The cure for snoring

This article was about a new device that is trying to help people with sleep apnea. The device was made by researchers at California-based Advanced Brain Monitoring, Inc., and the name of it is the Night Shift. The article says that the reason that sleep apnea worsens is because the person affected will sleep on their back. To rectify the problem, Night Shift will send vibrations across your body to make it turn off your back. The traditional device used to be this face mask that blew air down your nose to help you breath. However, this was extremely uncomfortable and it had a lower success rate.

 

The biggest connection I can make would be with my Health class. I remember one week we discussed hypo/hyperglycemia and the instructor told us a weird story. She told us that her husband had temporary hyperglycemia because his sleep patterns were so irregular. I feel that people who have sleep apnea may have similar disorganized sleep patterns. So in a way, this product could prevent these types of emergencies in some people.

This product really hits me on a personal level. I am a chronic snorer, and it is really bad. It was so bad at times that my snoring would wake me up. From what I have gathered on the product, I think this might be something that could realistically help me out. I think this could also spur innovation in other similar fields to try and find more comfortable solutions.

I chose to answer: How does the author support her claim? Use evidence from the selection to support your answer.

The author's claim is that ordinary devices are uncomfortable, and that this new product is effective. To support her claim, the author provides a description to show how ordinary devices are uncomfortable and ineffective. The author states, "(CPAC), which involves pressurized air being blown through the nose during the night through a facial mask. However, this is obviously uncomfortable and doesn't work for everyone.". This quote shows how the devices were both uncomfortable and ineffective. To support her second claim, the author uses statistics. The author states,"Night Shift says 90 percent of participants responded well, with a 79 percent reduction rate on the apnea-hypopnea index". That is how the author supports her claims.

 Pasolini, Antonio. "Night Shift gets sleep apneans and snorers off their backs ". gizmag. Gizmag, 

              10 May 2014. Web. 11 May 2014.
              <http://www.gizmag.com/night-shift-apnea-snoring/31904/>. 

TempusVoalt. "Nokia Lumia 1020 - Sleeping Lisa & Dolf (or 'A witch and her familiar')". flickr. 

               Yahoo, 26 March 2014. Web. 11 May 2014.

               <http://www.flickr.com/photos/12706161@N03/8989667882>.

Cheap Home security

This article was about a revolutionary new product called the Korner. This product is a neat new device for home intrusion. Its key features are that it only detects true motion, and that it is only $100 with no monthly fees. What I mean by true motion is that traditional sensors normally emit an alarm when there is a knock or strong wind, but the Korner only goes off if the door/window actually opens. Its also extremely affordable, which was actually one of the main objectives of the team. It also has a smartphone app that coordinates with your devices that actually tells you which entry point the person entered, and allows you to either call the police, or contact a neighbor to check up on your home. Another great thing is that It only has one sensor and one receiver. The receiver is called a Fob and attaches to your Ethernet port on a router. It is basically a affordable security device with advanced features combined with a smartphone app.

The biggest connection I could possibly make would be with my health class. This would probably fall under injury avoidance. If you have this installed and someone breaks in the front door waving a gun, then there will be an alarm that starts beeping from the Fob that alerts the people inside the home. This means that they can just slip out the backdoor and call the police with the smartphone app. Granted this is best case scenario for the family. However, you do have to consider that the affordability of the product means that situations like this can be more recurrent due to an increase in home security.

Honestly I say score one for home security and for Korner for the awesome idea. I personally think that this idea could have worldwide impacts. It could inspire companies to simplify and improve their systems allowing them to be cheaper as well. I also think that personally it will make future home security cheaper. This means I will be able to protect my future family and won't have to worry about choosing over home security or food. Overall, this is just gonna make a lot of changes if it is successful. 

I decided to answer the question: What is the central idea of the passage and how is it developed and refined throughout the selection? Use evidence from the selection to support your answer.

