STEMATIX Magazine | Issue 10

STEMATIX

DESIGN YOUR FUTURE

ISSUE 10: DEC 2020

DEAR READER, Wel come t o t hi s i nt er nat i onal edi t i on of STEMATI X magazi ne, whi ch feat ur es cont ent fr om 200+ st udent s r angi ng fr om 30+ count r i es. C ongr at ul at i ons t o t he t eam for t hi nk i ng 10x and successful l y pul l i ng off such an ambi t i ous effor t wi t h qual i t y & fi nesse. Thi s magazi ne i ssue cover s STEM t opi cs r angi ng fr om Pr ogr ammi ng t o Nucl ear Fusi on.

As I r ead t hr ough t hi s magazi ne and spok e t o t he edi t or -i n-chi ef Saur av Gandhi , i t made me r efl ect on my STEM and C omput er sci ence j our ney. As a k i d gr owi ng up i n Mumbai , I l oved Mat h & Sci ence and had an affi ni t y t owar ds sol vi ng puzzl es and r eadi ng sel f-hel p book s.

When I enr ol l ed i n a C omput er Engi neer i ng pr ogr am, my dad spent 3x hi s mont hl y sal ar y t o pur chase a per sonal comput er so t hat I coul d pr act i ce codi ng i n C and C ++. We sear ched t he i nt er net i n t ext for mat usi ng a phone connect i on at a speed of 14.4 k bi t /sec. I vi vi dl y r emember t hat my fi r st sear ch k eywor d was “eC ommer ce” as I at t empt ed t o wr i t e a r esear ch paper on a t opi c t hat I bar el y under st ood.

Technol ogy has come a l ong way si nce t hen, and we ar e l i vi ng i n t he age of cl oud comput i ng,

i nfr ast r uct ur e & oper at i ons, t echni cal pr oj ect manager , and t eam l eader . I have been for t unat e t o have dozens of ment or s, fr om whom I have l ear ned a t on. Al so, my most si gni fi cant l ear ni ngs have come fr om al l my fai l ur es t o dat e, whi ch fel t r eal l y di ffi cul t at t he t i me, but i n hi ndsi ght , i t has hel ped me gai n confi dence and shaped my car eer t r aj ect or y. Si l i con Val l ey t eaches you t o t hi nk 10x, t ak e r i sk s, fai l fast , and k eep l ear ni ng. And t hi s mi ndset has pr opagat ed ver y r api dl y t o many count r i es acr oss our hyper -connect ed & fl at wor l d.

As I r efl ect on my t i me, my advi ce t o my 16-year ol d sel f woul d be t o k eep t i nk er i ng wi t h di ffer ent devi ces, par t i ci pat e i n hack at hons and compet i t i ons, be cur i ous, r ead about STEM t opi cs, and l i st en t o podcast s, t al k t o pr ofessi onal s fr om di ver se t ech i ndust r i es and act i vel y l i st en t o t hei r st or i es. Ever y hi gh school er shoul d l ear n a bi t about comput er sci ence i r r espect i ve of car eer i nt er est s and dabbl e i n a few pr ogr ammi ng l anguages. Lear ni ng comput er sci ence wi l l t each you cr eat i vi t y, pr obl em-sol vi ng sk i l l s, and pr epar e you for t he ever -changi ng di gi t al age.

Happy r eadi ng! May t he STEM for ce be wi t h you.

machi ne l ear ni ng, bl azi ng fast 1Gbps i nt er net connect i ons, and sur r ounded by I oT devi ces.

HARRY

We ar e ver y exci t ed about t he r api d ongoi ng

NACHNANI

advances i n sel f-dr i vi ng car s, quant um comput i ng, and space t echnol ogy, whi ch wi l l l i t er al l y t r ansfor m our l i ves.

I moved t o t he Uni t ed St at es i n 1999 and have spent 20 year s i n t he t echnol ogy fi el d, i ncl udi ng t he l ast 11 year s at Googl e. I have

HEAD OF P R OGR AM MANAGEMENT, GOOGLE ADS ENGI NEER I NG

exper i ment ed wi t h a l ot of di ffer ent r ol es t hr oughout my car eer , i ncl udi ng soft war e engi neer , busi ness anal yst , t echnol ogy

1

● Foreword

STEMATIX Magazine

meet the team Editor-in-Chief: Saurav Gandhi Editors-in-Training: Ein Hong & Sahana Moogi

Connect with Us!

www.stematix.org

2

Meet the

People behind this Issue

Noted Contributors from Around the World

LITERATURE Directors: Ryan Liu, Aminah Hedges, Sindhu Saggeri

Penny Mcneill

Thivina Edirisinghe

Alec Macheroux-Keedle

Theo Leão Larrieux

Amanda Kay

Owen Wei

Diego Romero Mora

Liam Brady

Aarush Bajaj

Marwen Magri

Lauren Siegel

Tom Poder

Rosie Chen

Vyshnavi Katta

Ryan Lee

Kaitlyn Butcher

Griffin Glenn

Felix Cameron

Gina Choi

Grace Muresan

Billy Thurlow

David Moeller Sztajnbok

Serena Gandhi

Jake Evans

Dana Choi

Sahana Moogi

Lee Officer

Hyun Seomun

Spiros Kolokotsas

Alexander

Larissa Terto Alvim

Artyom Sobolev

Amelia Hoyos

Artyom Sobolev

Morozov Vitaly

Aminah Hegdes

Odin Schaefer

Neil Ghosh

Enzo Pereira Da Cunha

Rikhljot Sandhu

Arsh Shrivastava

Liam Nguyen

Edwin Cheah

Jan Borowski

Morozov Vitaly

Gaman Byna

ł

ęziak

Micha Or

GRAPHIC DESIGN & LAYOUT Directors: Ein Hong, Akshita Ponnuru, Rhea Jain, Vivek Atmuri

Ein Hong

Tyler Louie

Nabiha Jawad

Sahana Moogi

Hayden McGowan

Victoria Israel

Vivek Atmuri

Saurav Gandhi

David Moeller Sztajnbok

Rhea Jain

Jessica Wang

Akshita Ponnuru

Javeria Ahmed

PHOTOGRAPHY & video Directors: Sahana Moogi, Jessica Wang, Serena Gandhi

3

Sahana Moogi

Sam Poder

Morozov Vitaly

Jessica Wang

Artyom Sobolev

Javeria Ahmed

● Contributors

STEMATIX Magazine

ILLUSTRATIONS Director: Aleena Bosky

Aleena Bosky

Allison Nguyen

Aakash Vetcha

Ynna Buriel

Kaitlyn Liu

Serena Gandhi

REGIONAL DIRECTORS Darine Hamdoun

Selene Chiang

Victoria Israel

Soha Ezzi

Yihyun Nam

Rawan Yosef

Ahmed Haj Ahmed

Wei Rayden

Jang Choi

Qing Zhu

Pheemapotwasu Kantakom

Cindy Huang

Joshua Bernard

Emmanuel Haankwenda

Magnus Muhall

David Sztajnbok

Vimarsh Shah

Rami Mhanna

OUTREACH TEAM Directors: Aarushi Shah, Hasitha Dangeti, Kaitlyn Butcher

Aarushi Shah

Hasitha Dangeti

Morozov Vitaly

Risha Koparde

Kaitlyn Butcher

Javeria Ahmed

YESP COMMITTEE Director: Stephanie Samame

Stephanie Samame

Sahana Moogi

Ankit Behera

Wes Parkin

Dana Marshed

David Moeller Sztajnbok

Ahmed Haj Ahmed

Jonathan Santosa

Ein Hong

Serena Gandhi

Finn Owen

Sanjay Ravichandran

Niharika Uppalapati

Travis Leung

Qi Qing Zhu

Koebe Nay

Magnus Mulhall

Ritta Shahada

Isum Malawaraarachchi

Cindy Huang

Hayden McGowan

Chanul Pathirana

Raymond Wong

Anvee Sharma

Joanne Ngo

Enzo Pereira da Cunha

Kendall Wilson

Sooham Chauhan

Kaitlyn Butcher

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sponsors & community Partners

32 Countries | 60 Regions | 400+ Students | 10 Issues

5

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

â—? Sponsors and Community Partners

REVOLUTIONARY WAVES OF TECHNOLOGY DEAR READER, My

first

time

environment

and I.J.Good predicted that one day, humans would

interacting

was

in

with

fourth

a

grade.

programming While

flipping

through the monthly edition of National Geographic Kids at Sunnyvale library, an article about Scratch and "block coding" caught my eye. "What in the world could that be?" I thought to myself. A combination of a

love

for

LEGOs

(I

took

block

programming

too

literally) and elementary school idealism prompted me to

see

what

about.

