The infamous spas of Japan are not only attractive to us humans, our monkey relatives have also come to appreciate them. The Japanese Macaque (日本猿 in Japanese), the northern most non-human primate in the world, thrives in the Hell Valley of Nagano, Japan （長野の地獄谷、日本）. During the blasting blizzards of winter, monkeys in the area gather at these volcanic springs for warmth, soaking in the waters. Not only that, this intelligent species wash their food before they eat. Experiments and observations have shown that these animals wash the sand away from their sweet potatos at the seaside before consumption, making them the only non-human primate to do that, and one of the 3 animals in the world to adopt this ingenius solution, the other two being humans and raccoons.
Below is a segment from the last installment of BBC's "Life", showcasing their perculiar behaviour: Enjoy!
Monday, September 6, 2010
EOY is coming...
The science End-of-Year examination is coming.... For the September un-Holidays, our science teacher have stuffed us with 3 papers... I am now rushing through the pile of holiday assignments on my desk. Together with papers from other subject teachers, Oh NO! Perhaps the teachers might want to give us each paper separately at different times, then when we complete a topic, we attempt the questions of the topic on the papers. This would be less tiring for both students and teachers, breaking up the papers into several portions. This would be much better than stuffing us with so many things just before the exam!
Fun Cloud Making Experiment! :)
This is a video on making your own cloud!
]
Enjoy! :D
Credits: Steve Spangler
]
Enjoy! :D
Credits: Steve Spangler
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Carnivorous Plants
Many of us might have heard of the Venus Fly-Trap. Carnivorous Plants are plants that get extra nutrients from animal prey (not energy). They thrive in areas where insects are abundant and where the soil is poor in nutrients so have to find alternative sources. They still photosynthesize as sunlight is sufficient, and they cannot animals into energy. Here are some examles of carnivorous plants:
Venus Fly-Trap:
Probadly the most famous of the carnivorous plants, venus fly-traps are snap traps. They lure insects with tasty substances on the leaves. However, they don't snap the insect when it lands. The trigger is like a time bomb, once an insect touches one hair, the timer will start, counting 30 seconds. If the insect doesn't touch another hair, the timer will reset. But if the unlucky insect triggers the trap, the leaves will shut in less than a second, trapping the prey in some sort of a prison cell. Once in a while, the insect might trigger the trap at the outside of the leaf, so might escape. But most of the time, there is no way out. The plant then excrete digestive juices and digest the insect. Two days later, the trap reopens and the husk of the insect falls out, waiting for the next victim.
Sundew:
Sundews are probadly the hardiest of all carnivorous plants, laying their roots on every continent other than Antartica. They are flypaper traps. Insects that are attracted by the sweet but extremely sticky substance on the trap will get stuck. The leaf then coils around the victim and digests it. Below is a video from BBC's "Life", showing the hunting techniques of both the venus fly-trap and the sundew.
Pitcher Plant:
Pitchers modify their leaves to resemble a bottle. There will be a pool of digestive juices where any insect that falls into the trap will be digested. Like many carnivorous plants, they attract victims with sweet subtances. The landing platform of the pitcher is very slippery, so the insect will fall into the pool below. There, the protein and nucleic acids of the animal would be digested. To prevent overflowing during rain, the pitcher have evolved an "umbrella" to prevent rainwater from entering the pool. Though dangerous the pitcher may be, some animals make use of the pitcher and stay there for life... Below is a video on one of these opportunists, from the BBC masterpiece, "Planet Earth".
Of all the discovered carnivorous plants so far, none of them is a man-eater, all targeting arthopods, or the most, small amphibians and reptiles. But, rumours say that man-eating trees dwell in the depths of the Amazon and Madagascar... Who knows what secrets scientific discoveries might reveal about the private lives of these seemingly-peaceful organisms?
