3/5/19
Literacy #21
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule successfully docks to the ISS for the first time
www.theverge.com/2019/3/3/18244501/spacex-crew-dragon-automatic-docking-international-space-station-nasa
On March 3rd, 2019, the Crew Dragon capsule was able to dock to the International Space Station. "As the Crew Dragon approached the station on Sunday, it then used a series of lasers, sensors, and software to automatically dock this hardware to an available port on the outside of the ISS" (Grush, 2019, para. 2). This process of docking is new for SpaceX. Previously with SpaceX's cargo capsules, an astronaut on board the ISS would use a robotic arm to capture and dock the capsules (Grush, 2019). Now that the capsule is docked to the ISS, astronauts will conduct tests on the capsule to make sure it can handle space, ensure its safety and to ensure that it is functioning properly. All that is left is to do is to see if the capsule can land back on earth with the help of parachutes. If everything runs smoothly, we can hopefully see astronauts going to the ISS in the Crew Dragon capsule.
2/28/19
Literacy #20
SpaceX is set to launch a crucial test flight for NASA this weekend
www.theverge.com/2019/2/28/18239745/spacex-dragon-capsule-nasa-commercial-crew-falcon-9-launch-dm-1
On Saturday, March 2nd, 2019, if the conditions are favorable, SpaceX will be launching its Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station. The capsule will ride on top of the SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, the capsule is only being tested so no one will be inside the capsule. "The mission, called Demonstration-1 or DM-1, is meant to show NASA that the Crew Dragon is space-worthy and safe for future human crew members" (Grush, 2019, para. 2). The Crew Dragon capsule will be be carrying 400 pounds of cargo and will be capturing data through the various equipment and cameras placed on board (Grush, 2019). The capsule will also be carrying a test dummy that will be wearing SpaceX's newly designed flight suit. Hopefully the test is successful, and the capsule is cleared to carry astronauts. The future of space travel is looking bright and I look forward to what SpaceX has to offer.
2/21/19
Literacy #19
Engineers develop wearable respiration monitor with children's toy
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190214084633.htm
A new device was developed by researchers at the University of California, the device is a respiration monitor meant to help children with asthma, cystic fibrosis and other lung diseases (University of California-Irvine, 2019). "The devices are made by applying a very thin layer of metal to a sheet of the plastic toy and then heat-shrinking it to cause corrugation" (University of California-Irvine, 2019, para. 5). The respiration monitor use Shrinky Dinks as a base for the monitor, and by using the toy as a base, it can bring down the price of production. By being cheap to produce, this technology can be accessed by families who earn a low income. All children no matter their families' financial situation can be helped. This monitor is currently being tested on healthy subjects and trials on those who suffer from asthma will be conducted soon (University of California-Irvine, 2019). Hopefully the tests are successful and the monitors are given out to children who are in need.
Exit Ticket 2/21/19
Why are citations important?
Citations are important because citations give credit to a person's original work and ideas. If you were to use someone else's ideas without credit, you are plagiarizing and stealing someone else's work. If you use someone's words without citations, you are at risk of being sued. If you are in college and found to be plagiarizing, you can get kicked out of college.
How would you feel if your ideas or work were used without giving credit?
I would be upset and feel robbed because I took the time to come up with these ideas, and someone else comes and claim my original work as their own.
Citations are important because citations give credit to a person's original work and ideas. If you were to use someone else's ideas without credit, you are plagiarizing and stealing someone else's work. If you use someone's words without citations, you are at risk of being sued. If you are in college and found to be plagiarizing, you can get kicked out of college.
How would you feel if your ideas or work were used without giving credit?
I would be upset and feel robbed because I took the time to come up with these ideas, and someone else comes and claim my original work as their own.
