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Category: Science

  • Geothermal Heat and the Sewers of Paris

    Geothermal Heat and the Sewers of Paris

    Winter is here, together with ice, snow, and cold weather. Many people have already started using furnaces fueled by oil, natural gas, coal or other forms of energy to keep their homes, offices and schools warm. These types of energy usually work well. However, they also pollute the environment and no one really knows how long supplies will last. In recent years, many scientists and inventors have been working on alternative energy sources, such as solar or wind power. In Paris, heat from sewers is part of the government’s plan for keeping the city’s buildings warm. This new kind of geothermal heat might eventually help other cities use their resources more efficiently.

    Sometimes people need to be very creative to find a solution for the world’s energy needs. An alternative fuel source that people have been developing is geothermal energy, which uses natural heat from inside the earth to provide power for running machines or keeping buildings warm. The center (core) of the earth is very hot, and the layers above the core are also warm.

    Usually, using the earth’s warmth involves digging holes deep into the ground to find the heat. People have found that the earth’s temperature increases by about 30˚C for each kilometre. Using this kind of heat helped keep the athletes at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics warm, and Iceland has heated its buildings with the energy from its many hot springs and geysers for years. The idea of using sewer water, however, is new.

    The city of Paris is famous for its sewers. Almost 2400 kilometers of tunnels run under the city, carrying waste water from sinks, dishwashers, bathtubs or showers. Much of this water is still warm, with an average temperature of about 20˚C. The sewer heating system uses steel plates containing a heat-transferring liquid, which sits in the water and warms up. The plate is connected to a pump which sends the heat throughout the building. This new heating system can even use the pipes that are already in the building. A school was the first building to receive the new heating system, with the president’s palace, a swimming pool and a town hall next in line. About 10% of the city’s heat is already generated through this system.

    Geothermal heat is much cleaner than traditional fuels like oil and gas, but it also creates some problems. Digging into the ground can release gases like hydrogen sulfide, which pollute the air, and it can also produce deadly liquids in the process of producing heat. Using sewer water is different. With the Paris project, the main problem is in keeping the smell from the sewers from coming into the buildings, but the inventors believe that they’ve solved that problem by creating a tightly sealed system that lets heat through, but nothing else.

    If heat generated from sewers continues to work as well as it has so far, it might help the people of Paris and other cities around the world to create cleaner, more sustainable energy for the future.

  • The World’s Newest Snake

    The World’s Newest Snake

    Suppose that you saw a long, thin brown rope hanging from a tree and that the rope suddenly started to move. What would you think it was? If you were in the Chocoan forests in the South American country of Ecuador, you might realize that what looked like a rope was really the blunt-headed vine snake, which has only recently been discovered. For scientists and other snake enthusiasts, the discovery is exciting and will likely prompt years of exploration and study.

    Blunt-headed vine snakes are the seventh known species in a group called Imantodes chocoensis. These snakes live mainly in Mexico and in Central and South America. Blunt-headed vine snakes are long, thin, and normally brown or cream-coloured. They hunt for frogs, lizards, and other small animals at night, hanging from the trees where they live and grabbing animals that pass by the tree. Although they have some poison in their fangs, they are unlikely to do much harm to people with their venom.

    The most unusual thing about blunt-headed vine snakes is their appearance. They have long, thin bodies with thin necks which then bulge out to a large head. Sometimes, the head can even be about eight centimetres wide, making it seem very large on such a long, thin body. They have large, bulging eyes which take up more than 25% of their heads. Their stomachs and other internal organs are near the ends of their bodies, close to the tail. Their closest relatives live on the other side of the Andes Mountains in South America.

    Although most people have probably never heard of the blunt-headed vine snake, some scientists have known about it for a few years. The snake’s discovery came in April 2007, when a group of zoologists (people who study animals) led by a scientist, Omar Torres-Carvajal from the zoological museum, first found it. After looking closely at it and comparing it with other snakes, they realized that it was a species that no one had identified before. Now they will try to find out how to preserve the snake’s home and to keep it from disappearing.

