Best Tips For Teaching Students To Develop Their Scientific Writing Skills

Writing is not an easy skill, no matter how simple it may seem at a first glance. But, you need it to go through your education with success Everything is based on writing when in school and if you have good writing skills, you will do better in everything. Exams, essays and so on, all have a huge impact on your school results and they all require writing.

As a teacher, you need to help every single student improve their skills and acquire new writing skills. Your students will become better people as a result of this.

But, most teachers don’t realize that they will need to provide a lot of help for their students so that they can develop these skills. They have a responsibility to do this. While your students can improve your skills without working hard, you have to be there to make sure that they are doing a good job.

Follow these tips to help your students learn more and better:

Encourage good and penalize bad writing

Some teachers want to get good results but never want to do anything about it. They never motivate their students properly and if they want their students to work well, they have to ask for the results. Let your students know that they will get a reward for good writing and that they will be punished for bad writing. Let them know that those who make great efforts to write well while being thoughtful and clear will be able to get some extra points and better grades and that those who work less and make less efforts to write well will be penalized with negative points or worse grades.

Build their mindset

Clear rules and expectations are not always enough and they might not work on all of your students. So, you have to inspire them to create great papers by letting them know just how important writing skills are. This is motivating them rather than scaring them. “You can make them understand that good writing extends beyond just school and that it’s crucial for success. Give them examples of people who have succeeded in their life because of writing skills and people who failed because they missed out on learning how to write properly” says Delia Plants, copy-editor at Stateofwriting and Australian help.

Allow them to practice a lot

Every skill gets better with practice. Repetitive work makes it better and more high quality. Small changes in your routine will make it easy for you to organize practice lessons and you can do this every day. Ask for a small amount of words on a specific topic so that they can practice being succinct and brief while still going in-depth on a certain subject. It can be boring and tedious for them at first but their skills will definitely improve. They will start writing so much better than they did before and this will create a huge improvement in their life. Diversify topics and genres. They can write non-fiction one day and then put their imagination to good use and write fiction the next day, Involve them in homework, assignments, exams and so on.

Instruct them through the writing process

When you provide your students with an assignment, you should explain how they can start writing it and how they can make it through all of the elements of good writing. Take some time to talk with them and address their concerns and issues. You can emphasize the importance of creating an outline.

“You can also give them a good starting points and tell them about techniques, methods and so on that will help them save time and energy. They will be able to memorize these things and their skills will get better with time,” says Jorge Nesbit, editorial assistant at Oxessays and Academized.

Give feedback

You can also give them feedback during this process. You can share with them many different things about when they did well, what they did wrong, what they can still improve on etc.

Become their role model and mentor and share with them useful feedback.

Help them read a lot

Good writers are also experienced readers. You should give your students plenty of time to read and even create one assignments where they have to read a book every week. This will expand their vocabulary and help them write better.

While writing isn’t rocket science, you can help your students learn better and faster if you know how to do that. Use these tips to improve your student’s writing skills.

Nora Mork is an education journalist at Ukwritings and Boomessays. She is often invited to speak at online conferences and to contribute columns to Essayroo blog.

The Science Behind Mold: Understanding the Fungi & How to Tackle It

By Jackie Edwards

Molds are a diverse fungi group that have been on the Earth for millions of years. Even though they can approximate bacteria in size, molds are eukaryotic organisms, meaning that their genetic material is enclosed within a specialized membrane that lies in the interior of the organism. Mold plays a fascinating role in the decomposition of organic material, but it also poses a health threat to humans who inhale mold spores in the air, leading to a range of respiratory illnesses.

Understanding The Fungi

Although there are many variations of mold, all molds are fungi that are microscopic in size. Like all fungi, molds derive energy not through photosynthesis but through the organic matter on which they live, meaning that mold needs a food source and moisture in order for the fungus to reproduce. Molds reproduce by releasing spores, which contain the genetic material necessary for the formation of a new organism. These spores can float through the air and, if landing in a hospitable moist environment, can germinate to form a new mold. Put simply, then, mold is caused by excess moisture, which is why surface mold arises in damp homes or places where moisture accumulates, such as the bathroom or kitchen sinks.

