Science & Education 

How does vaping affect students in high school?

5/1/24

By: Aidan Quirk, 10

One of the primary locations for vaping among high school students is the school bathroom. Generally, bathrooms allow students to vape undetected and unsupervised. This poses a significant risk to their health and well-being and the health and safety of others exposed to secondhand aerosol.

Vaping and e-cigarette use threatens student health and academic achievement and is draining precious school resources. Vaping has affected students and their academic progress. Students that vape are more likely to miss classes and miss what their teacher is teaching because they are in the bathroom using this e-cigarette. Being caught vaping in school has some serious consequences. It is possible to be expelled from school if you are caught vaping in school. Vaping is illegal for minors in most states, and schools often have strict rules against it. If you are caught vaping in school, you could face disciplinary action, including detention, suspension, or even expulsion

Most teachers are aware of this issue, but don’t really say much about it to their students. It shouldn’t be the teachers' responsibility to enforce this ‘no vaping’ policy on students, But unfortunately someone has to inform them of the dangers with this. FDA research suggests that when teachers talk about the health consequences of vaping, and schools enforce anti-vaping policies, students may be less likely to vape. Helping youth understand the consequences of vaping can help promote a lifetime of healthy behaviors and choices.

Despite the decline in e-cigarette use among high school students, close to 40% of high school students using e-cigarettes reported frequent use, and 29.9% reported daily use. Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development, which continues into the early to mid-20s. E-cigarettes can contain other harmful substances besides nicotine as well. The long-term effects of vaping can lead to severe illnesses and health conditions that may not have a cure. Say no to vaping!

Scientists discover how air pollution may trigger lung cancer

9/20/22

By: Sophia Barry, Grade 10

Air pollution is linked with an increased risk of lung cancer in people who never smoked, but new research describes one reason that might help explain how. According to the article titled, "Scientists, Find Clues to How Air Pollution May Trigger Lung Cancer," the findings presented on “Saturday at the European Society for Medical Oncology Presidential Symposium in Paris, suggested that air pollution can trigger lung cancer in people with no history of smoking because some air pollutant particles may promote changes in cells in the airways.” This evidence shows how damaging some of the contents we release into the air are. We all breathe the same air, and can be unaware of some of the damaging chemicals and harmful pollutants we release into the oxygen, without even realizing we are the ones breathing the same stuff we put out there. 

Scientists say that the next step is to discover why some lung cells with mutations become cancerous when exposed to pollutants while others do not. Some people have a higher risk of contracting lung cancer, even without being exposed to these pollutants in the oxygen. Several cases of lung cancer, are traced back to inhaling cancer-causing chemicals in the atmosphere.

To The Moon and Back

3/10/22

By: Emmanuel Nelson, 9

Currently, Elon Musk which is the CEO of the Starlink corporation has been planning to build rocket ships that would have the power to take people on tours to the Moon. He plans on making space travel much easier for our generation the last time someone touched the surface of the moon was back in the year [1972 of December]. He has constantly been working on Starlink ships to provide a stable connection to different areas located around the world which are also fitted with the ability to automatically land on launch pads with little to no effort at all. Having a stable and advanced rocket ship will make the mission to the moon much easier to conduct with constant connection, even from Outer space.

The SpaceX company has already signed up a couple private moon travelers for the mission. This would help them determine the potential their rockets have to land on the surface of the moon. They’ve constantly been testing the rockets especially when it came to the landing portion of it. 

The announcement for who the secret moon travel would be will be said on Monday at the company’s headquarters which is also located in Hawthorne, California. The original plan was two have two volunteers to pay for the trip inside the Falcon around the moons orbit that also contained a dragon crew capsule. Elon Musk had said that the pair had approached SpaceX about sending them on a weeklong flight and they also paid a significant amount for the trip. The new strategy for flying around the moon was something that was still being planned for and it wasn’t certain if they were actually going to launch is just yet. This is because they have to check for all the possible safety risk and the accomidity is would have for human passengers aboard the vessel. The flight is currently considered to be about a year off from taking off and it is now confirmed that only one person would fly aboard it.

