Biotechnology Chemist

Shooting Corks

During class, we did an extremely interesting, but fun lab. What we had to do was mix any amount of baking soda and vinegar in a test tube. Then, we capped the test tube with the cork. As the vinegar and baking soda mixed, it created a chemical reaction, causing the cork to shoot off. Our goal was to hit the window, and if we hit the window three times in a row, we got and additional ten points added on to our lab. Each groups' cork went a different distance, depending on the amount of vinegar and baking soda they used. There were many different measurements that worked to hit the window, so people hit the window in different ways. It was hard but interesting and fun in the same way.

In my opinion, the lab that we did was a very good lab to conduct because not only was it fun, but we learned an efficient amount about chemical reactions. My group did fairly well as we tried different measurements and got different distances. I learned that baking soda and vinegar really create a large chemical reaction. For example, when one of my group members and I shot the cork, our arms were drenched in vinegar because we capped the cork too late. That incident was extremely funny, however we smelled pretty bad due to the vinegar all over our arms. Either way, the lab was still extremely interesting!

I think that this was one of the best labs so far because it was fun, but also because we learned a large amount about chemical reactions. I hope we do this lab again and I will be looking forward to more labs like this in the future!

A Goopy Substance

During science class, we did a very interesting, but fun lab. We were given goop in a beaker for each lab group. The goop was made of corn starch, water, and food coloring. To do this lab, all you really need is water and cornstarch, but the food coloring just makes the goop a different color. What we did was play with the goop. As we took some goop from the beaker, it felt as if it was a liquid. However, when we let the goop sit in our hands, the goop felt as if it was a solid. When we squeezed the goop, it spilled out of our hands on the lab table. Luckily, the goop was very easy to clean up. As soon as the goop dries (which takes about two minutes), you just pick it off and it comes off instantly.

Before we did the goop lab, our class had to make a hypothesis on the goop. My hypothesis was that if we play with the goop, we will find that the goop is a solid. I thought the goop would be a solid because when I mixed the corn starch, water, and food coloring, it was quite stiff and the spoon did not move around too much. That made me make the inference that the goop was a solid. As soon as I picked up the goop, I thought I was wrong because the goop was not stable. However, I noticed that as it was sitting in my hand, it was a solid. That made me quite confused. It couldn't be a solid and a liquid was what I thought, but I found out that I was wrong. The goop in fact was both a liquid and a solid, which I found out was called an amorphous solid.

In my opinion, I thought the lab was extremely fun. I really enjoyed playing with the goop, and so did the rest of the class. I never thought goop could be so interesting. I squeezed the goop, let it sit in my hands, and simply experimented with it and felt the texture of the goop. The goop made my hands feel so smooth. This lab was absolutely incredible and hopefully we will do it again sometime soon!

A New Method of Calling Football Plays

Football coaches have a playbook and they give the team an appropriate play to use during the game, but now a new computer model can choose a play during the game. All the coaches need to do is enter in the mathematical and statistical facts of the game and the gameplay situation. Then, the computer analyzes the data and picks a play on the situation. If the coaches enter all the information correctly, the play that the computer picks can be very effective. The computer can even call what both teams should call, on both offense and defense. This computer model will really help coaches and take the stress off them during the games to pick and make play.

In my opinion, I think that the computer model calling football plays is very helpful to the coaches and makes their lives easier, but I think it would be better for the team if the coaches continue to call the plays. Indeed, the model can call good plays and be effective, but the computer may not know the opposing team's strengths and weaknesses. After playing the other team for many years, the coach would know what kind of plays they use and what they are good at. The computer model just simply wouldn't know that. All in all, the computer model calling football plays is a great invention, however I think the coaches calling the plays would be more effective in a game.

The article that I wrote about is from the following website:
http://www.livescience.com/technology/090910-football-computer.html