The Disappearing Spoon: Chapter 6 Summary and Reflections

In this chapter, the focus switches from small chemical warfare to world ending possibilities. The author talks about a man named Henry Moseley who, with the help of several other scientists,  laid the ground work for understanding the method to madness of the periodic table while also figuring out which elements should exist on the periodic table. After these discoveries, scientists across the world began element hunting for the missing pieces to the table. After this the history of nuclear ware far was discussed as well as the tie between these scientific events and the world events that were occurring at the same time. He discussed how the discovery of the neutron soon led to the studying of decay and radioactivity.  Plutonium and cobalt are then discussed in affiliation to the Manhattan Project. The hypothesis and effects of the real possibility of nuclear bombs are talked about, and it came the the conclusion that cobalt would yield the biggest catastrophe. I thought this chapter personally was a I little scary due to the fact that one compound could be the end of the earth. It was also crazy to think how many scientists know how to produce these devastating compounds. I like how science is the key to life and death of practically everything on earth and how much science plays a role in everything. Nuclear science is very scary but very cool and this chapter really showed me how big of a deal it is in science.

The Disappearing Spoon: Chapter 5 Summary and Reflection

In this chapter of Disappearing Spoon, the author starts of with a background story of World War 1 and 2 and discusses the basics of chemical warfare and it's role in the wars. The author talks about the first major elements played with in chemical warfare experimenting: Bromine and Chlorine. Elements were transformed into gas shells by Fritz Haber and were thrown between France and Germany. However, with experimentation came greater and much dangerous technology. Scientists began to experiment with nitrogen but their efforts were stopped short due to the appreciation of metal weaponry. Elements like molybdenum were talked about in being used to help strengthen metals of guns, such as Big Berthas. However, tungsten swiftly took over the strengthening factor in weaponry. The chapter concluded with a quick history and the use of metals in cell phones. This chapter was pretty sweet to me since I'm a military kid. I loved how it brought science into the development of military tactics and warfare. I never knew how important chemical warfare was and how much of a affect it had on the war. This was defiantly an awesome chapter for me.

The Disappearing Spoon: Chapter 4 Summary and Reflection

In this chapter named, We are all Stars and Stuff, the author starts of talking about how the elements originated. Before science became advanced, it was thought that the Big Bang Theory was responsible for the origination of elements. However, it was discarded completely when in 1939 scientists proved that the sun and other stars heated themsleves by nuclear fusion. This chapter discussed how the age of a star effected what type of elements were In it. As a young star, it usually contains the elements Hydrogen and Helium. As the star gets older, it fuses with different elements. Elements are created when a star experiences a supernova, and much of the heavier elements are produced. After a supernova, planets and galaxies are created. The chapter talks about the danger of lead and what it does to planets and stars. Also, in 1977, scientists studying limestone in Italy discovered a major advance in our knowlege of the history of the earth. When finding a red dust containing iridium, it suggested that it came from a meteorite, which dated to the time when a mass extinction was known to occur. This lead to the belief the sun had a companion star at this time, and it was also suggested a mass extinction occurs every 24 million years. I personally thought this was the coolest chapter so far mainly because of how extreme it's concepts were. I had no clue how the elements were created and I also had no clue that fusion in stars cores lead to supernovas which created planets and galaxies. I liked how the chapter related elements to the existence of our universe and without them we wouldn't have one. Lastly, I liked this chapter because it talked about the cool discoveries that were made that advanced humans knowledge of the universe and the understanding of the elements.

