Tons of released drugs taint US water

Every day manufacturing processes cause waste to be released into out environment. The effect of pharmaceutical waste can also effect the organisms in the region in greater ways than mere trash.

For this assignment you should read the article. Summarize the information in a minimum of three sentences. Then find another source, a web site, video, article, etc. about man's effect on the environment or the effect our influence has on the organisms, and link to that and summarize or comment on the information in a minimum of four sentences. Your source and comments could be about the actual effect or your feelings about these effects. Topics may range from global warming to dumping to deforestation to expanding populations.

This project is due by midnight 4/24/09

Genetic Engineering and Virus Batteries

Scientists are doing all kinds of things with the new tools of genetic engineering. The ability to chenge the genetic code, to make an organism tht does what you want it to do, is no longer science fiction. And since biological organisms have been trying different things for billions of years, they have figured out some very efficient ways to get some things done.

This video about creating viruses to make batteries shows a new approach to the energy problem. Additional information is available at this site.

For this project you should watch the video. Then you need to find and point to a link that discusses one of the following aspects:

DNA analysis
Genetic engineering
Should we be messing with viruses? Isn't this dangerous?

Then, discuss in at least 6 sentences, the information covered in the site you have selected.

This extra credit project is due by midnight Friday, 4/17. Instead of 12 points, this project is worth 15 points, for a 150% HW/Quiz grade.

Bonobo chimps: Our Closest Relatives.

The Bonobo is a separate chimpanzee species. They are considered, by some, to be an even closer relative to man than the other chimpanzees. They are a highly endangered species, meaning that there are very few left an we are continuing to put pressure on their populations.

Watch this video about the Bonobos and comment (at lease two sentences) on the content of the video. Then you should find a link and write (at least three sentences) about the link you have posted. The link could be about:
How scientists determine how closely a species is related to us.
How to protect endangered species.
Should we care about other species, endangered or not?
Evolutionary descendancy (family tree) of primates.

As always, you have until midnight Friday (April 10) to complete this project for credit.

Is there a Difference Between the Sexes?

The discussions of whether there are any real differences between the sexes has gone on for many generations. Now, scientific investigation is beginning to show that there are real differences between the ways that the brains of the different sexes work.

This is a site with a video that details the differences in brain studies between the sexes.

For this project you should first look at the video. Then you will have to find other sites or articles that discuss how the sexes are different or similar. You should link to your site. Then discuss in one or two paragraphs (at least 6 sentences) what the article discusses and what you think this means for the way we must deal with these differences and still treat all people equally.

This project is due by midnight, Friday, April 3.

What can we really know about fossils?

Fossil sea monster's bite makes T-Rex look feeble

"Predator X" was a pliosaur (click on this link for more info on the pliosaur), that lived between 200 million and 65 million years ago. It was the top predator of the marine environment.


The article that you should read discusses the bite strength of the pliosaur. For this extra credit project you should read and discuss in at least two sentences what the article is about. Then your job is to discover how they find out things about dinosaurs and other fossils. Some topics for discussion are below, but there are many things that "they" tell us about extinct species that cause me to wonder, "how could they know that"?

Provide a link to an article or site about how they find things about fossil species. Then summarize that information in a minimum of three sentences.

Possible topics for discussion:
-How do they decide how strong the bite was? Do you think this is a good method?
-How do they decide what the pliosaur, or any other ancient species, ate?
-How do they decide about social aspects of the creatures?
-In the movie, "Jurassic Park," the scientist says that the T-Rex could only see things that were moving; how could he possibly know that?
-How could they know how old the animals got?
-How could they know about the ancestors or descendants of any particular species?

Pick one of these, or any other area that interests you, that meets the guidelines, and complete it by midnight Friday, March 27 for extra credit.

Stem Cells

Obama to Restore ‘Science Integrity’ as Part of Stem-Cell REsearch


1. Read the above article on the changes the Obama administration is making on the way stem cells are dealt with. Write at least 3 sentences about the way you feel this will impact the science community or affect religious/morality organizations.
2. State, in your own words, what a stem cell is.
3. Find a link to a site or article about the promise of stem cells or the political/religious objections to stem cell research.
4. Write a description (minimum 4 sentences) summarizing your link.

You may feel free to discuss the moral/ethical considerations, however, this is not requires. Please remember this is a school forum and you must use appropriate language and tone.

This will be due by midnight on Friday, March 20.

AIDS

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is a medical condition. People develop AIDS because HIV has damaged their natural defenses against disease. Someone can become infected with HIV through contact with the bodily fluids of someone who already has HIV.

As recently as the 1970s, no one was aware of this deadly illness. Since then the global AIDS epidemic has become one of the greatest threats to human health and development. By 2007 around 33 million people are living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Each year around 2.7 million more people become infected with HIV and 2 million die of AIDS.¹

There is still no cure for AIDS, but treatment for people with HIV has improved greatly.

A recent article titled, “Common ingredient offers AIDS protection” brings attention to the varied approaches to combating the spread of AIDS.

Complicating matters, in the public, are the many myths and outright lies about AIDS, what it is, the way it spreads and possible cures.

1. Find an article or web site that discusses a different scientific approach to the battle against AIDS.
2. Find an article or web site that discusses the history of the spread of the disease or the medical work done thus far.
3. Find an article or web site that explores one of the misconceptions about AIDS.

To complete your extra credit you will need to:

1. Read the article “Common ingredient offers AIDS protection” and write 1-2 sentences about how you feel this may offer help in defeating AIDS.
2. Link to the source that you have found from one of the three categories above.
3. Summarize the material in a paragraph, minimum of 3 sentences.
4. Discuss what you feel scientists should take as a next step or ways to combat the false information you have found.

This Blog project will be due by midnight 3/13.

Reminder: If you have difficulty posting send me an email with your completed project and the message you got when you tried to post.