The Tech Digest (Vol. 1, Issue 2, February 2021)

THE TECH SCIENCE DIGEST

Vol. 1 Issue 2 February 2021 BTHS SNHS

Black History Month

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CONT ENTS 03

BLACK EXCELLENCE

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BIOLOGY NEWS

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CHEMISTRY NEWS

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PHSYICS/ ASTRO NEWS

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EARTH SCIENCE NEWS ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE NEWS

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FUN SECTION

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SNHS EVENTS

A VERY special thank you to Clarke Leung, Lauren Tsui, Maya Tello and Allen Wu for contributing to the making of this magazine!

Celebrating Black Excellence Black scientists like George Washington Carver and Mae C. Jemison (shown in the image above) are known by everyone for their groundbreaking successes in the science field. However, many black innovators and scientists are still not as well known to this day. Here are 5 black inventors who you may not know, but you should be grateful for 1. Marie Van Brittan Brown: She created an early version of the modern home security system. This all started because she felt unsafe due to her neighborhoods high crime rate, and added a motorized camera onto her home entryway and project images into a TV monitor.

2. Alexander Miles: If you ride modern elevators, you can thank him for the automatic doors. Prior to his design, riders had to manually open the doors.

3. Alice H. Parker: The central heating furnace design that Alice H. Parker patented in December 1919 made use of natural gas for the first time to keep homes warm and toasty.

4. Frederick McKinley Jones: He developed the automatic refrigeration equipment used in longhaul trucks transporting perishables in the late 1940s.

5. Elijah McCoy: Shown in the image below, Elijah McCoy invented the portable ironing, something used daily!

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BIOLOGY 4

NEWS 5

ALZHEIMER AND COVID 19?

LINK FOUND BETWEEN ALZHEIMER’S GENE AND COVID 19 You might be wondering, "there's more?!", well your about to find out. A City of Hope-led research team found out that the same gene that increases the severity of Alzheimer's disease can increase one's vulnerability to Covid 19. To investigate further, scientists replicated brain cells by using pluripotent stem cells. They then infected those brain cells with Covid 19. Next, the team used iPCS, a 3D tissue model that imitates certain features of the human brain, to create brain organoids, one with astrocytes, a helper cell, and one without astrocytes. With gene editing, scientists modified some of the iPSCscreated ApoE4 cells to become ApoE3 cells, which is a neutral gene type. When infected with Covid 19, the ApoE4 cells were affected more than the ApoE3 cells. Scientists concluded that although the virus caused damage to both cells,

“Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Monday that Neuralink — his brain-computer-interface company — could be launching human trials by the end of 2021”.

What will these chips do? These chips can pave the future by allowing the possibility of

ApoE4 neurons and astrocytes took a harsher

artificial intelligence. As well as

blow as opposed to the ApoE3 neurons and

become potential cures for

astrocytes.

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POSSIBILITY OF COMPUTER CHIPS IN HUMAN BRAINS

neurological diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Musk even claims, “the brain-machine interface could do anything from cure paralysis to give people telepathic powers”. Some advancements have already been made with Neuralink. When tested on animals, a monkey was able to play video games using only its mind. Musk has been working closely with the FDA to make sure Neuralink will be completely safe for the public. By the end of 2021, Neuralink could be launching its first human trials.

GOODBYE TO COVID 19 AND HELLO COVID 19 2.0 Scientists have noticed a new wave of Covid 19 2.0 arising in Southeastern England. Only this time Covid 19 2.0 did not come to play.

Unlike Covid 19, scientists suspect Covid 2.0 is 50-70% more transmittable. Moreover, the longer the virus is out there, the more it can evolve. If the virus mutates enough, then the current vaccine can prove ineffective. Also, case numbers have been rising in the U.K, unnerving everyone. Scientists are encouraging politicians to take action from now to prevent a more serious wave of Covid 2.0. Some methods scientists are recommending are isolating patients and tracing, quarantining, and testing their contacts. Doing so can reduce risk levels from 2 to 1. Scientists believe that starting from now when the seriousness and possibility of Covid 19 2.0 are still low is a good way to prevent another pandemic disaster like the one Covid 19 caused.

