1 freshman - DOST Sci

FRESHMAN
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2 0 0 0 - 2 0 0 1 V o l . 20
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AND THEN...THERE WERE SAURS
Not just what most thought them to be,
dinosaurs had more than stories to tell.
WHY DO TURTLES CRY?
It’s an open secret, turtles’ tears are for their
fear of extinction.
THE JULY 16, 2000 PHENOMENON
Take a peep; a page from the diary of a
Filipino astronomer.
TOTAL ECLIPSE: AN IMPENDING DOOM?
It is written all over history–humanity’s fear of the
unknown. However, just a dose of knowledge in
science cures the most ignorant of minds.
R E G U L A R F E AT U R E S
3 Science & Technology News
5 Filipino Scientists and Inventors
Medical Facts and Fallacies
9 Livelihood Technology / I’d Like to Know
10 Cyber World
14 Earth Care
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BOARD OF ADVISERS
Violeta Arciaga, Jaime F. Bucoy,
Jose C. Calderon, Victoria V. Cervantes,
Juanita M. Cruz, Belen P. Dayauon
CONSULTANT
Merle C. Tan, Ph.D.
DIWA OFFICERS
Lourdes F. Lozano Executive Editor
Amada J. Javellana
WilliamS.Fernando Managing Editor
Executive Vice President
16 Investigatory Projects
Enrique A. Caballero,
19 Pseudoscience
23 More Activities to Do
Alfie “eLf” V. Mella Magazine Editor
Virgie Naigan Art Director
Reynaldo M. de la Cruz,
Jose Valeriano P. Linay Cover Design
William S. Fernando,
Jose Valeriano P. Linay Layout Design
JoseMariaT.Policarpio, Elma L. Ropeta,
24 Mind Games
EDITORIAL BOARD
Saturnino G. Belen Jr. President
Silvano C. Santiago Illustrator
Lourdes F. Lozano Vice Presidents
R
R
R
BATO BALANIO
for Science and Technology is published bimonthly by Diwa Scholastic Press, Inc. Bato Balani is one of Diwa’s Scholastic Enhancement Materials (SEMO). The SEMO
trademark refers to a new genre of scholastic publication, including a selection of premium-quality magazines. Copyright 2000. Articles in this publication may be reprinted provided due acknowledgment
is given. All communications should be addressed to THE EDITOR, G/F Star Centrum, Gil Puyat Ave., Makati City, Philippines, Telephone numbers: 843-4761 to 66.
2
FRESHMAN
The Idea of Life in
Space Turns Sweeter
S
cientists have just discovered a
simple sugar molecule,
glycoaldehyde, in a giant gas and
dust cloud near the center of the
Milky Way Galaxy. The discovery was made
using the radio telescope of the National
Science Foundation on Kitt Peak, Arizona.
the sugar molecule in a cloud from which
new stars are forming means it is highly
possible that life is formed in such clouds
even before planets, including Earth, develop
around the Sun.
The observations were studied by a
group of scientists headed by Jan M. Hollis
of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
in Greenbelt, Maryland. After thorough
analysis, the group submitted the results to
the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Sugar molecules are a known
chemical precursor to life. They allow certain
forms of life to exist entirely without water.
Some primitive forms of microorganisms
are said to have evolved from strains of
sugar molecules. Therefore, the presence of
Sources: http://www.nasa.gov/today
Nature Biotechnology
Little Dinosaurs
A
recent discovery made by an
international team of
paleontologists (scientists that
deal with the study of fossils of
extinct animals, plants, and other living
things) again emphasized that dinosaurs
were not necessarily gigantic animals that
had roamed the Earth millions of years ago.
They varied in size from the largest
sauropods to the smallest chicken-sized
Compsognathus.
Digging in Madagascar, the team
unearthed fossilized jaws believed to be
230 million years old. They were possibly
the oldest dinosaur bones ever found. The
latest find have not yet been fully analyzed,
but the bones appear to belong to early
prosauropods, small herbivores that are most
likely the ancestors of the giant Apatosaurus
(once called Brontosaurus). John Flynn of
Chicago’s Field Museum says these newly
discovered dinosaurs were small. They were
about the size of a kangaroo and probably
walked about on four legs and stood up on
two legs to feed.
FRESHMAN
Source: Time magazine
3
Ugly Phenomena Look
Oddly Beautiful from Space
Hurricanes, typhoons, wildfires, and tsunamis are just some of
the natural phenomena that do not leave without causing destruction
to lives and properties; a reason why people all over the world view
them as ugly spectacles. However, scientists from NASA consider
such phenomena as beautiful sights to see. NASA’s Sea-viewing Wide
Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) flying on the OrbView-2 satellite
has captured images of two destructive events on Earth. Thick plumes
of smoke from forest wildfires in the western United States looked
like weaves of cotton. The same day SeaWiFS also captured an image
of Typhoon Jelawat, with top steady winds of 115 mph. The typhoon
was moving west toward the Ryukyu Islands of Japan when it was
photographed. On top view Typhoon Jelawat looked as if the surface
of a luscious chocolate marble milkshake.
Source: http://www.nasa.gov/today
http://www.msss.com
Have a Toast!
Water on Mars
T
here may be current
sources of liquid water
at or near the surface
of the red planet. This
was suggested by the
imaging scientists
studying
the
photographs generated from the Mars Global
Surveyor spacecraft. The latest images
show evidences of presence of water—the
size of a car—that are comparable to features
left by flash floods on Earth.
“The presence of liquid water on
Mars has profound implications for the
question of life not only in the past, but
perhaps even today,” said Dr. Ed Weiler,
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FRESHMAN
NASA’s Associate Administrator for Space
Science. “If life ever did develop there, and
if it survives to the present time, then these
landforms would be great places to look.”
Finally, that martian lifeforms had
indeed existed in the past or could just be in
their early stage of evolution can now be
considered as not mere conjecture. “Relative
to the rest of the martian surface, the gullies
appear to be extremely young,” said Dr.
Michael Malin, principal investigator for the
Mars Orbiter Camera on the Mars Global
Surveyor spacecraft at Malin Space Science
Systems (MSSS) in San Diego, California.
“They could be a few million years old, but
we cannot rule out that some of them [water
features] are so recent as to have formed
yesterday.”
Source: http://www.nasa.gov/today
FE DEL MUNDO
National Scientist
T
he country’s most decorated
pediatrician of international
standing, Dr. del Mundo is also a
distinguished
scholar,
researcher, educator, and writer with special
focus on pediatrics.
Her most important awards speak
thoughtfully of this Filipina at her best. She
is the recipient of such prestigious awards
as Ramon Magsaysay Award (Asia’s Nobel
Prize equivalent) for Public Service by a
Private Citizen (1977), 15th International
Congress of Pediatrics Award for
Outstanding Pediatrician and Humanitarian
(1977), Fellow of the World Academy of
Art and Science (1967), and the Elizabeth
Blackwell Award for Outstanding Service to
Mankind, in USA (1966), and Outstanding
Citizen of Quezon City (1993).
She received the rank and title of
National Scientist in 1980, the best honor a
Filipino scientist can receive. She is also an
Honorary Fellow of the Philippine Pediatric
Society, NAST Academician, Professor
Emeritus at the Far Eastern University, Board
Diplomate of the American Board of
Pediatrics, Honorary Member of American
Pediatric Society, and Life Member of the
National Research Council of the
Philippines.
