to harness the sun’s energy is through the use of photovoltaic cells. Photovoltaic cells are also known as “solar cells” which convert “light into electricity at the atomic level,” according to the NASA’s science website. (NASA) Solar cells use semiconductors to transfer light into electricity. Semiconductors are primarily made up of material that transmits the transfer of electrons easily. Some of the materials that facilitate electron movement are silicon, arsenic, selenium and tellurium. When the photons from sun light hit these conductors in the cell, electrons are released and create a negative charge. This creates voltage and starts a flow of electricity. Many of these solar cells connected together are called an “array”. Strung together across fields or buildings, these arrays can harvest a lot of energy for our daily needs.
3. A short of history on your science and information on the people who really contributed to it.
Humans have been using the Sun’s energy since the Greeks and the Romans, but it was Edmund Bequerel, a French physicist in 1839, who first discovered that certain materials would convert sun light into electricity. Later, Albert Einstein won a Nobel Prize in physics because he was “able to explain the nature of light and its photoelectric effect”. (NASA) Finally, the most prominent group that brought solar technology to the marketplace was Bell laboratories. They are credited with developing the first photovoltaic cell in the 1950s.
4. Find a controversial issue within your field of science. Now that you have evidence and understand your science, pick a side and try to argue it.
Today, scientists have developed very sophisticated materials in the field of semiconductors which has greatly improved photovoltaic technology. However, despite all the advancements made in solar energy, it can’t yet replace fossil fuels. Solar energy, while it is a green and renewable energy, has an initial “negative affect on the environment . . . because it takes huge amounts of fossil fuels to convert the silica to create the cells.” (Wikipedia). Another adverse impact solar cells would have on the environment is in the desert. The Sierra Club filed a suit against the Calico Solar Power project because their solar farms in the Mojave Desert could potentially “destroy vast swaths of California deserts and wreak ecological havoc.” (Mojave Desert Blog). Many desert animals and plants, such as the California desert tortoise and the calico cactus, could be endangered with such energy ambitions. Perhaps the largest hurdle for solar power is that it can only be truly effective in environments with lots of sun. The power grids that we use today can not effectively transfer the energy from the solar farms to the areas where the electricity is most needed. Because energy cannot yet be stored like water in a tank, the flow of electricity stops when the sun goes down. The technology to transfer energy or store it is not yet in place and thus will not end our dependency on fossil fuels.
5. Maybe we’ll take time to do a small conclusion but this isn’t what I want to focus on.
Clearly, solar energy would be ideal if we had the means to make it completely green. But because it can only provide a mere 7% of the world’s energy needs, it is not yet in the position to become our sole energy provider. In conclusion we will still need to be dependent upon fossil fuels and the companies that produce them.
Sir George Porter, a well known British chemist and thinker, once said, “I have no doubt that we will be successful in harnessing the sun’s energy . . . If sunbeams were weapons of war, we would have had solar energy centuries ago.” (thinkexsit quotes) Sir Porter ironically notes that we will efficiently use the Sun’s energy someday but the chance is about as probable as humans never fighting again. Once a solar panel system is in place it can power many of our needs from small house holds to large companies. Yet solar energy and other renewable energy sources only meet 7% of the world’s energy needs. While solar energy is a cleaner energy source than fossil fuels, it is still not efficient enough to power the world’s needs on a daily basis.
2. A brief description that teaches us about your science
Currently, the most common way to harness the sun’s energy is through the use of photovoltaic cells. Photovoltaic cells are also known as “solar cells” which convert “light into electricity at the atomic level,” according to the NASA’s science website. (NASA) Solar cells use semiconductors to transfer light into electricity. Semiconductors are primarily made up of material that transmits the transfer of electrons easily. Some of the materials that facilitate electron movement are silicon, arsenic, selenium and tellurium. When the photons from sun light hit these conductors in the cell, electrons are released and create a negative charge. This creates voltage and starts a flow of electricity. Many of these solar cells connected together are called an “array”. Strung together across fields or buildings, these arrays can harvest a lot of energy for our daily needs.
3. A short of history on your science and information on the people who really contributed to it.
Humans have been using the Sun’s energy since the Greeks and the Romans, but it was Edmund Bequerel, a French physicist in 1839, who first discovered that certain materials would convert sun light into electricity. Later, Albert Einstein won a Nobel Prize in physics because he was “able to explain the nature of light and its photoelectric effect”. (NASA) Finally, the most prominent group that brought solar technology to the marketplace was Bell laboratories. They are credited with developing the first photovoltaic cell in the 1950s.
4. Find a controversial issue within your field of science. Now that you have evidence and understand your science, pick a side and try to argue it.
Today, scientists have developed very sophisticated materials in the field of semiconductors which has greatly improved photovoltaic technology. However, despite all the advancements made in solar energy, it can’t yet replace fossil fuels. Solar energy, while it is a green and renewable energy, has an initial “negative affect on the environment . . . because it takes huge amounts of fossil fuels to convert the silica to create the cells.” (Wikipedia). Another adverse impact solar cells would have on the environment is in the desert. The Sierra Club filed a suit against the Calico Solar Power project because their solar farms in the Mojave Desert could potentially “destroy vast swaths of California deserts and wreak ecological havoc.” (Mojave Desert Blog). Many desert animals and plants, such as the California desert tortoise and the calico cactus, could be endangered with such energy ambitions. Perhaps the largest hurdle for solar power is that it can only be truly effective in environments with lots of sun. The power grids that we use today can not effectively transfer the energy from the solar farms to the areas where the electricity is most needed. Because energy cannot yet be stored like water in a tank, the flow of electricity stops when the sun goes down. The technology to transfer energy or store it is not yet in place and thus will not end our dependency on fossil fuels.
5. Maybe we’ll take time to do a small conclusion but this isn’t what I want to focus on.
Clearly, solar energy would be ideal if we had the means to make it completely green. But because it can only provide a mere 7% of the world’s energy needs, it is not yet in the position to become our sole energy provider. In conclusion we will still need to be dependent upon fossil fuels and the companies that produce them.
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