A

videos

later,

this

couple I

"Scratch"

of

had

programming

internet

tutorials

produced

my

was

and

first

all

YouTube

ever

coding

"masterpiece"—Bob, my favorite minion, could draw an infinite amount of stars on a circular trajectory!

Although

the

amusement

of

watching

Bob

create

vibrant tessellations across a fresh, blank screen was particularly

amusing

to

my

nine-year-old

self,

this

experience opened up a whole new world for me.

Coding

suddenly

didn't

seem

like

some

outlandish

jargon that could scare any fourth grader in a tenmile

radius;

instead,

my

perspective

shifted

to

an

entirely new outlook of what it meant to code at that time. Contrary to popular opinion, I think that coding isn't

only

a

science;

it's

a

medium

through

which

anyone can create and share their solutions with the world. Coding is truly an equalizer for innovation, and Scratch opened up a world of possibilities.

The

technological

revolution

of

the

twenty-first

century has ushered in a new world of information and communication that is accessible to more people than ever before. As of 2020, over five billion people have access to smartphones, and over 3 billion of those

devices

have

internet

and

Internet

of

Things

(IoT) capabilities. It is predicted that the internet will connect over 50 billion devices throughout the next century—everything However,

from

technological

a

thermostat

advancements

to

are

a

car.

not

just

creating a more connected world, but one that is increasingly influenced and shaped by a catalyst with unprecedented

power

Intelligence

AI

(AI).

is

and

potential—Artificial

beginning

to

invade

every

aspect of our life and is forcing the public to rethink how we interact with technology, the world around us, and each other.

However,

this

unprecedented

progression

of

technology isn't an unforeseen phenomenon—around 50 years ago, mathematician Alan Turing

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develop an ultra-intelligent machine, which would be the last invention that humankind would ever need to make.

Following

superintelligence,

the

development

machines

would

of

design

this better

machines and perhaps surpass human intelligence. As American

inventor

and

futurist

Ray

Kurzweil

puts

it,

"Our intuition about the future is linear. But the reality of

information

makes

a

technology

profound

is

exponential,

difference.

If

I

take

and 30

that steps

linearly, I get to 30. If I take 30 steps exponentially, I get to a billion."

However, with this prediction comes many noteworthy implications on how society will be affected by the ascension of AI—How would the economy react? Will this ascension usher an AI apocalypse? Could we start to see glimpses of a utopian society? These questions are

still

an

enigma

to

the

scientists,

ethicists,

and

philosophers alike who ponder the implications of a foreseen AI revolution.

This

global

issue

of

STEMATIX

investigates

the

application of computer science and programming in various facets of life and analyzes what the future holds in the realm of computer science. We embark on a

journey

commencing

programming

and

developments

in

at

the

origins

concluding

bioinformatics.

with We

of

computer

the

latest

explore

how

computer programming prompted a teen in Poland to drive

change

gender

gap

computer

in

in

his

community,

technology.

science

has

and

Finally,

shaped

we

the

examine look

at

physical

the how

world

through digital fabrication, Fab Labs, and DIYs.

This

issue

of

STEMATIX

aims

to

bring

a

fresh

perspective to the field of computer science and spark curiosity, foster inquisitiveness, and prompt innovation.

Thank you to all of our contributors and community partners worldwide who worked tirelessly to make the issue possible. We hope you enjoy—happy reading!

SINCERELY,

Saurav Gandhi

Founder, Editor-in-Chief STEMATIX Magazine www.stematix.org

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 09

THE WORLD'S FIRST COMPUTER PROGRAMMER

36

COMMUNITIES DRIVING CHANGE

47

FORGOTTEN HISTORY

75

MAKING A POOL TESTING APPARATUS

84 98

7

Penny McNeill

Michał Oręziak

Aminah Hegdes

Lauren Siegel (MathHappens)

NUCLEAR FUSION: INFINITE ELECTRICITY FROM TINY STARS ON EARTH Griffin Glenn (Stanford Science PenPals)

COMPUTER KEYBOARD DIYS Sahana Moogi

● Table of Contents

STEMATIX Magazine

ISSUE 10 47

FORGOTTEN HISTORY

52

SINGAPORE INNOVATION FAIRE

Theo Leão Larrieux

59

THE LITHIUM ION BATTERY

EVOLUTION OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES

63

POEM PLATTER

18

STRUCTURE OF WEBSITES

64

FABLAB RUSSIA

21

MY JAVASCRIPT JOURNEY

69

THE CAMERA

24

THE ART OF PYTHON

69

A TRIP, A CAMERA, AND A NOVICE PHOTOGRAPHER

25

THE BREAKDOWN OF PHP

27

RUBY ON RAILS

29

09

THE WORLD'S FIRST COMPUTER PROGRAMMER Penny McNeill

12 15

A STEP INTO THE WORLD OF PROGRAMMING

Ein Hong and Serena Gandhi

Diego Romero Mora

Marwen Magri

Rosie Chen

Aminah Hegdes

Gems World Academy Singapore

Enzo Pereira da Cunha

Liam Nguyen

Morozov Vitaly

Amanda Kay

Liam Brady

75

MAKING A POOL TEST APPARATUS

79

STEMATIX LABS

SIMULATING THE REAL WORLD WITH PYTHON

81

PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS

33

NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING

82

WOMEN IN COMPUTER SCIENCE

35

ML-1000 THE HOME ASSISTANT COMIC

84

NUCLEAR FUSION

89

TOP 8 COMPUTER SCIENCE TECHNOLOGIES THAT HELP THE UNITED NATIONS ACHIEVE ITS 17 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Kaitlyn Butcher

Gina Choi

David Moeller Sztajnbok

Dana Choi

Aakash Vetcha

36

COMMUNITIES DRIVING CHANGE

41

A HIGH SCHOOLER'S UNDERSTANDING OF COMPUTER SOFTWARE

Michał Oręziak

Alexander

43

A BOARD FOR EVERY BUDGET

44

IS OUR BRAIN A COMPUTER?

FTC Team 13217 AstroBruins

Lauren Siegel (MathHappens)

STEMATIX

Akshita and Serena

Vyshnavi Katta

Griffin Glenn (Stanford Science PenPals)

Grace Muresan

97

RELATABLES COMIC

98

COMPUTER KEYBOARD DIYS

104

Serena Gandhi

Sahana Moogi

SEMICONDUCTOR COMPANIES' ECOSYSTEM AND ARM'S WISE STRUCTURAL DECISION Hyun Seomun

Amelia Hoyos

106

BIOINFORMATICS: LOOKING AT LIFE THROUGH THE EYES OF PROGRAMMING Larissa Terto Alvim

109 111

FABLAB STATION RUSSIA Artyom Sobolev

COMPUTERS IN 2050

Thivina Edirisinghe

www.stematix.org

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The World's First Computer Programmer

BY PENNY MCNEILL

Art by Aleena 9

STEMATIX Magazine

● The World's First Computer Programmer

Augusta Ada King, better known as Ada Lovelace, was born in 1815 to the poet Lord George Byron and his wife, Lady Annabella Byron. Ada's parents separated when she was five weeks old. Lord Byron left England four months later, leaving Ada with her mother. To prevent the development of a temperament similar to her father's, Lady Byron encouraged Ada to learn mathematics and science, which was unusual at the time for a girl, but Ada excelled. Along with tutors, she learned from mathematicians such as Mary Somerville and Charles Babbage, whom she met in 1933 at an aristocratic party. When they met, he described an idea called the Difference Engine, a calculator for algebraic equations that could produce 30 digits' answers.