Dr. del Mundo founded the North
General Hospital (now the Jose Reyes
Memorial Hospital) in 1943, the Children’s
Medical Center in1957, and the Institute of
Maternal and Child Health in 1967.
She has done pioneering
work in community
pediatrics and community
Colostrum Is Not Best for Babies?
Fallacy: Colostrum, or the
breastmilk produced in the first few days
after birth, should be discarded.
Fact:
Breastmilk is best for babies
up to two years, the ad says. True. Actually,
babies should start to be breastfed right
before their first hour of delivery. Most
mothers, especially the uninformed ones,
follow the advice of the oldfolk without
verifying their validity. One popular advice
concerning breastfeeding is to discard the
colostrum, or the breastmilk produced in
medicine in the Philippines, published
numerous scientific papers, and attended
scientific conferences worldwide.
Dr. del Mundo finished her degrees
in Associate in Arts in 1928 and Doctor of
Medicine in 1933 both at the University of
the Philippines. Finally she completed her
Master of Arts degree in Bacteriology at the
Boston University in Massachusetts, USA
(1940).
The least mothers need are craps of
invalid information, especially when it is
their first time to care for a baby. They
deserve to be informed correctly of the
helpful wonders of medical science.
the first few days after birth, and wait for the
“real and clean” milk to come. This advice
is wrong! Colostrum is best for babies.
Being produced in the first few days after
birth, the colostrum is even more potent as a
soldier against common infections. The
belief that the colostrum should be discarded
may have been based on a wrong perception.
Colostrum is thick and yellowish, far from
the immaculate whiteness of the ordinary
breastmilk, giving it a pus-like appearance.
That was probably the reason why the oldfolk
thought of it as dirty, therefore should be
discarded.
FRESHMAN
5
GENERAL
SCIENCE
by Alfie Vera Mella
J
urassic Park, Godzilla, and the latest Disney blockbuster,
Dinosaur. These are just some of the more popular movies
that acquaint us with species of the now-extinct reptiles
known as “saurs.“ And as always, these films, along with
some books, have somehow created many
misconsceptions with respect to the real nature of the
extinct reptiles. Foremost of which is the gross misuse of
the term “dinosaur.” Dinosaur has always been misused to refer to the
entire extinct forms of reptiles that existed millions of years ago. This
is technically erroneous for the dinosaurs were just one of the many
groups that comprised the extinct species of reptiles, collectively known as
the “Sauria.”
Dinosaurs and its contemporaries are often described as giant and
ferocious and flesh-eating creatures that ruled the Earth millions of years
ago. Yes, they were right about one thing—the creatures dominated the
Earth millions of years ago. However, bear in mind that dinosaurs were not
always giant and ferocious nor were they all flesh-eaters. There were actually
small dinosaurs as there were giant ones and there were plant-eaters as
there were flesh-eaters. Moreover, during the era of dinosaurs, there were
already species of fish, birds, and other animals. Also, many films and books
even put cave dwellers and other earlier species of humans alongside
dinosaurs, when in fact, humans appeared over 60 million years after the
extinction of dinosaurs.
According to habitat, the group Sauria can be categorized into three:
the dinosaurs, the pterosaurs, and the ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs. While
the dinosaurs dominated the land, the pterosaurs flew above, and the
ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs inhabited the waters.
Dinosaurs, or “terrible lizards,” from Greek words deinos, which
means “terrible;” and sauros, which means “lizard,” belonged to the largest
category. They were terrestrial reptiles that appeared about 225 million years
6
FRESHMAN
ago. Being reptiles, they had waterproof, scaly skin and
young that hatched from eggs. They dominated the Earth
before finally becoming extinct. Dinosaurs varied in size
from the largest sauropods, such as the Barosaurus, to
the chicken-sized Compsognathus. Heavier than
13 elephants and was the biggest known sauropod, the
Seismosaurus reached a length of about 40 metres
(13 feet) and weighed about 51 tonnes (tons). The
smallest known, the Compsognathus was fully grown
at 1 metre (3 feet). Not all dinosaurs were fierce flesheaters. Actually, there were more herbivores, or planteaters, than carnivores, or flesh-eaters. Perhaps the
most ferocious and largest flesh-eater, the one depicted
in the later Godzilla movies, the Tyrannosaurus rex
(T-rex) was powerful with huge, sharp teeth with which
it killed its prey. Nature had endowed most carnivorous
dinosaurs with deadly sharp teeth and claws. Some,
like the Dromaeosaurus, may
have hunted in packs; some, like
the T-rex and the Carnotaurus (the
dreaded pair in the movie Dinosaur
were of this kind), may have hunted
alone; while others may have
scavenged on already dead animals.
that fed on leaves from conifers. In one location, between
1878-81, coal miners in Belgium unearthed more than
39 Iguanodon skeletons. Based on their external
physical features, the crocodiles and iguanas were
initially thought of as the closest living relatives of the
dinosaurs. However, it was later found out that these
living reptiles were actually around even before the
dinosaurs! They just have not evolved much. Scientists
attributed their survival to their size and covering of their
bodies. Being not too large and not too small, and with
protective bony plates and scales, they have adapted
well to the ever-changing, harsh environment.
Surprisingly, it is the birds that paleontologists now
recognize as the closest living relatives of the dinosaurs!
The skeleton of the Archaeopteryx, the most primitive
bird, resembled that of dinosaurs in many ways.
Pterosaurs, or “winged lizards,” from Greek
words pteron, which means “wings;” and sauros, which
means “lizard,” were the flying saurs—the only reptiles
ever to fly. The wings of pterosaurs, such as the
Pterodactylus, were composed of thin membrane of
muscles and elastic fibers covered with skin, stretched
between the body and the long finger bones. Its wings
Herbivores were 30 times greater in
population than carnivores. You can now imagine that
most dinosaurs, contrary to general perception, were
not ferocious at all. Peaceful unless threatened, larger
plant-eating dinosaurs had to eat enormous quantities
of plants to nourish their massive bodies. Some
herbivores had teeth shaped for chopping, raking, or
crushing. The Parasaurolophus had hundreds of teeth
for chewing tough plants like ferns and conifers. The
Stegosaurus had a sharp beak for cropping leaves off
trees. Remember Aladar from the movie Dinosaur? He
was an Iguanodon, a very common herbivorous dinosaur
FRESHMAN
7
GENERAL
SCIENCE
were synonymous to those of present bats. Carnivorous
pterosaurs soared the air feeding on insects and may
have hovered over bodies of water in hunt of fish. With a
wingspan of 12 metres (39 ½ feet), the Quetzalcoatlus
was the largest flying creature ever.
Ichthyosaurs, or “fish lizards,” from Greek
words ichthyo, which means “fish;” and sauros, which
means “lizard,” were carnivorous marine reptiles evolved
from dinosaurs which adapted to life in the water. Had a
strong physical resemblance to dolphins, the
ichthyosaurs, such as the Ichthyosaurus and the largest
known, the Shonisaurus, may have also lived in the
same manner present dolphins do. Apart from all the
other marine reptiles, like the turtles, which went to the
shores and laid eggs, ichthyosaurs did not leave the
water since they were fully adapted to life at sea and
bore live young.