Venus Fly-Trap:
Probadly the most famous of the carnivorous plants, venus fly-traps are snap traps. They lure insects with tasty substances on the leaves. However, they don't snap the insect when it lands. The trigger is like a time bomb, once an insect touches one hair, the timer will start, counting 30 seconds. If the insect doesn't touch another hair, the timer will reset. But if the unlucky insect triggers the trap, the leaves will shut in less than a second, trapping the prey in some sort of a prison cell. Once in a while, the insect might trigger the trap at the outside of the leaf, so might escape. But most of the time, there is no way out. The plant then excrete digestive juices and digest the insect. Two days later, the trap reopens and the husk of the insect falls out, waiting for the next victim.
Sundew:
Sundews are probadly the hardiest of all carnivorous plants, laying their roots on every continent other than Antartica. They are flypaper traps. Insects that are attracted by the sweet but extremely sticky substance on the trap will get stuck. The leaf then coils around the victim and digests it. Below is a video from BBC's "Life", showing the hunting techniques of both the venus fly-trap and the sundew.
Pitcher Plant:
Pitchers modify their leaves to resemble a bottle. There will be a pool of digestive juices where any insect that falls into the trap will be digested. Like many carnivorous plants, they attract victims with sweet subtances. The landing platform of the pitcher is very slippery, so the insect will fall into the pool below. There, the protein and nucleic acids of the animal would be digested. To prevent overflowing during rain, the pitcher have evolved an "umbrella" to prevent rainwater from entering the pool. Though dangerous the pitcher may be, some animals make use of the pitcher and stay there for life... Below is a video on one of these opportunists, from the BBC masterpiece, "Planet Earth".
Of all the discovered carnivorous plants so far, none of them is a man-eater, all targeting arthopods, or the most, small amphibians and reptiles. But, rumours say that man-eating trees dwell in the depths of the Amazon and Madagascar... Who knows what secrets scientific discoveries might reveal about the private lives of these seemingly-peaceful organisms?
The Sun
Do you know what components make up our Sun?
The Sun is gargantuan, glowing sphere of hot gas, made of 70% hydrogen, 28% helium, 1% of carbon, oxygen and nitrogen, and the last 1% of misllacenous elements like neon, iron, silicon and much more. The Sun provides heat because its hydrogen burns the helium with its extremely hot core.
The Sun is a star, and the centre and life giver to Earth, allowing plants to photosynthesize and bring warmth to organisms. Many of us might have heard that a star "dies" after the gas have all been burnt. As the Sun's gases decreases bit by bit every day, sooner or later, it would not be able to give life to the Solar System any more. Earth will then be as barren as her neighbouring planets...
The Sun is gargantuan, glowing sphere of hot gas, made of 70% hydrogen, 28% helium, 1% of carbon, oxygen and nitrogen, and the last 1% of misllacenous elements like neon, iron, silicon and much more. The Sun provides heat because its hydrogen burns the helium with its extremely hot core.
The Sun is a star, and the centre and life giver to Earth, allowing plants to photosynthesize and bring warmth to organisms. Many of us might have heard that a star "dies" after the gas have all been burnt. As the Sun's gases decreases bit by bit every day, sooner or later, it would not be able to give life to the Solar System any more. Earth will then be as barren as her neighbouring planets...
Why does Ice float on water?
This was my ACE for last term :)
Objects that are less dense float on liquid that is denser. When water freezes, it actually becomes les dense. Ice is 9% less dense than water. The water exerts a normal force on the ice, so it remains afloat. Unlike other substances which are denser in their solid forms, water is different because of Hydrogen Bonding. Water is a compound, and each water molecule consists of one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms. Water molecules are attracted by Hydrogen Bonds between the positively-charged hydrogen atoms and negatively-charged oxygen atoms. When water cools to 4 degrees Celcius, these Hydrogen bonds will alter to hold the oxygen atoms apart, which forms a crystal lattice, ice.
The floating of ice have allowed aquatic freshwater organisms to survive during the winter when the top layer of the river have froze. Unfortunately, it has also caused RMS Titanic to sink to the ocean depths...