Babbage never completed the Difference Engine, but he formed a friendship with Ada, and they kept in touch as she went on to marry William King Noel, the first Earl of Lovelace in 1835, and have three children. After the Difference Engine fell through, Babbage went on to design the Analytical Engine. The Analytical Engine was a precursor to modern-day computers. Like them, it was proposed to have a memory (in the form of punched cards), was programmable, and could solve complex calculations.

It was designed to be run by a steam engine and one operator.

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STEMATIX MagazineÂ

In 1843, Ada was commissioned by Charles Wheatstone to translate a paper written on the Analytical Engine, written by Luigi Menabrea and published in Bibliotheque Universelle de Geneve, a respected Swiss scientific journal. Over nearly a year, she translated the 8000-word paper from French to English and added her own notes alongside. The notes were 20,000 words. In them, she described a program for the engine that could be used to calculate Bernoulli numbers (a sequence of numbers often seen in number theory) and theorized how the engine could be used for other pursuits, such as music and graphing.

This paper was published in Taylor's Scientific Memoirs, Volume 3, and was considered the best account of the machine at the time. The first published computer program, Ada's program, was written specifically for what could be considered the earliest interpretation of a computer.

The notes brought Ada little personal attention when they were published under the initials AAL. They were not recognized as the first computer program until 1953, when they were republished in Faster Than Thought: A Brief History of Computation, by B. V. Bowden, who said that the notes were "...so interesting that it had been reproduced as an appendix to this book." This is how Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace, came to be considered the world's first computer programmer and the earliest person to truly recognize computers' full potential.

â—? An Ecological Collaboration

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Ada Lovelace Enchantress of Numbers

INFOGRAPHIC BY EIN HONG

1815 Ada Lovelace, born on December 10, 1815.

From early on, Lovelace showed a talent for numbers and language.

1822 Around the age of 17, Ada met Charles Babbage, a mathematician and inventor who invented the analytical engine, designed to handle more complex calculations. The pair became friends, and the much older Babbage served as a mentor to Lovelace, who was fascinated by his ideas..

1834 Lovelace was later asked to translate an article on Babbage's analytical engine. She not only translated the original French text into English but also added her own thoughts and ideas on the machine. Her notes ended up being three times longer than the original article. In her code, she described how codes could be created with the device. She was considered to be the world's first computer programmer.

1852 Ada Lovelace passed away on November 27, 1852.

Her contributions to the computer science field were not discovered until 1950, when B.V. Bowden, reintroduced them to the world. Since then, she has received many honors for her work.

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â—? Ada Lovelace Infographic

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

A STEP INTO THE WORLD OF PROGRAMMING

BY THEO LEÃO LARRIEUX www.stematix.org

12

One thing that we gained from quarantine is free time. After five months of reclusion, everyone is probably looking for new activities to make the best use of this free time, so let me give a suggestion that can be seen as a hobby and a useful skill: programming. You've probably already heard about it, but do you know what it means to program?

What is the first thing you think when you hear the word programming? Usually, it is a bunch of ones and zeros descending on your screen, or maybe a guy with a black hood on, sitting in a room filled with computer monitors and wires. This impression is a direct consequence of the movie industry that produced all of these hackers and "high-tech" movies giving the idea that programming is hard or that you got to be a genius to make a single computer script. Films like to exaggerate, and computers are one topic they love to make it look cool. Programming has little to do with what cinema shows; however, it is a skill that everyone must know to keep pace with the technology available.

Let me get rid of some other coding stigmas that you might have heard before. One of them is that "you have to be really good at math to write code." Well, although you indeed need to have some basic knowledge in math, you don't need to master calculus one nor trigonometry; the only thing you'll need is logic and problem-solving abilities.

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STEMATIX MagazineÂ

Another stigma is: "programming languages and code are hard to understand, "which is true for anything that you're still learning; for example, someone who is learning how to play the piano they won't have the ability to read music sheets immediately.

A great place to start your coding journey!

With that out of the way, we're back to the burning question, what does it mean to program? I like to define programming as "writing a to-do list for the computer," nothing more complicated than that. When you're coding, you're inputting a sequence of actions that your computer will execute. Nonetheless, the important thing about programming is how one should write the to-do list so that the computer understands it, which is a pretty tough job by itself. Many programming languages were created to answer this,

â—? A Step Into the World of Programming

enabling easy and precise communication between man and machine.

As you might have guessed, there isn't a universal language for every purpose; there are more than 500 working programming languages that a developer can choose when doing a project. To make things easy, we'll separate the most used languages into two categories: front and back end development languages.

The front end is everything you, the user, will see.

So if you're reading this from a site, it's all thanks to those front end developers who spent lots of time designing the page and giving functionality to clicks, buttons, and pretty much everything you see. If you're into design and building web pages, you may as well go and research some languages like JavaScript, HTML, or CSS

computer science organizations

By Akshita Ponnuru

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (

IEEE)

is

the

world's

largest

There are more than 500 working programming languages that a developer can choose when doing a project.

professional

www.ieee.org

the benefit of humanity.

Yet, a site cannot run only on designs; someone has to make the behind the scene stuff work. This is where backend development comes in: they usually are the ones that make algorithms, access databases, and all the processes the user will use, but won't see. For instance, when you connect to a website, your browser has to go through different processes to allow a connection; nevertheless, you don't see it. If you're more interested in the problem-solving aspects of programming, and writing code that does all the logic, I recommend languages like Python, Java, or C++..

technical

organization dedicated to advancing technology for

The Association for Computing Machinery ( the

world's

computing

largest society

educational and

and

delivers

ACM)

is

scientific

resources

that

advance computing as a science and as a profession.

www.acm.org

The British Computer Society (

BCS)

body

that

and

working science

a

in in

learned

society

information the

United

is a professional represents

technology

Kingdom

and

and

those

computer

internationally.

www.bcs.org

The Computing Research Association (

CRA)

is a North

American association uniting industry, academia, and government

to

advance

change the world.

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computing

research

and

www.cra.org

14

EVERYONE IN THIS COUNTRY

SHOULD LEARN

HOW TO

{PROGRAM} IT TEACHES

YOU TO THINK Steve Jobs Co-Founder and CEO of Apple

15

STEMATIX Magazine

TIMELINE OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES Infographic By Serena Gandhi

6 5 2011-2019

4 2001-2010

3 2 1981-1990

1 1970-1980 1951-1970 1951 - Assembly Lan. 1957 - Fortran 1959 - COBOL 1958 - LISP 1962 - APL 1962 - Simula 1963 - CPL 1962 - SNOBOL 1964 - BASIC 1964 - PLI/I 1969 - B 1967 - BCPL

1991-2000

1970 - PASCAL 1972 - C 1972 - Smalltalk 1972 - Prolog 1973 - ML 1975 - Scheme 1978 - SQL 1980 - C++

1983 - C++ Renamed 1983 - Ada 1984 - MATLAB 1984 - Common LISP 1984 - FoxPro 1985 - Eiffel 1986 - Erlang 1986 - Objective C

1991 - Python 1991 - Visual Basic 1993 - Lua 1993 - R 1995 - Ruby 1995 - Java 1995 - Delphi 1995 - Javascript 1995 - PHP 2000 - ActionScript

2001 - C# 2002 - Scratch 2003 - Grovy 2003 - Scala 2007 - Clojure 2009 - Go 2010 - Rust

2011 - Dart 2011 - Kotlin 2014 - Swift 2014 - Hack 2014 - Crystal 2015 - Raku 2015 - Zig 2016 - Reason 2017 - Ballerina 2018 - C18 2018 - Fortran 2018 2019 - Bosque

1987 - Perl 1990 - Haskell

HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES

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PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES YOU SHOULD LEARN IN 2020 In today's day and age, programming languages and computer coding are crucial as it is integrated with every aspect of life. Coding is also one of the core skills required by most well-paying jobs today, and skills in this field are especially of value in the IT, data analytics, research, web designing, and engineering segments.