Plesiosaurs, or “paddled-lizards,” from Greek
words plesios, which means “close” (in Latin, pellere
means “to beat,” as in paddles); and sauros, which
means “lizard,” were marine reptiles with flattened
bodies and limbs modified into paddles. All plesiosaurs
had very long necks and small heads. They were known
to float despite their huge bodies because of the
structure of their lungs, which were air-filled. Like the
way that crocodiles do today, plesiosaurs had probably
swallowed pebbles whenever they needed to weigh
themselves down. The mysterious sea creature said to
be inhabiting Lake Loch Ness in Scotland, nicknamed
Nessie the Loch Ness Monster, has been depicted as
a living relative of plesiosaurs. The Archelon, the
ancestor of modern turtles, was also a close relative of
the plesiosaur.
All creatures that lived in that era millions of
years ago, aside from the turtles, crocodiles, iguanas
and other “survivalist” animal species, had become
extinct. As to what reason, this remains a mystery not
only to the minds of scientists who keep on studying
them, but also to the curiosity of ordinary people. There
were many theories behind the extinction of saurs. But,
as with countless facts about them, no one really knows
what exactly happened. However, one thing remains
sure. The petrified remains of various species of plants
and animals that have been discovered on every
continent and the new fossils that are continuously being
dug up are all tangible proofs that once upon a time
there existed a variety of creatures that included the
saurs.
1. What are the groups of the “Sauria” according to habitat?
2. Why do you think a number of saurs and other animal
species that evolved millions of years ago still live today?
Give some examples.
3. How can you say that saurs had really existed in the
past?
extinct - no longer existing
conifer - any of an order of mostly evergreen trees and shrubs
including pines
theory - a scientifically acceptable general principle or body of
principles offered to explain phenomena
fossil - trace of an animal or plant of past geologic ages that has
been preserved in the Earth’s crust
sauropod - a group of quadrupedal (walking on four legs) large
dinosaurs with long necks and tails
paleontology - the science that deals with the study of fossils
Reference:
1. Pockets Dinosaurs. 1995 Dorling Kindersley Ltd., London.
8
FRESHMAN
Q: Why are mosquito bites itchy?
Henry Luis C. Medina
University of Perpetual Help of Rizal
Las Piñas City, Metro Manila
A:
A mosquito sucks blood from its victim’s skin
through a bundle of feeding organs called stylets,
located at the tip of its long piercing beak, or proboscis.
While sucking, the mosquito fills the wound with its
saliva to prevent the blood from clotting on its way up to
its proboscis. The saliva of the mosquito is allergenic in
nature, making the mosquito bite, or the welt that is formed
on the skin, itchy. Also, though both males and females
readily suck nectar, only the female pierces skin and
sucks blood; it needs the protein from blood to mature its
eggs.
A Street Concoction Named
by Alfie Vera Mella
Fishball, kikiam, tahó, banana and
camote cue, gulaman at sagó, and most
specially, scramble. These are foods dear to
us as children. Even adults can be seen
flocking at foodstalls on streets here and
there. Popularly known as streetfoods, they
have been the menu of the streets since time
immemorial. I remember treating myself
every weekday right after classes with
fishballs-on-sticks and a cup of refreshing
scramble.
Though most people consider them
dirty, streetfoods per se are not unsafe at all.
Scramble
They could be nutritious as the tahó and
delicious like the scramble. Their safety,
however, depends on how they are prepared
and handled by the vendors who sell them.
It’s just a matter of choosing whom and
where to buy them.
Just recently I visited my favorite
streetfood vendor at his stall just beside my
high school alma mater in Pasay City. He
was in the streetfood business for almost
two decades now, selling a wide variety of
foodstuff--from kakanins to palamigs.
According to him, his tenure in the trade
may be attributed to the way he observes
cleanliness and the sanitary methods that
he uses in preparing those foods.
After an hour of casual conversation
and a cup of scramble, I was able to get the
recipe of one of the most popular street
concoction named scramble.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 kg skimmed milk, 1/4 kg sugar,
flavoring (e.g. strawberry), packs of ice
MATERIALS
ice shaver, pitcher or any container,
mixer, plastic cups
PROCEDURE
1. Shave ice. Put it in the container.
2. Add skimmed milk, sugar, and
flavoring in the container with the
shaved ice. Mix thoroughly until a
smooth and homogeneous mixture is
achieved.
3. Pour the ice scramble into the plastic
cups.
4. Add twist by choosing from a variety
of toppings like chocolate syrup, sagó
(tapioca), marshmallows, fruit bits,
pinipig, or candy sprinkles, or a
combination of all.
So there--a homemade version of a
well-loved street concoction named
scramble.
FRESHMAN
9
Programming
by Wacky Salazar
In this issue we will try to practice the
commands we’ve learned in the previous issues and
use them all together. Let’s try a guessing game program.
This program is for two players. The first player
will enter a value (the second player should cover his
eyes) and the second player will guess the number.
CLSPRINT “Okay player 2 cover your eyes”
INPUT “Player 1 enter your secret number
between 1 and 10”, secret
CLS
PRINT “Okay player 2 you have 3 tries to guess
the secret number”
PRINT “HINT: the number is between 1 and 10”
TOP:
INPUT “Enter your guess:”, guess
IF guess = secret THEN GOTO win ELSE
wrong
Win: PRINT “Player 2 got it right!”
END
Wrong: X=X+1
IF X = 3 then
PRINT “Sorry player 1 wins. The secret number
is: ”; secret
END
ELSE
PRINT “Try again. You have ”; (3-X); “ tries left.”
END IF
Okay, first let’s explain what that GOTO is and
what those words with colons are. The GOTO command
allows the program to jump to a specific line of code.
10
FRESHMAN
Where it says “GOTO win”, the command will look for
the label “win:” and proceed from there. It’s like the game
snakes and ladders, some spaces allow you to advance
to the next level or go back a few spaces. The same is
true for the GOTO. The labels act as markers in the
program. So if we want the program to go to the label
“wrong:” then we use the command GOTO wrong.
Back to the program. The first part of the
program should be easy to follow until the first IF
statement. Now what the IF statement does is to check
player2’s answer against player1’s number. If the
numbers are the same then the program jumps to the
commands after the label “win:”. If the guess is wrong
then it goes to the commands after the label “wrong:”.
The commands after wrong will increment X by one and
then check if X is equal to 3. If X=3 then Player 2 loses.
If X is not equal to 3 then he/she gets another crack at
guessing the secret number.
Here is another program that you can study.
This is a funny program.
CLS
start: INPUT “I want a cookie!”, A$
IF A$=“cookie” or A$=“COOKIE” THEN done
ELSE GOTO start
done:
PRINT “Thank You!”
END
This program won’t stop until you type the word
cookie. Here you will see the use of the GOTO again to
make the program jump to certain lines of code. This is
also called a loop. There are other commands that will
allow you to loop or repeat certain commands over and
over again.
One of those commands is the FOR-NEXT. Type
this program and see what it does:
CLS
INPUT “What is your name”; name$
INPUT “ Enter a number”; x
FOR A = 1 to X
PRINT name$
NEXT
END
This program will display your name X number
of times where X is the value you enter. How does the
FOR-NEXT work?