Health Effects of Mold

Mold is a natural part of the environment and plays an important part in nature by breaking down dead organic matter such as fallen leaves and dead trees. However, mold becomes a problem when it grows indoors, because the fungi is associated with various health risks for humans, particularly humans with asthma or a mold allergy. Public health research from the University of Berkeley has found that of the 21.8 million people reported to have asthma in the U.S., approximately 4.6 million cases are estimated to be attributable to dampness and mold exposure in the home. Because of their minute nature, the health dangers of inhaling mold come from mold spores in the air or, in cases of rotten produce, mold spores that grow on the surfaces of the food we eat.

Getting Rid Of Mold

To cope with indoor mold, bleach and scrub surfaces where mold appears. Bleach kills mold spores, effectively preventing the fungi from spreading. You will also want to shampoo linens (eg., curtains, towels) where mold can live in and shampoo carpets with a bleaching agent. Large-scale instances of mold on the wall can be remedied through mould-killing paint, which bleaches and kills the spores before masking them from your new property. Finally, sodium bicorbonate (or baking soda) is an effective, safe and low-cost mold killer. Place a bowl of baking soda in your home to gather moisture and discard and replace when the powder turns clumpy.

Mold is an important phenomenon across many ecosystems, albeit not one that most homeowners want to find lurking on surfaces after a rainy day. Fortunately, though, mold fungi are easily treated with a bleaching agent and can be controlled to protect vulnerable humans from respiratory distress.

Innovations Expected To Make Driving A Worthy Experience

BY JACKIE EDWARDS

The demand for automotive engineers was set to rise by 18700 in 2018, according to a survey by the Recruiter. This is not a shocking statistic considering that the automotive industry is one of the greatest markets in the world. The constant application of science to daily life in the form of innovations like machine learning is once again showing up in the manufacturing of cars. Cars are getting sleeker, more intelligent, and highly accommodating with each update. New innovations continue to improve the driving experience now and for the future.

Autonomous Vehicles

Also called self-driving cars, autonomous vehicles are finally here after decades of research and test drives. A self-driving car means you can have a hands-off experience on the highway. With the latest car diagnostic tools, it is only fair you have the best car to test them on. The level 3 automated driving Audi A8 is just the first of many. The science behind this amazing feature is a combination of sonar, GPS, radar, laser scanners, odometry, Lidar, and inertial measuring units. A combination of these features ensures that the car senses its environment, including the road structure, other road users, and approaching cars to adjust its speed. It may be a while before these cars are allowed on roads without a driver though.

Biometric Vehicle Access

Gone are the days when a key could help you access your car, and so are the days when you could break into a car using a hanger. The existing radio frequency key fob technology is awesome, but biometric vehicle access is even cooler. During its launch in the 2018 North American Auto Show, the Nissan XMotion showcased its fingerprint scanner that opens the door. Your car basically starts when you touch it. Biometric technology is already used in connected cars, and will be seen in more mainstream and futuristic cars in the coming years.

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The History of 3D Printing

by Megan Ray Nichols 

3D printing has taken the world by storm in the last decade, but the technology isn’t as new as you might think. Believe it or not, the idea behind that desktop-sized 3D printer in your shop dates back to the 1980s. Let’s take a closer look at the history of 3D printing and where it might go in the future.

The 1980s — The Birth of 3D Printing

The first attempt at creating a 3D printer occurred in 1980. Dr. Hideo Kodama filed a patent in May of that year. This new 3D printer relied on photopolymer materials — liquids that could be printed, then exposed to light to harden into plastic. While this plan does sound like a viable one, Kodama never commercialized the design, and the 3D printing industry seemed dead on arrival.