    Finding an unknown snake in Ecuador was an exciting discovery, but possibly not entirely unexpected. Ecuador is known for its many types of animals and the many species that live there. The Amazon River region is home to many different species of plants and animals. The place where researchers found the snake is part of a region called Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena, which has an area of 274,597 square kilometres. With so much space, there could be many more animals in the area that scientists have not yet discovered.

    For some zoologists, it might seem as if all of the world’s species of animals are already known and that there is nothing new to learn. However, the discovery of the blunt-headed vine snake in northwestern Ecuador could give people new enthusiasm to explore the world’s animals. They could also find new ways to keep the snakes safe from threats and to help them to thrive.

  • The Human Cognition Project

    The Human Cognition Project

    Every day, you use your brain in many different ways. You use it to learn new material at school, to talk with your friends, and even to blink your eyes. Right now you’re using it to read and understand the words of this article. Scientists know that the brain controls the rest of the body, but there are still many mysteries about exactly how it works. How do people really think? Why do their brain functions change as they get older? Researchers working with the Human Cognition Project hope to find answers to questions of human thought.

    The word “cognition” usually refers to the process of thought, including how people get information and what they do with it. Cognition can be conscious, like when you talk with your friends and think about the words everyone is saying. It can also be unconscious, like when you quickly pull your hand away from a hot stove.

    People’s ability to think and process information changes throughout their lives. Young children have to learn the connection between touching hot stoves and burning their fingers, but most people can make connections like these without consciously thinking about them. They learn how to behave in different social situations and begin to develop their own ideas about the world and how it works.

    Cognition changes throughout people’s lives. Accidents, illnesses, stress, or getting older can often affect the brain. Everyone has occasional memory lapses and problems with understanding difficult ideas, but some people have more troubles than others. Some cognition problems are minor and cause few lasting troubles, such as when you forget to do your homework and have to hand it in late. Other problems can be much more serious, such as when people forget their own names and addresses. They could become lost or get into all kinds of other trouble.

    The purpose of the Human Cognition Project is to find out more about what happens when the brain is not working as well as it could. Seven projects are part of the research, covering topics like the connection between what people see and what they remember. Another topic is how this connection relates to witnesses of crimes. Helping people to remember events more accurately could be an important result of the work in this area.

    How people’s brains change as they age is another important part of the Human Cognition Project. When people get older, they often lose their memories or develop other problems with thinking clearly. These problems are often called dementia, and they are an important part of the Human Cognition Project. If scientists could understand exactly why the brain loses so many of its abilities as it ages, they might be able to find a cure for the mental troubles of old age.

    Will all of this study of cognition help people with problems like memory loss or other loss of brain function? It might not provide a cure, but it can at least provide a basis for future research into the human brain.

  • The Collapse of the Great Barrier Reef

    The Collapse of the Great Barrier Reef

    Imagine what it would be like to look down into the ocean and see brilliantly-coloured fish darting in and out of the world’s largest area of coral. Do you know where that is? If you thought of the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia, you were right. For many years, the Great Barrier Reef has been known as the biggest and best coral reef in the world, but that might not be the case for much longer. The Great Barrier Reef is collapsing, and unless something changes it might soon be gone.

    The Great Barrier Reef is a huge coral reef covering 348,000 square kilometres off the coast of Australia. Some parts are 2000 metres deep, while others are fairly shallow. Like other coral reefs, the Great Barrier Reef is actually made up of a lot of different types of plants and animals. Corals look like small trees with branches sticking out in all directions, but they’re not. The brightly-coloured tree-like shapes are the skeletons of animals, but instead of being on the inside of the body, like for people, they’re on the outside. Altogether, the Great Barrier Reef has four hundred types of coral and 1500 types of fish, as well as many other animals.

    All of that amazing life is in danger. Scientists believe that about half of the corals on the Great Barrier have died in recent years, probably because of human activity. Coral reefs have always lived on cycles. Storms or diseases would kill some of the plants and animals, but then they would recover. Recently, the recovery process has been very slow or has even stopped entirely in some areas. The long-term loss of the corals has happened mainly since people started clearing trees off the land in the late 1800’s to make room for farming and raising animals.