SYNTAX: FOR <variable> = <start number> TO
<end number>
<…commands…>
NEXT
The command is very useful. The variable can
be any numeric variable, it doesn’t hurt to be creative
with variable names but it’s better to use functional
variable names. Let’s try another example to illustrate
the use of the FOR-NEXT a bit more.
CLS
FOR I = 1 to 10
PRINT “The value of I is:”;I
NEXT
END
The output should be the numbers 1 to 10,
notice that in this example there were 10 loops. Look
at the next example and try to see how many loops are
there:
CLS
FOR V = 5 to 10
PRINT “The value of V is:”;V
NEXT
END
Did you say 5? Well, if you try it out on your
computer you will see there are six loops and not five.
Why is that? Now, look at the table below and it may
become clearer:
LOOP No.
value of V
1
5
2
6
3
7
4
8
5
9
6
10
Is it clearer now?
Why don’t you try writing
your own programs now? Be
creative and try to see what other
programs you can create.
FRESHMAN
11
A
by Alfie Vera Mella
side from being one of the oldest living
species of animals to crawl the Earth,
the turtle is also believed to be one of the
most emotional next to humans. Turtles
are said to shed real tears upon captivity.
(Although this physiology is also
observable in other animals like crocodiles and
elephants, and is just a mechanism to protect their
eyes.) But sadly, this is not enough to hinder humans
from hunting and butchering them. Actually, turtles,
specially the marine species, have long been considered
endangered. Unless hunters start excluding turtles from
the lucrative animal trade, the world would soon be bereft
of these lovable creatures. Photographs, stuffed images,
and memories are what would most likely be left of them.
Turtle, terrapin, or tortoise—these are all
common names applied to species of reptiles under the
Order Testudinata (or Chelonia) that have bodies
enclosed in a protective shell. They vary in size from
the giant sea turtles, such as the Leatherback
(Dermochelys coricea), which can reach a weight of over
680 kilograms, to small species of less than threequarters of a kilogram, such as the Musk turtle
(Sternotherus odoratus). The Archelon, the largest turtle
known to have existed, is an extinct species that lived
in the sea some 100 million years ago. Fossils suggest
that the Archelon could have reached a length of 12 feet
and a weight of about a ton.
Terrapin, American Indian word for turtle, is the
term commonly used for the small species habituating
the fresh waters. Tortoise, on the other hand, refers to
the terrestrial forms. However, for standardization
purposes, the American Society of Ichthyologists and
Herpetologists has adopted the term “turtle” to refer to
all species. Therefore, reptiles with bodies and internal
organs protected by a shell, a domelike structure that
consists of a carapace, or the upper part, and a plastron,
or the lower part, are now collectively known as turtles.
Turtles are one of the oldest species of animals, having
been existing for 200 million years already! This is
surprising, especially that the shelled creatures have
not changed much as regards their appearance. They
have essentially retained their forms. However, biologists
consider this but natural. They attributed this evolutionary
phenomenon to the presence
of their protective shells.
12
FRESHMAN
home upon your shoulders
have you no place
in the land of your birth
in the slap of the waves...
but in the sea
you are free...
- Manong Pawikan, Joey Ayala
from the album “Magkabilaan”
(1991 Universal Records)
During the demise of dinosaurs, their contemporaries,
turtles were said to have persisted and adapted well
with their environment. For millions of years, their tough
shells have shielded them against the ever-changing
climate and conditions of the environment. Only upon
the arrival of a new species of animals more than a
million years after that the turtles had slipped toward
the edge of extinction. That newcomer was none other
than the Homo sapiens! Since then, the human species
proved to be a big threat to the existence of turtles.
The arrival of humans and their discovery that
turtle meat and eggs are a good source of food began
the serious decline in turtle populations worldwide. About
250 species are known to remain at present. And this
is one considerable reason why turtles deserve to cry
even louder and more miserably nowadays.
Turtles are famous for their longevity. Some had
lived in captivity for periods of more than a century. And
despite great age, turtles continue to grow and gain
weight rapidly under favorable conditions. Their being a
favorite prey among hunters had originated from this.
Because of their ability to survive long periods without
food or water, turtles were an important source of fresh
meat on ocean voyages in the days before the refrigerator
was invented. An estimate of 10 million giant tortoises
were carried away from Galápagos Islands by the early
whaling ships.
Of the 250 known
turtle species, the sea
turtles, or the marine
species, are considered most vulnerable.
It
has
something to do
with their nesting
habits. Though they
spend most of their
times in the seas,
they have to go to the
shore, usually along beaches and coastal areas, to lay
their eggs, then bury them under the sand or mud. In
such circumstances, they become exposed to
threatening human activities. Overdevelopment of coastal
areas did not only reduce their natural nesting habitats,
it further increased the rampant capture of adult turtles
for eggs, meat, leather, and shell. Add to that the
incidental capture of adults in fishing nets and shrimp
trawls, bringing one particular species, the Kemp’s
Ridley, into the verge of extinction. Because of these
reasons all species of the sea turtle are protected, not
only by those people who care about them but also by
the law itself. As a matter of fact, the United States
Endangered Species Act of 1973 clearly states that:
“No person may take, harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot,
wound, kill, trap, capture or attempt to engage in any
such conduct to marine turtles, turtle nests, and/or turtle
eggs.” And any person who had knowingly violated any
provision of the act received the stiffest penalty. In the
Philippines, similar protection is also provided for turtle
species, mainly because the Philippines is also home
to a number of species of the shelled creature. But sad
to say, implementation of such laws is barely given
recognition.
Of the 10 species of turtles known to exist in
the Philippines, five are terrestrial turtles and five are
marine. The five marine turtle species are the Green
Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas), the Hawksbill
(Eretmochelys imbricata), the Loggerhead (Caretta
caretta), the Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea), and
the Leatherback. These marine species, locally known
as pawikans, are now labeled as endangered! No thanks
to egg poaching, a very traitorous activity done by
humans. After the pawikan lays its eggs in dugout holes
along seashores and scampers back to sea, humans
and other predators need only uncover the nests and
harvest the eggs. The adult of the species is not spared
from this hunting galore. The demand for sea turtles
has always been high and continuously increasing.
Filipino fishcatchers find a very lucrative source of income
in the turtle trade. Aside from meat and eggs, turtle
shells and skin are also in demand as raw materials for
a variety of ornaments, jewelry, and musical instruments.
For these reasons turtle hunters take the risk of being
penalized. This is why the Philippine government,
through the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau
(PAWB) of the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR), has established a program that
protects turtles, specially the pawikan. Known as the
Pawikan Conservation Project, it is responsible for the
formulation and implementation of conservation and
preservation policies, management and propagation
schemes, and massive information and educational
campaigns to ensure the survival of the sea turtles, and
all turtles for that matter. Other private organizations
geared toward protection of endangered species have
also been doing their part. However, such valiant mission
of programs like these is put to naught without the
support of the general public. Here are
some ways of helping veer the
sea turtle away from the
path of eventual
extinction: 1) don’t
disturb known turtle
nesting grounds; 2) never
keep sea turtles in
aquariums; 3) if you see or
know of someone who poaches
turtle nests, hunts turtles, or engages
in illegal turtle trade, report such activities
to the PAWB of the DENR; and most importantly, 4) do
not patronize turtle by-products such as meat, eggs,
shell, or products made from turtle shell or skin.
