January 2023
Volume 5 Issue 4
Have you ever wondered how humble plants could be used as alternative energy sources? Or how our huge network of global shipping affects marine life? Or if you should really be using your phone throughout the school day? If you have, then you’re in the right place. Our featured articles this month answer these questions and more. So join us in celebrating the start of a new year that is sure to be jam-packed with brilliant youth science!
by Artash Nath
Low-frequency noise from marine shipping is an underwater acoustic pollutant in oceans. The noise spectrum overlaps with frequencies marine mammals use to communicate and navigate, leading to stress and increasing collision with ships. This research established a model to measure the contribution of anthropogenic activities to underwater noise levels. The COVID-19 lockdown led to a global decline in commercial and cruise shipping.
by Thomas Liang & Arpit Kumar
To combat the ever-increasing carbon dioxide emissions, the implementation of “carbon-negative” technologies, such as carbon capture and sequestration, is essential in the fight against climate change. Thus, this article proposes the combination of a MechanicalTree(TM) and membrane-based filtering system as a cost-effective alternative to existing direct air capture (DAC) technologies. While accounting for several variables, we provide a downsized experiment of our prototype and explain the rationale behind our methodology through a benefits-drawbacks and techno-economic framework.
by Asiya Iskander
My study uses a quasi-experimental design to explore if cell phone use before a learning activity impacts secondary school students’ math test performance. The significant p-values confirmed that cell phone use increases the test completion time and decreases the accuracy of test results. This finding suggests that students should not use a phone during breaks.
by Parham Golshenas
Flaxseed oil is one of the vegetable oils utilized to create clean energy sources. Biomass, biodiesel, and linseed oil can all help to reduce pollution on the planet. The importance of this work is that the Earth is getting polluted increasingly every year and flax may be the miracle and answer we are looking for.
by Aizah Kashif
The effectiveness of monoclonal antibody therapy in rheumatoid arthritis was determined by analyzing three clinical trials performed by researchers from multiple regions in the world. Each trial involved patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis receiving the CD4 antigen for a set period, while suspending the administration of all previous medications. The combined results of the investigations display that monoclonal antibody treatment against the CD4 antigen proves to lessen the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in patients for the duration of the trials, while the long-term effectiveness of the drug remains unknown.
by Teighin Nordholt
Radiation is a widely misunderstood concept among students and few tools exist to help instruct the topic. A cloud chamber is a visual radiation detection apparatus whose design has not yet been investigated through the explicit lens of education. This study aims to address this gap through the engineering design process.
by Maya Sternin
Infrared thermometers sense body temperature without making contact with the body. The method they use is optical spectroscopy, in the infrared region. At higher temperatures, the peak intensity shifts to the visible part of the spectrum, and a webcam-based optical spectrometer can be used to measure the resulting blackbody emission spectra. Comparing these spectra to the theoretical predictions, the correct temperature can be determined. Several LED light bulbs are tested to verify their advertised spectral temperatures.