    Because of these activities, mud, fertilizers and other toxic substances started to wash into the lagoons and then out to the reefs. Slowly the plants and animals on the reefs started to die. Pollution from boats and other sources might also have been part of the problem.

    Why does it matter if the Great Barrier Reef disappears? The loss could mean the disappearance of some species of animals, such as the marine turtle. Six of the world’s seven species of marine turtles live in the Great Barrier Reef. The loss of the turtles might then affect another type of animal, which would then change another type, and the problem could eventually affect the food that people eat. Scientists are unsure of exactly how coral reefs affect life on land and in water, but they know that the reefs are important.

    Almost every area of the world is facing pollution problems because of human activity. Oceans, rivers, and land are dying because of chemicals and garbage that people throw away. However, you can help. Keeping your own home and school clean and trying not to pollute the environment might prevent disasters like the collapse of the Great Barrier Reef.

    If the plight of the environment and the Great Barrier Reef interests you, why not consider a career as an Environmental Scientist? An Environmental Scientist applies their knowledge of the natural world to help preserve and protect nature.

  • Discovering Marine Science in The Maritimes

    Discovering Marine Science in The Maritimes

    New Brunswick is the second largest aquaculture producing province in Canada (behind British Columbia). Each year the province earns hundreds of millions of dollars as a result of aquaculture production. There are currently over 2000 people in the province working as direct employees in various capacities in the aquaculture industry. Due to the important part the industry plays in the province, it is important the public has the opportunity to become educated and engaged in the subject.

    The Huntsman Marine Science Centre and Fundy Discovery Aquarium located in St. Andrews, New Brunswick provides a unique and educational aquaculture experience for all ages. The 20,000 square foot facility first opened in 1972, but was re-built and re-opened in September 2011. The centre has a research facility, including labs, where research is being done to find a way to sustain and develop the aquaculture industry.

    There are two harbour seals that call the centre home, Snorkel and Loki, who love to entertain the crowds of people who come by to see them. Harbour seals are found in the coastal waters of the Northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, as well as the Baltic and the North Seas. They are brown, tan or gray in colour with v-shaped nostrils and small ear canals. There are an estimated five to six million harbour seals worldwide. The seals at the aquarium are fed twice a day and enjoy eating fish such as menhaden, anchovy, sea bass, herring, mackerel and cod. They also know a variety of tricks, which they have learned since being in captivity.

    There are two touch tanks – one that houses a variety of interesting creatures including sea cucumbers, which are rubbery and slimy and hard to hold on to; clams, which can spit water; and starfish which are hard and prickly. There are an estimated 1800 different species of starfish worldwide. They have a central disk and five arms, though some species have many more. There is also a touch tank designated for skates. There are more than 200 different kinds of skates (and I don’t mean hockey or speed skates!). The skates found at the aquarium are similar to sting rays; they are flat and shaped like a kite and have their eyes located on top of their head. They are found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, and they have a row of spines on their back that can stab and tear if they feel threatened by predators.

    Other interesting sights to see at the aquarium include a large sturgeon tank, a yellow lobster named Fiona and a blue lobster named Lily. Only one out of every two million lobsters is blue, and one out of every thirty million lobsters is yellow.

    If you enjoy learning about marine life, why not consider becoming a Marine Biologist?

  • The Great Pacific Garbage Patch: Filling the Ocean with Plastic

    The Great Pacific Garbage Patch: Filling the Ocean with Plastic

    Have you ever been to a garbage landfill? Have you seen cities where the garbage lies on the street without ever being cleaned up? If you have, you know all about the smell and the general unpleasantness. Did you know that the biggest landfill in the world is actually not on land but in the water? Far out in the Pacific Ocean is an area called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, where plastic and other litter has been floating around and polluting the water. The patch is a major concern for scientists and other people who want to keep the oceans healthy.