Words alone could not stop the turtles from
crying those tears for fear of extinction. Act your part.
Do your share. Appease the turtles.
1. Why have turtles not evolved much in terms of
appearance?
2. Describe poaching.
3. Why is the pawikan listed as one of the endangered
species of the Philippines?
4. How can you help in the preservation of turtles?
Ichthyology - branch of zoology that deals with the study of
fishes
Herpetology - branch of zoology that deals with the study of
reptiles
ecosystem - a biological community of interacting organisms and
their physical environment
trawl - a large wide-mouthed fishing net dragged by a boat along
the bottom
References:
1. http://www.co.broward.fl.us/bri00600.htm
2. http://www.haribon.org.ph/wildlife/turtles.htm
3. http://oneocean.org/ambassadors/track_a_turtle/biology
4. The Encyclopedia Americana Intl Ed. 1983 Grolier Incorporated.
FRESHMAN
13
by Ernesto Buensuceso Ferreras Jr.
W
hen you park your car outside in
the sun, the car soon gets warm
inside. Visible light from the sun
penetrates the car windows and the
interior of the car gets hot by
absorbing and converting the light into
heat or infrared radiation. In effect, the
interior of the car becomes a greenhouse. Glass is
opaque to infrared, and heat does not escape.
In a similar process, the Earth with its
atmosphere is like a giant greenhouse. The atmosphere
is nearly transparent to short wave and visible solar
radiation from the sun. Part of the energy absorbed by
the Earth is radiated to the atmosphere as long wave
infrared radiation. And the atmosphere, like glass,
prevents heat from escaping, thus warming the Earth’s
surface.
The Natural Greenhouse Effect
About 40 percent of the energy coming from
the sun reaches the Earth’s surface. Of this, the Earth’s
surface reflects about 15 percent of the solar radiation
back toward space. The remaining energy heats the
surface, which then sends most of the heat back into
the atmosphere, mostly as infrared rays and water vapor.
When the rays from the lands and seas are
reflected back into the atmosphere, greenhouse gases
and particles absorb the rays. As a result, the gases
and particles are heated. Some of the infrared rays from
the gases and particles radiate back toward the Earth’s
surface and contribute to the warming of the surface
layer of air. This is known as the natural greenhouse
effect, which keeps the Earth’s surface warm with an
average temperature of about 15 degrees Celsius.
Without this natural process, the average surface
temperature would be 33 degrees Celsius colder than it
is now.
14
FRESHMAN
The chief greenhouse gases are water vapor,
carbon dioxide, methane, and ozone. The greenhouse
particles include cloud droplets, soot, and dust.
Global Warming
Today, there is a global clamor against the
continued pumping of human-made greenhouse gases
into the atmosphere. It has been estimated that since
the 1800’s, when modern industry became widespread,
the average temperature of the Earth’s surface has
increased by 0.3 to 0.8 degree Celsius. And by 2100,
the Earth’s surface temperature is expected to rise
between 1.5 and 4.5 degrees Celsius.
Many experts believe that the rise in the average
global temperature is brought about by the increase of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon
dioxide and methane. For instance, measurements
revealed that the amount of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere has risen by about 25 percent and that of
methane by 150 percent.
Human activities, like burning of fossil fuels and
clearing of forests through kaingin system, have been
pointed out as the main culprit in the increase of
greenhouse gases.
This increase in surface temperature is called
global warming and its effects could alter the face of the
Earth. For example, people could begin to farm in regions
where it is currently too cold. The change could also
affect the survival of many species. A great number of
species are already struggling to survive due to
destruction of their habitats. Global warming could further
push them to extinction.
Global warming could also alter rainfall patterns,
melt enough polar icebergs to raise the sea level, and
intensify tropical storms.
Global Cooling
It seems obvious then that by increasing
greenhouse gases and particles, the Earth will become
hotter. However, according to some scientists, global
warming might plunge us into the opposite condition,
that is, an ice age. How is this so?
The main player is the Gulf Stream, the ocean
current that brings warm surface water northwards
Europe from the Caribbean. Normally, as the Gulf Stream
flows, some of its water evaporates. The rest becomes
saltier and thus denser. Eventually the dense surface
water sinks to the bottom, where it flows back southward.
(The water returning south is called the Canaries current.)
Near the equator, the returning water is diluted once
again by warm, fresh water from tropical rivers and rain,
allowing the water to rise to the surface. The water warms
up and the cycle begins again.
Moreover, global warming can wreak havoc on
the Polar Regions by melting the icebergs. Melted ice
from the Arctic will supply fresh water into the North
Atlantic. Added to this, it is predicted that global warming
can also increase the amount of rainfall in northern
latitudes. The result is that the Gulf Stream’s water will
be diluted and thus become less dense. It will not sink
so easily to the sea bottom. The Gulf Stream’s
underwater current, without this renewing supply, will
stop flowing south. This in effect will shut off the great
ocean current.
If that happens, the European continent will get
very cold. More snow will fall, and snow will reflect more
of the sun’s energy back into space. That will make the
temperature even lower. Furthermore, the Gulf Stream
will change the global ocean current patterns because
it is tied into them. The effect of this is less overall
evaporation. The loss of water vapor, an important
greenhouse gas, will mean even more dramatic cooling
— a decrease of perhaps as much as 8 degrees Celsius.
Worst of all, experts believe such changes could
come on quickly — perhaps within a decade or less.
There’s no need to say then that an ice age by the
middle of the century would gravely endanger most of
life on Earth — a sort of biological apocalypse.
The Search for Solutions
Because global warming might do much harm,
many scientists recommend a reduction in the emission
of greenhouse gases. Popular ways adopted to curb
the greenhouse effect include the planting of trees to
absorb carbon dioxide, the development of more fuelefficient cars, and the installation of electricity-generating
solar panels, among others.
More controversial strategies have been
considered. For example, governments could promulgate
laws that specify the type of technologies to be used or
the amount of fossil fuels to be burned. Governments
may also levy taxes on emission of greenhouse gases.
Another option is to limit the amount of
greenhouse gases that would be emitted by every
country. Each nation would be issued “emissions
permits” that could be bought and sold. Richer nations
could purchase permits from poorer nations. More
developed countries would have incentives to use more
efficient technologies, and less developed countries
would receive money to aid their development.
At the moment, though, the dangerous plumes
of heat-trapping gases are still increasing in volume.
Earth is predicted to warm by 0.5 to 1.6 degrees Celsius
due to past greenhouse gas emissions. However, beyond
that, additional warming could be lessened if not
prevented. The choice is ours to make.
1.
2.
3.
In what way may global warming usher in another ice
age?
Explain briefly how the Gulf Stream warms the
European continent.
What should be done to reduce emissions of
greenhouse gases?
greenhouse effect - the trapping of the sun’s warmth in the
lower atmosphere caused by high levels of carbon dioxide
and other gases more transparent to incoming solar radiation
than to reflected infrared radiation
opaque – blocking the passage of radiant energy and especially
light
short wave – electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength
equal to or less than that of visible light
long wave - electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength greater
than that of visible light
solar radiation – radiation produced by the sun
kaingin - process of clearing the forest through burning
References:
1.
2.
3.
Wilbraham, Antony C. et al. 1997. Chemistry, 4 th Edition.
California: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co.
