Final Reflection Task

* As you start to mature, how are your views about the world changing?

* Do you care about current event? Why or why not?

* Should you care? Why or why not?

* Do you think your feelings and thoughts about currents will change as you grow older?

I think that we have to be aware of everything that happens around us or to us. I think that the more we know about the world, the more we will know about ourselves. I think it is normal that the world would change overtime and the world keeps on changing.

I absolutely care about current events, they are just special. Some of the events are interesting, some are funny, some are educational, some are tragedies, and some are...... If you know more, you will get more from it.

We should all care about the current events. That's because we aren't kids anymore and we shouldn't be that naive and shallow, you have to learn and know what's happening.

Me feelings and thoughts towards current events will change when I grow older, I'll be more mature than I am now, so that means, I will think differently as a person/thinker when I know more things. I think I will change overtime.

Darwinius masillae Discovered in Germany

Must Read! Global Issue!

The Link to the article:

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/05/19/human.ancestor/index.html

The Link to a relevant video:

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/05/19/human.ancestor/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

Darwinius masillae discovered in Germany

What is Darwinius masillae?

Darwinius masillae is a primate fossil.

Here is a personal profile of this primate fossil:

Name: Darwinius masillae (nice name!)

Nickname: Ida (nice nickname!)

Age of Fossil: 47 million years old (so old...)

Age of Death: About a Month (poor thing)

Size: Approximately 2 feet long, Small cat-sized (just like the size of my dog!)

Year Discovered: 1983

Place Discovered: Messel Pit, Germany (I think it's near Frankfurt......)

This primate fossil is formally named Darwinius masillae and the reason is to honor the anniversary of Charles Darwin's 200th birthday. Charles Darwin discovered a theory of evolution, so it is highly related to this primate fossil as this fossil may be our great-great-great-great-great grandmother or our great-great-great-great-great aunt, one word for that, our ancient ancestor.

Any Impact?

No, there isn't any serious impact, but there will be knowledge and understanding being discovered during this event, for example, we will know ourselves better as a human being after discovering something that may be our past, and we understand ourselves better. And that is the knowledge and understanding of ourselves. This affect would be a long term, and may last forever...

Reflection

This event will affect all of us directly, we can know more about the past or our past after discovering buried fossils. This article drew my interest because I think I should tell you all that this may or may not be our past, but this discovery is still very interesting. I think we should pay more attention on the discoveries around us and learn from that.

Scientists are chasing Killing Tornadoes

Local Issue

VORTEX2 (V2) chasing Killing Tornadoes across Midwest U.S.

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Here is the article:

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/05/14/vortex2.tornado.chasers/index.html

Relevant Video:

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/05/14/vortex2.tornado.chasers/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

Some Photos:

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/05/14/vortex2.tornado.chasers/index.html#cnnSTCPhoto

What is VORTEX2?

VORTEX2 (V2 for short) is the largest organization and spends the most effort made to understand tornadoes. There are over 100 scientists and up to 40 science and support vehicles.

What Happened?

There were huge and powerful storm tearing through the Midwestern states in U.S. on Wednesday and there are three deaths resulted. So Vortex2 is risking there own lives trying to get near the tornadoes and study small and big details about them, including:

- How, when, and why do tornadoes form? Why some are fierce and very long-lasting while others are weak and short lived?

- What is the structure of tornadoes? How strong are the winds near the ground? How exactly do they do damage?

- How can we learn to forecast tornadoes better? Current warnings have an only 13 minute average lead time and a 70% false alarm rate. Can we make warnings more accurate? Can we warn 30, 45, 60 minutes ahead?

Will there be any Impact?

Yes, well the tornado disaster is a great impact, people became homeless and lost everything. But VORTEX2 went there and did a research about tornadoes, so if we can know more about these killing tornadoes, it would be easier to prevent innocent deaths and lost. This research is important as long as there are still tornadoes because we should avoid any more of these unalarmed tornadoes.

My Reflection

I think this issue will not affect me or any people who lives in Hong Kong directly because we are very fortunate and don't have any disaster here yet, but as we grow older and we have to be very independent. We will need to prevent this happening, so I think that this research is very important to the present and the future generation.

A Mission to Rescue a Space Telescope - Hubble

A Must Read Article that discusses this Global Issue!

Link to the article:

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/space/05/11/shuttle.mission.hubble/index.html

A relevant video:

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=7529448&page=1

What is a Hubble? What so special about Hubble?

Hubble refers to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and is named after an astronomer, Edwin P. Hubble. This Space Telescope was launched on April 24th 2009, so that means, Hubble has already been in space for nearly two decade. But what is Hubble doing in space?

