DEBATES blog

Review of Evil Genius, by Catherine Jinks

2010-09-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered about the possibility that children may have the ability to save the world? In the science fiction novel Genius Squad, by Catherine Jinks, that very possibility is explored in depth. It's a wonderfully gripping book, with profound drama, strangely delighting action, and enormous moral conflicts. I decided to read this book since I had already read the prequel, Evil Genius, and I was awed by its amazing plot. I discovered Evil Genius when I was browsing the Internet on my computer and came across a listing of science fiction book recommendations. As I tend to enjoy science fiction books, I decided to experiment with some of the books on that list, and the summary of Evil Genius caught my interest.

Genius Squad starts with the protagonist, Cadel, trying to live normally despite having traumatic experiences in the past and no true family. His previous adventures left him with a bundle of fear and anxiety, and his foster parents make life difficult for him. He's been known to conduct illegal activities on his computer, and as a result, he is not regularly allowed to use it – and he needs his computer time. Since the only thing in life that interests him is computers, just making it through the day is quite difficult for him. Although, he visits his good friend Sonja whenever he encounters problems. During one of his visits, he is confronted by two individuals named Trader and Judith, two members of an illegal spy group called “Genius Squad”. They ask Cadel and Sonja to join the squad to take down a corrupt organization known as “GenoME” for Cadel's incredible hacking abilities and Sonja's remarkable way with numbers. After much reluctance, Cadel and Sonja join the squad, and they soon discover that the headquarters is disguised as a foster home. Saul Greeniaus, a detective in charge of Cadel's protection, and Fiona, Cadel's social worker, allow Cadel to go to the foster home, but they don't know about Genius Squad. They think that Cadel is a sweet, innocent little boy.

I love the book Genius Squad, and when I started reading it, I was instantly engrossed in it. It's a riveting tale that's devilish and wonderfully dark, and its plot contains huge amounts of suspense and breakneck twists and turns. The writing style of the author flows very smoothly, and she has certainly mastered the art of dialogue. In addition, the hacker terms are completely understandable to normal people. Anybody wanting to join a world of technology, science, and mystery should definitely read this book. This is an excellent novel for young teens.

Rating: 4/5

How to Make "Hot Ice"

2010-09-11T11:20:00.000-07:00

Introduction

Greetings! Well, I'm sure that that title must have attracted your attention – I mean, “hot ice”? Those two words seem to contradict each other immensely: How is it possible to produce ice above freezing temperature? Believe it or not, it's actually very simple and requires only a few household products.

How exactly does one go about making hot ice? By dissolving sodium acetate, a compound with exothermic qualities, in hot water and letting the mixture cool, you come up with sodium acetate crystals in a container of water. However, when you touch the water with a bit of solid sodium acetate, you form a nucleation and cause it to solidify. Although it isn't technically ice, the mixture's resemblance to it is remarkable, and because the crystallization is exothermic, your “ice” will release heat!

Materials

The following are the required materials for this experiment:

½ a cup of sodium acetate
a clear 250 millilitre container
200 millilitres of water
a 500 millilitre cooking pot
a refrigerator at standard temperature (1.7º Celsius to 3.3º Celsius)
a stove
a 2-cup measuring cup
a spoon

Procedure

Step 1: Pour approximately 200 millilitres of water into the 2 cup measuring cup.

Step 2: Pour the 200 millilitres of water into the 500 millilitre pot.

Step 3: Place the pot on a stove element set at medium.

Step 4: When the water is near its boiling stage, after about 1½ or 2 minutes, add approximately ½ a cup of sodium acetate in the water. Remember to keep a few extra crystals of sodium acetate!

Step 5: Stir the water constantly until the sodium acetate dissolves, and remove any sodium acetate that did not dissolve.

Step 6: Turn off the element, and pour the water into the 250 millilitre container.

Step 7: Place the 250 millilitre container in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Step 8: After the 30 minutes, remove the 250 millilitre container from the refrigerator.

Step 9: Touch the water in the 250 millilitre container with a bit of sodium acetate on your finger, and observe the water's transformation into “ice” – make sure to do this quickly; you don't want your finger to get frozen! The produced ice should be warm (about 46º Celsius).

Note: If it doesn't work the first time, you can boil the same water again with the sodium acetate in it. You either need to add more sodium acetate or boil down more water.

