Science Current Event Summary-2

Nicholson Baker hates math. The novelist makes his case courses in American education are at best, wrongheaded, and at worst, downright cruel. If we would just do away with upper-level math requirements in high school, the high school dropout rate would decline, Baker says in his post. Many educators agree that Algebra is the main reason students drop out. Baker points out that many of today's math requirements are relics of the Cold War. In 1950, only 25 percent of students in the U.S. were taking algebra. Cornell University mathematician Steven Strogatz says "We need less math for the average kid, We spend a lot of time avalanching students with the answers to things that they wouldn't think of asking." Baker responded with " We need a brief class for ninth graders, to go over the tougher stuff with their own learning prospective" . If math were an elective choice, "American science and technology would be unharmed, and a lot of poisonous math hatred would go away instantly. Kids don't hate smelting, or farming, or knitting, or highway design, or portrait painting, or neurology, or juggling rubber balls, or sonnet-writing, because they don't have to take three years of instruction in any of these arts," says Baker. He says math is for that one weird enthusiastic kid. "And the rest of us could be spared the effort of trying to find an equation for tears shed per problem."

1) Why do people hate Algebra?
2) What grade is Algebra required by?
3) How is Algebra used in life? 

Baker, N. (2013, August` 19). Should math really be a required subject?. Retrieved from http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-08/argument-against-algebra

New Species looks like a Teddy bear.

"Observed in the wild, tucked away in museum collections, and even exhibited in zoos around the world -- there is one mysterious creature that has been a victim of mistaken identity for more than 100 years." Says the article, New Species of Carnivore Looks Like a Cross Between a House Cat and a Teddy Bear. It is called the Olinguito, and is the first carnivore species to be discovered in 30 years. The new species looks like a cross between a house cat and a Teddy bear. This Olinguito is a species to come out Columbia and Ecuador. This discovery was a rare one in the 21st century.  The discovery did not happen overnight, but took a decade. The animal is usually about Two pounds. But there we still know so little.

1) How can this animal, the Olinguito, benefit from being discovered? 

2) How is this having such a big impact on the world and why?

3) Are people able to own this animal and is it harmless?

4) Is this animal a predator or prey?

Daily, S. (2013, August 15). New species of carnivore looks like a cross between a house cat and a teddy bear. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130815143101.htm 

Science Article Annotation and Summary Practice

The purpose of the "Fight fire with sound" experiment was to use sound waves and sound energy to put out a fire instead of using water. What the scientist thought would happen was that the sound would put out the fire. These scientist used a candle and four speakers to try to put out a small flame in a zero gravity NASA plane. The scientist learned that the sound waves could not put out large amounts of flames but could put out a candle. In conclusion, they learned that they might be able to try it with larger fires. If they could do something better next time, they could try it in many different environments.    


Science, D. (2006, October 1). Fighting fire with sound. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2006/1012-fighting_fire_with_sound.htm