Radio Technology

Archive for the ‘science’ Category

9th grade science projects are more involved than elementary school projects, but still involve the same basic requirements, a question, a hypothesis and a conclusion. However in high school you need to focus more on the presentation of your project, as high school students are expected to be familiar with word processing programs and printers.

You will also need to reference any place you obtained information from during your research. Other interesting 9th grade science fair projects might be seed germination; can you improve the germination rate of seeds by soaking them in a chemical before planting them?

Some chemicals you can try are fruit juice, hydrogen peroxide, diluted isopropyl alcohol, etc. It is thought that some of these chemicals can loosen the seed coating around the plant embryo. Another science project could be researching whether or not listening to music while studying can affect your ability to retain information.

You could find out whether the presence of smoke in the air affects plant transpiration. Perhaps you could look into whether or not there is ever acid snow, we all know there is acid rain, but what about snow? You can find this out by testing the PH level of the snow and comparing it to the PH level of acid rain. Obviously this particular project only works in the winter months. There are many great topics out there for your 9th grade science project, it’s just a matter of finding one that interests you, researching and testing it out and presenting it in a professional manner.

The Science is Part I of a 4 part series geared at dispelling the myths, providing the facts and suggesting techniques for optimal hair growth. The topics to be discussed later are The Enemy, The Friend and The Technique.

Fact or Fiction? Anybody can grow long hair with proper care. FICTION– Here’s why:

Each individual has a unique hair cycle which accounts for the length of their hair. A complete hair cycle consists of 3 phases: anagen, catagen and telogen. Anagen is the active growth phase of the hair cycle. The duration of the anagen phase is 3-7 years depending on the individual. In contrast, the rate of hair growth is generally the same for everyone. Hair usually grows at a rate of one centimeter a month; although there are factors that can affect the rate of growth ie season and health. The anagen phase is initiated in the follicle embedded deep in the scalp. Over time, the follicle gradually rises to the surface presenting the hair shaft.

The catagen phase is the rest period for the hair lasting approximately 2-4 weeks. During the catagen phase, the hair is no longer actively growing, however; the follicle is still moving towards the surface of the scalp. The follicle also begins to shrink in size marking its near demise.

The final phase of the hair cycle is the telogen phase. This is the period of time in which the follicle sheds mature hair. The shedding period lasts about 3-4 months. In the telogen phase, hair is either shed naturally or pulled out painlessly in the typical grooming process of shampooing, combing, brushing, etc. With the shedding of old hair, the follicle is ready to cultivate the growth of new hair; thus marking both the ending and beginning of the hair cycle. At any given time, 90% of hair on the scalp is in the anagen phase while the remaining 10% is in the telogen phase.

The anagen phase is the segment of the hair cycle that is responsible for length. Unfortunately the duration of an individual’s anagen phase is genetically determined. In other words, there is no way to alter the length of one’s anagen phase nor the natural length of one’s hair. Hormones play a significant role in the anagen phase and provide an explanation for the variances in hair growth between men and women. Androgen, the male hormone present in both males and females, has the greatest affect on hair growth and thickness. Oestrogen, the female hormone also present in both sexes, decrease the rate of hair growth, yet extend the growth period. In pregnancy, the oestrogen levels are much higher which is why hair tends to grow longer in those 9 months. Ultimately, the balance between androgen and oestrogen in individuals regulates hair growth.

Science is a relatively isolated island in the societal landscape. As every other community, practicing scientists speak a dialect of the common language.

One of the tasks of science (and scientists) is, according to one of the theoretical legacies of Marx, to show that the true nature of things is different that its daily and sometimes (alienated) appearance (The development of Science; an introduction to the philosophy of science – Gerard de Vries).

Marx — the example set out in the book — was in that case a scientist who changed our thought on labor. According to Marx, human labor is exploited by capitalists. To “see” this relation you need to dig under the “apparent” superficial level. Then after economic analysis you observe that the real relation between wage and labor is deviated because of entrepreneurial profit. The cause being that workers need to pay more for a product than the wage they receive when making this (same) product.

Marx changed economic thought, but also society. His influence was paramount. Of course his background and ideology explained the direction of his theoretical thoughts, but his study was credible, based on available information of that time and based on the spirit of the time.

And this is — whether you agree with Marx or not — the way the scientific influence on society should be. Based on hard work, evidence, a vision and credibility. If your point is new, credible, innovative, challenging or otherwise interesting, there will always be someone who will catch the point and bring it to the market. If not — like the recent Pluto discussion — the credibility of science is at stake.