The central idea of the passage was that Korner is a budget saving and revolutionary home security system. Ben develops and refines this idea by providing facts. One fact he stated was that Korner "costs under US$100 and requires no monthly fees"(Coxworth). This shows how families with tight budgets can afford this. Save $10 a month and you can have it before the year is out. Another fact on the product is that out of similar systems "most of those incorporate a two-part equivalent of the tag, in which one part is attached to the door and the other is attached to the door frame"(Coxworth). This proves that it is revolutionary and more developed than traditional systems.

For more information, check out their YouTube video.

bclinesmith. "Security!". Photograph. flickr. Yahoo, 7 Aug. 2010. Web. 27 April 2014.

             <http://www.flickr.com/photos/99673917@N00/4869419570>.

Coxworth, Ben. "Korner promises cheap and simple home security". gizmag. Gizmag, 25 April 

            2014. Web. 27 April 2014. 

            <http://www.gizmag.com/korner-home-security-system/31800/>.

Infrared vision in a contact lens

This article is about a group of researchers from the University of Michigan. This group has found a way to put infrared technology into a contact lens. To accomplish this, they used a substance called graphene. Normally this substance doesn't work because the sensitivity is very poor despite the fact that it can detect the entire infrared spectrum. To overcome this, the researchers made a double layer a conductive layer placed between the two layers of graphene. This resulted in resounding success in the creation of infrared viewing that is only slightly larger than two sheets of graphene.

One connection I can somewhat make to this would be my health class. In this class we discuss medical things and treatments for various conditions. In the article it mentioned that doctors could possibly use this technology to monitor the blood flow of patients. In that case, maybe this technology could also be used by first aid responders to accurately assess people who are hurt. This would probably lower death rates by allowing people to properly care for wounded people.

Personally, I feel like this is a very innovative technology. It will definitely spur some innovation in other fields like this one.  Hopefully, it will be inexpensive and open to the general public. This will allow for scenarios like the one I depicted above.  Who knows, maybe I will someday be saved by this technology. This could also help out America as as a whole. In the article it mentioned that infrared gear used by the military is very bulky and hard to maneuver. This technology, however, is the exact opposite, and could possibly replace that kind of gear.

The question I chose to answer was: What is the purpose for using quotes? 
Anthony used quotes in his article in order to provide proof to back up what he was saying. For example, in the beginning of the article, Anthony said that the technology could be miniaturized, to show that he was saying the truth he quoted, "' We can make the entire design super-thin,' states Zhaohui Zhong". He used this quote to show that the technology could be made extremely small. When Anthony was saying that the material used has failed in the past for this application, he quoted, "'The challenge for the current generation of graphene-based detectors is that their sensitivity is typically very poor,' stated Zhong". This also showed proof that the material used had failed in the past, and that it had its drawbacks.


UK Ministry of Defense. "RAF Pillot with Night Vision Equipment". flickr. Yahoo, 17 Jan. 2011.
          Web. 13 April 2014.<https://www.flickr.com/photos/48399297@N04/9241716090>.
Wood, Anthony. "Graphene light detector could put heat vision tech in a contact lens". gizmag.
         Gizmag, 13 April 2014. Web. 13 April 2014.
         <http://www.gizmag.com/infrared-light-detector-graphene-contact-lens/31603/>.

Eco fuel

The article is about a company called the Sea Change Group. This company has created a new fuel to cut emissions from ships. This fuel cuts 25-50% in smoke emissions. Also, Nitrogen Oxide was cut by 15%. This fuel is still being tested, and will continue to be tested through 2014.

The biggest connection can be made is with my essay I did for my English 10 Honors class. This essay was on Global Warming, and in it I talked about carbon dioxide emissions. I feel that maybe, if more things like this happen, then Global Warming can be reduced. Maybe next they can come out with something cheap for cars. I would love to only have to pay two dollars or so a gallon.

I think this is a great product. Finally, a fuel company is taking the initiative to go green. I really support these people and hope that more will follow. I also think this may drop gas prices. With this being a hybrid fuel, maybe something similar can come out for automobiles.


