Category: by Abdullah S ’20

Categories
by Abdullah S '20

Water on Mars!

mars
PC: mars.nasa.gov

Everyone has known for quite a long time that solid water – ice – forms on the Martian poles.

But now, what scientists have confirmed is the existence of liquid, actually flowing on the surface of the planet. In 2011, NASA first noticed dark lines on the surface, appearing most prominently during the Martian summer.

NASA immediately suspected that these lines may represent liquid water, darkening and dampening the Martian surface. New imaging technology provided the strongest evidence that these lines may represent liquid water.

Continue reading “Water on Mars!”
Advertisement
Categories
by Abdullah S '20 by Abhay B '20 by Adnan I '20 by Raunak A '20 by Winston P '20

Welcome Class of 2021!

Going to a new school is hard, going to a different school without graduating from your old school is even harder, but add on the fact that you’re in a challenging school, and it will probably a tricky transition. However, you’ll survive (we know that from experience), especially when you know all the special tips that 8th graders on the Bacc Rag have for you!

  • Making study guides for tests is a really good idea.
  • Try to stay on top of the material you are covering in class.
  • Do your homework the night it is assigned! Teachers will often assign projects and tests unexpectedly, and having a bit of flexibility will come in handy as things get tough.
  • Organize your homework and test dates all in one place, so you don’t have to flip through five separate books; buying a planner from the school or using a personal notebook would probably be the best.
  • Get add-ons like Productivity Owl (for Chrome) and Leechblock (for Firefox) to help with your productivity.
Continue reading “Welcome Class of 2021!”
Categories
by Abdullah S '20

The Overlooked Part of Your Routine Fruit

Bananas rank amongst some of the most popular fruits in the supermarket. During this last year, the retail giant Walmart reported that bananas sold more than any other item available within the store.

Despite its popularity, not many people know about the history of the banana and contrary to popular belief the scientific findings are eye-opening. Bananas are good for your health, and are packed with vitamins, and nutrients. They are low in calories and contain high amounts of potassium.

That’s the key to the banana’s radioactivity: Potassium. Potassium is essential to the human body, and other complex life forms. It is used to transmit nerve signals and it is commonly found in the membranes of our cells. Potassium comes in 3 different isotopes, one of which possesses radioactive qualities. This isotope is found in almost all fruits that are rich in potassium, and is one of the biggest sources of radioactive exposure on the human body second only to exposure to sunlight. The radioactivity of one banana represents about 1/100 of the radioactive exposure we encounter throughout the

Continue reading “The Overlooked Part of Your Routine Fruit”
Categories
by Abdullah S '20

Microsoft: Making the Holo-Deck Portable

Source: gamespot.com
The Hololens in our everyday lives. Source: gamespot.com
On the 21st of January, a small group of respected geeky journalists met up at the Microsoft visiting center in Redmond, Washington. They would soon be among the first to experience the Augmented Reality Microsoft has in store for us.

Everyone expected the press event to be about Windows 10 and how it would change all of Microsoft’s other major products. Nobody thought that Microsoft would reveal a new device; a device with the potential to revolutionize technology as we know it. This device is called the Hololens and it has been in secret development for 7 years.

The Microsoft Hololens is an augmented reality-computing device. The device resembles ski goggles, with a big dark visor, and a dark band. The screen creates images that convince the wearer that all kinds of things are appearing in front of him. Like a computer, the Hololens can run several different applications. In fact it is a computer, and completely self-contained as well; it is not a kind of Bluetooth device. However, it has the potential to do so much more.

Continue reading “Microsoft: Making the Holo-Deck Portable”
Categories
by Abdullah S '20

What You Didn’t Know: The Negative Aspects of Oxygen

What do most people think about when they hear the word oxygen? Maybe they think about trees, nature, and air. They’d be right to think about the air being represented by oxygen, in fact that is why the sky is blue, but to think that oxygen is a “good” healthy and clean gas is not a very accurate perspective.

Oxygen is the most common element in the Earth’s crust, and the second most common element in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Oxygen is responsible for the first major extinction, known as the Oxygen Holocaust. It was an event that killed off hundreds, even thousands of species of microorganisms that were the first life on Earth. Each species with its own potential at evolving into a more complex organism. The Oxygen level had been a mere 3%, but it was still quite potent.

The picture describes Free Radicals as a pollutant. While in some cases this is true, oxygen’s free radicals are often of organic origin.
The picture describes Free Radicals as a pollutant. While in some cases this is true, oxygen’s free radicals are often of organic origin. (Source: Holistic Vanity)

So, why was oxygen so fatal?

Continue reading “What You Didn’t Know: The Negative Aspects of Oxygen”
Categories
by Abdullah S '20

BSGE’s Parent Coordinator Has Her Own Advisory

Until recently, Margaret Pasach’s only job was parent coordinator of BSGE . But this year she has also taken up the job of having her own advisory. She is the first parent coordinator to be assigned her own advisory, additionally a 12th grade advisory which is not an easy task.

When asked about why Ms. Pasach has her own advisory, she explained that the previous 12th grade advisor was no longer available, so the position was given to her. Ms. Pasach added, “I didn’t ask for it, necessarily, but at the same time I am really happy to be doing it. Because I enjoy getting to know the students.”

From her experience as parent coordinator, she is already accustomed to clarifying concepts and BSGE programs to parents and students. She says she enjoys helping students and parents alike because it is what both her roles demand of her, as parent coordinator and advisor.

Continue reading “BSGE’s Parent Coordinator Has Her Own Advisory”
Categories
by Abdullah S '20

Colossal Squid vs. Giant Squid – What’s the difference?

In December of 2013, fisherman John Bennett hauled in more then his dinner plate could fit.

He hauled in a 770 pound colossal squid — not to be confused with the giant squid — from the Antarctic Ocean, still hanging onto the fish that Bennett wanted to catch. After eight months of being held in cold storage, the squid was thawed and dissected by a New Zealand team of squid experts on September 15th, 2014.

This was a major discovery for the scientific world, especially since it is the “only second intact specimen [of a colossal squid] ever found,” according to Fox News. The female squid was also found to be carrying eggs, an exciting addition.

140916-squid-jsw-829a_b13200f8b73adbece2339569a4368843-1

When asked about the recent colossal squid discovery, many BSGE students were more knowledgable of the giant squid rather than the colossal squid. For example, Thomas Breen ’20 spoke about his experiences with learning about giant squids.

“I have read a lot about the giant squid, and when I was younger I read a lot of folktales about the giant squid, like it was this huge creature that destroyed ships, and was huge.” Breen said with excitement. He added, “I remember reading it somewhere that sperm whales are sometimes found with scars all over their bodies with fights with giant squid.” 

Continue reading “Colossal Squid vs. Giant Squid – What’s the difference?”