Conclusion

It may sound totally insane, but we showed you: It's possible to make hot ice! The crystals in the formation exert heat, and as a result, sodium acetate is used in hand warmers and heating pads. Some things in this world are almost inexplicable, but it's the complexity of the Universe that keeps the curiosity of humans satisfied. This experiment just goes to show the magic of science!

Is Nuclear Energy a Good Energy Source?

2010-08-18T09:06:00.000-07:00

Hello, debaters.

To draw attention to the nuclear energy debate featured on the forum, I'd like to start the discussion a little. Now, would anybody have something to add to my arguments? Or would you like to start a rebuttal?

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Is Nuclear Energy a Good Energy Source?

What comes to mind when you hear the word nuclear? Do you think of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima, the Chernobyl disaster, and weapons of mass destruction? Most people do. Furthermore, those people also think of death and radiation when they hear the words nuclear energy due to inaccurate media hype listing its cons. However, nuclear energy is making its long overdue comeback. I strongly believe that nuclear energy is a safe and effective energy source and will replace coal power plants in the future. For many reasons, nuclear power will benefit our country, as it is drastically better for the environment; it is safe for the health of the public; and it has inexpensive, reliable means of producing energy.

To begin, the amount of pollution produced by fossil fuel power plants is reaching a hazardous level. Coal, gas, and oil burning power plants make up half of America's air pollution and are leading causes of acid rain, smog, global warming, and health-risking air toxins. Coal-based energy powers 39% of the planet despite the fact that, annually, one coal power plant produces 3,700,000 tons of carbon dioxide, 500 tons of dangerous airborne particles, and 170 pounds of mercury. On the other hand, one nuclear power plant provides a million kilowatts of electricity, produces almost 50 times less waste than a coal power plant, and has a very low chance of causing any deaths, injuries, or illnesses. A very common misconception of nuclear energy is that it is highly radioactive, yet coal power is significantly more radioactive. As a result, a coal power plant emits more radiation than a nuclear power plant. Moreover, the fission of a uranium atom generates 10 million times more energy than the combustion of an atom of carbon from coal. Consequently, nuclear energy requires less natural resources and causes less pollution.

Second, nuclear energy is a safe way to obtain energy despite the common fears of the public. The results of a technical problem can be damaging, but the precautions that prevent one from happening almost eliminate the chances. As a matter of fact, nuclear power is one the safest methods of producing energy. Every year, 10,000 to 50,000 Americans die from respiratory diseases due to the burning of coal. In contrast, no Americans have died or have been seriously injured from American nuclear power plants. There are several safety mechanisms that make the chances of reactor accidents very low; to illustrate, numerous thick protective barriers separate most radiation and heat from the outside world. The outer layer, the dome, is designed to withstand extreme natural disasters or even explosions. There are also omnipresent sensors that can detect increases in radiation or humidity. In addition, in the event of a malfunction, there are a number emergency procedures that keep any radiation from leaking outside the plant and trap it within a safe area of the facility.

Lastly, nuclear power plants are one of the safest and most reliable ways to obtain energy. First and foremost, international relations that are difficult to maintain seldom affect the reactors' supply of fuel because uranium is evenly scattered across Earth. To get this uranium, mining is necessary. One disadvantage of uranium mining is that it leaves the residue from the processing of the ore, which leads to radon exposure to the public. On the contrary, mining uranium out of the ground reduces future radon exposures. The mining of the uranium required to operate a nuclear plant for one year will avoid about 300 deaths. Coal burning leaves ashes that will increase future radon exposure and kill 30 people annually. It is thus safer to use nuclear fuel than to burn coal. According to estimates, fossil fuels will be burned up within fifty years at our current rate of usage. Although, there are large reserves of uranium for nuclear energy that will last hundreds of years, and with breeder reactors, we can supply energy for billions of years.

In conclusion, nuclear energy may be the answer to the world's increasing energy problem. Nuclear energy is of little contribution to pollution; it has barely any effect on the health of the population; and it is reliable and inexpensive. Nuclear energy may in fact be the most certain future source of energy. For now, since "greener" energy is out of our reach, we should turn our heads to nuclear energy to supply our electricity. Although, if we really want to help the environment, we should act by reducing our electricity consumption.

DEBATES Blog

2010-08-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

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