Even though Elon Musk wants to be able to take people on trips around the moon his through goal is to actually place humanity on his moon but the plan could take a couple years before it is actually taken action upon. It is presumed that the mission for mars will be accomplished by the year 2025 or a couple years after.

Volkswagen Is Considering Joining Formula 1 

11/17/21

By: Joseph Herbert, 11

VW is in talks about having two branded F1 teams, run by its Porsche and Audi branches respectively. Audi of Volkswagen is in early talks with Mclaren about a deal that would get the German carmaker back into Formula 1 racing, according to several people familiar with the whole situation. VW is exploring using the racing arm of the UK supercar group as a way of bringing itts Audi brand into the sport, as part of a larger effort to re-enter F1. Discussions are still at a very early stage with few firm details and no due diligence until sometime early next year.

Volkswagen wants both its Audi and Porsche's arms to enter F1, which might let the German car company show off their technologies. This arrangement might also involve VW selling its technologies to other teams like how Mercedes-Benz supplies engines for Williams. This is to bring down investment costs. 

The group’s effort for re-entry into Formula 1 depends on whether or not the sport’s governing body, FIA, pushes through rule changes that mandate cars must be half electric, and able to run on sustainable fuels from the middle of the decade. Volkswagen may not decide until next year whether to team up with McLaren or to pursue alternate relationships with the likes of Red Bull Racing or Williams Racing. The company is pursuing the world’s most prestigious racing series to showcase its electric vehicle technology to attempt to challenge Tesla. This is why VW is pushing for more eco-friendly rule changes for F1 in 2026.

Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess has been trying to slim down the carmaker’s packed system of many other companies, and become more nimble as part of an asset review announced five years ago. This plan didn’t succeed, and their efforts to get rid of companies like Lamborghini and Ducati failed, and they even added to their webs of brands with the U.S. truck maker Navistar International Corp. McLaren has struggled financially since the pandemic disrupted its productions and the Formula 1 racing circuit. A deal with McLaren and Audie would have to overcome a number of economic challenges.

New Dinosaur Species Towers over Tyrannosaurus

10/1/21

By: Joseph Herbert, 11

Researchers discovered a new species of dinosaur that was five times larger than Tyrannosaurus. The Calgary Herald reported that University of Calgary scientists have helped identify a massive new species of dinosaur named Ulughbegsaurus, the apex predator of its time, and it roamed the earth around 90 million years ago. It was identified through its fossilized jaw, which was found in Russia by a paleontologist during a dig in the 1980s. A University of Calgary associate professor of paleontology, Darla Zelentiskey, said the tyrannosaurus of that time would have been just one-fifth the size of the Ulughbegsaurus’ body mass.

It wasn’t until way later in 2019 that they had officially identified the fossils as Ulughbegsaurus. Two scientists, Darla Zelentisky and Dr. Kohei searched for another piece of this dinosaur, which was found in the previously unearthed jaw. Using a 3-D modeling kit to link the fossilized teeth to the jaw, they were able to identify the new species.

Zelenitsky mentioned that Ulughbegsaurus was so large that they “probably kept the tyrannosaurus down”, and “were obviously better apex predators.” Once Ulughbegsaurus died out, it gave tyrannosaurs the chance to grow larger and take the mantle of the apex predator role. “The disappearance of Ulughbegsaurus likely allowed tyrannosaur species to become the apex predators of Asia and North America some 80 to 90 million years ago, who persisted in large forms like ALbertosaurus, Gorgosaurus, and T-Rex,” Zelenitsky explained.

Researchers found that the dinosaur was between 24 to 26 feet in length, and weighed over 2,200 pounds. During the time this apex predator roamed this planet, the tyrannosaurs weren't fully evolved yet into the predator we all know and love today, and were much smaller, just under 440 pounds. Comparing the two species, Zelenitsky said that Ulughbegsaurus “was like a grizzly bear” if tyrannosaurs had been a coyote at the time. It was also stated that Ulughbegsaurus has blade-like teeth, creating slashing bites, whereas the tyrannosaurus had jaws and teeth more so meant for crushing bones. Scientists were very surprised that they had only just identified such a large predator now, and the discovery was very exciting!