375. Floods

365. Mesozoic Era - Jurassic Era

The Mesozoic era was a time 248 million to 65 million years ago. It is called “The Age of the Reptiles.” The Mesozoic was separated into three sections, the Triassic Period, the Jurassic Period, and the Cretaceous Period. The Jurassic period stretched from 206-144 million years ago. During that time, seasons were mild, the sea level was very high, and there was no more polar ice. 

Date of the Jurassic Era:

206-144 million years ago

The Beginning:

This era had global changes in continental arrangements, oceanographic patterns, and biological systems. During this era, Pangea split apart, letting the development of the central Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Because of this, it led to volcanic activity, mountain-building events, and the attachment of islands onto some continents. Seaways covered a lot of continents, and marine sediments were deposited, which preserved a variety of fossils.

Landforms:

There were mountains, volcanoes, oceans, rivers, and plateaus during the Jurassic Era. But, the Jurassic period also had tons of desserts. There were also forests in which the dinosaurs lived in. This era was filled with much greenery, wildlife, and desserts.

Climate: 

Oxygen found in ocean fossils suggests that Jurassic temperatures were warm. Chemical evidence suggests that shallow waters in the low latitudes were around 20 °C or 68 °F. Deep waters, however, were about 17 °C (63 °F). The cool temperatures existed during the Middle Jurassic and warm temperatures in the Late Jurassic. Earth's climate changed quickly from hot and dry to humid and subtropical.

Scientists have suggested that the sudden increase in volcanic and seafloor-spreading activity during the Jurassic era, released amounts of carbon dioxide and led to higher global temperatures. There is no evidence of polar ice caps in the Jurassic, and this might be caused by the lack of a continental landmass in generally warm conditions. 

Life Forms:

In the ocean, life on the seafloor became more complex with an alarming increase of mollusks and coral reef builders by the Middle Jurassic period. Modern fishes became common in Jurassic seas, and they shared the waters with ammonites and other organisms, but they are all extinct today.

On land, an interesting set of plants and animals was dominant by the Early Jurassic. Gymnosperms, also known as naked-seed plants, replaced the seed ferns that dominated older ecosystems. Dinosaurs and mammals replaced the early reptiles and mammal groups found in Late Triassic times. Bird fossils were found in Jurassic rocks, however, groups of birds now living were present in Jurassic terrestrial ecosystems. The communities would have been very different because dinosaurs were the dominant animals.

Reptiles have overcome the growing difficulties of support and look-alikes that limited amphibians.  They also have strong body tissue skeletons supported by advanced muscular systems for body support and movement. Some reptiles in the Jurassic Era were large marine carnivores named Plesiosaurs.  These reptiles normally had broad bodies and long necks with four flipper-shaped limbs. On the other hand, Ichthyosaurs was a more fish-shaped reptile that was common in the early Jurassic Period. 

351. Q & A about Black Holes

Black Holes can’t be seen with the naked eye. 

Random Person: WHY?

Because of its color, and also because light can’t escape. However, we can see the black hole if we analyze the surrounding area.

Example:

If a star is orbiting around a random spot in space, and soon gets sucked in and ripped apart, these are signs that a black hole might be near.

Video: Black Hole Eating Star

Could the Sun possibly turn into a giant black hole?

NO, because the Sun is simply too small to ever become a black hole. Instead, it will run out of available nuclear fuel, and will become a white dwarf star, or a red giant.

Random Person: IF IT DID, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN?

The entire solar system would be sucked in, and might be torn apart piece by piece. Another possibility is that all humans, plants, and animals die and the planet just remains in the black hole...forever. It could also freeze over, and the entire planet would be like a giant snowball.

Video: What if a black hole replaced our sun?

What are the parts of a black hole?

      

Random Person: THERE ARE NO PARTS

Actually, there are parts. 3, in fact. The first is called the Ergosphere. This is what sucks things in. King of like a tunnel. Once in this area, you can NOT get out. The second is called the Event horizon. It is where the gravity of the black hole is so powerful that when something goes in, nothing comes out. The last is the black hole itself. It’s also called as a singularity. This part feeds on stars, planets, etc,. It also expands when it consumes anything.

Random Person: BUT, WHAT IF-

There is no “what if-” only, “there IS”

Random Person: OH BOY…

Diagram: Black Hole Diagram

How were black holes discovered?