Python used for web and desktop applications, GUI-based desktop applications, machine learning, data science, and network servers

Java

Kotlin

used for developing server-side applications and creating highly functional programs and platforms

used for Android development, web development, desktop development, and serverside development

Go improves slow compilation and execution in large distributed software systems, making it a critical component of cloud infrastructure

TypeScript used to write/maintain code and develop large applications with a strict syntax and fewer errors

Swift

JavaScript (NodeJS)

promoted by Apple for its versatility and practical applications; helps developers create iOS apps within a short time

used to work on serverside and client-side programming, create animations, set up buttons, and manage multimedia.

Infographic By Ein Hong

17

â—? Programming Languages You Should Learn...

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

THE STRUCTURE OF WEBSITES

By Diego Romero Mora

Hello, I am Diego Romero Mora from Mexico, and I'm a student of Applied Mathematics and Computation (MAC) at UNAM and am passionate about web development and data science. I want to begin with a simple question: What is the reason why sites like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram look so good? The visual part of a website is called the Front end, and in this article, I will discuss this concept and its role on the web.

Nowadays, we have plenty of websites that we continuously use every day. Amazon, Netflix, or browsers like google or Firefox are, in general, intuitive, pleasant, harmonious, simple to use, and most of them have colors. We are no longer used to websites without colors, good graphics, or a lack of harmony among various visual elements.

If you are young, you'll be surprised to know that those websites, stylized and tidy, didn't always exist.

Not so long ago, the websites didn't have colors, we saw a gray entirety, buttons without style, fonts didn't exist, and we couldn't talk about animations; all we had was rudimentary HTML, and it's here where our trip begins. HTML is a hypertext language used to design websites, and CSS is applicable style sheets to the HTML elements. These were the only tools that developers used to create the websites, and, as strange as it may seem, Internet Explorer was the most used browser at that moment. Over time tools like XML, XHTML, and their versions, came into play, but it wasn't until the emergence of HTML 5, and with the fall of Internet Explorer, the web sites direction changed.

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At this point in history, the web was the most essential and fundamental part of society.

However, people didn't talk about performance or user experience; those concepts were adapted to the digital world while web technologies were born; this event is the beginning of exponential growth in the websites' design. Before continuing, we need to define some concepts.

Framework: Compilation of development elements created to support the development of dynamic sites, web services, and web applications.

Library: In computer science, we understand this concept like an ensemble of code that helps us resolve a specific problem. Stack: is a compilation of software set up, especially for implementing websites and web applications.

Preprocessor: Technology allows us to extend the code's functionalities like HTML or CSS, giving them better control and structure.

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Once we understand those concepts, we should talk about the development of ANGULAR JS in 2010, representing the Frameworks Front Ends boom. With this new technology, Java Script (is a programming language aimed at the web) began to take on more importance in web development, becoming an obligatory part of the stack of a person that acted like Web Máster. ANGULAR was followed by other frameworks like NODE and VUE. The next in line was REACT, which was revolutionary since it was a library for building interfaces. All of this was followed by the creation of preprocessors like PUG for HTML, or SASS and STYLUS for CSS, and the frameworks of the CSS, FOUNDATION, BOOTSTRAP, TAWLND, MATERIALIZE, among others.

The digital world was entirely transformed with the arrival of these technologies. Speed, ease of use, better page designs, animations all become integral features of the website.

The world began to change conventional media to digital media due to its ease of use and far reach. We live in the digital age where the expectation is that the websites must have a good design, good performance, and scalable to IA. The available range of technologies is unending, with new versions released every month or week, the development communities are massive, tools like WEB

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ASSEMBLY or HOUDINI CSS are booming, and with the future integration of the 5G infrastructure, the digital world will become our second home. But who makes those websites? What is the role of the person who is responsible for creating these websites?

In the past, when web technologies were in their infancy, the Webmaster was accountable for managing all website aspects. However, nowadays, depending on the website's complexity, we have two roles: Front End and Back End. The Front-End, as a concept, is a branch of web development that generates the visual part of our web pages and our mobile applications; the Front-End is everything that we as users interact with: the buttons, the colors, object distribution, the images, etc.

● The Structure of Websites

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You must have noticed that some websites look good on your laptop, desktop computer, and smartphone; this is known as responsive design and has mobile-first and desktop first paradigms. Thanks to this programming method, we can have an accessible web site with content available on any device; some design guides like the new form of Google implements in the applications known as material design. Material is a design system created by Google to help teams build highquality digital experiences for Android, iOS, Flutter, and the web. The Front-End team typically has a Front-End Engineer, a professional in Java Script; Front End Designer is a professional in HTML and CSS; Mobile Front-End Developer is a professional in the development of apps and sometimes works on the responsive design of ours web sites.

I began learning structured programming with languages like C and C++; after this, I learned the paradigm of object-oriented in C#, I learned HTML, CSS and their preprocessors, and some frameworks of CSS like Foundation CSS, after which I ventured into the world of JavaScript and JQuery. Today I'm studying Front-end development with ANGULAR and REACT JS, and that would be my recommendation to you if you are interested in immersing yourself in the world of web development. See you on the web!

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MY JOURNEY INTO

JAVA SCRIPT

By Marwen Magri | Infographic by Rhea Jain What is the best way to learn JavaScript?

1. Build things! Start launching real web apps, with real CRUD features.

2. Avoid JQuery. Try as much as you can to write javascript without JQuery. JQuery is a way over-bloated API, and you'll spend too much time learning it instead of javascript. document.querySelector() will work just fine!

3. Post every bit of code you write on GitHub, and try to convince people/friends smarter than you to read it and advise.

4. Seek failure and keep learning!

What is the value of Javascript?

Javascript is a booming technology, the concept of conventional javascript has changed, and it's one of the most powerful clientside scripting languages (server-side also possible with Node.js).

The enriched and enhanced technologies of javascript like react JS, AngularJS made it very powerful. So I suggest for scripting for the front end, you can start from JS, then extend it to Angular 4(as of now) or react JS. Knowledge in JS is necessary for both.

What is a client?

A client is a program on a user's device that displays an interface based on a server's response.Some examples of clients by this definition, a browser is a client. Any app that connects to a server is a client. Any desktop application that connects to a server (or any other system) is a client.So, is Javascript the only client-side language? No, Javascript is the client-side language for browsers.Java is the client-side language for android apps.Objective C is the client-side language for iOS apps.. and so on...

Are there other client-side languages for the browsers?