The Disappearing Spoon: Chapter 3 Summary and Reflection

This chapter starts out by talking about the element Arsenic and  it's discoverer Robert Bunsen. The author also talks about how Robert improved and popularized the design of the Bunsen burner and how he was also the creator of the spectroscope. It was discussed how Dmitri Mendeleev was the creator of the first periodic table of elements and thought out an idea of how to classify elements into small sets and then developed a system of scientific law. Mendeleev's rival, Julius Lothar Meyer figured out that red blood cells transported oxygen by binding it to hemoglobin and also had his own periodic table and theories that proved to be correct. Lecoq de Boisbadran discovered the element gallium, the first new element discovered since Mendeleev’s table. Lastly, the Ytterby quarry was discussed and six out of the seven elements discovered in Ytterby were Mendeleev’s missing lanthanides. For me, this chapter was very interesting because I had no idea about how the buns on burner was created and I defiantly had no idea he also created the spectroscope. I thought it interesting how stubborn Mendeleev was in his beliefs to the point that the facts were changed so he could keep his table the same. Lastly, I liked the chapter overall because it was very informative in the sense that elements were used in different ways for different things.

Disappearing Spoon, Chapter 2 Summary and Reflection

This chapter Near Twins and Black Sheep mainly focuses on the elements Carbon, Silicon, and Germanium. The author discusses Carbon and how it forms the backbone of the amino acids and relates it to a 1185 reconstructible word.  Also in the chapter, the author talks about how Carbons electron structure does not allow it to transfer electrons, so it has to share electrons with other atoms, and  this allows carbon to form secure bonds with other atoms on amnio acid chains creating the folding of amino acids. The similarities between Carbon and Silicon are discussed. Germanium is talked about in relation to Silicon and their similarities are presented. They are both semiconductors and were used to make transistors. This chapter to me was very interesting because of the fact that all three elects were closely tied. It was fun to learn about the discoveries scientists made and how they tied it in to things we use on a regular basis. I didn't know how important elements were to our everyday functionality and so that was pretty neat to learn. Lastly, I liked this chapter because it was very factual and a lot of information was packed into it which made it easier to read.

9-17-2013 Homework: Dual wave/particle.

Scientists believed for the longest time that light was emitted as either a wave or particle. One theory was that light was wave-like in nature, producing energy that traverses through space in a manner similar to the ripples spreading across the surface of a still pond after being disrupted by a dropped rock. The opposite theory insists that light is composed of a steady stream of particles, much like tiny droplets of water sprayed from a hose. However, both theories hold true in certain circumstances. Under certain conditions, such as when light is shined through narrow slits, it behaves as only a wave can. Under other conditions, such as when light is shined on a metal and the spray of electrons that comes off, light behaves only as particles can. 

The Disappearing Spoon: Chapter 1 Reflection

The novel The Disappearing Spoon,  started it's story off in a very generic background information kind of way. The first chapter starts off by giving a brief description of what the table of elements is while also showing how the table is set up and why it is set up that way. The first chapter also relays information regarding all the backgrounds of the elements in the table, such as the noble gases and alkali metals. The author went into depth about early discoveries in chemistry by various scientists during the early 19th and 20th centuries. He describes D-shells, which are misshapen and incomplete layers of electrons and also describes  how they lay underneath other layers of electrons. On the same note he describes F-shells, which are found in lanthanides and bury F-shells even deeper than the transition metals stored their D-shells. The author went into depth about a very aspiring woman scientist, Maria Goeppert, a woman from Germany in the early 1900s. He talks about her discoveries in chemistry and how she was able to prove what made elements more stable. Lastly, he finished off the chapter by telling how reading the table vertically down the column helps us to understand the connections between the elements more fully. On a personal side, I really enjoyed the beginning of the book. It was very informative and supplied a lot of background stories that tied in how the chemistry evolved over the years. It was sort of depressing in the fact that most of these people's great work was never recognized or acknowledged for quite a long time. I think that the stories were a great way to get chemistry terms across in a way that wasn't extremely boring. The book got a little repetitive at times but all of the information was valuable. Overall, the first chapter was very informative and interesting. 

Chemistry lab hypothesis

Hypothesis: I think that the bullet hole and chains would make the cooler heavier. I also think that because of the extra weight, the original idea that the cooler would float is wrong. Lastly, I think the scenario would be unsuccessful if the bullet hole had not entered the cooler fully.

