As we begin a Chapter 2 titled MATTER, it brings to mind anti-matter. Anti-matter was an important part of the plot in the movie Angels and Demons. According to the movie, a scientist at the CERN research facility in Geneva had found a way to contain a small amount of anti-matter, an extremely dangerous material that contains the amount of energy compared to a small nuclear weapon. Is anti-matter real?
Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space, so any thing made of particles. Particles that are electrons, neutrons and protons. Anti-matter is made of positrons, the anti-matter of electrons, and antiprotons. Anti-matter and matter can not occupy the same space. It would mean annihilation and a release of high energy. So yes the plot of Angels and Demons is plausible. Also, in 1995 CERN was able to created a form of antimatter, antihydrogen.
So if the Universe is made of matter is there another place made of antimatter? There are particles of antimatter released in the Universe. It occurs when atoms collide. Why is antimatter important or is it? It contains a large amount of energy, but at what cost?
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Nanoparticles in the Human Body: Hollywood or Reality?
There have been many movies and tv shows made with the science of nanopartiles in the human body as part of the plot. The list of movies include GI Joe, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Prey, The Diamond Age, Spiderman II, and Agent Cody Banks, just to name a few. Tv shows include Eureka, Stargate, Warehouse 13 and Fringe.
But is this just science-fiction or is it possible?
Media has produced much entertainment about flying cars, time travel and shrinking but do we have that today?
Nanotechnology is a broad description that is given to processes and technologies used to produce materials which are purposely engineered through the manipulation of atoms.
There are four categories of nanotechnology used today.
1. used in cosmetics and sunscreen
2. nanoclays placed in products to improve hardness, heat resistance and strength
3. nanotubes to minimize static electricity in fuel lines, flat panels and paint on cars
4. medical field
North Caroline State University is now looking at how nanoparticles affect the human body. How do cells interact with nanoparticles? Will nanoparticles be able to control cells?
Wouldn't it be great if we could tell nanoparticles to control and kill cancer cells? 
In this image, targeted nanoparticles--each about 1/100th the size of a human cell and engineered to be stealthy within the body--deliver high doses of chemotherapy to cancer cells.
What about nanoparticles that control behavior? Where do we draw the line?
Lynn Goldman and Christine Coussens, Editors, Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research and Medicine Implications of Nanotechnology for Environmental Health Research
North Carolina State University. "Probing the Nanoparticle: Predicting How Nanoparticles Will React in the Human Body." ScienceDaily 16 August 2010. 17 August 2010 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100815162136.htm.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Do we have alternatives? Nuclear Fission
Nuclear fission is the process of splitting atoms, or fissioning them. Uranium is the principle element used in nuclear reactors and in certain types of atomic bombs. The specific isotope used is 235U. When a stray neutron strikes a 235U nucleus, it is at first absorbed into it. This creates 236U. 236U is unstable and this causes the atom to fission. The fissioning of 236U can produce over twenty different products. However, the products' masses always add up to 236.
Uranium is placed in rods in the reactor's core. Free neutrons are released into the core. When a neutron hits the nucleus of a uranium atom, fission occurs, tremendous amouts of heat are released. When the nucleus was split 2 or 3 neutrons were set free. Those, in turn, split the nuclei of other atoms, setting more neutrons free. A chain reaction takes place in the core creating large amounts of heat. A coolant circulates around the rods of uranium in the core. The most used coolant is water, but newer plants use liquid metal instead.
The coolant is used to keep the reactor from getting too hot. It is also needed in the generation process. The coolant absorbs the heat produced by fission. It travels through tubes until it reaches the steam boiler. Pressure inside the tubes prevents the coolant from boiling. At the steam boiler, the heat from the coolant passes through the tube walls and heats up sea water. The sea water was pumped in from a nearby river or stream. The heated sea water boils into steam. The steam travels through pipes to a turbine. The steam causes a turbine to turn, which then turns a generator to create electricity.
Many scientists have argued about a long term storage for our nuclear waste. Many think the waste should be placed in concrete containers and buried far beneath the Earth's surface. Others say that some of the waste should be loaded into rockets and shot at the sun. Some countries have already decided on their plans. Canada is currently looking at a plan to bury their radioactive waste underneath the Canadian Shield. The United States has a plan to bury their waste underground in Nevada where some nuclear experiments and tests have already been conducted. So far, continuing debates have prevented much of anything from being done about nuclear waste. Unfortunatelly, after buried underground, the nuclear waste can take millions of years to decay.
Problems
Although nuclear power plants have many advantages, they have some major problems. If anything were ever to go wrong inside the reactor, the results could be disasterous. One of the most dangerous difficulties is the possibility of a nuclear meltdown. This occurs when the core overheats in an uncontrolled manner -- the core simply melts. Such an event would release amazing amounts of radioactivity. There are many emergency cooling systems and back-ups to prevent the reactor from getting to meltdown temperatures.
One problem that was not stopped was the incident at Chernobyl. The Chernobyl plant reached 150 times its normal power level. The pressure inside the water holding tubes there became so great that finally the plant just blew itself apart. Poor construction and operation of the power plant caused the disaster. The disaster killed 31 people and 20 square miles of land are now uninhabitable. Some people say that the Chernobyl accident is responsible for many cases of cancer all across Europe. The scientists and environmentalists fighting against nuclear power, use accidents like these as their argument.
The Three Mile Island accident of 1979 was a partial core meltdown in Unit 2 of the nuclear power plant of Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Dauphin County,Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.It was the most significant accident in the history of the American commercial nuclear power generating industry, resulting in the release of an estimated 43,000 curies of radioactive kyrpton. The accident began on Wednesday, March 28, 1979. However, no deaths or injuries to plant workers or members of the nearby community can be attributed to the accident,and a government report (the "Kemeny Commission Report") concluded that "there will either be no case of cancer or the number of cases will be so small that it will never be possible to detect them. The same conclusion applies to the other possible health effects."