There have been alternative languages to build client-side applications in the browser, too… like Java Applets and Adobe Flex. Still, they have not been able to keep pace with the

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● My Journey into JavaScript

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STEMATIX PRESENTS

Top 5 Javascript Frameworks HERE ARE 5 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR COPY

1. Angular developed by google rapid app prototyping easy testing & debugging huge community of developers used on nbc, intel, abc news 2. react.js developed by facebook requires external libraries flexible architecture good for dynamic apps used on netflix, paypal, feedly 3. vue.js developed by evan you lightweight framework fast rendering & performance simple integration with js used on pagekit, vice, spark 4. meteor.js developed by Meteor dev group fullstack platform for apps real time development/testing makes mobile/web app from code used on telescope, mixmax, favro 5. ember.js developed by ember team good for complex feature apps superior ui performance relatively steep learning curve used on discourse, linkedin, vine

WHAT IS JAVASCRIPT FRAMEWORK At their most basic, JS frameworks are collections of JavaScript code libraries (see above) that provide developers with pre-written JS code to use for routine programming features and tasks—literally a framework

updated security requirements of browsers (governed by W3C).

These technologies also run within their own virtual environments, which tend to overload the browser and cause frequent crashes.

So why did Javascript survive and continues to thrive?

A few aspects of Javascript stand out when compared to other popular programming languages Single-threaded: Unlike most languages, javascript cannot create multiple threads. Web applications are highly interactive, which means each link or button is waiting for a user to respond; each image is waiting for a server to respond. Also, the browser does not control these elements' quantity as they vary from website to website. In such a scenario, multi-threaded programming languages would end up with many idle threads, which could make them CPU intensive.

Event Based: Since javascript is single-threaded, any computation in javascript happens only when there is a triggering event. These events could be something like a user clicking something, or moving their mouse or the network responding with data. The browser only has to worry about the part of the code that responds to this event. This makes the job of the browser a lot easier.

Scripted not Compiled: Javascript doesn't have to be compiled before execution, which means that even if there are some code errors, the website does not crash. Only the portion of code that responds to a particular event will stop functioning. No developer is perfect, so javascript is suitable for an imperfect world. What it also means is that scripts can be fetched from anywhere during run time. For example, the script for a like button can come from a Facebook server, the script for commenting could come from a Disqus server. This makes it easy for developers to leverage code from 3rd party services that are best at what they do. (But this also means that there is a lot of trust being placed on these services).

This also means that users can add their own scripts in the form of browser extensions.A lot of answers here suggest that Javascript has only survived due to legacy reasons, but I believe no other language is architecturally more suited for the dynamic and collaborative nature of the Internet.

After learning the basics of JavaScript, what should I learn next?

You should probably learn more JavaScript! People who go around asking, "what should I learn after JavaScript" are like kids who ask, "What should I learn after Tae Kwon Do?" — when they get their Orange belt.It sounds to me like you've just learned the basics of the language without any additional context, and you haven't learned any real nitty-gritty parts. Instead of walking away from the language with the attitude that it has nothing more to offer you, try approaching it with more humility.

to build websites or web applications around.

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making HTTP requests, alerts, notifications, etc.Node.JS provides an API to perform various system operations like writing to the file system, executing commands, communicating with other programs in some way, etc. Web browsers provide an API to communicate with the browser to perform various operations, including writing objects to the DOM, making HTTP requests, alerts, notifications, etc.Node.JS provides an API to perform various system operations like writing to the file system, executing commands, communicating with other programs in some way, etc.

You never really finish learning a programming language.

Months ago, I finished a full-stack JavaScript app. It runs in Node.JS + express, uses MongoDB, and has React on the front-end. When I finished it, my first thought was, "man, I need to go to a conference; I have so much I need to learn."I feel joy and pride in having built something on my own for work, but I also feel tremendous humility. I think I'm the only one on my team who's built full-stack JS apps. It's given me an awareness of how little I know and how much I still need to learn because I have no idea if I built the thing well; I just know that it works. So, maybe learn more JavaScript.

What is the difference between JavaScript and Node.JS? You'd first have to define what "pure" JavaScript is. I can't assume to know what you mean, but I'll try to lay out the differences as best as I can.

1. "Pure" JavaScript: JavaScript started as a programming language just for web browsers. However, the language specification does not include many of the variables and methods that you'll find while using JS in the browser. For example, the "document" object is not a part of the language spec; it's unique to the web browser.

Same for “getElementById” and “querySelector”."Pure" JavaScript refers to elements that are included in the language specification.

2. Browser JavaScript: As I mentioned previously, there are some variables and methods that are unique to a browser environment.

These are the most commonly used versions of JavaScript.

3. Node.JS: Node.JS is like browsers in that there is a unique implementation of JavaScript for server-side development. For example, in comparison to web browsers, Node.JS provides a "global" object, similar to "window" for browsers, which contains various methods and variables unique to Node and the standard methods as part of the language spec.

4. "Pure" JavaScript vs. Browser or Node JavaScript: To explain it shortly, the difference between "pure" JS and everything else, "pure" JS is not very useful by itself. You can write code and make things happen, but it's useless without any environmental API to support it.

Where can I practice JavaScript?

The best way to practice skills for beginners is to copy and rebuild some friendly sites or apps.

1. Copy and Learn The best way to practice skills for beginners is to copy and rebuild some friendly sites or apps.

2. Read a lot, particularly other people's code.

The best place I've found to do this? Github. If there is a new language, structure, or component you want to learn, there's a good chance someone has code on Github you can take a look at. Fork it (or just copy it) and start breaking it to do something more or different.

Try not to be too focused on doing everything the "right" way first (though do be careful with security, like protecting against database injection, CSRF, etc.) since every coder has their own "right" (and "wrong") way. Often the best teacher for what works and what doesn't is experience (usually in the form of hours spent hunting down a random typo). Tutorials are helpful to get started, but be careful about just straight copying the code they give you.

You'll get really good at copying and pasting, but not so good at coding your own thing.

3. Do a side project. Write down a list of 50 ideas for projects. Don't worry if they are good, will make you money, or have never been done before. Focus more on keeping the scope small, something you can "launch" (ideally publicly), and that each project will have something that you haven't done before (such as creating an end-to-end authentication system, integrating with third-party APIs, etc.)

Web browsers provide an API to communicate with the browser to perform various operations, including writing objects to the DOM,

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STEMATIX Magazine

"Often, the best teacher for what works and what doesn't is experience."

● My Journey into JavaScript

THE ART OF PYTHON

BY ROSIE CHEN INFOGRAPHIC BY RHEA JAIN

Today, Python is known as a widely-used, high-level, and multipurpose programming language. In the late 1980s, Guido Van Rossum from the Netherlands, working at Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI), began doing application-based work to create an early version of Python. At first, Rossum only wanted an exciting project to work on over Christmas break. Earlier in his career, he had helped create a programming language similar to Python called ABC. ABC had the interfacing with the Amoeba Operating System and had the feature of exception handling. Even though Rossum liked most of ABC's features, he had issues with some. Rossum's aim with Python was to fix ABC's issues while still keeping the "good features." Taking the syntax and some of ABC's old features, Rossum proceeded to address all of ABC's flaws and complaints. In 1991, after two years of work, Rossum released a new programming language that provided code readability,

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advanced developer productivity, and the capability to provide classes with inheritance, several core data types, exception handling, and functions. He named the programming language Python, inspired by BBC's TV Show – 'Monty Python's Flying Circus.

Since Python has features that make rapid application development possible and makes debugging easier, Python has become more well-liked than other languages. These advantages make Python user friendly and versatile in many different aspects of the programming world.

Python's primary uses are applications, like web applications, 3D CAD applications, console-based applications, audio-based applications, video-based applications, enterprise applications, and applications for images, and graphic user interfacebased applications. Additionally, it is used for robotics, web scraping, scripting, artificial intelligence, data analysis, machine learning, face detection, color detection. With Python's many advantages over other programming languages, it is no wonder that so many famous products that we use are made using Python. One of the most famous of these products is Google.

Google, one of the most popular globally, owns some of its key features to Python code. Without Python, modern society would lose a valuable free resource.