In 1986, Chuck Hull invented the SLA-1 — the world’s first 3D printer that could build objects one layer at a time. In this case, the SLA-1 used lasers to cause selected chains of molecules to link together, forming plastics or polymers. The next year, Carl Deckard of the University of Texas came up with a different type of 3D printing — Selective Laser Sintering, or SLS. Deckard’s machine built an object out of layers of powder, then used lasers to melt the powder, hardening it into the finished plastic.

In 1989, S. Scott and Lisa Crump, a married pair of inventors, came up with the 3D printing technology that we know today — fused deposition modeling. The machine would melt a polymer filament and deposit it onto a substrate layer by layer until it finished the design.

3D printing had officially been born, but these early models lacked something — an easy and user-friendly way to design things for printing.

The 1990s — Computer-Aided Design

Designing something for a 3D printer might seem easy now, but imagine doing it without a CAD program at your fingertips. That’s what the early 3D designers had to do — create plans to build their objects without the assistance of a computer-aided design program. Commercial CAD programs became more readily available throughout the 1990s, though purchasing a 3D printer was still often too expensive for the home inventor.

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7 Problems with Scientific Translation

Erica Sunarjo

All over the world, scientists are conducting groundbreaking research, writing compelling papers, and educating people on a variety of topics. Everyone benefits when scientific information is disseminated across the Globe. Of course, not all scientists speak the same language. As a result, scientific documentation, texts, research notes, and other materials must be translated, so they are available to anyone who can benefit from them.

Thankfully, there are services that offer scientific translation and localization.  However, the process is not always as simple as one might assume. If translation professionals don’t take special care, mistakes can happen. Here are 7 problems with scientific translations that both translators and members of the scientific community must be aware of.

Lack of Translator Expertise

Scientific and technical translations can cover an exceptionally wide range of industries and academic disciplines. Some of these are quite advanced. Others are simply unique and require very specific skills and background to understand. It can be difficult to find translators with the right expertise to execute accurate and certifiable translations. People who need such translations struggle to find qualified translation professionals and often fail to get final translations that are accurate.

In these situations, translation services and their clients must take extra steps to ensure accuracy. This might include having subject matter experts in addition to translation professionals verify documents, provide needed details, and assist those involved in the product to ensure accuracy.

Unclear Source Documents

Even scientific documents can contain idioms, jargon, and phraseology that can make translation challenging. In addition to this, scientific workers and researchers may use different words and phrases to reference scientific and clinical terms. There’s also the issue of false friends. These are words that sound very similar in two languages but are actually distinct. This can be further confused by the fact that in scientific research many false friends have some similarities. Something as simple as the term ‘medical device’ can cause refusing results due to the false friends phenomenon.

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Why The Skin Wrinkles And The Best Ways To Delay The Process

by Jackie Edwards

Aging is an inescapable biological process that results in cellular wear and tear. Though they say that it comes with wisdom and social respect, aging also brings a series of health issues, including a risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Healthy skin has a soft and smooth epidermis that protects the other two layers of the skin from direct exposure, but as the years go by, it starts to look rough and wrinkled. This is caused by two multifactorial processes known as intrinsic and extrinsic aging. The good news is that you can suppress the wrinkles by taking care of your skin ahead of time. 

What is Intrinsic aging?

Intrinsic aging is the natural deterioration process that takes place as you age. This aging syndrome is influenced by genetic factors that cause cells to lose viability and die. Around the age of 20, one starts to produce 1% less collagen in the skin each year, and as a result, the skin becomes thinner, fragile and more vulnerable. This type of aging inhibits the proper functioning of the sweat glands. Additionally, the skin starts to produce less Elastin and Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Wrinkles that are caused as a result of intrinsic aging are inevitable, and that is why you can approximate the age difference between two different people just by looking at them, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

Understanding Extrinsic aging

This kind of aging occurs as a result of exposure to various environmental conditions and an unhealthy lifestyle. Some of these factors include exposure to the sun, stress, drug abuse, and pollution. With extrinsic aging, a young person who smokes and uses drugs might have a more troubled complexion than an older person who does not abuse drugs. Influenced aging also affects elements such as Collagen which provides firmness, Elastin which facilitates elasticity and GAGS which help to keep the skin hydrated. Both intrinsic and extrinsic aging cause roughness, uneven tone, brown patches and deep wrinkles. 