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CHEMISTRY NEWS

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Harmful Gases Makes Pen Light Up Getting exposed to certain gases can be dangerous. It would be safer for people to have the ability to detect whether food is spoiled or rotten. A pen-like device has been created by researchers that changes color to indicate that a harmful gas is exposed. This pen-like sensor will be extremely useful to humans because they can detect gases that humans cannot. A solution that was considered was fluorescence based sensors considering that they are inexpensive and “can reveal trace amounts of compounds.” However, when gas is detected, they clump together which can lead to reduced intensity. And the fabrication processes of fluorescence based sensors are complex. But other fluorophores, when clumped together they produce a higher intensity of light, AIEgens which basically means “aggregation-induced emission fluorogens.”

“So, Zhe Jiao, Pengfei Zhang, Haitao Feng, Ben Zhong Tang and colleagues wanted” to incorporate AIEgens into an extremely thin fiber in which when exposed to a gas, the tip turns on. Two pen-like sensors were developed by researchers. One pen detects diethyl chlorophosphite (DCP) which is a nerve agent. The other pen detects “amines produced by rotting food.” Both sensors changed color when exposed to that certain gas but changed back “when exposed to neutralizing vapors,”. Using the AIEgens, these pens can be developed and can play a role in safety.

Can Sweat Indicate Signs of Burnout?

All humans experience stress at certain points of their life. Cortisol is a hormone created out of cholesterol by our adrenal glands. The adrenocorticotropic hormone controls the secretion of cortisol. Cortisol is very important in our bodies because it regulates metabolism, blood pressure, and blood sugar. It also plays roles in our cardiovascular and immune systems. Cortisol takes over when we are put in stressful situations. It helps direct our energy to our brain, heart, muscles. Cortisol is secreted on a circadian rhythm. Between 6 am and 8 am, cortisol would be secreted. When the afternoon and evening comes, the cortisol secretion is decreased. Abnormal secretion of cortisol can lead to problems such as burnout, obesity. Blood tests can help detect cortisol levels. But, cortisol levels can be found in saliva, sweat. However, it was decided by Adrian Ionescu’s team to focus on sweat to detect cortisol levels. There was never a

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way to detect or measure stress levels until now. EPFL engineers and Xsensio have created a device that can measure the cortisol concentration in sweat. The device or sensor can be used by placing it on the skin of a patient which will then measure the cortisol concentration. This device will be in great use when doctors have to treat conditions related to stress such as obesity or burnout. The device to be specific is a patch that “contains a transistor and an electrode made from graphene which, due to its unique properties, offers high sensitivity and very low detection limits. The graphene is functionalized through aptamers, which are short fragments of single-stranded DNA or RNA that can bind to specific compounds.” The aptamer contains a negative charge which causes it to capture the cortisol hormone “when it comes into contact with cortisol,”. The cortisol strands fold onto themselves, “bringing the charge closer to the electrode surface.” This is when the charge gets detected which tells us the concentration of cortisol in sweat.

Medical Patch...Origami Inspired!!

Minimally invasive procedures have been common in the surgical world. A minimally invasive procedure involves a small incision and cameras and tools inside the body to repair tissues or organs or remove tumors. From these surgeries, patients receive a shorter amount of recovery time and less pain. Given these benefits, there is one obstacle that surgeons have to face when conducting a minimally invasive procedure: sealing tears and wounds. The solution had to meet three requirements in order for it to be successful. One of the requirements is that it has to stick to the injured site’s wet surface. Another requirement is that it cannot stick to anything else on the way to the injured site. The last requirement is that it has to resist contamination and inflammation. MIT engineers have designed an origami inspired medical patch that can fold around surgical tools for minimally invasive procedures, going through narrow pathways in the body to seal internal injuries. The patch is a paper film and when it comes in contact with wet organs or tissues, it will turn into a gel. This patch is designed in a way to resist contamination from bacteria and bodily fluids. Researchers are working together with surgeons and clinicians to see if the patch can be used on minimally invasive surgery tools performed by surgeons directly or robots remotely. The patch has three layers to it, similar to a sandwich format. The layer in the middle is the main bioadhesive which takes in water when touching a wet surface causing it to be stretchy but also pliable so it molds onto the tissue. The bioadhesive is “made from a hydrogel material that is embedded with compounds called NHS esters.” The bottom layer’s role is to prevent the bioadhesive from sticking to anything on the way to the injured site. It is made from a silicone oil coated material. The top layer’s role is to prevent contamination and bacteria from the organs or tissues. This layer is an elastomer film embedded in molecular chains.