3/18 Warmup

To live is to dream, and to dream one needs inspiration
Few in corrupt society however fail to get inspiration
Mentors can save lives
They can help open doors
Help with problems in your life
Keep you going
And be there there when nobody isn't
Mentors can save lives

Warm up Friday, feb. 22

On my splendid snow day, I did a few things. First of all I started of what was supposed to be a great day, with terrible world history honors work, it was great. Than I got shovel the driveway, which was also amazing. Then the day got a little better, I got to read a 40 page chapter of world history and take notes on it. Enough with the sob story, I finally just quit academics. I played call of duty for 3 hours with Oliver and cooked a toaster pizza and bumped a tribe called quest while playing. It actually turned out ok minus the terrible class work of world history.

Warmup 2/11

Snow falls on he tip of my nose,
A cool sensation greets my body with much needed relief
A snow day maybe , I hope, I wish
Then I wake up to yet another regular snow day
My body aches, my desire is low
Yet district officials waste no time in their decision
I wish it was a snow day
But those are only for normal districts

Warm up February 7th

In class yesterday, I believe there was a few things that could have gone better. First of all, barely anyone talks in our class and its super depressing. Secondly it makes the teacher uncomfortable cause nobody talks and participates so it pretty much sucks. I think if everyone participates and jumps in class will not only fly by, but allow the teacher to let us do fun stuff. It would just be a lot better environment if everyone participates and taken along so class would be better.

Short allegory

There once was young stout horse names jeffery.he loved to eat, but loved being appreciated more. This horse was the king of hay the master of chew. He ate to cover up his scar below his tummy. He wanted to be like all the other horses, and just wanted to be appreciated and accepted. Because the horses ignored him, called him names, and didn't talk to him, he ate more hay until he felt happy. This may be a story about a horse on the literal side,, but obviously it deals with teen obisety within a school and how acceptance is important to a young person

Salman Rushdie allegory Paragraph

In the novel, Haroun and The Sea of Stories, composed by the author Salman Rusdie, is a giant allegory in itself thought the first few chapters. The basic outline is that Rushdie wrote a novel called  The Satanic Verses which disrespected the islamic religion and sent the political leader at the time, Ayatollah Khomeini, into a rage and put a bounty on Rusdies head. So far, the first illusion portrayed in the novel, is Rashid, who in actuality, is Rushdie. Another illusion in the novel is Khatamm- Shud, the evil source of pollution within the sea of stories. When in actuality this character, Ayatollah Khomeini as I said earlier. This all connects because of the fact that Rashid's inability to create stories is a direct cause of the bounty put on Rushdie's head by Iran's political leader. The water genie in the book described his situation perfectly, " However, I regret to report, the gentlemen no longer requires the service; has discontinued narrative activities, thrown in the towel, packed it in. He has cancelled his subscription"(Rusdie pg. 57). His inability to write novels is because of the fear in real life. According to Wikipedia," many Muslims accused Rushdie of blasphemy or unbelief, and in 1989 Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran ordered a  fatwa ordering Muslims to kill Rushdie"   (Wikipedia pg.1). This is the Khatamm-Shud In the novel polluting the sea of stories and blocking Rashid's overall storytelling ability.

Poem

A chance


Defeat keeps a man content in his accomplishments
No high fives, or celebratory actions,
Only a personal feat he could accomplish.
 he stares at his prize but his self conscious being restricts his action
Her face bewilders him, and take him to a completely different place
Why he can't do anything, he knows not
But as defeat runs through his mind, the little light in her eyes gives him a chance
So at the heights of his perseverance, takes another breath and speaks,
Hi, I'm Nik

Paper Man Critical Interpretation

This cartoon represented so much. First of it represented love at first sight when he saw her at he train station. Another thing that was portrayed through the cartoon was perseverance. He was strongly attracted to the woman and wanted to do anything to get her. The building of the paper planes represent this. Another important aspect was that if you really want so etching and work hard, things will always come back around for you and make thing better. Another characteristic of the film was true love. It can happen anywhere and anytime and it displays what you will to do get it and become happy.

