Matt+Sandusky

Turf Article: I found it very interesting to learn how a turf field is constructed and maintained. As an athlete I have used our turf field multitudes of times, but I never knew how the turf was put there. I learned that the whole area had to be cleared of soil and a .5 percent incline must be formed in order to allow the rainwater to drain off the field. After the area is cleared, the turf is rolled down onto the ground. Finally, the “grass” blades are covered with a layer of shredded tires that are groomed every so often in order to maintain a level playing field. These surfaces are more beneficial than grass fields if used and maintained in the proper manner.

Renewable Energy: I read the article on turning the tide on harnessing the ocean's abundant energy. It described the process of harvesting renewable energy from the tides and currents in oceans and large waterways. I had a fairly good idea that there were theories about machines that could collect energy from under water currents, but I never knew that there were some machines already in existence. I learned that in 2006, the Verdant Power Inc. planted six windmill like turbines in New York City's East River. There are plans for another prototype being made by the Edinburgh-based Pelamis Wave Power, Ltd. to be constructed next year. It is estimated that these 25 wave-energy converters are expected to serve the electricity needs for more than 15,000 Portuguese households. These are only some of the currently designed machines that will soon become more popular and more efficient in the near future for producing renewable energy.

Einstein Article: This article put into perspective the true impact Albert Einstein had on the science community of the early 19th century. Einstein’s developing of the photoelectric effect, the atomic theory and the theory of relativity have all been large steps to the understanding of matter in the universe. It is very interesting to learn how everyday things work on the molecular level such as the way light is reflected off luminous metals or the idea that atoms are wavelengths and particles at the same time. I found the example in the article that explained the theory of relativity to be very interesting as well. It said that if you travel in a rocket away from a clock at the speed of light, the time on the clock would never change unless you stopped the rocket and let the image of the clock catch up to you. These topics relate to class since were a reading the unit related to the photoelectric effect and the atomic theory.

The periodic table: I found it very interested to hear that there were several other forms of the periodic table such as circles, spirals, and other curves that failed before the table. Scerri’s seemed to be somewhat practical but not as accurate as the traditional periodic table. The periodic spiral seemed to me to be more eye pleasing than actually effective for a chemist’s use since there are three flaws to the concept. I found the chemical galaxy and the periodic table in three dimension to be the most interesting of all the purposed tables. It’s unfortunate that we don’t get to use them in class like we do the traditional periodic table.