More on Ice Floating: http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryfaqs/f/icefloats.htm
http://www.chemistryquestion.com/English/Questions/ChemistryInDailyLife/5c_Water_Ice.html
Video on Ice Floating: Enjoy! :D
Objects that are less dense float on liquid that is denser. When water freezes, it actually becomes les dense. Ice is 9% less dense than water. The water exerts a normal force on the ice, so it remains afloat. Unlike other substances which are denser in their solid forms, water is different because of Hydrogen Bonding. Water is a compound, and each water molecule consists of one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms. Water molecules are attracted by Hydrogen Bonds between the positively-charged hydrogen atoms and negatively-charged oxygen atoms. When water cools to 4 degrees Celcius, these Hydrogen bonds will alter to hold the oxygen atoms apart, which forms a crystal lattice, ice.
The floating of ice have allowed aquatic freshwater organisms to survive during the winter when the top layer of the river have froze. Unfortunately, it has also caused RMS Titanic to sink to the ocean depths...
More on Ice Floating: http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryfaqs/f/icefloats.htm
http://www.chemistryquestion.com/English/Questions/ChemistryInDailyLife/5c_Water_Ice.html
Video on Ice Floating: Enjoy! :D
Pelicans eating Gannets?
I have just watched an BBC documentay "Life" on animal behaviour and saw something that I never expected: Pelicans eating gannets!
This incident was filmed off the coasts of South Africa. Changes in ocean currents and melting of glaciers at the poles have caused fish stocks to decrease, and forced many seabirds to hunt beyond their usual hunting grounds and over their limits. With no fish to feed their newborn chicks, great white pelicans have to find an alternative food source. Cape gannets, meanwhile, were forced to abandon their chicks to look for food in the open ocean. The pelicans have reached the gannets' breeding grounds and swallowed entire chicks down their gullets. Back at the nest, the pelican parents spit out half-digested gannet chicks for their own chicks to devour. This is a perfect example of animals being pushed to the extreme due to man's impacts on the environment.
"Life", could be considered as the sequel for globally-acclaimed documentaries, "The Blue Planet" and "Planet Earth". Where the previous works focused on habitats, this one is devoted to organism behaviour. It showcased extraordinary behaviour of organisms that people hardly ever imagined, from sengis creating a racecar track to avoid predators, to pebble toads rolling down mountains to dodge tarantulas. Filmed entirely in High-Defenition, it is a must-watch for all nature lovers.
This is a segment of the fifth installment, "Birds", which shows the pelicans and the gannets. Enjoy! :D
For more information on this documentary: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_(BBC_TV_series)
This incident was filmed off the coasts of South Africa. Changes in ocean currents and melting of glaciers at the poles have caused fish stocks to decrease, and forced many seabirds to hunt beyond their usual hunting grounds and over their limits. With no fish to feed their newborn chicks, great white pelicans have to find an alternative food source. Cape gannets, meanwhile, were forced to abandon their chicks to look for food in the open ocean. The pelicans have reached the gannets' breeding grounds and swallowed entire chicks down their gullets. Back at the nest, the pelican parents spit out half-digested gannet chicks for their own chicks to devour. This is a perfect example of animals being pushed to the extreme due to man's impacts on the environment.
"Life", could be considered as the sequel for globally-acclaimed documentaries, "The Blue Planet" and "Planet Earth". Where the previous works focused on habitats, this one is devoted to organism behaviour. It showcased extraordinary behaviour of organisms that people hardly ever imagined, from sengis creating a racecar track to avoid predators, to pebble toads rolling down mountains to dodge tarantulas. Filmed entirely in High-Defenition, it is a must-watch for all nature lovers.
This is a segment of the fifth installment, "Birds", which shows the pelicans and the gannets. Enjoy! :D
For more information on this documentary: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_(BBC_TV_series)
Friday, August 20, 2010
My T3 LSS test... :(
I just received my results for my Term 3 Science Test, and the mark drove me up the wall. 29.5/40, that's half mark away from A1!!
For one of the MCQs, I was pondering whether bronze or limestone is a compound. I choose bronze, but ironically, I put bronze as a mixture in another question!! I was thinking to myself that limestone could not be a compound and either I would get this question incorrect, or the other one. Ah...
Now I realised, we use mercury as tooth fillings. I thought that mercury was a liquid at room temperature, so it could never be the material for fillings, so wrote iron as my answer...