Hubble has helped a lot discovering new knowledge that we don't know about the universe and Hubble gives us a closest look outside in space and has brought back more than 500,000 images. Hubble is taking a lot of images of this wonderful universe for us, let me show you some!

What happened to Hubble?

Well, it happens to every one of us, when we get old, we need some younger people to take care of us, just like Hubble. Hubble been in space for two decades orbiting Earth and observing something that we can't reach and now Hubble is old, Hubble needs someone to fix something, or else...

Hubble's system that commands the instrument and transmits data to Earth is not functioning correctly, so National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is planning to send a shuttle crew form by seven astronauts to save/repair/fix Hubble.

How will the crew fix the problem?

The crew will replays the old instrument with three other instruments and two will be inactive. And they will replace other components so that ensures Hubble functions normally until 2014. And the mission will take place during May.

Their is a major risk for the crew because there aren't any space station near where the mission take place, so of any thing happens, NASA will have to send a second space shuttle in space to rescue the crew.

My Reflection

This event will not affect me directly. I wrote this event because I think that we all should know about this event. It is just so fascinating that we can send satellites and space telescopes into space and observe it and it is just so wonderful on the discoveries made by them.

More than Hundreds of New Frog Species found in Madagascar (Africa)

Global Issue, MUST READ, MUST READ!!!

Look at these cool photos of new frog species!!!

More Than a Hundred of New Frog Species found in Madagascar, Africa. Here is a link to the website that has more detailed information:

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/05/06/eco.madagascar.frogs/index.html

Date: May 6, 2009 -- Updated 0848 GMT (1648 HKT)

Hundreds of new frog species found in Madagascar

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What? Who? When? Where? Why?

More Than a Hundred of New Frog Species found in Madagascar, Africa. Involving approximately 200 new frog species. Thats means the existing number of amphibians that we know will be doubled, what an amazing news! The journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA suggested that we have underestimated the species of frogs in Madagascar.

Some scientists said that our diversity of species in Madagascar is far from being known and there is still a lot of scientific research to be done. I think that if we know better about the world, we would be able to study about it and try to save it.

Any impacts? What have we learnt?

I think there will be no impact after all! And we learnt not to underestimate nature. Nature is not to be underestimated, it has a lot of wonderful things that you wouldn't have imagined, but if you carefully observe it and study it, it has beyond surprises that you can think, it has things hidden and buried underground for a long time waiting for someone to dig it out, and there is millions of treasures that you couldn't find anywhere else! So we should protect this environment we have.

My reflection

I think that this new discovery would not affect me directly. And think, there has been 200 more frog species discovered, and it actually DOUBLED the amphibians species that we know, how amazing is that, don't you think so? I think that this discovery is very interesting for me to share it to everybody. And, like I said, the place we are in is very wonderful, and I still want it to be. Hope you all can get something by reading this and please post some comment and share your thouhgts, thank you!

Local Breaking News: Mexican jet to pick up 10 people in Hong Kong

Local Breaking News

Here is the link to the Article 'Mexican jet to pick up 10 people in Hong Kong'

Date: 6th May 2009 (Wednesday)

http://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking_news_detail.asp?id=14180

What Happened? Who was involved? When did it take place? Where did it take place? Why did it happen? And what are the consequences of this event?

A Mexican jet is currently stopping at four places in China, including: Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Guangzhou. And the mission is to pick up Mexican people that in each places, because of the strict measurements made to the newest disease, Swine Flu. Involving 10 people in Hong Kong.

All the flights from mainland China and to Mexico during the weekend, will all be suspended. So all the tourists are Stuck in both places, and will remain there, TRAPPED!

How many people are involved? What will the impact be on the people involved? Will the impact be the same for everyone or will it affect different people differently? Is it Long or Short term?

There are about 200 Mexicans involved and they are stuck in the places that they are currently in for at least a few days. If they are being suspected of having H1N1 (Swine Flu) in Hong Kong, mostly Mexicans, because the disease started there, you'll have to stay in your hotel and some mask medical staff in protective suits will transfer them to about 30 ambulances and will send them to the airport.

My Reflection

This Local will not affect me directly, but I still have to be cautious and stay happy and healthy, in order to prevent any illnesses, so I won't be likely have this disease. And I think I will eat more healthily and do more exercises, and mostly, be very hygienic, I will always wash me hands too!

I'm very interested in this event and I post is, because I think everyone should know this and be aware of it. I think we should all be more careful.

I also think that the Hong Kong Government has overreacted and is acting over the limit. I think of course, they should be careful with any suspicions, but I think the Mexicans are mostly 100% healthy and has no sign of having H1N1, and they have just been kicked of of their hotels and have to go directly home. I think this is not fair for them and they don't really deserve to be treated like that, don't they? I mean, they are all fine and I don't see the point of doing that!