World Book Millennium 2000 Encyclopedia. 1999 Chicago:
World Book, Inc.
Lemonick, Michael D. “…And Then How Cold.” Time, November
8, 1999.
FRESHMAN
15
I N
C O O P E R AT I O N
W I T H
T H E
DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Alternative
Methods of
Producing
Iodized Salt
ABSTRACT
The aim of this research is to discover
different methods of making iodized salt.
Different gadgets designed to thoroughly
mix salt and potassium iodate (KIO3) were
made. Iodometric titration method was used
to determine the iodine content of the
produced salt. To determine the efficiency
of the gadgets, the Analysis of Variance Test
was performed. Satisfactory results were
obtained when iodine was evenly distributed
at the standard amount of 100 parts per
million (ppm). However, the appearance and
stability of the salt when stored may need
some improvement.
16
FRESHMAN
INTRODUCTION
Pangasinan and Agusan del Sur suffer from
IDD. This rate is higher than what the World
Iodine deficiency diseases (IDD) are
very common in the Philippines especially
Health Organization (WHO) considers to be
of public health significance.
discharged at a constant rate from feed
bottles, while salt is conveyed on narrow
belts beneath the bottles. In the spray-mixing
process salt is crushed to a coarse powder
in places that are far from the sea. According
to a health survey conducted in 1987, about
Iodine is essential in the formation
3.5 percent of the population is suffering
of thyroid hormones T3 and T4 which are
solution. Submersion process involves the
from IDD.
important in regulating cellular metabolic
immersion of salt in a sodium chloride
rate. Iodine deficiency results in fetal deaths,
solution containing a pre-determined
infant mortality, low birth weight, mental
quantity of potassium iodate for 10 to 15
and neuromotor underdevelopment,
minutes. The iodinated salt is then spread
infertility, cretinism in infants and myxedema
out to dry before crushing. The iodination
in adults or, if less severe, simple goiter.
technique used depends on the type of salt
The recommended minimum daily
to be iodized.
Iodine is an element essential for the
normal functioning of the human body. Lack
of iodine in the body may result in fetal and
infant death, mental and neuromotor
underdevelopment, infertility and goiter.
The aim of the research is to produce
requirement is 150 mg. An iodine particle
affordable iodized salt. The product must
the size of a pinhead is enough to satisfy a
be able to meet the standards set for
person’s nutritional requirement for one
commercial iodized salt. The stability of the
month. The WHO recommends 50 ppm of
processed salt must also be tested by
monitoring iodine levels over a certain period
iodine.
The chemicals commonly used for
of time. Its iodine content must also be able
salt iodination are potassium iodate and
to withstand heat. It must be able to retain its
potassium iodide. Potassium iodate (KIO3)
iodine content even after cooking.
is recommended for use in countries where
This research project can be part of
the government’s program on health and
nutrition and the production of food
salt is often moist. Potassium iodide (KI)
was introduced in countries where the salt is
pure and the climate is temperate.
and receives a fine, atomized spray of KIO3
The concentration of iodine is
measured by using a dilute solution of HCI
and a starch solution mixed with potassium
iodide. However, to determine exactly the
iodine content of the salt, iodimetric titration
is used. In this method, a certain quantity of
salt is dissolved and titrated with a standard
solution of sodium thiosulfate and starch
until the endpoint (when the solution
becomes colorless) is reached.
METHODOLOGY
supplements that are relatively low-priced
The stability of iodine on different
Three devices were designed to grind
but effective in the prevention and treatment
types of salts may vary depending on the
and mix salt with potassium iodate (KIO3).
of diseases related to iodine deficiencies.
type of salt, crystal size, quality, moisture,
The first device, made up of two iron rollers
packing and storage conditions. The
for crushing salt and an iron mixer, was
techniques used in iodination are the dry
soon corroded by the salt. Painting the rollers
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
About 3.5 percent of the country’s
mixing process, drip-feed addition, spray-
and the blades did not solve the problem.
population suffer from iodine deficiency
mixing and the submersion process. The
The second device was able to crush the salt
diseases. However, more than 10 percent
dry-mixing process involves mixing one part
finely. But it does not have a mixer, a
of the population in Mountain Province,
KIO3 and 9 parts anti-caking agent (such as
container for crushed salt and an apparatus
Bukidnon, Oriental Mindoro, Abra, Kalinga-
CaCO3, Ca3PO4 and MgCO3) to 100 parts
for spraying potassium iodide and
Apayao, Marinduque, Romblon, Ifugao,
salt. This process is suitable for fine salt
potassium iodate. Of the three devices
Quirino, Batangas, Cavite, Quezon,
only. In drip-feed addition, KIO 3 is
designed, the one with a plastic motor and a
FRESHMAN
17
plastic blade for mixing and crushing proved
dissolving 0.124 grams of Na2S2O3 in
The test used was not effective enough to
to be efficient. It was able to withstand
100 mL distilled water. This was used to
determine the minute quantities of iodine
corrosion and rust.
titrate the salt solution until its color turned
present in the salt mixture.
light yellow. A starch solution, prepared by
adding 10 mL of 10 % chemical starch to
90 mL of saturated NaCI (analytical grade)
It is recommended that the device be
solution, was mixed with the solution and
designed so that the iodate drips into the salt
titrated once more until it lost its color.
at a regulated rate. A dropper may be used
RESULTSAND DISCUSSIONS
The device with a plastic motor and
a plastic blade was favorable.
The KIO3 solution was prepared by
Two millilitres of this solution was then
diluted with 3 mL of distilled water. Using
the devices, the diluted solution was mixed
with the salt.
To test the efficiency of the devices,
the concentration of iodine in the salt was
determined by applying the principles of
iodometric titration. A solution of 10 grams
salt should be packed and its iodine content
The device, designed to crush the salt
be measured after several weeks to determine
its stability. The stability of the salt mixture
works the way an electric fan does. The
when heated should also be tested. Its iodine
blades of the device, which rotates at high
content should not change significantly after
speeds, was able to mix the salt with iodate
cooking. A hand-operated version of the
and reduce it to fine crystals.
mixer may also be designed for use in areas
The Analysis of Variance test showed
where electricity is not available.
that there was no significant difference
between the experimental and commercial
iodized salts. However, T-test results
Researchers:
revealed a significant difference in the
Thaddeus P. Amado
distribution of iodine between the salt
Romylee A. Ejercito
processed manually and those processed
Imee S. Martinez
using the apparatus.
Vincent Paul S. Villegas
SUMMARYAND CONCLUSIONS
Ma. Isidora Margarita M. Yap
of iodinated salt and 50 mL of distilled water
The final design was able to mix the
was prepared. Then, 1 mL of 2N sulfuric
iodate and the salt more thoroughly and more
acid (H2SO 4) was added to 5 mL of
efficiently. Due to its relatively low cost, it
10% potassium iodide (KI) solution. The
can be used to produce iodized salt in remote
mixture was kept away from light for
barrios where commercially prepared
10 minutes.
iodized salt is not available.
A standard sodium thiosulfate
There was a certain difficulty in
(Na2S 2O 3) solution was prepared by
determining the iodine content of the salt.
18
for this purpose. A sample amount of the
and mix it with the potassium iodate solution
mixing 0.4 grams of KIO 3 with
100 millilitres (mL) of distilled water.