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PHYSICS/ ASTRO NEWS 12

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Sleep Impacted

By The Moon Recent studies have shown that the moon can impact your sleep. Studies have shown that people have found it harder sleeping “the days leading up to a full moon” or when the few days before the moon is at its brightest. On average, people have been sleeping 50 minutes less and it takes them 30 minutes longer to fall asleep ahead of the full However, there has been somemoon. research that the lunar cycle and humans’ sleep patterns do not have any correlation. There was a study that involved three groups of the Qom people in Argentina during the lunar cycle. One group was in a rural area that had no electricity access, the second group had limited access to electricity, and the third group had full access to electricity located in an urban setting. Wrist monitors were attached to the participants to keep track of their activity. The results were that all three groups experienced “decreased sleep quality” during the “nights leading up to a full moon”. A study after that also supports the fact that the moon does have an effect on one’s sleep cycle. The reason for this is unknown but there have been suggestions. One suggestion is that the moon’s intensity of light played a role, that there is more moonlight during the lunar cycle leading to more light exposed to the people which disrupts their sleep pattern.

SpaceX Selected for Gateway SpaceX has been selected by NASA to deliver the moon orbiting Gateway space station’s first two segments. This is for the “Artemis program, which aims to put astronauts back on the moon.” The launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket will be in 14

2024, May or later. This launch will take place at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will launch from Pad 39A costing NASA 331.8 million dollars. The Gateway space station “will serve as an outpost for astronauts and equipment heading to the moon as part of NASA’s Artemis program.” The Gateway Space Station is “roughly one-sixth the size of the International Space Station”. It will support expeditions and journeys to the moon. The PPE, the power and propulsion element and the HALO, which is the habitation and logistics output are the pair of modules for the SpaceX. Maxar Technologies and Northrop Grumman Space Systems built these modules. The role of PPE is for communication and power while the HALO is for shelter and support. As for the service module (oxygen, temperature, water, etc) for SpaceX, the European Space Agency will be responsible for that.

Pressure Greater Than Five Times As Earth’s Core Does Not Affect Diamond’s Structure 2 trillion pascals. Equal to pressure more than 5 times of Earth’s core. And yet, diamonds maintain their structure throughout. Diamonds are different form of carbon each with "a different arrangement of atoms." Given the pressure on Earth’s surface, graphite is the most stable out of the different carbon varieties.

However, when it comes to circumstances under extreme pressure, diamonds are the most stable. "Amy Lazicki and colleagues pummeled diamond with powerful lasers" and it resulted in "suggesting that it is metastable under extreme pressure." It is a known fact that diamonds are metastable under low pressures. The reason that diamonds are like this is because the carbon atoms in the diamond are bound together by chemical bonds.

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EARTH SCIENCE NEWS 16

BUTTERFLY WING CLAP EXPLAINS MYSTERY OF FLIGHT

The fluttery flight of butterflies has so far been somewhat of a mystery to researchers, given their unusually large and broad wings relative to their body size. Now researchers at Lund University in Sweden have studied the aerodynamics of butterflies in a wind tunnel. The results suggest that butterflies use a highly effective clap technique, therefore making use of their unique wings. This helps them rapidly take off when escaping predators.

During the upward stroke, the wings cup, creating an air-filled pocket between them.

When the wings then collide, the air is forced out, resulting in a backward jet that propels the butterflies forward. The downward wingbeat has another function: the butterflies stay in the air and do not fall to the ground.

OZONE LAYER CLOSING?

Emissions of trichlorofluoromethane, or CFC-11, were supposed to taper off after the Montreal Protocol banned CFC-11 production in 2010. However, there was a spike from 2014-2017, leaving no hopes in reducing the gaping hole in the ozone layer. However, there was a major drop in this supply used in building homes and buildings, and scientists predict that the ozone layer will be closing in the next 50 years! Good news for scientists and planet lovers everywhere.

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ENVIRON MENTAL SCIENCE NEWS 18

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ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE NEWS

Immense Hydrocarbon Cycle Discovered THEY FOUND THAT TWO TYPES OF MARINE CYANOBACTERIA COLLECTIVELY PRODUCE 300600 MILLION METRIC TONS OF PENTADECANE PER YEAR, ADDING AS MUCH AS 500 TIMES MORE HYDROCARBONS TO THE OCEAN PER YEAR THAN THE SUM OF ALL OTHER TYPES OF PETROLEUM INPUTS TO THE OCEAN.

President Biden's Recent Climate Actions RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SANTA BARBARA, AND THE WOOD HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION RECENTLY INVESTIGATED A PREVIOUSLY NEGLECTED AREA OF OCEANOGRAPHY FOR SIGNS OF AN OVERLOOKED HYDROCARBON CYCLE.