How does the author use language to advance her point of view? Use evidence from the selection to support your answer.

The author uses scientific and language specific to their topic to get their point across. Nick uses scientific language when he says,"Emissions of mono-nitrogen oxides (NOx) were reduced by five to 15 percent". This uses science to advance his point of view. He also uses language specific to his topic. For example, when Nick says,"Also corresponding to a higher concentration of glycerol in the fuel however is a lower energy density". In the quote, words like glycerol are used to advance his point of view and let the article seem more sophisticated. 

Lavars, Nick " New eco-hybrid fuel could help to reduce shipping pollution". gizmag. Gizmag, 31             March 2014. Web. 31 March 2013.
      <http://www.gizmag.com/eco-hybrid-fuel-shipping-emissions/31423/>.
NASA'a Marshal Space Flight Center. "Great Lakes in Sunglint (NASA, International Space                 Station, 06/14/12)". flickr. Yahoo, 14 June 2014. Web 31 March 2014.
      <http://www.flickr.com/photos/28634332@N05/7637356614> 

Stun gun Drone

This article was about a team from the company Chaotic Moon that invented a drone called CUPID( Chaotic Unmanned Personal Intercept Drone). This drone can fly and is packed with a stun gun that has a  80,000 volt shock. The company claims that the goal of this drone was to raise awareness of the advancement of technology. Chief innovator Hurley stated, " Drone technology is not inherently good or bad,[but]... we need to understand the potential impacts". Unsurprisingly, the drone got a lot of positive feedback; the only negative was if it became commercially available.

The biggest connections to class would be with my English class. We recently discussed morals when we discussed the holocaust. This is an excellent example of that. It is an example because of the reason the people created the drone. They said that they wanted to create this to give society a wake up call as to what drones can actually do. They wanted people to decide if the technology was good or bad based off their morals.


I honestly think that the drone itself is awesome. This could be a great tool for maybe law enforcement agencies. They can catch perpetrators and not have to risk human lives. I also like the idea behind why the drone was created. I think that the people who made it were right to show society just what technology can do. I think they made the right choice to try and warn us.

I chose to answer: How does the structure of the text refine and support the author’s claim? 
The structure of the text refines the authors claim by stating the claim, then by providing supporting details. To introduce his claim, the author states," Drone technology is not inherently good or bad,[but]... we need to understand the potential impacts". To provide supporting details, the author states, "The biggest negative reaction, he says, has been from people who think CUPID will be made commercially available".


McCullough, Don. "Drone and Moon". flickr. Yahoo, 22 April 2013. Web. 16 march 2014.
      <http://www.flickr.com/photos/69214385@N04/8725078749>

Robarts, Stu. " Cupid hexacopter delivers 80,000 volt shock to drone debate". gizmag. Gizmag, 15       March 2014. Web. 16 March 2014.
      <http://www.gizmag.com/chaotic-moon-cupid-taser-drone/31222/>.

Backpacks for service

A company called The Vodafone Foundation have created a new device, that is so compact that it can be classified as hand luggage on a commercial flight. This device is called the Instant Network Mini. This device connects to satellites, and can provide mobile service no matter where you are. The device was created with disaster relief in mind. If your area was hit by a typhoon, then chances are your cellphone towers are nonexistent. With that in mind, Vodafone created the Network Mini so that when relief is sent to disaster areas, the people can have cellular access once again.

(Maybe she has a Network Mini.)

This reminds me of when Mrs. Payseur was talking about what is going on in Syria. I was thinking that once this was all over, then maybe they might not have cell phone connection. Who knows? They might have disabled a few towers now. Maybe a ton of Syrians are without cell service as we speak. Well your solution has to be the Network Mini, of course.

I think its amazing that we are developing technology like this. It stands to reason this invention will go a long way. If we already have something like this, then how long will it be before we have backpacks with stable internet connection. Think about it. Maybe 30 years down the line you won't need to care if a place has free wireless fidelity or not. Maybe we will all have our own(probably paid for) wireless fidelity wherever we go.

