In lieu of the Investigate Exhibit… I went to the “Green Wing” to look at animals fallen victims to taxidermy.

 

(The above photo will make sense if you read this post)

The Investigate Exhibit illuminates the possibilities of practicing science in daily life and in fact, without access to an exclusive lab! I certainly condone everyday science so this was probably great.

 

However, I chose to venture over to the “green wing” of the Museum of Science and into the taxidermy(ed) animals… yes very sustainable? Oh how lovely the green wing! I thought as a vegetarian I might see some neat vegetation.

 

No the green wing I witnessed was slathered in stuffed animals. I actually can’t imagine the taxidermy progress being all that green.

 

So, this blog will be devoted to my taking of a most morbid shortcut:

What sparked my interest was a terrifying death I witnessed on Monday April 2nd. While driving on the highway a large, (dare I say unusually large) gray feathered mass attempted flight about 200 ft in front of the vehicle I was in. This peculiar mass tried to fly and failed. Rather it appeared to take a courageous leap of faith to the other side of the highway. It dived into a utilities truck. Feathers coasted about all four lanes. I was disturbed and thanked the cosmos that I am a vegetarian. Honestly, this terrible flight has been replaying for over a week.

 

Thus I gravitated to first the stuffed animals- The mighty Moose I once saw with my mother in New Hampshire and slippery Otters. Eventually to the lower level where I was able to identify the gray mass as a : Turkey.

A huge turkey. For all of you meat eaters out there: this is food for thought.

Yes, I wandered about the delicate Chickadees, Oriels, common Chicken and of course the American Eagle (absolutely not the brand of clothes). I gave myself quite a tour,distracted only by the empty theater in the adjoining wing that had a massive screen with bizarrely high set volume. I suppose this might be the Museum of Science’s idea of background music?

 

Thoughts on the final independent group experiment

My group, (consisting of Fouad, Emily, Dana and me) was  quick to decide on building a mini- Peltier device. We were enlightened by Tom Vales class visitation/ presentation. Amongst other structures built in another time that Vales whipped out of nowhere, the Peltier device was one that stuck out. Although I have previously mentioned the Peltier, I shall elaborate for the sake of clarity.

 

This is Jean Peltier, he is French.

The Peltier device is used in this day and age to cool off beverages with something called the Thermoelectric cooling effect. It is generally found within small, portable cooling systems, think: soccer mom’s carrying portable coolers. Who would have guessed? While it is technically deemed a heat pump, it is mostly used for the cooling effects. The cooling is surprising produced between two different types of metals, one hot and one cold.

 

This is a Peltier device, see the HOT and COLD sides.

This is what the group is aiming to produce. And, I surely have my work cut out for me!

 

Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoelectric_cooling

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Charles_Athanase_Peltier

 

MIT, nuclear, plasma, fusion!

 

This is a picture of the machinery

On Feburary 28th 2012, our class took a little field trip to the MIT plasma and fusion center. It is, in fact as nerdy as it sounds. Which is pretty awesome! I think that nuclear fusion is immensely powerful, and if we could come to practice it effectively, our world would be much cleaner.

 

When was this crazy concept brought about? Well, it is not so crazy…

Now –a- days we think ,we think about everything first. However, in the case of nuclear fusion, it was thought of in 1868 at the Novosibirsk conference held in Siberia. The Tokomak coils were introduced by the VRUSSSIANNZZZ YAH. Tokomaks created currents around the upper coil. 5 Tesla= 100,000 times the Earth’s field, which was worked on for decades, to burn hydrogen and create helium as waste.

 

First I will explain what nuclear fusion is:

It is natural! It happens in the stars and sun, while releasing energy that keeps them radiant and glowing! The stars and sun are made up of plasma. Also, florescent lights. However with nuclear fusion, plasma is contained within a torus shape. A torus looks like a doughnut. This plasma, which is 2mg, is heated up at 10,000x the heating waves of a microwave. That is intense. This process also entails fusing together 2 hydrogen nuclei……no big thing..Plasma is magnetically confined.