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How Augmented Reality Invaded the Banking and Food Industry

“55% of consumers would like to be able to point their phone at any object and receive information about it.”
                              ~ Research from Mindshare

There was a time when television was the best tool to make viewers feel the physical experience of something from their bed. And today augmented reality (AR) has set the stage for marketers to enhance the interaction with their target customers in a really different and effective manner. It engages the users to deliver a more compelling experience that can boost your product offering.

Every business is working on some form of augmented reality today for their product or brand enhancement. It is expected that by the year 2024, AR products global market will take a jump by 80% and will reach $165 billion. Augmented reality engages the customers and enhances the customer experience.

With the help of this blog, we will present a few examples of businesses who are successfully engaging their customers via augmented reality throughout their customer journey.

Banking becoming More Interactive

No matter how exceptional or efficient is the system of any bank, the most important thing that a user expects is the end result – an outstanding experience.

The banking industry has embraced digital technology with an aim to boost customer service. Internet banking, mobile banking, and pay banking are a few technologies that banks are providing to their customers. But how exceptional it will be if banks start to provide the detailed information about the account balance, payment due dates, credit/debit card balance, and so on just by scanning the card of the customer.

Yes, all the above-mentioned features are possible today with the help of this extremely useful technology in the banking sector – Augmented Reality. Banking sectors, today, are constantly shifting towards using AR technology to enhance the experience for customers

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10 Websites to Help Students with Their Science Homework

Diana Adjadj

Over the last decade, the workload on the students has risen dramatically. According to the recent study, 75% of college students spend up to five hours a day doing their science homework. It’s not surprising that most learners feel tired all the time.

If you want to boost your studying process and get more free time, you should utilize digital tools and services. Here is a list of top 10 sites, which may help to improve your performance.

Google Scholar

To write a high-quality academic paper, you should conduct in-depth online research and find scholarly sources to base your work on. But the problem is that the internet is overloaded with tons of unreliable content and it’s rather challenging to find scientific papers using Google search.

If you want to get access to scholarly literature, you should use Google Scholar, a specialized web search engine. It will help you to find the following sources:

  • Scientific journals
  • Patents
  • Books
  • Government reports
  • Other trustworthy sources

Academia

Academia is another reliable search engine for academic papers. Here you can find articles published by researchers from all over the world. Even more, you can use this site to submit your own scientific works.

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Understanding the Science Behind Refrigeration

by Megan Ray Nichols 

How many times have you gotten up, opened your fridge, looked in for a minute for something to eat, then closed it again without taking anything out today? If we discount the fact that leaving the fridge door open wastes up to 7 percent of the appliance’s energy use when was the last time you thought about your fridge or your air conditioner and how they work to keep your home and snack food cool? How did the milk in your fridge make it from the cow that created it to your home without spoiling? Let’s take a closer look at the cool (pun intended) science behind refrigeration that we so often take for granted.

Why is Refrigeration Important?

We all know that we keep our milk in the fridge to keep it from spoiling, but how does keeping it cold make sure that you’ve got a fresh dairy topper for your morning Frosted Flakes?

We’ve been keeping food cold since prehistoric times. Even cave dwellers realized that if they kept their food in a cool cave or packed it in the snow, it would last longer. Thankfully, we don’t have to wait for a snow day to keep our food cold these days — most homes in developed countries have at least one refrigerator, with 23 percent having two or more.

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10 Steps to Structuring a Scientific Research Article

Bridgette Hernandez

Writing and formatting often go hand in hand. In anything from scripts to essays, there needs to be some kind of order. Especially when dealing with difficult concepts, a robust structure can help your readers stay afloat.

In the world of science writing, structure is that much more important. Research articles pack in a lot of information. You don’t want your readers to feel bombarded. Help your readers follow along with these ten steps.