I chose to answer: How does the author support his claim? Use evidence from the selection to support your answer.

The author claims that The Network Mini is a "highly portable mobile network in a backpack", and that it is used for "voice and SMS communications in areas hit by disaster". The author supports this by providing factual evidence. To support that it is highly portable, the author states," The device weighs just 11 kg (24.3 lb) and is small enough to be taken as hand luggage on commercial flights". This shows that it is small(only 25 pounds), and that it is portable(can be hand luggage). The author supports that it is used in disaster stricken areas by quoting a spokesperson from Vodafone. The spokesman from Vodafone stated,"We have most recently collaborated with SMART in the Philippines to provide support after Typhoon Haiyan". This shows that they are using it in disaster stricken areas.


colorblindPICASO."Sarah and I had been in Disney World..." flickr. Yahoo, 3 Oct. 2009. Web. 2 March 

        2014.<http://www.flickr.com/photos/45842803@N00/4758022677>.
Robarts Stu. "Vodafone Foundation unveils a backpack with a mobile network inside".                
       gizmag. Gizmag, 28 Feb. 2014. Web. 2 March 2014.
       <http://www.gizmag.com/vodafone-foundation-instant-network-mini/31033/>.

Holocaust

In the article, it stated that there was an armed Jewish resistance. This resistance helped get Jews out of concentration camps, and provided for the Jews outside of the camps, as well. The French branch of the resistance, for example, smuggled 500 Jews and non-Jews into Spain during the war. The article noted that while Jewish resistance did help, it actually did little to actually stop the Nazis. Most Jewish resistance focused on rescue, escape, aiding those in hiding, and spiritual resistance.

"Armed Jewish Resistance: Partisans". Holocaust Encyclopedia. Holocaust Museum, 10 June               2013. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.<http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005441>

Laser Testing for Diseases

This article is about a new laser that a research team in Australia has developed. This laser is very special; it can produce twenty-five times as much light as other lasers at its wavelength. The research team created this laser in the hope of being able to detect diseases using a breath test. This is a practice in use with some diseases, but the technique can not be done on a lot of illnesses because the lasers can not detect the small traces of gases. Other uses have already been thought of to use this laser for, as well. One of which being the detection of some greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.

I think this most connects to my Health class. In this class we have just learned about some breathing disorders and diseases. Not that the laser only detects those, but it is what comes to mind when someone says breathing test. Another thing it connects to in health class is disease detection. If these lasers could become inexpensive, then people could carry them around in first aid kits and be able to see what diseases the person in need of first aid could possibly have.

I think this is an outstanding invention. It can effect me in so many ways. Maybe, one day, I will have some type of disease, and when I go to the hospital, they will just have me breath on a laser to see what I have. It may become a cheap and effective method of disease testing. It also may be able to help forensic scientists discover trace gasses in dead bodies. That alone could be a huge impact.

The question I decided to answer was: what is the central idea of the passage and how is it developed and refined throughout the selection?
The central idea was that a new laser was developed to help doctors be able to detect diseases in early stages.  The idea is first developed by introducing the topic. Lavars introduces the topic with this sentence,"a research team from Australia's University of Adelaide has developed a new kind of laser with the ability to detect low concentrations of gases, opening up even more possibilities for disease diagnosis". With this sentence, Lavars tells you what the new invention is and what it does. He then refines that idea with extra facts on why the laser can be useful. For example, the sentence, "Detecting certain particles and gases through breath-testing has proven valuable in the diagnosing of particular illnesses". In that sentence, Lavars is refining the central idea by telling his audience that this tool will be useful because lower grade versions of this laser are already useful.


Citations
Lavars, Nick. "New laser shines a light on breath testing for disease". gizmag. Gizmag. 17 Feb.             2014. Web. 18 Feb. 2014. \
          <http://www.gizmag.com/laser-breath-test-disease-adelaide/30872/>.