Rabbit Critical Interpretation

In the rabbit atory, the underlined theme was to explain that jealousy and gullablness can be taken advantage of. This rabbit and had a long tale, and boasted to the others, but when he got hungry and nobody liked him he went to the fox to ask how to catch fish. The fox was a trickster always up to no good and he told the rabbit to put his tale in the water to cath fish. The underlined message was that you will do anything out of desperation without taking the time to comprehend it or think about it.

Idioms

#1. Dead as a doornail.

Literal- this means the person is dead and since a doornail is not living it means they're that dead.

Inferential- this mean is a person who is dead with no chance of recovery. When door nails we used construction, and attorney down,the nails could not be retrieved and were considered "dead".

Critical- once your dead you can never come back.

#2. Crocodile tears

Literal- it literally means the tears of a crocodile.

Inferential- since the tears of crocodiles was not out of pain, but rather to get what they wanted and help them to eat. In real life it means fake tears to manipulate the true meaning and get what you want, faking that your actually in pain.

Critical- manipulating someone for your own advantage, we also fake to get our way, no matter the situation.

#3. In the Crapper

Literal- being on the toilet

Inferential- Thomas crapper from England was the one to revolutionize indoor plumbing that's why his last name is used when people had to use the bathroom.

Critical- people names are associated with the things they create, also we use language to make the best of the words we use.

Monday, January 28th

At the beginning of they year I set out to get an A in this class. I did it for myself, not just because it looks good for college, but because I expect a lot of myself. Also, according to PowerSchool,  I have a 96, which I'm very happy about. I hope I can maintain this grade for the remainder of the year and I will be happy.

Slam poem

Opportunities

My home is the United States. More than I can say for all the children suffering from starvation in third world countries, or counties deprived of war and disease. My home is called opportunity. Yet the country I was raised in has the number one inmate population in the entire world along with highest conviction rate. For such a blessed nation, I see my people take advantage of the holy grain bestowed in front them, and without a second glance, they throw it away. We work so hard to make sure we're successful, but in the process become miserable. In this country doing what you love is possible, yet our social classes, our peers, our friends, and family all judge us by how successful we are instead of how happy we are. That's another question I ask. How is it we can live in a country that supply's us all these advantages yet we all are to afraid of the failure that is tagged along with it. see I think we need to take our opportunities with a grain of salt, with a chip on our shoulder. All of us have opportunities, but all of us don't take it. The more we do things for us, and less for them, we'll find peace within ourselves, we'll be happy, appreciate more, love more, hate less, feel more. And like a wise man once said, the most difficult part of our lives is not when no one understands you, it's when you don't understand yourself. And after we can all figure out ourselves, nothing less than an opportunity can come from it.

Poem comments

Poem #1- Scratch and Dent Dreams. From this Poem, I got such a strong realization of what can really make you happy in life. This poem was a story of how all the little things mean so much and how much their worth. It also is a great example of how slam poems don't have to be complex, they can be simple themes, with deep, underlined meanings.

Poem#2- Touchscreen, Marshal Davis Jones. This poem was all about how our feelings,life's,and relationships revolve around technology and why it's so bad for us. He does a great job of making me personally feel like I need more face to face time with people and I don't even have a Facebook. It was a fantastic display of the truth and how it we, as people, need to get back to what really matters.

Poem #2- I'm Taking my Ball and Going Home(Scott). This poem was about the harsh reality of being a social outcast. It also portrayed the importance of telling people the little things that matter in life and being their when no one else is. The poet makes it very clear that outcasts in society are shunned and he debates it through an underlined metaphor.

Poetry slam

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SBJoZKe_lLw http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GAx845QaOck http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JfTa4B7wQ_8

Warm up January 23rd

Finding our talents are very intentional concepts. It takes time to discover what you're good at; and it takes effort to recognize it. Another aspect to our talents and passions that TED talked about was that our talents make us different from each other and allow us all to be successful in who we really are. The highly decorated speaker who I cannot remember his name at the moment said, agriculture is what we need in education.  He used this term because agriculture is always changing and embracing new challenges and getting better. That is what he believes; even though our schools are more like assembly lines in a factory. It was proposed that instead of evolving, we need to start revolting and start changing and growing; this way, everyone has a chance to be successful in a system that is right for them.