RECOMMENDATIONS
FRESHMAN
Mr Edmund Jason Baranda
Research Adviser
Note:
No part of this article may be used or reproduced in
any form whatsoever without written permission
from the Philippine Science High School, Diliman,
Quezon City, except in the case of brief citation as
embodied in the laws of scientific articles and reviews.
“Pseudoscience” literally means “false science.” Therefore, it is best for the public to be made aware of the facts behind
pseudosciences – practices and beliefs that have no reliable scientific bases. These include false beliefs that are, almost always, results
of the ignorance and gullibility of the oldfolk, who tend to rely strongly on “coincidence mentality.” However, baffling it is to know that
despite the innovations and developments in science – the foundation of human knowledge – many continue to patronize pseudosciences.
This section aims to expose these pseudosciences, which do not only hamper progress, but may also pose harm to the health
and sound judgment of those who get victimized by it. But don’t worry, just a dose of real science cures the most ignorant of minds.
I
How to Detect
Pseudoscience
t is very easy to get lost and confused with all
the people’s claims to a particular cure or a
particular discovery, or what are considered as
pseudociences. Here are the top questions
students should be equipping themselves
in order not to get fooled by bogus
scientists, the notorious proponents of
pseudosciences.
1. Has the subject shown
progress? (Has it, so far, proven
itself with respect to existing
science?)
2. Does the discipline
use technical words such as
“vibration” or “energy” without
clearly defining what they
mean? (False science is often
cloaked in a lot of hocuspocus to confuse ordinary
people. Examples: power from
amulets, pyramidology, and a
lot of UFO stuff).
3. Would accepting the
tenets of a claim require you to
abandon any well established
physical laws? False sciences often
involve elaborate explanations that border
on the fantastic and delusional.
4. Are popular articles on the subject lacking in
references? When something is written about a
pseudoscience, references are always missing.
5. Is the only evidence offered anecdotal
in nature? Anecdotes from people and
personal stories, instead of impartial,
objective researches and studies
are used.
6. Are the best texts on
the subject decades old?
Scientific evidence valid thirty
years ago may no longer valid
today.
7. Does the proponent
make appeals to history (i.e,
it has been around a long
time, so it must be true)?
8. Does the subject
display the “shyness effect”
(sometimes
it
works,
sometimes it doesn’t)?
9. Does the proponent use the
appeal to ignorance argument (“there are
more things under heaven...than are
dreamed of in your philosophy”)?
10. Does the proponent use alleged
expertise in other areas to lend weight to
the claim?
FRESHMAN
19
GENERAL
SCIENCE
The July 16, 2000 Phenomenon:
by Bernie A. Esporlas
“The tar-black hobgoblin sky
Swallowed whole the silver moon like candy.” - eLf
T
he Philippines is often visited by tropical
depressions at an average of 30 a year
starting in the month of June. No thanks
to El Niño phenomenon, it started a
little bit earlier this year. As early as
May we already had two tropical
hurricanes bringing heavy rains all over the island of
Luzon, flooding the streets of Metro Manila and
suspending classes for almost a week. Not a very good
time for astronomical observations. NO CLEAR SKIES,
indeed.
In the middle of June, I received an invitation
from Ms. Marilyn Okuszko, the Supervising Tourism
Officer of Iriga City, to give a lecture on basic astronomy
to a group of selected students from several schools of
the city. I accepted the invitation and set the meeting to
July 16, 2000, Sunday, in time for the total lunar eclipse
that would be visible from the Philippines.
On July 9, a tropical depression was again
bringing heavy rains to almost all over Luzon. It lasted
until Tuesday. The sun appeared on Wednesday
morning. But in the morning of Thursday, July 13, a
news bulletin was over the local radio and TV stations:
20
FRESHMAN
“Two low pressure areas were spotted within
the Philippine Area of Responsibility. One is over the
China Sea and the other one is over the Pacific Ocean.
Iriga City is right in the middle of the two weather
disturbances.”
Sunday morning, July 16, a thick cloud was
hovering over Metro Manila, bringing showers once in a
while. With my five-year-old, reliable personal computer,
my 14-year-old son Francis, and my friend Ms.
Evangeline Pascual, we went to the airport and boarded
a plane that would bring us to Iriga City. We landed
40 minutes later.
Iriga City is one of the three cities of Bicol region.
It is 650 kilometres south of Metro Manila. The city is
so clean and free from light, dust, and smog pollution; a
very good place for astronomical observations. However,
the weather condition was not conducive when we
arrived. It was cloudy. Slight showers were pouring once
in every while.
In the afternoon, I conducted the lecture on
basic astronomy to about 500 high school students.
They were responsive, evident by their decision to form
an astronomical society.
At about 5:30 PM, together with a convoy of
public and school buses and private cars, we headed to
the town of Buhi, some-30-minute-drive away from Iriga
City, for the observation of the lunar eclipse. We set up
camp at the Magindara Resort near Lake Buhi. Francis
set up the computer. I ran the astronomical software
Starry Night Pro, set the location to 13 degrees north
and 123 degrees E, locked the position to the moon,
and set the Field of View to 1 degree. There was the full
moon, astounding on the computer screen. Just like
the real one.
It was almost 6:30 PM. Amazingly, THE
CLOUDS DISAPPEARED AND THE FULL MOON
APPEARED!!!
The students looked alternately at the real moon
in the sky and the virtual moon on the computer screen.
Thanks to Starry Night Pro, it was so real that the
students thought a camera was connected to the
computer. At 6:50 the moon in the computer entered
penumbra. But with the real one, there was none. Only
a slight change of color from silvery white to pale yellow.
It was already 11:45. Umbra was leaving the
surface of the moon. We had to cap the night but the
students didn’t want to leave yet. But we had to. It was
already too late. The following day was another school
day.
I shut down my old, reliable computer and
headed home. Unfortunately, I only had an instamatic
camera. I did not know if the event would be recorded in
the film so I did not use it. But one thing was sure. The
event would remain in my memories forever as well as
in the hearts of the students.
Epilogue
The following day, I had an audience with Mr.
Manny Alfelor, the City Mayor. Together with the city
architect, we headed to a clearing and discussed a
project: to put up an observatory that would house a
16" S-C telescope. I met with the teachers in the evening.
We elected the sets of officers and tentatively named
the organization Rinconada Astronomical Society. I was
to go back to Iriga after one month.
We waited...
At around 8 PM another shadow was entering
the moon’s surface in the computer. And so with the
real one. There was the umbra! Everybody was ecstatic.
So was I. Not so much of the eclipse but because of the
children’s and teacher’s reactions. First time they saw
such an event and first time they experienced such kind
of learning experience. I successfully planted the seed
of interest in astronomy in their yearning minds.
It was 9:05 when the moon entered totality.
Everybody was happy. Some were singing, others were
taking their snacks, others were dancing, others
were....oh yes, professing love to their fiancés and
fiancées (ha, ha, ha, no joke).
High above the sky, the real one is synchronized
with the virtual one.
“How did you do that?” they asked.
“In planetary science everything is almost
predictable. Remember Kepler’s law?” I said.
The moon was almost invisible at about
10:00 PM. I showed them the stars in the constellation
Sagittarius, Capricorn, the Polaris and others. Asteroid
Vesta was absent. I pointed them the Milky Way. They
were amazed to know that the band of dust cloud was
actually the Milky Way. They thought it was an ordinary
cloud!