    The world’s biggest garbage dump is made up of two sections in the Pacific Ocean, one between California and Hawaii and the other off the coast of Japan. The two sections are connected by a current called the Subtropical Convergence Zone and together make up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The area where the Garbage Patch is located is called the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, a section of slowly spinning water. The area is often called an oceanic desert since it has very few plants or animals other than tiny plankton.

    Instead of animals, however, the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre has huge amounts of garbage, about 90% of which is plastic. The trouble with plastic is that it never completely disappears but instead photodegrades, breaking into smaller and smaller pieces of plastic called “mermaid tears” or “nurdles.” Garbage can float around in the ocean for years or even decades, but eventually it ends up in one of the garbage patches, often floating just below the surface or sinking down to the ocean floor. Some scientists estimate that the size of the garbage patch could be as big as the state of Texas, although others believe it to be much smaller. However big it is, it’s a cause for concern.

    As the pieces of plastic or other garbage float around in the water, they pick up poisons from fertilizers and other substances that wash into the ocean or they join other kinds of garbage floating in the water. Thousands of birds and marine animals, possibly up to a million every year, die from eating or being caught in the ocean’s garbage. Debris that floats in towards the land pollutes beaches along the coasts of countries like Japan and Canada, sometimes even piling up several feet high in some areas.

    Where does all of this garbage come from? Some of it comes from people dumping trash from ships, but about 80% of it comes from land. It could be garbage carried by the wind from landfills or from city streets, which eventually makes its way to the ocean. It could come from litter that people drop into in the lakes and rivers before it floats down to the oceans. That’s why some towns have banned plastic grocery bags, which make up a large part of the litter. In some towns and cities, volunteers help to clean up beaches and other areas where garbage accumulates.

    Every small change can help to get rid of garbage in the oceans. What will you do to keep the world’s water clean?

  • Whales of the Bay of Fundy

    Whales of the Bay of Fundy

    The Bay of Fundy is located between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and is home to the world’s highest tides. The tides range in height from 11 feet to 53 feet depending on location. They change between high and low tide twice a day, carrying with them a hundred billion tons of water.

    The story of the Bay of Fundy, as told in Micmac lore says, “It was a giant whale, who angered the god Glooscap, and created such a splash with his mighty tail that the water sploshes back and forth to this day.” Although this story is entertaining, scientifically speaking the Bay’s tremendous tides are formed by its unique shape, which was created hundreds of millions of years ago.

    In the summer months the Bay of Fundy is the feeding ground for half of the world’s population of endangered North American right whales and 12 other species of whales. They feast on the enormous amounts of krill, plankton, squid and schools of young herring, cod, pollock and mackerel. It is also the preferred location for whales to give birth, mainly because of the vast amounts of food available and due to the protection the bay provides. At any given time the population of whales in the area ranges between three and four hundred.

    The first species to arrive in late spring are the finback and minke whales and harbour porpoises. The endangered right whale usually arrives in mid-July and stays until Fall.

    The most common whales in the Bay of Fundy are:
    The Minke Whale: Can grow up to 30 feet and weigh up to 10 tons. These whales travel in pods of 2 or 3, and can dive for up to 25 minutes without surfacing for air.

    The Humpback Whale: Can grow up to 60 feet and weigh up to 30 to 50 tons. The females of the species are usually larger than the males. These whales enjoy spy hopping, breaching and tail lobbing and usually put on a good show for those who go whale watching.

    The Finback Whale: The second largest whale in the world (next to the blue whale) and generally only frequent the bay during their migration periods, when they are seen following their food sources. The finback can grow up to 82 feet in length, and they usually travel in pods of 2 to 7 whales. They can even live for up to 100 years.

    The North American Right Whale: The most endangered species of whale in the world. There are fewer than 35 left worldwide. These whales migrate to the Bay in the summer months to mate. They can grow up to 50 feet and weigh up to 45 tons.

    The best time to view the many different species of whales found in the Bay of Fundy is August.

  • Cardboard Bicycles: Would YOU Ride One?

    Cardboard Bicycles: Would YOU Ride One?

