Technology

ARTICLE 1

Title of the Article  Are Aquariums Getting Too Lifelike
Author of the Article  Todd Heisler
Date Published March 22, 2010

The main points of the article. Why is this issuediscoverytechnology important

This article is about how the harvesting of certain marine creatures that are harvested because of their uses to marine aquarium hobbyist could upset the balance of nature.  The article focuses on the authorized harvesting of certain species of crab and invertebrates that frequent coral reefs and are bought by hobbyists because of the ability of these creatures to clean the artificial fish tanks and maintain the balance within the mini ecosystem of the aquariums.  However, some scientists argue that harvesting these creatures can eventually lead to their extinction.  This is refuted by experienced harvesters who claim that the species that they harvest can be sustained and have the ability to reproduce at rapid rates resulting in their re-population even after they have been totally harvested.  Scientists also argue that research on these marine creatures that are harvested should precede the harvesting because of the thousands of species that are being harvested every year, only a few of these have been studied in depth.  The article concludes with the assertion that regardless of reasons overfishing should be given much thought because there is always the possibility that because of over harvesting, some of these species may no longer be around for future generations to enjoy.

An opinion on the scientific merit of the article. (good science, useful science, pseudoscience)

The importance of this article lies in the fact that it is environmentally relevant.  It states what could happen to the marine ecosystem on account of the issue being tackled.  The article reiterates the need for people to ensure that the environment is not being abused or over used because an upset in the balance of the ecosystem could have serious consequences.  This is serious science taken in the context of the existence of humanity because as humanity is a part of the circle that includes all living things, anything that happens to any creature in this circle could have devastating effects on humanity.

What you learned that you did not know before.

The matter of hobbyist collecting various species of shrimp, crab, and invertebrates in their tanks for the purpose of balancing the mini ecosystem is something new for me.  Before, I always thought that these creatures are only kept because of their aesthetic and visual appeal but it turns out that they actually serve a purpose more that just what I initially thought they were intended for.  The issue of licensed harvesting of these creatures is also new to me because I always thought that harvesting these creatures was prohibited by law.

How the article relates to topics that have been or will be covered in class.

This article can be taken under the topics on biology and more specifically marine biology because it deals with the wildlife that is found in the sea and their roles in the balance of the marine ecosystem.  It could also be included in lessons on zoology as it refers to creatures from certain species that naturally exist under water,

ARTICLE 2

Title of the Article  Water Found on Moon, Researchers Say NASA, via Reuters
Author of the Article  Kenneth Chang
Date Published November 13, 2009

The main points of the article. Why is this issuediscoverytechnology important

This article is about how a space mission known as the Lcross Mission, which consisted of a two segmented missile crashing on the surface of the moon the crater Cabeus apparently came across 26 gallons of water.  The missile which was used had an impacting head and a segment that was designed to measure the debris plume.  According to the scientists who observed this particular crash of the missile the impact threw back a plume that consisted of molecules that were an indication of the presence of water.  This discover is quite important to the future of the human race because of plans of inhabiting the moon in case the earth becomes inhabitable.  The discovery of water on the moon is vital to future plans of building space infrastructure on it.  Other than just this, the discovery of water on the moon as is apparently stated in this article might merit further manned moon missions.  Aside from just water being a source of sustenance for those who soon plan to inhabit the moon, scientist also stated that water can be broken down into its component molecules if it should be used as rocket fuel.  The article also explains that despite this seemingly breakthrough discovery the amount of water found is not enough to merit conclusive evidence of abundant water on the moon.

An opinion on the scientific merit of the article. (good science, useful science, pseudoscience)

This article is very important in that it offers brand new insights on something that was previously not known.  It can be used by other researchers as a starting point for other future researches on the moon.  This article presents very useful science because in the history of space exploration the moon has played a very important role and the discovery of water on its surface, no matter how minimal opens brand new avenues of exploration and study.  In itself, this article has the capacity to jump start innovative studies into the matter of lunar habitability.

What you learned that you did not know before.

Naturally, as this is a new discovery I did not know that there was water on the moon before.  Despite previous readings that have only assumed the presence of water on the moon, no study has yet been conducted to confirm this theory prior to this particular article.  Aside from just this I also learned that there are indeed continuing studies about the lunar surface and scientists are actually considering the possibility of one day living on the surface of the moon.

How the article relates to topics that have been or will be covered in class.

This article can be taken under the topics on astronomy and the solar system as it takes into consideration earths natural satellite, the moon.  It can also be tackled under scientific breakthroughs space exploration because it not only focuses on the moon itself but also, more importantly, on the more in the context of its role to the existence and sustainability of our own planet, the earth.