2/11/19
Literacy 18 Engineers program marine robots to take calculated risks Link to the article: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190130133021.htm "The sea floor is carved with expansive canyons, towering seamounts, deep trenches, and sheer cliffs" (ScienceDaily, 2019). These areas are difficult and dangerous for autonomous underwater vehicles to explore. To combat this problem engineers from MIT developed an algorithm that allows autonomous underwater vehicles to calculate the risks and also potential rewards of exploring an unknown region. With this algorithm, the vehicles could go on a variety of mission, such as "...looking for offshore oil deposits, investigating the impact of climate change on coral reefs, and exploring extreme environments analogous to Europa, an ice-covered moon of Jupiter that the team hopes vehicles will one day traverse" (ScienceDaily, 2019). The algorithm works by taking account of the ocean's topography and also the robot's dynamic to calculate the risk of a certain path. To calculate the reward the algorithm takes account of the AUV's previous measurements to calculate if there is a reward in taking a certain path. Humans have only explored 5 percent of the world's ocean, this algorithm would help further our knowledge of what is down in our oceans. |
1/23/19
Literacy 17 Smart microrobots that can adapt to their surroundings Link to the article: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190118145536.htm Tiny robots have been developed that are highly flexible and would be able to change their shape to fit their surroundings. The robots were made by scientists at EPFL and ETH Zurich. "They are made of hydrogel nanocomposites that contain magnetic nanoparticles allowing them to be controlled via an electromagnetic field"(ScienceDaily, 2019). The scientists were inspired to make these robots by microorganisms who changed shape depending on environmental changes. These microrobots are useful because "...they can pass through narrow blood vessels and intricate systems without compromising on speed or maneuverability"(ScienceDaily, 2019). The fact that they can change shape and travel through various liquids, they can deliver drugs to diseased tissue easier and quicker. The scientists are currently working on improving the robots' performance. We could see the use of these microrobots in the near future, and exciting times in medical lie ahead. |
1/15/19
Literacy 16 Wireless 'pacemaker for the brain' could offer new treatment for neurological disorders Link to the article: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190101094517.htm Doctors have trouble reading electrical signatures that occur before a seizure or tremor, since the electrical signatures can be subtle at times. It takes years of small adjustments for devices to provide treatment. "A new neurostimulator developed by engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, can listen to and stimulate electric current in the brain at the same time, potentially delivering fine-tuned treatments to patients with diseases like epilepsy and Parkinson's"(ScienceDaily, 2019). This new technology is called WAND and what is able to do is "recognize the signs of tremor or seizure, it can adjust the stimulation parameters on its own to prevent the unwanted movements"(ScienceDaily, 2019). WAND is able to stimulate and record at the same time and so it is able to correct itself and make adjustments. Current brain stimulators either stop recording when delivering electrical stimulation, or record and stimulate the brain but separate parts of the brain. Hopefully more testing is done and doctors can use this new technology to help those who suffer from neurological disorders. |
1/8/19
Literacy 15 Tiny satellites could be 'guide stars' for huge next-generation telescopes Link to the article: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190104141631.htm "In the coming decades, massive segmented space telescopes may be launched to peer even closer in on far-out exoplanets and their atmospheres"(ScienceDaily, 2019). Most of the planets that are outside of our solar system are detected due to the planet passing in front of a star and there being a dip in starlight. While astronomers do detect the presence of planets they would like to know more about the planets. In order for astronomers to learn more about these planets, "NASA engineers are now developing designs for such next-generation space telescopes, including "segmented" telescopes with multiple small mirrors that could be assembled or unfurled to form one very large telescope once launched into space"(ScienceDaily, 2019). Engineers need to find a way for the mirrors to be stable and for the mirrors to be pointing at the exoplanets. MIT engineers have proposed a solution to this challenge, they suggest for a small spacecraft with a laser act as a "guide star" and keep the mirrors stable. Hopefully this technology can be developed in the near future, so more information on planets can be found and the help the chances of finding signs of life out in the universe. |
12/4/18
Literacy 14
Told that I didn't have to do Literacy 14 because I turned in my greeting card text paragraph on time.
Literacy 14
Told that I didn't have to do Literacy 14 because I turned in my greeting card text paragraph on time.