These evil mistakes have ruined my possibility for an exemption, that leaves only Infocomm Studies, Art Elective Programme and Higher Chinese as the possibilities for exemption.
Ahh... I hate myself! Why couldn't I achieve 30.5, like I did in Term 1? Now, I must concentrate on the coming Language Arts, Mathematics and Higher Chinese paper. What's the past is the past. Look to the future.
ああ～嫌いですね！ソファバード！この分はよくありませんでした！ああ～
For one of the MCQs, I was pondering whether bronze or limestone is a compound. I choose bronze, but ironically, I put bronze as a mixture in another question!! I was thinking to myself that limestone could not be a compound and either I would get this question incorrect, or the other one. Ah...
Now I realised, we use mercury as tooth fillings. I thought that mercury was a liquid at room temperature, so it could never be the material for fillings, so wrote iron as my answer...
These evil mistakes have ruined my possibility for an exemption, that leaves only Infocomm Studies, Art Elective Programme and Higher Chinese as the possibilities for exemption.
Ahh... I hate myself! Why couldn't I achieve 30.5, like I did in Term 1? Now, I must concentrate on the coming Language Arts, Mathematics and Higher Chinese paper. What's the past is the past. Look to the future.
ああ～嫌いですね！ソファバード！この分はよくありませんでした！ああ～
Sex-determination systems
I have recently researched on the various systems that determine the gender of an animal. Here are some of the systems:
XY : The XY system is used in all placental, marsupial and echidna monotrome mammals, fruit flies and gingkoes. Females would have two X chromosomes and are called the homogametic sex. Males would have one X and one Y chromosome, and are referred to as the heterogametic sex. In this system, it is the male's sperm that determines the gender of the offspring. This was first described independently by Nettie Stevens and Edmund Beecher Wilson in 1905.
Video on XY system: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0byeqI0FRg
ZW : The ZW system is used in all species of birds, some fish, crustaceans, insects and reptiles. This system's name is created to differentiate it from the XY system. The females have one Z and one W chromosome and are called the heterogametic sex, while the males have two Z chromosome and are referred to as the homogametic sex, as opposed to the XY system. Here, it is the ovum that determines the offspring's sex. In birds, no ZWW set has been found, though it is possible for moths. Though XY and ZW systems have no genes in common, they originated from a same ancestor.
X0 : The X0 system is used in grasshoppers, crickets, cockroaches and several other insect species. The male would have one X chromosome while the female has two. Like the XY system, the sperm of the male determines the sex, but it may contain no chromosome at all. For the fruit flies in the XY system, if they lose a Y chromosome, they would have X0 chromosomes as well.
Haplodiploid : The haplodiploid system is used in bees, wasps, ants, bark bettles, rotifers and spider mites. In this system, the union of a sperm and egg forms a female, while an unfertilized egg develop into a male. In this case, males have half the number of chromosomes females have.
Temperature-dependent : This system relies on temperature to determine the sex, and is used in crocodilians, tortoises and tautaras. Lower temperatures produce females while higher temperatures produce males. However, the biggest downside to this system is, as today's climate gets highly unpredictable due to environmental issues and pushes temperatures to the extremes, the eggs produced might be only of one gender so the offspring cannot reproduce, thus will become extinct. This might be one of the possible reasons why dinosaurs, plesiosaurs and pterosaurs died out.
Sex Change : Some animals that would change their gender during their lifetime include:
- snails (start as male, then become female)
- clown fish (dominant one is female, others are all male)
- blue wrasse fish (dominant one is male, others are all female)
- potato bass (change sex whenever they want)
- marine worm (turns male when contacting with female, turns female when contacted with the sea floor)
- human beings (through surgical means for own's preference)
Animals with unusual/uncomprehendable systems:
- swordfish
- chironomous midge
- platypus
XY : The XY system is used in all placental, marsupial and echidna monotrome mammals, fruit flies and gingkoes. Females would have two X chromosomes and are called the homogametic sex. Males would have one X and one Y chromosome, and are referred to as the heterogametic sex. In this system, it is the male's sperm that determines the gender of the offspring. This was first described independently by Nettie Stevens and Edmund Beecher Wilson in 1905.
