The Great Race

Whew! That was one complicated project - I tried so many ideas that all failed. In the end, I've reduced it to a simple design using wheels and axels of two different sizes from different toy cars, and a thin platform of cardboard connecting them together. The car represent Newton's Second Law of Motion, which states that mass and acceleration directly affect the force of an object, or mass × acceleration = force. In my car, the wheels add extra mass to the vehicle (they are very heavy). When the car goes down the ramp, the acceleration that it gains and the mass it already has combine to make more force. That force will sustain the car and keep it going, at least until friction slows it to a stop. The one problem with my car is that the wheels don't always go in a straight line, and the car ends up veering slightly off direction. I tried to tape the cardboard to the axel to stop the wheels from turning, but that created resistance which slowed my car down. That wasn't going to work out! Still, my car can keep running for a considerable amount of time, and that's the main point. And after all the trouble it took to make the car, I've decided to name it. So, let's all hope for the best for my car, The Blue Trouble Maker!

Fables 5

The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

A Wolf found great difficulty in getting at the sheep owing to the vigilance of the shepherd and his dogs. But one day it found the skin of a sheep that had been flayed and thrown aside, so it put it on over its own pelt and strolled down among the sheep. The Lamb that belonged to the sheep, whose skin the Wolf was wearing, began to follow the Wolf in the Sheep's clothing; so, leading the Lamb a little apart, he soon made a meal off her, and for some time he succeeded in deceiving the sheep, and enjoying hearty meals.

Moral/Maxim: When thinking like the enemy (or victim), you can overcome them.

The fox wasn't able to kill and eat the sheep when they recognized him. Therefore, disguising himself as one of them, he was able to infiltrate into their flock and deceive them. When this was done, hunting was significantly more easier.

Fables 4

The Four Oxen and the Lion

A Lion used to prowl about a field in which Four Oxen used to dwell. Many a time he tried to attack them; but whenever he came near they turned their tails to one another, so that whichever way he approached them he was met by the horns of one of them. At last, however, they fell a-quarrelling among themselves, and each went off to pasture alone in a separate corner of the field. Then the Lion attacked them one by one and soon made an end of all four.

Moral/Maxim: In a group, you are stronger.

When the lion first tried to attack, the oxen worked together to fend him off successfully. However, when they fought and separated, they were picked off one by one as they were weak and vulnerable.

Fables 3

The Fisher and the Little Fish

It happened that a Fisher, after fishing all day, caught only a little fish. "Pray, let me go, master," said the Fish. "I am much too small for your eating just now. If you put me back into the river I shall soon grow, then you can make a fine meal off me."

"Nay, nay, my little Fish," said the Fisher, "I have you now. I may not catch you hereafter."

Moral/Maxim: No matter how small your prize, do not give it up as it may be all you get for a while.

If the fisherman had let that fish go, he would have lost a meal for that day, however small. The next days may not give him even that much luck, and he may have to go hungry. Therefore, what he did was right for his benefit.

Fables 2

The Crow and the Pitcher

A Crow, half-dead with thirst, came upon a Pitcher which had once been full of water; but when the Crow put its beak into the mouth of the Pitcher he found that only very little water was left in it, and that he could not reach far enough down to get at it. He tried, and he tried, but at last had to give up in despair. Then a thought came to him, and he took a pebble and dropped it into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped it into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into the Pitcher. At last, at last, he saw the water mount up near him, and after casting in a few more pebbles he was able to quench his thirst and save his life.

Moral/Maxim: There is always another way for everything.

The crow tried one way desperately at first, but it didn't prevail. Then, instead of giving up, he found another idea and applied it. This worked, and the crow was rewarded with a nice long drink.

Fables

The Fox and the Goat
By an unlucky chance a Fox fell into a deep well from which he could not get out. A Goat passed by shortly afterwards, and asked the Fox what he was doing down there. "Oh, have you not heard?" said the Fox; "there is going to be a great drought, so I jumped down here in order to be sure to have water by me. Why don't you come down too?" The Goat thought well of this advice, and jumped down into the well. But the Fox immediately jumped on her back, and by putting his foot on her long horns managed to jump up to the edge of the well. "Good-bye, friend," said the Fox, "remember next time...

Moral/Maxim: Without evidence or good reason, don't trust what someone may say, especially if they are our enemy.

What the fox had said seems a little funny if you think about it; what are the chances that the goat hadn't heard such big news like a coming drought? This is even more so since a fox wouldn't befriend a goat (technically, they don't talk or make friends in the real world but for the story) and he seems in a precarious situation.

Ask a Geneticist

We have 46 different chromosomes instead of one big long chain of genes because of many reasons. The first one is because it is easier to reproduce that way. Simple organisms like bacteria only have one chromosome. They only reproduce by duplicated themselves, so variety doesn't matter. With humans and other complex organisms, we reproduce sexually meaning we get chromosomes from both parents. With different chromosomes, more different groupings are possible (10 trillion) and the process is completely random. Genetic diversity is important since we have to be different to survive. If a disease started to cause havoc, many would die. The ones who live would have different genes, and that is what will help us to continue the human race.

Our genes are in certain chromosomes for no specific reason. Over time (generations), genes move around and group themselves in different chromosomes. Genes that are associated with each other can be separated by a few chromosomes. However, some parts are organised. A process called gene duplication helps genes become more organised. Basically, duplicated genes develop new jobs over time, and genes close to each other generally do similar jobs. Scientists still aren't completely sure about the final answer to many of our questions about genetics (and other mysteries of our world), but discoveries are being made by the minute, and it's only a matter of time.

Tour of the Basics - Genetics

Two things learned from the site:

1. All humans have two sets of chromosomes (the sets have 23, so 46 in all). When two humans get a child, they each give one set to the baby. Therefore, the genes are a mix of both parents. A sperm and egg cells have only one set of chromosomes, unlike our other cells. When these two cells join, they form one cell with two sets of chromosomes. The chromosomes that the baby can receive can be from any of the four sets, but it must have one of each and only 46. The sets are given randomly, so every baby is different.

2. Traits can be physical (how they look), behavioral (how they act), or even a medical condition passed down. Our traits are shaped by our genes and environment. Alleles are what scientists use to describe genetic information. Traits are determined by what alleles you have. Homozygous is when someone has two of the same allele (purebred). Sometimes, people will have two different alleles. Then, the dominant allele will overpower the recessive one. For example, brown eyes are a dominant allele while blue eyes are recessive. If someone had both alleles, they would have brown eyes. Heterozygous is what this type of situation (two different alleles) is called. A child will get one allele from each parent, making different combinations possible. This isn't the case for all types of inheritance. Sometimes, the dominance level will be equal and the result will be a combined version. Traits influenced by one gene is rare, and they are called single-gene traits. Complex-gene traits, traits from more than one gene, are more common.