    Random Person: YOU MEAN INVENTED

Actually, black holes were discovered. Not invented.

Random Person: WHOOPS!

That's ok. Anyway, Albert Einstein predicted black holes way back in 1916 with his general theory of relativity. American astronomer, John Wheeler,  coined the word, “black hole” in 1967. He discovered the first black hole. However, Karl Schwarzschild was also the first to spot one, but he dismissed it, and it wasn’t until David Finkelstein published it as a region in space from which nothing can escape from.

Image: First Black Hole Picture

What will happen if two black holes collide?

Random Person: IT WILL CONSUME THE ENTIRE SOLAR SYSTEM AND EVERYONE WILL DIE!!

Um….no. The two colliding black holes would send gravitational waves through space. Next, the two black holes merge together once they come so close that they cannot escape each other's gravitational pull.

What if a black hole swallows the sun?

   Random Person: IT WILL CONSUME THE ENTIRE SOLAR SYSTEM AND EVERYONE WILL DIE!!

You already said that. Anyway, the sun is the origin of ALL life. So plants would die because they need the sun to make food for themselves. And the primary consumer wouldn’t have any plants to eat, and the food chain would be completely demolished, and us with it…  

If we fell into a black hole, what would happen?

Random Person: WE WOULD DIE!!!!

Ummm. Yes, and no. Before we get to that, there are different stages that our body would go through. In fact, before you reach the event horizon, your body would be completely ripped apart. So, there no hope that you would actually make it past the vortex.

Random Person: IF YOU DID, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN?

Well, you would travel through the event horizon and would make it through the black hole.

Random Person: OHHHHH. DIDN’T YOU SAY THAT WE MIGHT NOT DIE?

Yes, but it is only possible for the supermassive black holes because the event horizon is further out so the tidal forces won’t be that strong.  

What if black holes never existed?

      Random Person: WE WOULD LIVE BETTER LIVES!!

Ok. So. NO! But..YES? No one really knows the answer, though there are theories.

Random Person: OH. OK!

What if a black hole swallowed the Earth?

       

Random Person: UM. CAN I ANSWER THIS ONE?

Sure!

Random Person: OK. SOOO. UMM. READY?

Yes.

Random Person: WE. WOULD.

Yes?

Random Person: DIE!!!

Noooo!!!! The Earth would be torn apart and all living organisms would perish.

Random Person: OH. WHOOPS!

302. Smell Test - Science Project

WHO’S NOSE KNOWS THE SMELL?

(GIRLS VS BOYS)

By

Harini Senthilkumar

Grade V

Problem Statement:

Do girls really have a better sense of smell than most boys?

Hypothesis:

I believe that girls will identify the smell better because “they have more brain cells in the smelling area of the brain”.

Independent Variable:

Different Items to smell.

Dependent Variable:

Number of items correctly identified.

Materials:

1. Lemon
2. Cinnamon
3. Popcorn
4. Peppermint soaked in cotton ball
5. Salt and Vinegar chips
6. Duct Tape
7. Mini Plastic cups

Volunteers:

Boys

1.Brady

2.Elijah

Girls

1.Reyna

2.Emily

Data Collection Sheet: (Result)

Independent Variable	Reyna (Girl)	Emily (Girl)	Brady (Boy)	Elijah (Boy)
Lemon	✓	✓	✓	✖
Cinnamon	✓	✓	✖	✓
Popcorn	✓	✖	✓	✓
Peppermint	✓	✖	✓	✓
Salt and Vinegar	✓	✓	✖	✓
Dependent Variable	5	3	3	4

Procedures:

1. Take strong smelling items and put them in each plastic cups.
2. Put duct tape over the cups with the different items inside.
3. Poke holes on top of the duct tape and enclose it in a tight space.
4. Have volunteers tell you what they smell.
5. Record the data.
6. Plot the graph and analyze the result, compare with the hypothesis.
7. Conclude the result.

Conclusion:

After the experiment, I concluded that girls have passed the smell test! However, with the sample size of 4, the result shows that girls have better experiences in smelling things. Furthermore, this project can be extended by increasing the sample size.

Bibliography:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2822672/Women-really-better-sense-smell-men-Study-finds-female-brain-50-olfactory-cells.html