Another popular website made with Python is YouTube. On this site, millions of people watch, like, and upload videos. Python's code made Youtube an easier and more interactive experience for the user. The widely used portal of answers, Quora, is another famous site made with Python.

Another famous search engine, Yahoo, was also made using Python. All of Yahoo's subsidiaries are also made with Python. "Python is fast enough for our site and allows us to produce maintainable features in record times, with a minimum of developers," said Cuong Do, Software Architect, As Python is so commonly used, you might decide to learn to code or expand your existing skills. For total beginners, a website that you could check out is https://wiki.python.org/moin/Beginn ersGuide/NonProgrammers. This link

leads to a page compiled of all the resources, tips, and tutorials you will ever need to get started with Python.

Another free website that gives free courses on Python is https://tinyurl.com/y4kno2e2. These courses teach everything from the basics of Python to more advanced concepts.

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THE BREAKDOWN OF

PHP

By Kaitlyn Butcher Infographic by Jessica Wang

PHP Use Today Today PHP is primarily known as a server-side scripting language. Its purpose is to allow users to develop web applications, such as static or dynamic websites. A few wellknown apps and sites that were first developed in PHP are Facebook, Yahoo, Wikipedia, Word Press, Tumblr, and Flickr.

PHP has been globally utilized primarily because of its ease to learn and implement. PHP has an easy setup process that makes it simple for sites and apps to be updated to accommodate user needs. Beyond that, PHP allows options for popular content management systems, such as WordPress, to efficiently run the site from the server's perspective. Also, PHP is very cost-efficient, being the free software that anyone can download. Also, PHP automatically stores memory, which significantly reduces loading time for users. This allows the servers to efficiently develop the sites they desire. PHP also has a wide range of web servers that it can be integrated into. PHP supports operating systems, such as Windows and Macs. The final perk of using PHP is its security layer. IT prevents viruses and other security threats from getting into the system. Due to all of PHP's benefits, it is a crucial scripting program used worldwide.

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BEGINNINGS OF PHP The most commonly used programming and scripting languages include Java, Python, C++, Ruby, and HTML. One language many people may not be familiar with is PHP. PHP is a scripting language primarily used for web development. PHP was created in 1994 by Rasmus Lerdorf. 28-year-old Rasmus Lerdorf created PHP to help him manage his online resume and other personal information. Due to its original purpose, Rasmus claimed PHP stood for his "Personal Home Page" tool. A year after Rasmus built PHP for his own use, he decided to release the language to the public.

Once it was opened, he implemented new features such as database interactions. This update allowed users to create basic web applications of their own, such as guestbooks.

In September of that year, Rasmus changed PHP's name to Forms Interpreter or FI.Rasmus was using FI as a CGI tool, rather than a language. It was not considered a "language" because it had embedded HTML syntax with an automatic variable interpretation tool. Over time, Rasmus finally concluded that he wanted his creation to be considered a language of its own. To pursue this goal, Rasmus entirely rewrote the code, with bits and pieces of his prior work. In December 1995, his creation was officially considered an advanced scripting language, with its name returning to PHP "Personal Home Page Construction Kit." His language quickly took off due to its resemblance to the programming language C (later C++).

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

â—? The Breakdown of PHP

Learning PHP With all of the benefits of using PHP, how does one learn to be fluent in PHP? There are many existing resources for learning PHP. The most used method is following the online PHP Manual. However, several other websites go step by step through the process of learning PHP. A few are PHP 101, PHP Tutorial by Tizag, Hacking With PHP (Formerly Practical PHP Programming), PHP Tutorial by W3schools, PHP CodeAcademy, and PHP with MySQL Essential Training by Kevin Skoglund. Other learning methods include taking classes online or in person. For instance, Berkeley and other colleges allow anyone, any age group, to learn PHP at their level. Altogether there are many different ways for one to learn PHP through websites, classes, and manuals.

With the digital world at our fingertips, the possibilities are limitless.

The monthly newsletter o the Quarkwood Estate SUPPORTS AJAX/HMVC MICROFRAMEWORK

YII2 PHP FRAMEWORK

PHPIXIE

SILEX

BEST PHP FRAMEWORKS ADVANCED FEATURES

USER FRIENDLY

PHALCON

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RUBY ON RAILS

BY GINA CHOI

According to Railsware, “Ruby on Rails has become the top trend for developing web apps in recent years.” Numerous websites are created through this language, the most successful ones being, including GitHub, Airbnb, Goodreads, and Kickstarter.

However, despite its success, this highly practical and elegant language has not always been so popular. In 1993, Yukihiro Matsumoto created Ruby, a coding language that aimed to balance functionality and complexity. The creator formed this language while taking aspects of several existing languages, such as Perl, to develop something entirely new: a software to “be understood by humans first and computers second” (LaunchSchool). Initially, the language was only utilized locally and was rarely used anywhere else.

However, after the creation of Ruby-Talk, which was in English, the language slowly started to gain popularity. After the release of the first book on the Ruby programming language, its usage spread rapidly. In 2003, Ruby 1.8 introduced massive changes, such as duck typing, fully qualified names, native YAML support, etc. Then, in 2005, Ruby on Rails was introduced, which took the language’s popularity to a whole new level.

This new framework revolutionized web development due to its emphasis on “convention over configuration.”

Today, the latest version is Ruby 2.6.3, and the language is still widely used for web application development.

Ruby is an excellent programming language because of its availability, flexibility, and object-oriented nature. It’s entirely free to use, copy, modify, and distribute-- making the language available to all. It is also extremely flexible; users can alter their parts and add new ones. Also, everything is an object in Ruby, which means that everything can be given its own properties and can be called. These three features make Ruby an ideal language for beginners and advanced coders alike.

Best of all, this programming language can be learned for free.

Websites such as CodeAcademy, Tutorials Point, JavaTpoint, and LaunchSchool provide resources to help you get started. You can check https://stackify.com/rubytutorials/ for more details.

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STEMATIX Magazine

● Ruby on Rails

WHICH IS BETTER? Purpose - scalability and code readability Most popular - 29.9 % userbase Websites developed - Google, YouTube, Reddit etc Comes with extensive libraries, which eliminates the need for writing Manual code for everything.

Offers easy debugging, as compared to other language Since code written in this language is executed line by line, Python lacks speed.

PYTHON VS RUBY VS PHP

Purpose - Creative and interactive web apps Not very popular- 3.7% of the userbase Website developed - GitHub, Groupon, Hulu Easy to learn, but it takes time to gain expertise in this language Has limited informational resources and can be difficult for some developers

INFOGRAPHIC

BY JESSICA WANG

Purpose - developing fast, secure, dynamic webpages Moderately popular - 6.2% userbase Websites developed - Wikipedia, Wordpress, Canva Can run on all the major operating systems.

Easy to use and learn.

Not considered as the best suitable option to create large applications

Each language was developed with a different purpose, and has its own benefits and limitations. Your choice should be dependent on your project requirements.

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simulating the real world with python

By David Moeller Sztajnbok Science has seen many advances in its history, and it usually comes after a significant technological breakthrough. When chips and computers were invented, scientists were baffled when they found out they could process millions of bits of information every second without even thinking about it! These breakthroughs lead to more efficient science and more comprehensive science, as areas that we could not reach were now at the tip of our fingers, waiting to be discovered. One big thing that scientists are making fair use of today is computer simulations.

Imagine this: you want to find out how exactly do molecules behave in a specific system. You might think of doing an empirical observation, i.e., getting your hands on such a system and analyzing it with your own eyes. This hands-on approach is an entirely plausible solution, one that we have been using for many years Newton didn't write some Python code to come up with his Law of Universal Gravitation, nor did Benjamin Franklin simulate the flow of electrons in his laptop. It is, however, a method whose scope is limited.