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USING A 2015 STUDY THAT PROVED THAT HYDROCARBON PENTADECANE IS PRODUCED BY MARINE CYANOBACTERIA, THESE RESEARCHERS COLLECTED SAMPLES OF SEAWEED IN THE GULF OF MEXICO AND THE WESTERN ATLANTIC.

• THE US HAS REJOINED THE PARIS CLIMATE ACCORD • THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS REVOKED A TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PERMIT FOR TC ENERGY CORP’S KEYSTONE XL OIL PIPELINE. • THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION HAS PROMISED TO REVERSE FOUR YEARS OF DEREGULATORY AND ANTI-SCIENCE POLICYMAKING AT THE EPA. • THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCED PLANS TO RE-ESTABLISH THE OBAMA-ERA INTERAGENCY PROCESS THAT DEVELOPED AND MAINTAINED THE SOCIAL COST OF GREENHOUSE GASES SUCH AS CARBON AND METHANE.

Researchers say the recovery of the ozone layer is now "back on track" SCIENTISTS NOW SAY THAT LEVELS OF OZONE-HARMING CHLOROFLUOROCARBONS (CFC) CHEMICALS IN THE ATMOSPHERE ARE ON A STEADY DECLINE ONCE AGAIN. A SIGNIFICANT SOURCE FOR THIS REDUCTION IN OZONE-HARMING CFC CHEMICALS SEEMS TO HAVE RESULTED FROM STOPPING ILLEGAL CFC PRODUCTION IN EASTERN CHINA. AN INVESTIGATION BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY (EIA) REVEALED THAT FIRMS IN EASTERN CHINA WERE USING TRICHLOROFLUOROMETHANE (CFC-11) IN THE PRODUCTION OF A MAJORITY OF POLYURETHANE INSULATION FOAM, WHICH BROKE THE 1987 MONTREAL PROTOCOL—AN ENVIRONMENTAL TREATY THAT BANNED THE PRODUCTION OF OZONE-DEPLETING CHEMICALS. SINCE STOPPING THE PRODUCTION OF THESE GOODS, EMISSIONS HAVE STARTED TO SLOWLY DECLINE AND RESEARCHERS NOW SAY THAT THE RECOVERY OF THE OZONE LAYER IS “BACK ON TRACK.” IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE OZONE LAYER SHOULD RECOVER BACK TO LEVELS OF THE 1980S LATER THIS CENTURY.

Ozone Layer in 2015

Ozone Layer in 2020

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Black History Month CROSSWORD PUZZLE

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Black History Month CROSSWORD ANSWERS

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February SNHS Events

Workshop #1

This workshop was focused on AP Bio, not only learning material for AP Bio, but also resources that students can use to further their understanding in biology. The committee showed demonstrations of these resources and how students can use them on their own time.

Movie Night #2 For black history month, the events committee hosted a movie night where members watched "Hidden Figures". A story based on the real-life events of three black women who worked at NASA.

General Meeting General updates regarding induction and future events were mentioned. The executive board also highlighted several black scientists/leaders in stem in honor of black history month.

Speaker

Mr. Schell told us all about his life in agriculture and the dangers of modern agricultural work, specifically on the population of cows considering increases in disease, mortality, and unhealthy living conditions while moving into ways that we can prevent this type of work in the future and innovate the field to make it more ethical.

Virtual Trip Makerspace Monday

The events committee presented a slideshow based on the myth, "humans only use 10% of their brain".

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This trip surrounded black scientists who have helped in the advancements in the scientific world, through their discoveries or breakthroughs, highlighting Katherine Johnson, George Washington Carver, Percy Julian, Alice Augusta Ball, and Dr. Marie Maynard Daly.

Executive Board President: Mariya Meleganich Vice-President: Ethan Kwok CO-Secretaries: Nitya Patel & Eric Osipov Treasurer: Hannah Gong Media Manager: Danyal Ahmad Our Committee Head(s): Magazine: Erda Eyubova Career Advancement: Brain D. General Events: Rose D. & Srewashi M. Merch. & Fundraising: Jiaxuan J. & Upama H. Outreach: Ruby P. & Shanika P. Recognition & Ceremonies: Sanova H. Trips: Alivia T. Tutoring: Suzana M.

We would like to extend a special thank you to our fantastic magazine committee for their efforts!

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