Monday, February 4, 2008

Interesting Things in Chemistry

1. Life on Other Planets: In one of my links, it talks about how scientists from NASA have caught enough light from two planets outside of our solar system to be able to tell what chemicals make up those planets. They may have found RNA, which could hint that those planets contain forms of life.

2. Molecules: Scientists have recently developed a new reagent that can trap parts of molecules and let them go later.

3. Pollution-Free Cars: Rsearchers have found a way to use the element lithium to make hydrogen-powered cars that can travel 300 miles before needing more fuel. These cars (if made) would cause no pollution because they wouldn't give off any carbon dioxide.

4. T-Rex: In my link called "Scientific Breakthroughs", one of the breakthroughs talks about how a scientist was able to find out what chemicals made the 68-year-old dinosaur's bone tissue. I think it would be cool to learn more about dinosaurs because they are so dramatically different than the types of animals around today.

5. New Species: I am very interested in all types of animals (except insects) and I think it's very cool that it was just discovered that the clouded leopard in Borneo and the clouded leopard in Southeast Asia are different species. They used lots of scientific tests to just now find out that there are about 40 differences between the two animals!


The most interesting thing to me was the website about life on other planets. It excites me that science is getting closer and closer to actually being able to recognize other life forms (even if it's just a particle or a tiny plant). It would be really cool if they found a whole new species that had animal-like or human-like qualities. These telescopes that scientists are making keep getting better and more precise and it's amazing how the one in my link can locate light on planets outside of our solar system. Even though those planets have no water and are too hot for anything to live on, this discovery just shows you how many steps science takes all of the time. Personally, I would like to see the day when I can go visit Ally in a parallel universe or by going through a black hole, but I guess just traveling to another solar syatem to see her would be cool too. I also think that Earth should gain as much knowledge of world's outside of our world because eventually, the knowledge will be really handy. Plus, when our sun dies out in tons and tons of years, we can all hop on space shuttles and travel to Xenon III in Solar System 657 (or whatever other planets are still capable of supporting human life).

2 comments:

phil said...

I think it is amazing that they can see things all the way in another solar system and it'd be cool to go other places when the sun dies out except they should focus on hydrogen cars before we even worry about living to see the sun die out

well we all know Ally is from some other planet so her ppl have already figured out how to visit other planets

Anonymous said...

yeah haha i agree with phil about the cars but anyways i didn't know we could even see anything from other solar systems, that's amazing. haha let's go visit ally in a parallel universe tonight instead of showcase!!