 

But why would we want to master this?

1.Because Plasma can be worked as an energy.

2. Waste processing would be so much easier! We are able to confine radioactive wastes to tiny fragments. Emissions reductions waste.

3. Fuel reforming: on-board hydrogen processing, we would not have to depend so desperately.

 

I learned a few terminology differences along the way of the tour and such, that I found interesting. I believe I recorded this information because of the delicate difference in fusion,phison, phusion etc, that , as an English major I have never quite grasped:

Phision= Breaking large atoms apart, nuclear process, releases energy.

Phision= Atomic bomb. This sh*t’s crayyyyzeeee.

Fusion= Hydrogen bomb, which is very very destructive.

 

After the lecture, where I recorded somewhat comprehendible notes, the Suffolk group was herded towards a building across the street. In this shockingly bland looking building (compared to the lively looking dorms), there was a ton of cool gadgets.  The boys were acting even more impulsively than usual, touching surfaces and such. I mean, room after room, this place was filled with neat, innovative machinery.  The very bolts that keep the fusion machine together are MASSIVE.


This is how big the bolts are!

If I remember correctly there is 84-90 bolts around each end of the machine. There was a great screen in the operating room, which had a picture of the fusion occurring. Very cool. While lingering around, we were informed of the lack-there of funding for the continuation of the research. MIT has been given the short end of the stick from the government. Most of the research will continue in Europe, especially France, where the ITER is based, and scientist are building the ultimate nuclear fusion machine. I might be making up the precise name of the structure. But, MIT is an important aid to this development. They are constantly in cahoots with the Frenchies and such, with the further development of the machinery. This is a global movement to a cleaner place for all of us. And, nuclear fusion is very important.  I certainly will pay attention to its development, and support the cause!

An out-dated nuclear power plant, and the fuss around it.

Nuclear power plants happen to be very nice. They might look shamelessly heinous, but as the saying goes- ‘ diamonds on the inside’. In the case of nuclear power plants there is energy on the inside, rather than diamonds. Call me a crazy hippie, but energy is as precious as diamonds. I talked about some real nuclear stuff in my Fukushima Daiichi disaster blog, so I do not feel the need to delve too much into the benefits of nuclear energy. It is nice. That is all.

Indian Point looming in the distance

25 miles north of New York City, on the east bank of the Hudson River there rests the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant.  This plant is responsible for 30% of the electricity used in New York City and Westchester County. Which is quite a bit of energy. The issues that seem to be bothering people is that the plant was opened in 1962. This makes it a little freakishly “out-dated” in terms of how advanced and protected nuclear plants are in present days. Fukushima has created fear in many of the NY residents, also. A plant must be constantly updated and up-to-par. But, what is there to do? If the plant is shut down, there will be substantial financial challenges, and energy will  be compromised ( threats of grid failure etc…).

 

Let me point out that there are 3 reactors on site, one of which is already shut down, and has been shut down since 1974. It was not making the cut. By the vague ‘cut’, I mean that the emergency cooling system was not up to the standards necessary to function under an emergency.

Que the eerie music and thoughts flash-backing to Fukushima emergency cooling system…

 

Alright so, right off the bat there is 1 shut down nuclear reactor out of 3, and one was built 50 years ago. Okayyyy……………… sigh.

 

The two lone rangers of the bunch: nuclear reactors #2 and #3 are functioning, built between the years 1974-1976. These two nuclear nuggets are the suppliers of 30% of the electricity in New York city. That’s a big deal.  Huge domes made from concrete and steel also protect the reactors. Very fashionable.

Look at those fashionable domes!

 

 

Alright, I will pipe down about aesthetics.  OH it is also ranked one of the worst nuclear plants in the world. Thought I might casually mention that.

 

 

There is one major con to the plant shutting down: of course, it is a Fiscal con.