1. What was the condition of the weather in July 16,
2000?
2. How did Mr. Esporlas and his group observe the
lunar eclipse?
phenomenon - a natural occurrence, especially one of which
the cause is always in question
penumbra - the partly shaded outer region of the shadow cast
by the Earth or moon over the area experiencing partial
eclipse
umbra - the fully shaded inner region of a shadow cast by the
Earth or moon experiencing the total phase of an eclipse
Starry Night Pro - a comprehensive planetarium-style computer
software package presently available for astronomers;
highly effective in viewing the heavens from up to 20,000
light-years away
References:
1. http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/extra/TLE2000Jul16
2. http://library.thinkquest.org/28743/low.html
3. http://www.guildsoft.co.uk/press/starpro.htm
FRESHMAN
21
GENERAL
SCIENCE
Total Eclipse: An Impending Doom?
by Alfie Vera Mella
“O
n Sunday, July 16, 2000, an eclipse
of the Moon will be visible from
western North and South America,
the Pacific Ocean, Australia, and
eastern Asia. The total phase, or
totality, would last a remarkable 1 hour and 47 minutes.
This would be within seconds of the theoretical maximum
duration. A total eclipse hasn’t lasted this long since
1859 and it will not be equalled again for over a thousand
years! Totality lasts so extraordinarily long because the
Moon passes almost exactly through the center of
Earth’s umbral shadow. Such phenomenon is very rare.”
That was the claim of astronomers months
before the total lunar eclipse that occurred in July 16 of
the year 2000. They were correct. It was indeed a
wonderful spectacle, specially to those young minds
who had seen such phenomenon for the first time.
However, to the not so adept in the amazing world of
astronomy, it was nonetheless a baffling event, even
scary. And worse, to others who are deeply-rooted in
their “always infallible” beliefs, it occurred to them as a
sign o’ the times–an impending doom–that the world
has come to an end, brought about by the wickedness
of humankind.
Those seemingly absurd ideas about the end
of the world were nothing new. If you will read the history
of humanity, it will reveal one thing: Since the dawn of
civilization, humans had already notions of the
apocalypse at the turn of every century. It happened in
the 12th century. It scared the masses in 1900. It
disturbed many last eve of the severely battered year
2000, the new millennium. But again, it taught humankind
one simple thing: Fear of the unknown is not incurable.
Just a dose of science can enlighten an ignorant mind.
A lunar eclipse, an impending doom? Of course,
not. It has long been explained by astronomers like
Johannes Kepler and Isaac Newton.
An eclipse is a phenomenon that occurs when
one celestial object blocks all or part of another. It could
be a solar eclipse or a lunar eclipse. In solar eclipse,
22
FRESHMAN
“Fear of the unknown is the beginning of ignorance.”
the moon passes between the Earth and the sun. The
shadow cast by the moon falls over a portion of the
Earth and blocks the majority of sunlight there. In lunar
eclipse, the Earth moves between the moon and the
sun. The Earth’s shadow then envelops the moon in
darkness.
A lunar eclipse can only take place during the
Full Moon phase. At this phase that the moon passes
through some portion of the Earth’s shadow. This shadow
cast by the Earth consists of two cone-shaped parts,
one encompassed by the other. The outer shadow, or
the penumbra, is the portion where Earth blocks some
(not all) of the sun’s rays. The inner shadow, or the
umbra, is the area where Earth blocks all direct sunlight
from reaching the moon.
A partial eclipse is seen if the moon passes
through only a part of the umbra. On the other hand, if
the whole of the moon moves through the umbra, then a
phenomenon, like that of last July 16, occurs. That is
what is known as Total Eclipse of the Moon, or Total
Lunar Eclipse.
References:
1. http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/extra/TLE2000Jul16
2. http://library.thinkquest.org/28743/low.html
3. Kasaysayan The Story of the Filipino People. Raymundo S.
Punongbayan et al. 1998 Asia Publishing Company Limited.
LIFE WILL FIND ITS WAY
The energy from sunlight plus the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is
indispensable for green plants in their growth as well as in their process of making
food, called photosynthesis. In this activity, you will observe how a green plant, such
as the mongo, will find its way just to reach for sunlight.
MATERIALS
small pot, soil, mongo seeds, shoebox
PROCEDURE
1. Plant the mongo seeds in the pot.
2. Water it.
3. Put a small hole on the side of the shoebox.
4. Cover the pot with germinated mongo seeds with
the shoebox.
5. Put the covered pot on a safe place. Leave it for
about three days.
6. Note your observation after three days.
How would you describe the growth of the mongo?
What is essential in the growth of green plants such as the mongo as shown in the activity?
FRESHMAN
23
WHO’S AFEBRILE?
STOP CRYING, LITTLE BABIES
Alvin Napiza, the nurse assigned
at Ward A, had just taken the
vital signs of his three patients.
Their body temperatures during
that hour were as follows:
o
Patient A: 310.4 K
o
Patient B: 310.9 K
o
Patient C: 310.6 K
Who among Alvin’s three patients had no fever?
When you were a baby, you usually looked for
your mother when you’re in need. Now it’s your
turn to help each of these mothers find her
respective young’s name from the box.
Joey
Cub
Tadpole
Colt
Kid
Calf
WHO’S WHO?
The nine planets of the solar system were all
named after Roman deities. Do you know their
Greek names?
ACROSS
1 movement of a solvent through a semipermeablemembrane
8 correction (abbreviation)
10 coating or fastening agent
11 the neverending question asked by
children
12 map reference
13 extraterrestrial
14 postal letters
16 female egg cells
18 break in skin or mucous membrane
21 Erbium
22 the sun with the nine planets and other
heavenly bodies
23 international monetary unit
24 _ _ _ _ _ Ark; carried living
creatures of every kind during the
Great Flood
26 the body of an organism
28 _ _G; liquefied natural gas
29 indicates a sudden occurrence
31 lighter or darker shades of a color
33 _ _ _ _ _ _ of Langerhans
35 given recognition
37 _ _ _d_; positive terminal of an
electrolytic cell
38 a basic principle or a fundamental skill
24
C R O S S W O R D
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
10
12
1
13
16
17
1
18
1
1
19
20
1
1
1
11
8
9
14
15
1
21
22
1
23
1
24
26
27
1
28
32
1
1
31
35
1
36
38
FRESHMAN
1
33
1
1
1
29
30
25
34
1
37
1
1
DOWN
1 same as 1 across
2 a power-driven mechanism that
supplements a primary control
3 master of arts
4 oil (prefix, combination form)
5 sixth planet of the solar system
nearest to the sun
6 not out
7 standard time
8 22d letter of the Greek alphabet
9 part of the plant stem that carries
nutrients
11 horny projections on the skin
14 the fabric of a net
15 Strontium
17 _ _ _ _ _ _ _m; chemical element Al
19 _y_ _ _; a brand of disinfectant
20 poison usually used in illegal fishing
25 _ _ _ _ dixit; an assertion made but
not proved
27 _ _ _ _e; same as 37 across
29 a form of meditation
30 smallest particle of an element
32 three (prefix, combination form)
34 _ _ _ex; synthetic rubber products like
surgical gloves are made of
36 electromagnetic