11/27/18
Literacy 13 NASA InSight lander arrives on Martian surface to learn what lies beneath Link to the article: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181126152349.htm A spacecraft launched by NASA called InSight recently landed on Mars and is the 8th time spacecraft has landed on Mars in human history. InSight was sent to Mars, "...to study the deep interior of Mars to learn how all celestial bodies with rocky surfaces, including Earth and the Moon, formed"(ScienceDaily, 2018). The spacecraft was launched on May 5th, 2018 from Vandenberg Air Force Base and landed near Mars' equator on November 26th, 2018 in an area called Elysium Planitia. "InSight will begin to collect science data within the first week after landing, though the teams will focus mainly on preparing to set InSight's instruments on the Martian ground. At least two days after touchdown, the engineering team will begin to deploy InSight's 5.9-foot-long (1.8-meter-long) robotic arm so that it can take images of the landscape"(ScienceDaily, 2018). The information that NASA learns from InSight will help them prepare as they get ready to send astronauts to the Moon and soon after that to Mars. It is very exciting and thrilling to know that space agencies are going to return astronauts to the Moon and finally set foot on Mars, humans are about to reach a new frontier in space exploration. |
11/13/18
Literacy 12 Humans help robots learn tasks Link to the article: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181026143359.htm "Bender is one of the robot arms that a team of Stanford researchers is using to test two frameworks that, together, could make it faster and easier to teach robots basic skills"(ScienceDaily, 2018). There is a framework that allows people in real time with a computer or smartphone to do a certain task. It is beneficial for the robot to run multiple experiences as it allows it to learn from many experiences simultaneously. A PhD student named Yuke Zhu showed how the system works by "opening the app on his iPhone and waving it through the air. He guided the robot arm -- like a mechanical crane in an arcade game -- to hover over his prize: a wooden block painted to look like a steak."(ScienceDaily, 2018). The system isn't perfect not all lessons run smoothly but the lessons are integral for the robot's learning nevertheless. The robot can run simulations of all the demonstrations from people simultaneously to speed up the process of learning. We just have to wait an see how far the learning goes, the robot could eventually help around the house or do tasks that are too dangerous for humans to perform. |
11/6/18
Literacy 11 Artificial intelligence bot trained to recognize galaxies Link to the article: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181031080608.htm "Researchers have taught an artificial intelligence program used to recognise faces on Facebook to identify galaxies in deep space"(ScienceDaily, 2018). The artificial intelligence bot is called ClaRAN. The AI spots galaxies that are emitting powerful radio jets which come from super massive blackholes at galaxies' centers. ClaRAN was developed by Dr. Chen Wu and Dr Ivy Wong and both are from the University of Western Australia. Dr. Wong said "traditional computer algorithms are able to correctly identify 90 per cent of the sources"(ScienceDaily, 2018). The goal is for the AI bot to reduce the number visual classifications of galaxies down to one, this would allow scientists to work on finding new types of galaxies. ClaRAN has made advancements in astronomy and there's plenty of more work to be done and more galaxies to be identified. |
10/30/18
Literacy 10 Spinning heat shield for future spacecraft Link to the article: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180809112507.htm A student from the University of Manchester has made a prototype flexible heat shield meant for spacecraft and it could possibly reduce the cost of future space missions. The heat shields are put in place on spacecraft and are meant to burn up so the spacecraft doesn't burn in re-entry when coming back to the Earth and travelling through the atmosphere. "Current spacecraft heat shield methods include huge inflatables and mechanically deployed structures that are often heavy and complicated to use" (ScienceDaily, 2018). What they did to improve from this design was "Wu and his team have developed a new heat shield that is shaped like a skirt and spins like a sycamore seed" (ScienceDaily, 2018). This new heat shield uses aerodynamic drag to slow the craft. Hopefully more tests are done and this new heat shield is implemented into future spacecraft. |
10/23/18
Literacy 8 and 9
Mr. Vo and Ms. Spoony said I didn't have to do Literacy 8 and 9 due to getting a 100 on the last Literacy.
Literacy 8 and 9
Mr. Vo and Ms. Spoony said I didn't have to do Literacy 8 and 9 due to getting a 100 on the last Literacy.