Video on XY system: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0byeqI0FRg
ZW : The ZW system is used in all species of birds, some fish, crustaceans, insects and reptiles. This system's name is created to differentiate it from the XY system. The females have one Z and one W chromosome and are called the heterogametic sex, while the males have two Z chromosome and are referred to as the homogametic sex, as opposed to the XY system. Here, it is the ovum that determines the offspring's sex. In birds, no ZWW set has been found, though it is possible for moths. Though XY and ZW systems have no genes in common, they originated from a same ancestor.
X0 : The X0 system is used in grasshoppers, crickets, cockroaches and several other insect species. The male would have one X chromosome while the female has two. Like the XY system, the sperm of the male determines the sex, but it may contain no chromosome at all. For the fruit flies in the XY system, if they lose a Y chromosome, they would have X0 chromosomes as well.
Haplodiploid : The haplodiploid system is used in bees, wasps, ants, bark bettles, rotifers and spider mites. In this system, the union of a sperm and egg forms a female, while an unfertilized egg develop into a male. In this case, males have half the number of chromosomes females have.
Temperature-dependent : This system relies on temperature to determine the sex, and is used in crocodilians, tortoises and tautaras. Lower temperatures produce females while higher temperatures produce males. However, the biggest downside to this system is, as today's climate gets highly unpredictable due to environmental issues and pushes temperatures to the extremes, the eggs produced might be only of one gender so the offspring cannot reproduce, thus will become extinct. This might be one of the possible reasons why dinosaurs, plesiosaurs and pterosaurs died out.
Sex Change : Some animals that would change their gender during their lifetime include:
- snails (start as male, then become female)
- clown fish (dominant one is female, others are all male)
- blue wrasse fish (dominant one is male, others are all female)
- potato bass (change sex whenever they want)
- marine worm (turns male when contacting with female, turns female when contacted with the sea floor)
- human beings (through surgical means for own's preference)
Animals with unusual/uncomprehendable systems:
- swordfish
- chironomous midge
- platypus
Friday, April 30, 2010
Previous posts on another blog
These are the previous posts on other blogs for the same purpose. Due to technical difficulties, I had to change to this one.
Lab Lesson 2:
A few weeks ago, we had our second lab lesson, where we got to perform some simple and fun experiments with several chemicals.The first experiment was the best. We poured some vinegar into a test tube and added sodium bicarbonate to it, which resulted in a chemical reaction, pounding the solution out of the apparatus at a relentless jet. It was so cool!The second experiment involves pouring water into two test tubes, then adding sodium carbonate to one and copper sulfate to the other. When the contents of the second test tube was added with the contents of the first, the liquid solidified to form a blue solution.The rest of the experiments were done in Primary School before, like blowing into limewater with a straw, adding iodine solution to starch etc.I hope that the teachers will let us do more of such experiments and not just use worksheets all the time.
IT home learning answers (T1)
Q: Why and how did the density of water change when salt was added to it?A: Since Density = mass/volume, so addition of salt means increase in matter (which means increase in mass), so higher mass/same volume = higher density.Q: Explain why the egg sunk in tap water but floated in salt water.A: The density of the egg was higher than that of water, so it sunk. But the density of saltwater was higher than that of the egg, that's why the egg floated.
Lab Lesson 2:
A few weeks ago, we had our second lab lesson, where we got to perform some simple and fun experiments with several chemicals.The first experiment was the best. We poured some vinegar into a test tube and added sodium bicarbonate to it, which resulted in a chemical reaction, pounding the solution out of the apparatus at a relentless jet. It was so cool!The second experiment involves pouring water into two test tubes, then adding sodium carbonate to one and copper sulfate to the other. When the contents of the second test tube was added with the contents of the first, the liquid solidified to form a blue solution.The rest of the experiments were done in Primary School before, like blowing into limewater with a straw, adding iodine solution to starch etc.I hope that the teachers will let us do more of such experiments and not just use worksheets all the time.