Uranium is placed in rods in the reactor's core. Free neutrons are released into the core. When a neutron hits the nucleus of a uranium atom, fission occurs, tremendous amouts of heat are released. When the nucleus was split 2 or 3 neutrons were set free. Those, in turn, split the nuclei of other atoms, setting more neutrons free. A chain reaction takes place in the core creating large amounts of heat. A coolant circulates around the rods of uranium in the core. The most used coolant is water, but newer plants use liquid metal instead.
The coolant is used to keep the reactor from getting too hot. It is also needed in the generation process. The coolant absorbs the heat produced by fission. It travels through tubes until it reaches the steam boiler. Pressure inside the tubes prevents the coolant from boiling. At the steam boiler, the heat from the coolant passes through the tube walls and heats up sea water. The sea water was pumped in from a nearby river or stream. The heated sea water boils into steam. The steam travels through pipes to a turbine. The steam causes a turbine to turn, which then turns a generator to create electricity.
Many scientists have argued about a long term storage for our nuclear waste. Many think the waste should be placed in concrete containers and buried far beneath the Earth's surface. Others say that some of the waste should be loaded into rockets and shot at the sun. Some countries have already decided on their plans. Canada is currently looking at a plan to bury their radioactive waste underneath the Canadian Shield. The United States has a plan to bury their waste underground in Nevada where some nuclear experiments and tests have already been conducted. So far, continuing debates have prevented much of anything from being done about nuclear waste. Unfortunatelly, after buried underground, the nuclear waste can take millions of years to decay.
Problems
Although nuclear power plants have many advantages, they have some major problems. If anything were ever to go wrong inside the reactor, the results could be disasterous. One of the most dangerous difficulties is the possibility of a nuclear meltdown. This occurs when the core overheats in an uncontrolled manner -- the core simply melts. Such an event would release amazing amounts of radioactivity. There are many emergency cooling systems and back-ups to prevent the reactor from getting to meltdown temperatures.
One problem that was not stopped was the incident at Chernobyl. The Chernobyl plant reached 150 times its normal power level. The pressure inside the water holding tubes there became so great that finally the plant just blew itself apart. Poor construction and operation of the power plant caused the disaster. The disaster killed 31 people and 20 square miles of land are now uninhabitable. Some people say that the Chernobyl accident is responsible for many cases of cancer all across Europe. The scientists and environmentalists fighting against nuclear power, use accidents like these as their argument.
The Three Mile Island accident of 1979 was a partial core meltdown in Unit 2 of the nuclear power plant of Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Dauphin County,Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.It was the most significant accident in the history of the American commercial nuclear power generating industry, resulting in the release of an estimated 43,000 curies of radioactive kyrpton. The accident began on Wednesday, March 28, 1979. However, no deaths or injuries to plant workers or members of the nearby community can be attributed to the accident,and a government report (the "Kemeny Commission Report") concluded that "there will either be no case of cancer or the number of cases will be so small that it will never be possible to detect them. The same conclusion applies to the other possible health effects."
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Saving the Planet
Over and over in the news I hear about global warming. Unpredicatable and unusual weather is said to be a sign of the affects of global warming. I am concerned as a human about the future of man kind. Our we destroying ourselves? What can I do to help? Experts tell us we need to make less of a carbon footprint on Earth. How is my life going to affect the planet when I am gone? My family has started trying to be more "green". We have changed our light bulbs, turn off lights and use less water. We also try to use less gas, but honestly we probably did not do that for the planet. Face it gas is just expensive!
Now I have started looking at changing to a "green" car, but I am so confused. Some say that the batteries in electric cars cause as much damage to the environment to make as just driving a gas car. Fuel cell cars are also in the news. Does it cause more electricity or other source of energy to be used than it helps?
ATOMS are use for creating energy through fusion and fission. There has always a lot of debate about how safe the process and the resulting material is for the environment and people. When subatomic particles of the atom (protons, neutrons, and electrons) are divided or combined great amounts of energy are released.
BrightLight Power, Inc. has developed a way to release energy stored in hydrogen atoms through a chemical process. In this process the solid fuel is regenerated and reuse not consumed as coal and other fossils fuels are currently consumed.
I continue to have my doubts. We are a society of leisure. We want to have the easy life at what ever cost. We want to be told that there is going to be an easy answer to global warming and that we do not have to change the life style that we have and love.
Now I have started looking at changing to a "green" car, but I am so confused. Some say that the batteries in electric cars cause as much damage to the environment to make as just driving a gas car. Fuel cell cars are also in the news. Does it cause more electricity or other source of energy to be used than it helps?
ATOMS are use for creating energy through fusion and fission. There has always a lot of debate about how safe the process and the resulting material is for the environment and people. When subatomic particles of the atom (protons, neutrons, and electrons) are divided or combined great amounts of energy are released.
BrightLight Power, Inc. has developed a way to release energy stored in hydrogen atoms through a chemical process. In this process the solid fuel is regenerated and reuse not consumed as coal and other fossils fuels are currently consumed.
I continue to have my doubts. We are a society of leisure. We want to have the easy life at what ever cost. We want to be told that there is going to be an easy answer to global warming and that we do not have to change the life style that we have and love.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Protons - What good is this information?
The red image at the left is an illustration of a proton. You have been learning tiny particles atoms for many years. You probably also remember that atoms are made of protons, neutrons and electrons. Protons themselves are made of quarks and gluons.
Read the article
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