10/10/18
Literacy 7 Harnessing Artificial Intelligence to Improve Drug Combination Design and Personalized Medicine Link to the article: www.slas.org/media/news-center/2018-news-releases/harnessing-artificial-intelligence-to-improve-drug-combination-design-and-personalized-medicine/ A new area is being looked in is the use of artificial intelligence in improving the development in drugs and personalized medicine. In a study published Science Transitional Medicine talks about a certain artificial intelligence, Quadratic Phenotypic Optimization Platform (QPOP) and it "substantially improves combination therapy in bortezomib-resistant multiple myeloma to identify the best drug combinations for individual multiple myeloma patients" (SLAS, 2018). When it comes to complex diseases, it is becoming more and more difficult to find a combination of medicines that make a significant impact. Diseases are needing a medicine that is specific to the molecular level and that's where the artificial intelligence comes in to help, it helps develop drugs and personalized medicine for patients. Artificial intelligence is able to design combinations that are effective on real experimental data. More research should and is being done into the use of artificial intelligence. |
10/10/18
Literacy 6 With Mr. Vo Model helps robots navigate more like humans do Link to the article: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181004155418.htm Researchers from MIT wanted to make robots more human-like. "Their novel motion-planning model lets robots determine how to reach a goal by exploring the environment, observing other agents, and exploiting what they've learned before in similar situations" (ScienceDaily, 2018). They want to teach robots to be more like humans by "...combines a planning algorithm with a neural network that learns to recognize paths that could lead to the best outcome..." (ScienceDaily, 2018). There are many robots that are being used by humans that have this technology, such as the iRobot. However, to be human-like is a huge accomplishment, and I can't wait for that day to come. |
10/2/18 Literacy 5
Junk hunting satellite uses plasma thrust to de-orbit debris Link to the article: www.theengineer.co.uk/satellite-plasma-thrust-debris/ A problem that exists is the fact that there is debris in low-earth orbit. The debris is from old satellites left in the orbit and shards from rockets and debris caused from collisions. All this debris is and going to continue to be a problem because the debris could crash into satellites that are in use or into the International Space Station and can crash into spacecraft launched in the future. A satellite was developed by researchers from the Australian National University and Japan's Tohoku University. The way it works can be described as "uses a bi-directional argon plasma thruster to both position itself in proximity to space junk and send the debris into a lower orbit to burn up" (The Engineer, 2018). They are currently just trying to make this satellite cheaper and be more efficient and effective. Hopefully it can be used soon to clear the debris to prevent accidents in space. |
9/25/18 Literacy 4
Airbus to develop concepts for moon-orbiting space station Link to the article: www.theengineer.co.uk/airbus-lunar-orbiting-space-station/ In a joint effort led by NASA and includes the ESA, the Russian, Canadian and Japanese agency, the plan is to build a space station that orbits the moon. The reason for wanting to make lunar space station is so it can used as a stop in missions to Mars and further on. Various private companies are making designs for a lunar space station. ESA has asked the company Airbus to design concepts for module for habitation and research and include elements for refueling, docking and telecommunications. Oliver Juckenhöfel who is the head of the Airbus site in Bremen has said the they will present the initial designs at the International Astronautical Congress in October 2018. We just have to wait and see what are done with these plans and what discoveries can be made once a lunar space station is developed. Airbus to develop concepts for moon-orbiting space station. (2018, September 20). Retrieved September 25, 2018, from https://www.theengineer.co.uk/airbus-lunar-orbiting-space-station/ |
9/18/18 Literacy 3
Link to article: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180910081543.htm In a study published by Itamar Eliakim talks about a robot, given the name "robat" as it work similar to bat in the sense that it uses echolocation to map a location just by emitting sounds. The robot has an ultrasonic speaker that it uses to produce frequency modulated chirps . It has 2 ultrasonic microphones that listen to the echoes. The robot is able to maneuver itself around an environment and mapping the location only using sound. It is able to create a precise map of its environment and know when there are obstacles, such as a wall or a plant in its way. PLOS. (2018, September 6). Robot-bat, 'Robat,' uses sound to navigate and map a novel environment: Robat uses a bat-like approach, emitting sound and analyzing the returning echoes. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 18, 2018 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180906141643.htm |
9/13/18 Literacy 2
Link to article: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180910081543.htm Researchers from MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory have wrote a new paper in which they said they have developed a system in which a robot can pick up and inspect objects and have a better understanding of the object and be able to do tasks with the object. The way the robot inspect an object is by looking at it as a collection of points. This allows the robot to have a better understanding of the object and allow it to maneuver the object. The researchers thinks that this new system cannot only be used in a manufacturing setting but also might be able to be used in homes. The researchers will present their paper next month at the Conference of Robotic Learning which will be held in Zurich, Switzerland. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, CSAIL. (2018, September 10). Robot can pick up any object after inspecting it. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 13, 2018 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180910081543.htm |
9/7/18 Literacy 1
Link to article: http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/research-glider-programme-reaches-unprecedented-altitudes-2018-09-05 In late August and early September, within 8 days a glider called Perlan 2 set 3 world altitude records. On August 26th, the glider reached an altitude of 63,100 ft. On August 28th, the glider reached an altitude of 65,600 ft. On September 2nd, the glider reached an altitude 76,124 ft. Only two other aircraft have reached a higher altitude than the Perlan 2. The way the glider pilots reached high altitude levels were by using the aid of a combination stratospheric air currents and the Polar Vortex. The glider is designed to reach an altitude level of 90,000 ft. We just have to wait and see how much higher the glider will get in the rest of the flying season. Campbell, R. (2018, September 5). Research glider programme reaches unprecedented altitudes. Retrieved September 7, 2018, from http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/research-glider-programme-reaches-unprecedented-altitudes-2018-09-05 |