Review of Evil Genius, by Catherine Jinks

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"

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!