    Every morning, people around the world get up and take their usual transportation to work or school. But what is their usual transportation? In North America it might be the car, but it’s a different story in many other parts of the world. In most countries, the most common form of transportation is the bicycle. According to National Geographic, people around the planet own 800 million bicycles – which is twice as many as the number of cars. New technology in the bicycle world can affect the lives of millions of people worldwide, just as it did almost two hundred years ago.

    People have dreamed of riding on wheels for centuries. In the 1400’s, the inventor Leonardo da Vinci developed the idea of a machine like our modern bicycles but never made one. In 1840, an inventor from Scotland rode more than sixty kilometres on a two-wheeled machine operated by a foot-powered treadle. Twenty years later, a French inventor developed the idea to include cranks and rotating pedals, much like modern bicycles. In 1860, people first started to use the term “bicycle” for the new machine.

    Air-filled (pneumatic) tires were the next development in the bicycle’s story. Next, people developed different bicycles for all kinds of uses: sleek and lightweight racing bikes, heavy but sturdy all-terrain bikes and much more. The basic structure is the same, however: a metal frame with air-filled rubber tires which help to cushion the rider against bumps in the road. These bikes can be expensive to buy and they need frequent maintenance (especially for punctured tires), but who would think of making them any other way?

    An Israeli inventor named Izhar Gafni hopes to solve the some of the traditional bicycle’s problems with his new invention: cardboard bicycles with solid rubber tires. The tires, made from recycled rubber car tires, can’t get punctured because they have no air in them. Almost all of the rest of the bicycle is made from recycled cardboard, with a car’s timing belt instead of a chain. The outside of the bicycle is covered with a special coating to make it waterproof and fireproof and is then painted. Each bicycle weighs about nine kilograms instead of the usual fourteen kilograms for metal bicycles.

    The low-cost of the new bicycles could make a huge difference in places like Africa, where people might not be able to afford a traditional bike. Even if the bicycles last only a few years, they could give people the transportation they need to go to school, go to their jobs and maybe even get out of poverty. When these bicycles come into stores, they will likely cost about $20 instead of the hundreds or even thousands of dollars a metal bike can cost.

    If Izhar Gafni’s invention works, it could affect much more than just bicycles. Airplanes or cars made out of cardboard would be much lighter than metal ones and use less fuel, making travel cheaper. It could change the world’s transportation systems forever.

  • An Energy Plan Must Be About More Than Just Energy

    An Energy Plan Must Be About More Than Just Energy

    Feeding our energy appetite is top of mind for many people these days. Some argue we should get coal, oil and gas out of the ground as quickly as possible, build more pipelines and make as much money as we can selling it here and abroad. Their priorities are the economy and meeting short-term energy needs so we can live the lives to which we’ve become accustomed.

    Many others question those priorities. Do we gain comfort and happiness by driving inefficient automobiles, buying and scrapping and then buying more stuff that we must work harder to pay for, and selling resources to enrich the fossil fuel industry and to allow other countries to follow our unsustainable path?

    Some governments and industry favour the short-term view. But it’s a “false economy” — it will cost us more in the long run. What about our children and grandchildren and their children and grandchildren? Do we not want them to live healthy and happy lives? If we pollute the air, water and soil that keep us alive and well, and destroy the biodiversity that allows natural systems to function, no amount of money will save us.

    While rushing to exploit our valuable and diminishing fossil fuels, Canada’s government is simultaneously “streamlining” environmental regulations and review processes, cutting scientific staff and departments and limiting public debate on projects that could irreparably damage our rich natural heritage. Some provinces are attempting to water down hard-won environmental laws, like endangered species legislation, that act as a critical hedge against environmental degradation.

    The federal government is also neglecting its legal obligations to protect species at risk. Ecojustice, on behalf of five conservation groups including the David Suzuki Foundation, recently launched a lawsuit to challenge the government’s multi-year delays in producing recovery strategies for species that would be affected by the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway project.

    If we don’t slow down and try to look at ways out of the mess, energy issues will continue to increase, like the Hydra of Greek mythology. With pipelines, the main issue is rapid tar sands expansion. But other massive energy projects are also coming down the pipe — from huge dams, like the Site C in northern B.C., to proposed drilling for oil and gas in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Arctic. To what end?