Pick a Clear and Succinct Title

Many writers struggle with picking the perfect title. It’s understandable. The title is the first thing a reader sees. However, choosing the right title will be what helps to draw readers in. Try to include plenty of description.

Long titles should be avoided at all costs. Of course, it can be easy to get carried away. There is a lot to say! Still, shorter titles will capture readers’ imagination more easily.

Include an Abstract

An abstract gives your reader a “preview” of the content. Another way to see it is a summary. Abstracts make research articles scannable. When dealing with a lot of information, they help readers decide which texts to read. Use that your advantage.

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Reading and plotting data in Jupyter notebook

For this tutorial I am going to assume that you have some idea about using either Jupyter notebook or Python in general. I also assume that you have Anaconda installed, or know how to install packages into Python. If you do not, then I would first suggest putting a few minutes aside for installing Anaconda and taking a crash course in Jupyter.

The data structure

I am breaking down the data that I’m going to work with because the things I’m going to talk in this post can be applied to any other data which looks similar – That is, a simple two column data, which when plotted will form a 2D line plot with an x and y-axis.

In my lab we use a spectrometer to collect data. For the uninitiated, a spectrometer is basically a fancy prism with a camera at the rainbow end to take a black and white picture (intensity) of the rainbow. The data in this case is formed by spatially dispersing an input light into its constituent colors (wavelengths of that color). The intensity for each color is recorded using a camera. That is two columns of data – Wavelength is the first column, in nanometers and Intensity is the second column (photon counts, let’s say). The data file, of a near-infrared spectrum around 900 nm, if opened in a text editor, would look as follows.

900.0999819	1072801
900.200739	1087873
900.3014958	1101660
900.4022521	1113931
900.5030081	1118967
900.6037637	1099496
900.704519	1097624
900.8052738	1113681

If you would like to use the same data file I am using, you can download it from here.

Now, note that ASCII files like these are easier to handle for us starters and should show good numbers when opened using notepad or Microsoft excel.

Other proprietary formats such as the ones that directly come out of our spectrometer, like .SPE formats (for Princeton instruments cameras) is a binary format. These will give you garbage if you try to open these with notepad or excel. There is a way to open these using Python, but you need to have a detailed information about the format and construct the code accordingly to read them properly. In this post I’m going to deal with simpler ASCII (text, CSV files etc) files only.

If you are dealing with SPE or other such difficult file formats, I would suggest using a file conversion software that usually comes with the equipment to export the binary file to txt or csv format.

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11 Websites That Can Help You with Your Math Homework

by Jerry Rhodes

Math is one of the subjects that make a lot of students struggle while in school. However, the math does not only challenge students, but it also puts a lot of parents in difficulty. Everyone knows that education doesn’t end in the classroom. Those parents who want the best from their child, know this very well. Therefore, parents along with teachers put a lot of efforts into coming with alternative solutions to stimulate children’s intelligence and prepare them for the future. On the other hand, technology continues to evolve, making teachers and parents think of solutions to put difficult subjects like math into a technological context. This is how the websites which help students with their math homework appeared.

11 Websites That Can Help with Math Homework

Math is Fun

Math is one of the subjects that make a lot of students struggle while in school. However, the math does not only challenge students, but it also puts a lot of parents in difficulty. Everyone knows that education doesn’t end in the classroom. Those parents who want the best from their child, know this very well. Therefore, parents along with teachers put a lot of efforts into coming with alternative solutions to stimulate children’s intelligence and prepare them for the future. On the other hand, technology continues to evolve, making teachers and parents think of solutions to put difficult subjects like math into a technological context. This is how the websites which help students with their math homework appeared.

11 Websites That Can Help with Math Homework

Math is Fun

Even though math is not always fun, this website tries to change student’s misconception about it. This website comes with simple math exercises to make children find the fun in math. On the other hand, whenever parents are in difficulty and they don’t know how to help their children, this is a good website to find the answers they need. On top of that, parents can use the tests and activities provided by the website to check whether their child has understood the material. The fun element comes also from engaging mathematical games and printable worksheets.