IT home learning answers (T1)
Q: Why and how did the density of water change when salt was added to it?A: Since Density = mass/volume, so addition of salt means increase in matter (which means increase in mass), so higher mass/same volume = higher density.Q: Explain why the egg sunk in tap water but floated in salt water.A: The density of the egg was higher than that of water, so it sunk. But the density of saltwater was higher than that of the egg, that's why the egg floated.
Discussion Topics (LSS ACE)
Our science teacher discussed about gravity and suggested a discussion topic: Why are we heavier at the equator?
However, research on the Internet said that we are actually lighter at the equatorial regions than we would be at the poles. This, of course, is due to gravity. The Earth is not a perfect sphere, it is wider at the sides because it is rotating. Our planet's equatorial radius is 22km longer than the radi of the poles. When we are at the poles, we are slightly nearer to Earth's core than we are at the equator. Gravity reduces as distance increases and although this is very small it is a contributing factor. So you would be lighter by about 0.5% when you are at the equator as compared to when you are at the poles.
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080930080807AAvrnAd
http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question25977.html
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Will_you_weigh_the_same_amount_at_the_equator_as_at_the_North_or_South_Pole&alreadyAsked=1&rtitle=Why_does_an_object_weighs_more_than_it_does_in_the_north_pole_then_the_equator
However, research on the Internet said that we are actually lighter at the equatorial regions than we would be at the poles. This, of course, is due to gravity. The Earth is not a perfect sphere, it is wider at the sides because it is rotating. Our planet's equatorial radius is 22km longer than the radi of the poles. When we are at the poles, we are slightly nearer to Earth's core than we are at the equator. Gravity reduces as distance increases and although this is very small it is a contributing factor. So you would be lighter by about 0.5% when you are at the equator as compared to when you are at the poles.
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080930080807AAvrnAd
http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question25977.html
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Will_you_weigh_the_same_amount_at_the_equator_as_at_the_North_or_South_Pole&alreadyAsked=1&rtitle=Why_does_an_object_weighs_more_than_it_does_in_the_north_pole_then_the_equator
Saturday, April 17, 2010
My Biggest Science-Related Project yet
My school hosts Projects Day Competitions annually, to enhance our research skills and independence. It is compulsory for Lower Secondary students like me, and it is also computated in our results as part of a subject called Independent Studies. There are 9 categories to choose from in this Competition, each with different judging criteria. The categories cover most of the core subjects taught in school, ranging from Science to Art.
My group decided on Category 1: Experimental Research. This category is science-related, to create a hypothesis then prove it with an experiment. However, this experiment must either not have been performed before, or be unique among the related experiments performed before. Our project is entitled "Music for Animals". We want to find out the behavioural and psychological effects music have on animals, and use this to allow animal owners to change their animals' personality to suit their preferences, or to calm an aggressive and hyperactive animal down.
What makes our project unique, is that we will not use mammals. Many researchers have conducted this experiment on mammals and not other orders, not even birds. Furthermore, exotic pets like chameleons, macaws and tarantulas are getting very popular in countries like the U.S. and the U.K. (sadly, Singapore bans these). By using non-mammals (we would be using red-eared sliders and budgies), the information collected may apply for other animals of the same family, thus solving behaviour problems on a wider range of animals.
I hope that the animals will cooperate with us and make our project a success.
My group decided on Category 1: Experimental Research. This category is science-related, to create a hypothesis then prove it with an experiment. However, this experiment must either not have been performed before, or be unique among the related experiments performed before. Our project is entitled "Music for Animals". We want to find out the behavioural and psychological effects music have on animals, and use this to allow animal owners to change their animals' personality to suit their preferences, or to calm an aggressive and hyperactive animal down.
What makes our project unique, is that we will not use mammals. Many researchers have conducted this experiment on mammals and not other orders, not even birds. Furthermore, exotic pets like chameleons, macaws and tarantulas are getting very popular in countries like the U.S. and the U.K. (sadly, Singapore bans these). By using non-mammals (we would be using red-eared sliders and budgies), the information collected may apply for other animals of the same family, thus solving behaviour problems on a wider range of animals.
I hope that the animals will cooperate with us and make our project a success.
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