The Science of Ice Skating

                                                                  
To be in the NHL you need to be, among other things, an exceptional skater. The players and coaches seem to agree that to be an effective skater, you need a combination of good technique and physical strength although individual responses differed as far as which was the more important quality. The scientists in this section help break down the mechanics and physics of skating. This starts with the interaction between the blade and ice surface.The nature of ice was examined in  the latest findings by chemist Gabor Somorjai. This new information about ice changes the way we look at skating. For a number of years before Somorjai's research, there was a debate as to whether pressure or friction created the water lubricant that was believed to be required for skating. Most scientists seemed to think that it was pressure. According to Somorjai's findings this is not the case. So what you skate on is actually  vibrating molecules.

Professor Somorjai and his team used new methods developed in the last 10 or 15 years to examine the surface structure and composition of the atoms and molecules that make up the ice. These techniques were developed for high-tech applications like studying the surface of materials that can be used for magnetic disk drives, for example. Somorjai used these same methods to examine ice. What he found was rather surprising. Somorjai told us, the structure we determined was an almost impossible structure, indicating that every second water molecule on the surface was missing. After further study, Somorjai's team found that the missing water or ice molecule was indeed there, but it was vibrating so rapidly that it was invisible to the technique they were using. Once Somorjai and his team found this out, they could change the conditions to further study these molecules.

Professor Somorjai used a vacuum chamber to study the surface of ice and other materials. The vacuum chamber provides a controlled environment for his research. After further study, Somorjai found that these molecules behave like a liquid, but they only move up and down; they do not move from side to side on the surface of the ice. This is an important distinction. If the atoms moved side to side, the liquid like layer would literally become liquid which is what happens when the temperature rises above 32 degrees Fahrenheit. This liquid like layer is thought to be what makes the ice slippery which allows the player to skate on the slippery ice

Why do we have hair?

 Why do we have hair? Whats the purpose of hair? Well First off Hair is important to our health. The reason we have hair on our head is to protect our head from sunburn and overexposure to the sun. Hair also helps with insulation of heat during the winter. A major part of our heat in our body escapes from our head. Our eybrows and lashes are used as a defensive use. Eyebrows catch the sweart beads that could impair our vision. Eyelashes catch dangerous particals in the air preventing eye damage.

Does Fish Sleep ?

Does Fish Sleep ? Yes , Most fish does sleep but however, fish don't have eyelids. Sharks is the only fish with eyelids. Sharks mostly have to sleep while still swimming. Some fish makes it obvious they are sleep because some fish just rest on the botton, or a coral crevice, and parrotfish secrete a mucus "sleeping bag" around themselves before going to daydream mode. If you were to get up quietly during the night, you will see your fish hovering at the bottom over the tank. It's just a minimum of motions with theirs fins which keep them in one position. And if the fish is sleeping longer then usually then one can put food in the tank to wake the fish up.

Most fish switch off to sleep mode when they see they are in a safe area. They are just motionless in one spot when they are sleep, or they build a nest or nestile themselves into seabed or coal. Fish are saving energy when they are sleep but they are on point and aware when something is going or about to happen under water.

Shavorn cooper

5/7/12

The human heart

         In an average lifetime the heart beats more than two and a half billion times, without ever pausing to rest. Like a pumping machine, the heart provides the power needed for life The heart is one of the most important organs in the entire human body. It really does nothing more than pump's blood The average resting heart rate of adults is 60-100 beats per minute . The heart pumps the blood, which carries all the vital materials to and from our cells which help our bodies function and remove the waste that our bodied do not need.

        If the heart did not function our cell would not get the nutrients that our bodied need and the body would not be able to get rid of the toxic waste that our bodies dont need witch can be harmful.Blood that has already been to the cells and has given up its nutrients to them, is drawn from the body by the right half of the heart, and then sent to the lungs to be reoxygenated.Blood that has been reoxygenated by the lungs is drawn into the left side of the heart and then pumped into the blood stream and this cycle is repeated.In a trained athlete the average heart rate of around 50-60 bpm beats per minute This is called the cardiac ouput.This is why doctors say stay health and active and you would live longer, bucause the lesser stress on the heart the better you will be.



Narcolepsy

Narcolepsy:

Tired Much?

 

Narcolepsy is common in the United States, that of

Course being to the regular human, you wake up at a

Certain time and you go to sleep at a certain time. But

What happens if you went to sleep out of no where?

Walking to the store, running on the track field, driving

In a car. Narcolepsy is a neurological sleep disorder that is caused by numerous genes passed down from your parents. A small peptide called hypocretin that operates in the hypothalamus might be the cause. The hypothalamus is normally working around the parts of the brain associated with sleep, hunger, and well-being.

        For those that are completely lost, let me break down all these big named words: the hypothalamus controls the main body processes like setting your correct body temperature, when you wake up, when you go to sleep, and your hunger. Some symptoms of narcolepsy that you may have are hallucinating, micro naps which is sleeping without knowing your sleeping which last from 30 seconds to a minuet, sleepy paralysis which is when you can’t move at the ending of your sleep or the beginning of your sleep. Almost 200,000 Americans are effect with narcolepsy. Most experience its symptoms when the are teenagers but you start to notice around 35-45 years old, and it effect both men and women equally!

        So how would you know if you had narcolepsy? Some fall asleep out of boredom everyday. Well for starters you would have trouble sleeping and breathing at night, snoring a lot, waking up with throbbing headaches, and micro napping.

Which is better for an Athlete?

OR

Every time you sweat, you lose water and minerals. Moving for just a short time, doesn't impact you as much as a 2 hour game of basketball or a half-marathon would. Water is usually a good way to rehydrate,But it can’t restore energy loss from the body. Gatorade can rehydrate the body and replace lost minerals, the one thing that water can’t do for an athlete. As you play a sport or just being active for 1 to 2 hours your body starts to lose a lot of energy and carbs. The sugar in the Gatorade can help restore it and make you feel energetic and refreshed. It’s sort of like fuel for the muscles. This does not mean that athletes should avoid drinking water. Too much Gatorade can cause an imbalance in the body. This can lead to potassium or sodium overloads, called hyperkalemia and hypernatremia, both of which are life-threatening.When it comes to an athletes choice of drink if he or she is playing a sport for more than 2 hours Gatorades best is the best choice.

By: Shavorn Cooper