Theony, Peter. "The show must go on". Photograph. flickr. Yahoo, 28 Oct. 2013. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.

eukaryotic cell made from plastic

This article was about researchers in Radboud University who found a way to create a working eukaryotic cell. This cell has organelles that are also functioning and can undertake chemical reactions. They were able to view these reactions by marking the chemicals with a florescent  In order to create this cell the team started with a water droplet and went on to add polymers to it and create the cell. The team hopes to use these cells to try and better understand how real cells work.

This article reminded me a lot of my film class. In this class we just finished watching the 1930's version of Frankenstein. The whole movie is about a man who tries and bring life to a dead person. Now while in this case it is making something from scratch, it still is a similarity to me. Actually, one of the comments on the article was, " Its alive!! Igor, its alive!!!!!"

I honestly really liked this article. Actually, while looking at the comments, people tried to say that the researchers were trying to "play god" and a lot of other religious stuff. I completely disagree with them though. I think that they were just trying to make medical advances. In all honesty this could be where things like human-like robots will come from. This could possibly effect me in so many ways that it isn't funny. I could have part of me replaced with these cells one day. This could also eventually be where we may find immortality.

The question I decided to answer was:What is the impact of using quotations in the article?

The impact of quotes in the article was to give a direction on where the research was headed. For example, when Grant said, "'We are also working on ways of controlling the movement of chemicals within the cell, towards organelles'". In this quote it tells where they are going to do with the cells. Another example would be when Grant stated, "'Another step would be to make cells that produce their own energy supply.'" In this statement it is also saying what the researchers are planning to do with the new cells.

Banks, Grant. "World-first working eukaryotic cell made from plastic". gizmag. Gizmag, 15 Jan. 2014.

         Web. 2 Feb. 2014.

uccsbiology."Human Cell". Flickr. Yahoo, 5 Dec. 2014. Web. 2 Feb. 2014.

Table Salt turned Awesome

An international group of scientists found a way to turn ordinary table salt into what are called "forbidden compounds". They gave them this name because under the laws of chemistry, it is not possible to create them. The way the research team accomplished this was by applying high amounts of pressure to the compounds. These compounds are also thought to be able to be found in the cores of early planets and even at the cores of planets today. Unfortunately, once pressure returns to normal the compounds revert back to normal.

 

 

The main thing that this really connects with is that it proves the saying anything is possible. In school and in the workplace everyone is always wanting people to strive to be creative and to go beyond what is possible. In school teachers always say, "Never rest till your good is you better and your better is your best". This experiment proves that nothing is set in stone if you push yourself to discover something new.

I honestly think this will have a huge impact on the world, and I fully support this article.  I think scientist will use this knowledge and eventually find ways to stabilize the compounds, and they may replace some of the things we use today. For example, Na3Cl( one of the compounds they made) is actually a metal that conducts electricity. For all we know we may have the wiring in our homes replaced with this stuff.

The author of this passage takes a pretty neutral standpoint. This effects the text by making it sounds more like a scientific report rather than an article in a magazine. One example of negative words can be found when Kracht states, "In addition to NaCl3, the team has predicted other new "crazy" compounds, such as NaCl7, Na3Cl2, Na2Cl, and Na3Cl". Nothing in this passage really radiates negativity or positivity. Another example is when Kracht states,"Their research opens up the way to successfully create and stabilize a huge number of compounds previously considered to be forbidden." In both of these examples(and pretty much the whole article), Kratcht just states facts regarding the research and says how It is going to further us.

 

Get ready to update those chemistry textbooks guys.

 MLA citations
Kracht, David. "salt or sugar ...". Flickr. Yahoo, 30 Nov. 2013. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.
             <http://www.flickr.com/photos/57761648@N02/11193610766>
Sandhana, Lakshmi. "Scientists turn table salt into forbidden compounds that violate textbook rules".
            gizmag. Gizmag, 20 Jan. 2014. Web. 20 Jan. 2014.
            <http://www.gizmag.com/scientists-create-forbidden-compounds-table-salt/30520/>