According to the NY Times: Electricity prices would rise 12%, which translates to 1.4 billion dollars a year! Aye carumba. Lets ask Germany to help us out.

 

Another CON= the fact that 2.1 million customers in southern New York would, could, should have power interruptions between 2016-2020.

 

PROS: well, this nuclear plant is rickety. Which is scary.  It is susceptible to lots of scary stuff. There was a case where loads of mucky water from the Hudson polluted one of the reactors. So, if the  40 year license expires in 2013, governor Cuomo NY, would like it to be shut down. Against the cons listed above. He is freaked out by the threats of ever being faced with another terrorist attack, and how unprotected the plant is. Even with those fashionable domes around it. Poor thing is vulnerable.

 

 

It is a matter of safety and immediately implementing new ways of electricity for NYC or just keeping it running, through the threats of emergencies or attacks. Frankly, I think Entergy, who owns the plant should find some ways to get new, fresh energy. And then, carefully dismantle the plant in time.  I am pretty damn frustrated by people’s inability to recognize the important of taking care of clean energy production in America. We just gotta do what is right. For the sake of our children and theirs. Get it done. Do the right thing. Stop all the fuss and invest into stopping what is hurting this earth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are the links, majority NY Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/17/opinion/is-indian-point-the-next-fukushima.html?_r=1

 

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/i/indian_point_nuclear_power_plant_ny/index.html

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Point_Energy_Center

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/17/nyregion/17towns.html

 

 

 

 

Heat, Thermal Dynamics and the magic of a wildly sparking Tesla coil

 

Heat and Thermal Dynamics with scientist- Tom Vales

* How being green has always been pretty suave, and how sometimes the oldest inventions are the best inventions. Because, really, the new stuff sucks the soul out of you: Facebook= not that great, Tesla Coil= brilliant.*


On February 21st, Tom Vales came to our classroom to discuss and show the class what heat and thermal dynamics looked like.  It looked like it was illegal. And, boy! Did he show us! But, first he f

illed us in on some cool facts about old-school engines, and the historic battle of Nikola Tesla vs. Thomas Edison. Here are some factoids I picked up:

 

A long, long time ago there were some very green scientific developments:

–       200 years ago, the discovery of the Peltier device: a thermal cooling device that is now used to cool our beverages and such.

–       In 1834 a cool Stirling Engine was used to replace steam engines. They take no fuel to run, as it is a hot air engine.

–       A thang called a Mendocino motor came about, using magnets to run.

 


Look at the mini- replicas Tom Vales brought in!

 

Scientist Vales, began to discuss the glory of Nikola Tesla, and how his knowledge made living pretty damn easy! He also made sure to stress how genuine Tesla was with his intent to develop the little ole’ concept of: power distribution without wires! He was fascinated by this notion. He was gracious and a true man of science! Oh- and, Tesla created the power-grid. TESLA BELIEVED THAT ALTERNATING ELECTRICAL CURRENT WAS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL WAY TO PROVIDE ELECTRICITY.

 

Hey! You can thank me for the power-grid folks!

 

All the while, in bustling late 1800’s America, there was also man named Thomas Edison. Edison believed that DIRECT CURRENT WAS THE WAY TO GO.  This was not pleasant . Tesla had it right, and homeboy Edison had it wrong.

Edison is perplexed by this thing he is holding..... thinking about cash money

But, because Tesla was humble, and Serbian, he was talked over by Edison and company. (Those loud and confident early American macho men….)

 

Well I be damned! Look at the current!

 

 

After the brief illumination on the Tesla coil (circuit)… Tom Vales brought out his very own model. A homemade Tesla coil, which he held various glass tubes up to! Very calmly, I might add. Although, he did shake often, which he attributed to: too much caffeine. Definitely not the home made Tesla Coil that he was holding rods up to……

Well, takes all types! No, but in all seriousness, he couldn’t have been shaking from the rods and current because he had a wooden barrier between him and the glass bulbs that were lighting up in pinkish neon quite beautifully!