Random thoughts January 22nd

Iwannahelppeopleinthecommunitybecuaseitissomethingthatmakesmehappyialsolikethefactigetexperienceinthecommunityanditisagreatchanceformetogetouttherpeopleneedhelpandimhappytohelpwereprivalegedandotherpeoplearenotilocehelpingactuallymakesmefeelgoodilikeitalldayerrrrrrrrrrrrdayfeelsgoodtobeagoodpersonpandaexpressisgoodilikehelpimgpeopleiwannahelppeoplechildtrafficinghelppovertyiwannahelp

Poem January 20th

His Home

The young man closed his eyes

His wife and son play harmlessly in the lucious fields 

He can't focus

Mortar rounds cloud his vision

He focuses even harder 

He can almost hear their tender voices

No bullet can distract him now

They speak to him, telling him it'll be alright

He can't open his eyes

Sergeant orders him to push on

But he's almost home

No time remains

He reaches out to his sons hands

They rejoice in their short moment

He's reached home

Shortly his eyes open into the dark battlefield 

But he's fine

He was already home

Text incorporation

Fruit is an  important of the human diet. It was been for a long time. In fact, " Citrus grew in China 20 million years ago"( Fruit: Fun Facts)

Fruit: Fun Facts, Fact monster inc., web. 17 Jan. 2013

Crows are very interesting animals and have unique habitats. "Crows use a mixed habitat including woodlands for roosting, nesting and perching, open areas, agricultural fields, coastal wetlands, marshes, rivers and streams."(Habitat) Habitat, Crow Busters inc., web.17 Jan., 2013

January 16th imaginary H.S day

Empathy is the ability to mutually experience  thoughts, emotions, and direct experience of others. Sympathy, is a feeling of care and understanding for the suffering of others. Both words have similar use but differ in their emotional meaning. Well a typical teens day stated out in the morning pounding on the alarm showing no sympathy for its well being. Then he/she might get ready for school by picking out their clothes and getting ready to leave. Then as they arrived at school, only interested in themselves, they would walk right past the bully picking on a little kid showing a tad bit of empathy but not enough to do anything about it. Then they would continue their day and try and make the most of it, only to repeat the process again the next day.

Tuesday January 15th

Once as a younger child, I was in a serious situation in which i needed a great deal of help. I was in the backyard, laying in the grass helplessly, when all of a sudden two awkwardly tall tenagers appeared from out of nowhere. Then suddenly, a barrage of rocks stated flying. Boom! One right next to my head. I frantically tried to evade the intense war zone, but as I was making my escape I felt the warm sensation of pine cone graze my neck. I knew it was fight or flight time even as a younger child. I choose to run obviously. But as I was running around the edge of the house, I could feel the presence of my brother and his friend close behind. Suddly I triped and accendtally revealed my defenseless front to the enemy and that was all it took. Clank!! A rock hit my head with trmendous velocity and as I was falling I could hear the laughing cries of teens turn to a sudden concerned tone of voice. Laying on the ground crying, I could feel the warm blood flow down my face. Iat this point I not only needed help, but medical assistance. I was put in the car and raced to the hospital where I was treated. But what I really learned was that brothers and siblings love to see you in pain no matter what it is. After I was all patched up the first words my brother said were " Don't tell mom" then I got an apology. So overall I was helped in a time of need by a bother who thrived in my pain. Kind of ironic but it worked out!

Monday January 14:

Dear  Malichi
Poverty. This one word makes me realize how truly lucky I am. But this word also makes me extremely disappointed. For one, we are a fully developed country that thrives in the world, yet we focus on giving to people in foreign countries. Instead of taking care of our own nation, and providing for the ones who can not provide for themselves, we take care of poorer less fortunate counties first. I believe we are doing the right thing in helping other counties, but I really think we need to take care of our country first. We are a nation and a family and need to take care of each other, and that is why we need solve the epidemic of poverty in our own country while also giving a bit to the world as well,

                      Sincerely, Nik