You see, back to our example: if we want to find exactly how the molecules interact, it is no good for us to observe the macroscopic realm. In other words, if we take a look at the system as a whole, we are merely looking at the result of the interactions we want to find out, so it doesn't help us at all. Because we need a more detailed view that it is impossible to physically observe, simulating such an environment using a computer would be a great solution, one that scientists use nowadays.

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STEMATIX MagazineÂ

Another problem that computer simulations eliminate are inconveniences, such as costs, structure arrangement hardship, etc.

Sometimes, the phenomena we want to observe require us to have very specific situations set up to arrive at valid conclusions. Even if feasible, sometimes it will cost researchers thousands of dollars! Once again, simulating instead of doing the real thing could be an excellent alternative.

â—? Simulating the Real World With Python

This is why, today, simulations are in a very delicate position: scientists try to approximate these complicated interactions to more simple terms, ignoring some unwanted forces that do not correlate with the phenomena studied, increasing iteration times (which implies that the forces in these time intervals are negligible), etc. Besides approximating things, researchers are developing more powerful computers, which is the case of Quantum Computers.

These powerful machines use our knowledge of the quantum realm's involuted aspects to acquire computational power. For example, Google announced that it had built a quantum computer that was 100 million times faster than any classical computer in their laboratory. This, however, comes with a price, as today, a quantum computer is highly unreliable. The chances of memory being lost and data being corrupted counterweights its immense power, which is very close to what personal computers were facing when they were being invented.

Ok, enough theory talking, let's take a look at how you can actually simulate something in your home. It's not much, but it will still show you the principles of simulations. Let's get started, shall we?

"One big thing that scientists are making fair use of today is computer simulations."

Of course, not all problems can be solved using simulations because of two factors. Let's think about that first example once again: when building simulations, we need to feed the algorithm equations that describe the motion, interaction with ambient, or any other behavior of the object we are simulating.

Most of the time, when simulating simple things, such as a mass attached to a string (which I will teach you how to do in a moment!), this equation is quite simple. However, on some more specific and intricate cases, they are complex and not necessarily precise, as is the case of Quantum Mechanics. We know the equations that describe a particle's motion; implementing it, however, in an algorithm is a much harder task. For starters, the equation itself is absurdly elaborate, requiring enormous amounts of computing power - some even requiring scientists to use so-called "super-computers" - in order to perform one iteration of the simulation. Secondly, we need to iterate this interaction millions of times, which is beyond impossible in some situations!

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We are going to use a programming language called Python, which is very good for simulating simple systems for the syntax is not complicated, and its built-in functions can get us through our first simulation without having to import much. I will walk you through how to simulate a Damped Harmonic Oscillator. Big name, I know, but don't be scared; it is nothing more than a mass attached to a spring.

Notice that we are going to look at the Damped Oscillator, not the Undamped, and the difference between both is that the latter does not suffer the effects of air resistance, so it never stops oscillating.Now, before we start coding away, let's think about the system and the algorithm we are going to use in order to simulate this.

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so if we can find the force acting on the mass during this initial x value, we can find the Acceleration using Newton's law and then find the velocity using Acceleration * Δt = ΔV. Be careful: we found ΔV, which is a variation in V, but we need to compute for the previous velocity, so we add it to ΔV. Repeating the same process, we get that Velocity * Δt = Δx. Adding the previous x to Δx, we find the new, updated position. Repeat this n times, graph position with respect to time, and boom! We just made ourselves a Damped Harmonic Oscillator position graph! Let's take a look at the code, shall we?

This is the system whose motion we will simulate.

What happens if we pull the mass to the right and let go? When we pull the mass, we are accumulating potential energy from the spring, so if we let go, this potential energy will be converted to kinetic energy.

But what force will act on it? The answer is simple: Spring Force! Although this sounds like a very lame spring-lovers club name, Spring Force is a force acted on the mass by the string whenever the mass is pulled from its resting position. This force is described by Hooke's Law, which states that FSpring = -k*x, where 'k' is the spring constant, intrinsic to the spring, and x is the deformation. Note that we use the '-' sign to correct for the force sign: when we pull the mass to the right, i.e., positive, the force acts in the opposite direction, towards the resting point, so its sign will be negative.

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The Spring Force will constantly act on the mass.

When we let go, it will accelerate towards the wall, pass its resting point and start accelerating away from the wall, which will cause it to decelerate and reaccelerate away from the wall, continuing the oscillation. We call this a Harmonic motion because the functions that describe it are the trig functions sine and cosine, otherwise known as "Harmonic Functions." There is also, however, the air resistance.

It will constantly slow our system down, so it will stretch less and less every time it oscillates. In other words, the amplitude will decrease. How do we calculate air resistance? We are going to use the linear term of air resistance, which is FAir = c1 * Velocity. In this equation, c1 is what we'll call the "damping constant," and the bigger it is, the more air resistance we get, the faster our system slows down and stretches less and less.

Please don't get too scared by this; it is, in fact, a very simple piece of code. First, we import "matplotlib," a library that will allow us to plot our graphs. Next, we define the constants and values. In my case, I declared them as follows: Initial Position, Initial Velocity, Spring Constant, Damping Constant, Mass, Time of Simulation, and Interval of Iterations. You don't need to declare them in this specific order.

Okay, we understand our system. Now, how are we going to go about calculating the position every second or so? Well, we surely know the initial position,

Next, we create lists for position, velocity, and time values. We also calculate how many iterations we will simulate by dividing the time by the time interval.

● Simulating the Real World With Python

STEMATIX Magazine

"This is the beauty of simulation: it brings home things that would be too hard to simulate in the real world."

To finish off, let's just look at a quick comparison of values: what happens if we change the damping constant to a bigger value of, let's say, 0.5?

Now it's time to implement our algorithm: first, we add (append, in Python language) the current time to the time list. Then, we calculate the forces acting on the object at that time. Notice that we have x[i 1] because we are accessing the i-1'th element of the position list. This "-1" serves to counter the fact that we append the time before calculating the forces. Next, using Newton's Second Law, we find the Acceleration with which we find velocity, and with the velocity, we get the position.

Notice that we have a "for" loop. What that means is that we will repeat a certain number of times; in our case, that's 1 through N, so N times. That's it! Once this for loop has looped N times, we will have a list full of position values, a list full of velocity values, and a list full of time values. Using that "matplotlib" library we imported earlier, we can plot position over time and get a simulation of the motion of the object! This is what we get if we run the code:

Notice how our mass reaches an equilibrium much quicker than before, and that makes total sense: because we have more air resistance, that mass is going to stretch less much earlier than before, so it should indeed stop earlier.

This is a very simplified example of a computer simulation. Still, the general gist of it is evident here: basically, we take into account the forces based on equations that we already know, and from there, we get Acceleration, velocity, position, and whatever else we may need, all of this in a determined time step (or dt, in our code's case). We then repeat this as many times as we want - or can, depending on your computational power - in order to get a simulation of these factors over a period of time.

Summing up, computer simulations can be very useful to describe various phenomena, and you just learned how actually to do one!

This makes sense: right when we release it, the mass oscillates from +1 to roughly -1. Then, because of air resistance, the mass oscillates to only +0.75, and continually decreases from there, forming this interesting graph you can see. That's fantastic! We just simulated a Damped Harmonic Oscillator by taking into account different forces, accelerations, and velocities to find the position, which is pretty cool, huh?

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Congratulations! Now you can challenge yourself to do the same thing but taking another dimension such as a Z-axis - into consideration (if you're going to do this, here's my tip: think of vectors!), or getting more precise values for air resistance.

Maybe try simulating some other things, such as a projectile's motion (again, vectors!) or a free fall!

This is the beauty of simulation: it brings home things that would be too hard to simulate in the real world. Sometimes, simpler truly is better.