K-5 Math Teaching Resources

“Many parents and children love this game. It has a lot of games and activities connected to math and real-life events that no children can get bored when he browses this website. This is an excellent resource to help children understand better what he learned in class”, says Michaela Williams, writer at WowGrade.com. Students can choose from four categories of math exercises: geometry, data, measurement, and numbers. With just one single click, students up to 5th grade can consolidate their math knowledge.

Learn Zillion

Visuals will always have a better impact than written text. When it comes to students and math, then videos are the best option to help children understand this subject better. There are various videos which will teach children more about various math strategies and help them get an A at math tests. This site is ideal for children from 2nd grade and up.

BBC Bitesize

Everyone knows BBC as the national broadcaster which offers the latest news about the world. BBC did a step forward to come closer to their viewers and they created Bitesize to help both students and parents who are looking for free advice on math. David Williams, content director at Studicus.com, recommends Bitesize as “one of the most colorful websites offering online clips to help children love math like never before. Everything is easier and fun on Bitesize. What is more, the subjects are organized on various categories for English, Welsh, Northern Irish, and Scottish students”.

Primary Maths Arena

When math lessons are delivered in a fun game, then it becomes irresistible. Even though children finished their homework, they can still learn a bit more math during some fun games. Primary Maths Arena offers plenty of online games showing children that math can be a lot of fun. “Children will love this website as it comes with a lot of light and colors. Moreover, they can also play these games with other students in their network, making competition and games even more appealing. It is difficult to find another similar game which can sharpen the kids’ mind so much”, says Eleonor Dickens, editor at ProEssayService.com.

Khan Academy

Again, interactivity and visuals come into play. Khan Academy offers various videos and practical exercises to help children love math while learning at their own pace. The exercises’ difficulty varies. Therefore, there will be some which children will do on their own. But, there will be also others which push children’s limits and get out the best of them. Khan Academy website is recommended for children from kindergarten and up.

Cool Math

This is another website destroying the myth that math isn’t fun. The first element that catches students is its vivid colors and design. Moreover, it answers the questions for students of different ages. Starting from easy exercises to the most difficult ones, Cool Math covers a variety of subjects. For example, here students can practice pre-calculus, algebra, and many more.

NRICH

When it comes to expertise, NRICH is definitely one of the winners. Funded by a team of teachers from Cambridge, NRICH helps children do their math homework online, irrespective of their age or knowledge level. “This is one of the best websites to help children become highly skilled in math. Whenever they need help on their math homework, this is the website which will give them the answers they need. What is more, each answer comes together with a step-by-step explanation. Thus, it becomes easier for children to understand how he can find the solution to his problem”, says David Culson, marketing manager at EssaysDeluxe.com.

Doctor Genius

This website offers a lot of math practice for kids. It covers some of the most important math subjects for students in the 6th grade. What is more, it allows students to choose their difficulty level. Therefore, those who are not very experienced can start with the beginner exercises. Once they start mastering the basic math concepts, they can move to the next difficulty level and so on.

XtraMath

Whenever parents get stuck in their children’s math homework, they can always take a look on XtraMath. It deals with the most basic concepts like adding, multiplying, or dividing. All the information is wrapped up in a set of video games which make math fun and engaging. The only competitor students race against is time and themselves. What is more, this website is preferred by most parents because it is not only effective but also free.

Cosmeo by Discovery Channel

Even though this is not a free website, it has plenty of exercise combinations which can make math a lot of fun. Students can find here a lot of videos and math tutorials. Thus, thanks to various multimedia elements, it will become easier for them to learn math and sharpen their attention and intelligence. Cosmeo successfully manages to keep children engaged and learn to have logical thinking thanks to its math exercises.

Any of the above eleven websites can be of true help for children. They don’t have to struggle with their math homework to start using some of the websites above. Students can use these websites to understand math concepts better and learn more than they are taught in class. On the other side, parents can use these tools to keep their children interested in math and stimulate their imagination. Finally, these websites offer solutions for children starting from kindergarten up to high school. Thus, they can become an excellent method to keep children entertained and develop organized and strategic thinking.

