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Join in the fun and enjoy learning more about science by reading science related information this coming week.

Check out some of the interesting activities available to do during Science Literacy Week:

Lets investigate some terms:

DNA Sequencing =  your entire genome

Genotyping =  a tiny fraction of your genome (0.02% of your genome)

New study  highlights the extent of plastic contamination in tap water world wide – learn more

Plankton arrow worm, Sagitta setosa, as seen with a blue plastic fibre in it’s gut. The fibre is approximately 3 mm long.  Plankton is at the base of the food chain.  This plastic fibre is transferred along the food chain. 

Current standard water treatment systems do not filter out all of the microplastics, Mahon said: “There is nowhere really where you can say these are being trapped 100%. In terms of fibres, the diameter is 10 microns across and it would be very unusual to find that level of filtration in our drinking water systems.”

Welcome Back! Thanks for stopping by.  
Please prepare for the new school year by learning a bit about your Homework Blog.

 A massive black hole has been discovered in our Milky Way Galaxy – Learn more

Watch the solar eclipse (safely) using the life stream from the Exoloratorium. The live stream will start on Monday August 21, 2017 at 9:00 am PST.

On August 21, 2017, beginning at 10:15 a.m. PDT, a total solar eclipse will sweep across the United States. The glorious sight of the fully eclipsed Sun will be visible along a 70-mile-wide path arching from Oregon to South Carolina.

People not in the path will experience a partial eclipse.
Safety: It is never safe to look directly at the sun. Please use the following information to make sure that you do not harm your eyes by staring directly at the sun.
Looking directly at the sun is unsafe except during the brief total phase of a solar eclipse (“totality”), when the moon entirely blocks the sun’s bright face, which will happen only within the narrow path of totality (https://go.nasa.gov/2pC0lhe (link is external)).
Eclipse glass
The only safe way to look directly at the uneclipsed or partially eclipsed sun is through special-purpose solar filters, such as “eclipse glasses” (example shown at left) or hand-held solar viewers. Homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even very dark ones, are not safe for looking at the sun; they transmit thousands of times too much sunlight.

Research conducted by Pomper and Chain (2017) shows that it takes longer to learn when you are distracted by irrelevant visual information.

We are able to eavesdrop on other information while learning; however, this extra stimulation slows learning. (July 5, 2017)

Abstract:

“Subjective experience suggests that we are able to direct our auditory attention independent of our visual gaze, e.g when shadowing a nearby conversation at a cocktail party. But what are the consequences at the behavioural and neural level? While numerous studies have investigated both auditory attention and visual gaze independently, little is known about their interaction during selective listening. In the present EEG study, we manipulated visual gaze independently of auditory attention while participants detected targets presented from one of three loudspeakers. We observed increased response times when gaze was directed away from the locus of auditory attention. Further, we found an increase in occipital alpha-band power contralateral to the direction of gaze, indicative of a suppression of distracting input. Finally, this condition also led to stronger central theta-band power, which correlated with the observed effect in response times, indicative of differences in top-down processing. Our data suggest that a misalignment between gaze and auditory attention both reduce behavioural performance and modulate underlying neural processes. The involvement of central theta-band and occipital alpha-band effects are in line with compensatory neural mechanisms such as increased cognitive control and the suppression of task irrelevant inputs.”

Get your shark on!

Learn more about shark science!

cuttercouture

Join in on the fun and help make your ocean feel special by celebrating World Ocean Day

10 ways to get involved

You and your community can make an impact on Oceans Day no matter where you live!

1. Learn: Learn all you can. Read, surf the web and experience the ocean directly.

2. Conserve: Be mindful of your water consumption, especially when washing your car or watering your lawn.

3. Reduce:  Cut down household pollutants and properly dispose of herbicides, pesticides, paints, and cleaning products.

4. Recycle: Reduce waste. Dispose of trash properly. Where possible, recycle, reuse, and compost.

5. Commute Consciously: Use fuel efficient vehicles, bicycles, or carpool to reduce automobile pollution. Recycle motor oil and repair oil and air conditioning leaks.

6. Don’t Dump: Protect ocean wildlife. Don’t dispose of fishing lines, nets, or plastic items in or near the water.

7. Care:  Be considerate of sea life habitats. Don’t bother sea birds, mammals, and turtles or their nesting grounds. Support marine protected areas.

8. Take Action: Get involved. Take part in a beach cleanup or other ocean-oriented activities.

9. Host: Plan an Oceans Day event in your community.

10. Share: Spread the word on the importance of ocean health, on community events, and on World Oceans Day.