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Science Briefs - What's New

Dust may stifle hurricanes
The hurricane seasons of 2005 and 2007 were compared with respect to dust in the air and temperatures over the Atlantic Ocean. Aerosol dust from the Sahara Desert was drier and more abundant in the atmosphere in 2007 than in 2005 report Donglian Sun and associates at George Mason University, Virginia, and the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Maryland. They also report that the temperature in the dusty region was higher in the low to middle troposphere but lower in the main development region in the eastern North Atlantic. The researchers suggest that the westward movement of Saharan dry air and dust layer, associated with temperature changes, is important in explaining the difference between the relatively quiet hurricane season in 2007 and the very active season in 2005. (Geophysical Research Letters 2008; 35: L15405)

Preventing lake eutrophication
Excessive nutrient riuchness in a lake can cause dense growth of plants and death of animal life due to lack of oxygen, a process known as eutrophication. Nitrogen and phosphorus are two nutrients considered responsible for eutrophication – so an experiment was designed to test this. A small lake had been fertilized for thirty-seven years with constant annual inputs of phosphorus but with decreasing inputs of nitrogen to test the theory that controlling nitrogen could control eutrophication. For the final sixteen years (1990-2005), the lake was fertilized with phosphorus alone. Despite the fact that the lake showed indications of extreme nitrogen limitation, the lake remained highly eutrophic report David Schindler and associates at the University of Alberta and the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada; and the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Reducing nitrogen favored nitrogen-fixing bacteria which was enough to enable biomass production in proportion to the phosphorus available to keep the lake highly eutrophic. This emphasized the importance to decreasing inputs of phosphorus into lakes to prevent eutrophication. (Proceedings National Academy Sciences USA 2008; 105(32): 11254-11258)

Fungi mimic cold in wood for violins
Violins made by Antonio Stradivari in the late 17th and early 18th century have superior tone qualities. Stradivari used Norway spruce grown mostly during a period of reduced solar activity when temperature was low. Such trees produced wood with narrow annual rings resulting in considerable elasticity and low density. To test if wood decay fungi could substitute for a cold climate in their effects on wood of Norway spruce (Picea abies) and sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), trees were inoculated with wood decay fungi. These fungi reduce wood density without degrading the middle membranes of wood cells to make the wood acoustically similar to that grown in a cold climate report Francis Schwarze and associates at EMPA in Switzerland, and Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freburg, Germany. The wood decay fungi reduced wood density with relatively little change in speed of sound, and the wood had a radiation ratio on a par with superior resonance wood grown in a cold climate. (New Phytologist 2008; 179(4): 1095-1104)

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Fact Pack

Did You Know
Rhubarb (Rheum) includes about sixty species in the buckwheat family distributed throughout north and central Asia. Rhubarb has been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years, but not until the 18th century were the leaf stems (petioles) used for food. The rhubarb leaves contain an unidentified toxin and oxalic acid; the roots contain anthraquinones, a strong laxative. Moths such as the cabbage moth feed on rhubarb. Blending the leaves in water and boiling can produce a substance to spray non-food plants to eradicate aphids.

Professional Development

Empowering Education
GenevaLogic creates active teaching systems for educators who teach with technology. The focus is developing tools that empower teachers in the classroom and help schools and districts make the most of their investments in educational technology. With Vision classroom management software, the teacher has complete control over student computers from an easy-to-use console that shows each student's screen. Demonstrate lessons directly on student computer screens, supervise computer use, monitor online activity and lock keyboards and mice during lessons to focus student attention. Help any student through a tough problem directly from the teacher's desk or take control of the student's computer to demonstrate a solution. Learn more about this program by clicking on the "Products" link on the website.

Science Friday Kids' Connection
Science Friday Kids' Connection (SFKC) is designed to help teachers and students in grades 6-8 make the best possible use of National Public Radio's weekly program, Talk of the Nation: Science Friday. Free content is posted weekly on the website, with real-world connections and activities linked to academic content standards. A manual is available to help make the best possible use of SFKC. The site contains segments on everything from backyard bacteria, insects, and hearing in dolphins, to bats, robots, and science fiction. Students can search archived material on nearly any subject related to science and technology, and teachers can review the content in light of appropriate McREL standards derived from Midcontinent Research for Education and Learning. SFKC is sponsored by KIDSNET, a national non-profit computerized clearinghouse and information center devoted to children's television, radio, audio, video and multimedia.

Math courses online
Converse College, a nationally accredited institution of higher education, offers eight graduate online mathematics courses. These courses are intended for middle and secondary teachers or for those seeking certification. The mathematics content presented is consistent with National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards. Each course awards three graduate semester credits (500 level or higher) from the Converse Mathematics Department. These are not educational methods courses. DVDs are provided for each course. The Practice Sets, Quizzes and the Final Exam are administered online. Participants may register at any time, work at their own pace, and take up to nine months to complete course requirements. These distance learning math courses may be taken concurrently and transcripts are available once a course is completed. Learn more about the courses and costs on the Converse College website.

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Resources

Chemistry kits and projects
The Combinatorial Chemistry website features methodology and technology applicable to the pharmaceutical industry. However, the webpage Chemical Kits (see menu bar on top of the webpage) is applicable to K-12 science education. The list of links includes a variety of science kits available for use at home and in school as well as a science activities website.

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