Why Do Pipes Freeze in Winter?

by Megan Ray Nichols 

It’s one thing that no homeowner wants to deal with, but it’s often the reality during cold winter months — frozen pipes. In addition to cutting off water to the home, these pipes can also burst, causing water damage. Why do pipes freeze in the winter, and what can you do to prevent them from getting cold enough to freeze? What should you do if the pipes burst? Here are some tips and tricks to help you get through the winter with your plumbing intact.

Why Do They Freeze?

First, why do pipes freeze?

Like most things filled with water, they freeze when the temperature drops below the freezing point of water — 32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 degrees Celsius.

With pipes, there are two more variable to consider — movement and expansion. It’s harder for water to freeze if it’s in motion. That’s why lakes will freeze at 32 degrees, but it takes much lower temperatures to solidify rivers and waterfalls.

If a section of your pipe starts to freeze, the water expands. This behavior is an anomaly in nature because most liquids don’t grow when they solidify. Water, however, will become denser until it reaches a point just before freezing, then it will start to expand again. In a confined space like the inside of a pipe, this extra pressure doesn’t have anywhere to go, so it will cause the tube to split.

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How Did They Build the International Space Station?

by Megan Ray Nichols 

The International Space Station has been in orbit around our home planet since 1998 when the first piece of the station was lifted into orbit. Now, the football field-sized space station sits in orbit above the Earth — but how did they build this massive piece of engineering? Let’s take a closer look the ISS and all the work that went into creating it.

A Global Collaboration

There’s a reason it’s called the International Space Station. It is the result of a massive collaboration with the space agencies in countries around the globe. It included engineers and experts from NASA in the United States, the Canadian Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the European Space Agency and Roscosmos out of Russia.

The station itself is divided into two segments — the Russian Orbital Segment,which includes four Russian owned sections, and the U.S. Orbital Segment, which includes portions that are owned by the U.S. and the other member countries.One of these sections, Zarya, is included in the Russian Orbital Segment because Russia built it, but it belongs to the United States because we funded it. Zarya is the first component of the ISS that was sent into orbit.

Years of Construction

Construction on the ISS started in the early 1990s, even though the first segment didn’t launch until 1998. The idea dates back to the Reagan Administration. In 1984’s State of the Union address, the then-President directed NASA to build an international space station within the next decade. If only he had known then how far that declaration would carry us.

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More Than Just A Green Carpet – The Science Behind Artificial Turf

by Jackie Edwards

Globally the artificial turf market is worth a staggering $2,060 million and it is growing at more than 6% per year. In the US and Canada artificial turf systems have had an oddly mixed past, cycling between periods of high popularity and, in some cases (such as in Vancouver), being outright banned. Modern artificial turf systems are far more complicated than you would ever imagine and while they don’t yet produce the smell of cut grass, they do mimic real turf in surprising ways.

The Bad Old Days

The original artificial turf systems seemed to be exactly what everyone needed. These instant lawns needed little upkeep, could be laid indoors and looked great. These were, in essence, simply green plastic carpets. The simplicity of them led to a boom in their use across the country but this boom proved to be a bubble. The original systems provided no real cushioning for those who impacted upon them causing a rise in sports injuries compared to real grass. In addition the plastic blades could be over 30 degrees hotter in the sun than grass. The bubble burst and many artificial turfs were ripped up and replaced with the real thing. Something had to change.

Starting From The Ground Up

Manufacturers realized that there was more to a lawn than just the grass itself. Artificial turf was often laid on top of concrete or tarmac because it needed stability to remain useful. Such a surface was unyielding and dangerous. Initial attempts were made to create subsurface structures that resembled soil. Crumbled rubber was good but it was still hot and did not allow for good drainage. Sand was great for drainage but it was abrasive and dangerous if it got in your eyes.

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