    Not only are fossil fuel companies making record profits, they’re being subsidized by Canadian taxpayers to the tune of $1.4 billion a year. Instead of giving them money, shouldn’t we be compelling them to put at least a small portion of their enormous profits into reducing the massive greenhouse gas emissions they cause?

    A large part of the problem is that we are increasing our fossil-fuelled ambitions at breakneck speed in the absence of a national energy strategy. No one seems to know where we’re going, but the end of the road is looming, and it might lead to a steep drop. We’re already harming precious ecosystems and are ready to put even more at risk without having an idea of the often irreplaceable value they represent. With climate change and its impacts, along with deforestation, pollution and increasing urbanization, we’re condemning millions of people to lives of poor health, desperation and even death.

    Still, we’ve also created much that is good. We have political systems that encourage public debate and access to information. There are politicians and industry leaders who have joined countless citizens, First Nations, and environmental, labour and social-justice organizations to question current policies and actions. We have science, medicine and technology that have allowed many of us to live longer. We need to find ways to reconcile our existence with the limits of our finite planet.

    What Canada really needs in the short term is a national energy strategy — one that goes beyond fracking and tar sands and pipelines to take into account these many other factors, including wiser use of fossil fuels. It must help us make the transition from our wasteful addiction to polluting and ever-diminishing fossil fuels to conservation and renewable energy. Globally, we need to shift from the outdated 20th-century notion of measuring progress with gross domestic product to a development paradigm that takes into account well-being and happiness, and that accounts for nature’s valuable services.

  • Gum Recycling

    Gum Recycling

    Do you ever chew gum? How many times have you heard your parents or teachers tell you to put your finished gum in the garbage instead of spitting it out onto the sidewalk or leaving it under your chair? That’s good advice, since no one likes to have gum stuck to the bottom of their shoe or on their clothes or hair. Gum is sticky, and it can create a mess that is very difficult to clean up. Even in the garbage, however, gum can be a problem, since it never biodegrades. It would be far better if the gum could be reused or turned into something different. What if you could reuse gum and make it into a chair, a plastic container or fertilizer? Some scientists and inventors have found ways to turn discarded gum into many different products, and it’s helping to make cities cleaner.

    Cleaning up used chewing gum might not seem like a big problem, but it can be very expensive and difficult for city governments. According to research company Euromonitor International, Canadians bought more than 15,600 tonnes of gum in 2011. Much of that gum ended up on the streets. In one small area of a Toronto sidewalk, city officials once counted 2000 gum stains. Getting rid of that much gum can be difficult because it’s so sticky.

    One way to get rid of discarded gum is to use high-powered hoses that spray water and chemicals, but that can be expensive and wasteful. In Calgary, the government spends $50,000 each year on removing gum just from its light rail train stations, besides the money it spends to remove it elsewhere. The process ends up wasting a lot of water, as well as uses chemicals that might harm the environment. However, gum recycling might help to provide a solution for the problem.

    One of the first people to discover a way to recycle gum was a student named Anna Bullus from England, who found a way to change gum, which is made of rubber, into plastic. She now uses this plastic to make bright pink Gumdrop Bins where people can put more of their used gum. The bins come in 250-piece and 500-piece sizes and are appearing all over the country.

    Officials at the Southampton Airport in southern England, for example, claim to have the first airport in the world with gum recycling bins. Some of the gum from these bins ends up being recycled into a rubbery material used for construction and for running tracks. Some of the gum even ends up as toys. The United Kingdom already has a thousand gum bins in bus depots, train stations and other public areas. Some people estimate that the bins have reduced gum litter by 75%, and the project is still growing.

    Gum recycling is also coming to other parts of the world. Gumdrop Bins have appeared in an amusement park in the United States. In Canada, a company called Envyrobubble collects gum in 1000-piece containers and recycles it into fertilizer. If the idea of gum recycling catches on, who knows where it might appear next!