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CHATBOTS TECHNOLOGY'S VERY OWN HELP DESK At the heart of chatbot technology lies natural language processing or NLP, the same technology that forms the basis of the voice recognition systems used by virtual assistants such as Google Now, Apple’s Siri, and Microsoft’s Cortana.

NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING

By Dana Choi Infographic by Jessica Wang

Natural Language Processing (NLP) is an aspect of Artificial Intelligence that allows computers and devices to understand, interpret, and communicate with humans.

NLP helps computers communicate with people using a human language, and consecutively provides computers with the ability to read, hear, and interpret languages.

CHATBOT COST & TIME SAVED Average time saved compared with traditional call centers:

4+ MINUTES

Average cost saved by chatbot interaction

BY 30%

Successful chatbot adoption by 2022:

80% OF COMPANIES

CUSTOMERS & CHATBOTS

48% OF CUSTOMERS PREFER LIVE CHATBOTS OVER ALL

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21% OF CUSTOMERS SEE CHATBOTS AS THE EASIEST WAY TO CONTACT

57% OF CUSTOMERS INTERESTED IN CHATBOTS FOR INSTANTANEITY

In the 1900s, a Swiss professor of linguistics, Ferdinand de Saussure, offered courses at the University of Geneva in which he furthered a revolutionary way of thinking. He developed an idea of thinking of languages in terms of systems. Saussure explained that meaning is created in a language, within the similarities and differences. He also stated that the sound within a language represents a system. He argued that a shared language system is what makes communication possible.

The definition of Natural Language Processing is artificial intelligence (AI) that helps computers understand and manipulate human language. NLP comes from computer science and computational linguistics and will soon be able to communicate with humans fully. Through communicating with humans, the computer will be able to connect languages with computer understanding.

In 1950, Alan Turing, often cited as "the father of modern computing," wrote a paper that described a "thinking" machine. Afterward, in 1952, the Hodgkin-Huxley model was created. This machine showed how the brain uses neurons to form an electrical network. These events inspired the newly emerged ideas of AI and Natural Language Processing and the evolution of what we know as the computer today.

As humans, we speak and write in hundreds of languages; there are millions of different dialects in those languages. When we speak, we all mumble or stutter, have a variety of regional accents, and use different terms and slang.

STEMATIX Magazine

● Natural Language Processing NOMADIC

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When we write, we often misspell or abbreviate words. At our devices' lowest level, communication does not happen through words, but through millions of zeros and ones (also known as binary) that produce actions.

Seventy years ago, programmers used punch cards to communicate with the first computers. Eventually, in 1964, the U.S National Research Council created the Automatic Language Processing Advisory Committee. Since then, Natural Language Processing and AI have only advanced further.

Nowadays, you can simply tell Siri or ask Alexa to play a song instead of playing it yourself.

The interaction behind telling a machine to do something is more complex than what it seems like.

Your device activates when it hears you speak, and it understands the intent within the comment. Next, it completes the desired action and provides feedback in the language you speak, all within a second.

Interactions like this are made possible by NLP and other AI elements such as machine learning.

www.stematix.org

NLP is important because it solves the gap between humans and our language and computers and their language. NLP has many functions and is surprisingly useful in our everyday lives. Some useful elements include text-to-speech and speechto-text conversion, document summarization, and machine translation. In 2011, Apple's Siri became known as one of the world's first successful NLP using consumers' assistants. Beyond virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa, NLP is also used to sort your emails into spam and create transcripts of your voicemail transcripts.

While NLP and all of its complex elements are not acknowledged by many, it is used by millions of technology users around the world. It is a concept that has and will take the technology even further than it is today. In the 1900s, the idea of NLP seemed impossible; however, it is now integrated into every computer and phone system today.

Natural Language Processing is truly an amazing work of technology that helps people in their everyday lives.

NOMADIC

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35

● ML-1000 (The Home Assistant)

STEMATIX Magazine

BY MICHAŁ ORĘZIAK

POLAND

COMMUNITIES DRIVING CHANGE W e bro ws e t h e In t e r n e t e v e r y s i n g l e

originating from Silicon Valley's promised

d a y . O n o u r w a y t o s c h o o l, w e s c r o ll

land. Don't we want to be the heroes of an

th ro u g h p ag e s o f h ea dl i n e s a n d c l i ck ba i t

innovative era, just like them? Of course,

ti tles . A t h o m e , w e li k e o u r f r i e n d' s ph o to s

many of us want this. There's nothing

o n I ns tag ra m. We d o n ' t e ve n n o t i ce t he

wrong with that; these people achieved

p oin t w he r e t h i s b e c o m e s pa rt o f o ur da i l y

amazing things in their lives when it came

ro u t ine . I w o n 't b e w ri t i n g a b o u t a ddi c t i o n

to business. They were leaders—great

to th e I nt e rn e t ; h o we ve r, t h a t i s a t o p i c

leaders. But their companies are…well,

fo r a no th er a rt i cle . I w a n t t o f o c us o n

just companies: there's nothing special

s o m eth in g d i f f e re n t . D o w e r e a lly re a li z e

about them apart from the people.

th at ou r " t e c h h e av e n " i s o w n e d by j us t a fe w co mp an i e s ? I t ' s su pe r co n v e n i e n t f o r u s, s o wh y s h o u ld w e b e w o r r i e d? I c o u l d n 't a g r e e mo re — i t i s co n ve n i e n t in d e ed . B u t w h at i s c o n ce rn i n g i s h o w we id ol ize al l th e s e c o m p a n i e s.

B ill Ga te s , S t e v e J o b s, L a r ry P a g e — t he y a ll g rew in c re d i bl e t e ch b usi n e sse s

www.stematix.org

Today, the first thing most people associate with the letters "IT" is business.

Why should we be surprised? We're surrounded by a vast number of tech businesses, ranging from local startups to tech giants. While many programmers and developers are satisfied with their jobs and what they're doing, this field for a

36

l a rge m aj or i t y , i s l o o k e d up o n a s a mo n e y -

s of tw a r e . M o r e ov e r , it s so u r c e c o d e w a s

m a k ing e ng i n e . H o p e f u lly , t h i s mi n dse t

m ad e p u b l i c l y a v a i l a b l e , r e m a in i n g s o t o

w ill ch a n ge .

t h i s da y .

I thi nk w e 'v e f o r g o t t e n a b o u t t h e p rim ar y a im o f t ec h : ma k i n g t h i n g s si mp l e .

F or t oo lo ng , w e ' v e b e e n f i r st as k i n g o u rs elv es , "H o w m uc h c a n w e e a rn o n th at ? " b ef o re th e m o r e i m p o r t a n t q u es tio n , " H o w c a n w e so lve t h a t p rob le m ? ". A sk i n g t h e r i g h t q u e s t i o n s i n th e w ro ng o rde r h as g e n e r at e d c o u n t le s s p roj e ct s a n d i d e a s d o o me d t o f a i l du e t o a l a ck of vi s i o n f r o m t h e i r le a d e rs .

T his w as e s pe c i a lly vi s i bl e i n t h e 9 0 s .

A fte r th e d o t -c o m bu bb le o n t h e s t o ck m a rk et , c au sed b y e x c ess i ve i n ve st me n t i n I n te rne t- re l a te d c o m p a n i e s, m a n y bu s ine s s es bo o m e d . I n v e st o rs t h o u gh t th at the b u s i n e ss e s t h e y w e r e i n ve st i n g in

37

T he f u nn y t hi n g i s t hat a f te r m o r e th a n

w o u ld ac hi e ve t h e sa m e s ucc e s s a s

2 0 y e a r s l at e r , the m os t po p u l ar op e r a ti n g

M ic ro s of t d i d. Th i s w a s d uri n g t h e t i m e

s y s t e m w o r l d w id e i s t e c hn i c a l l y L in ux

w h e n t he m o st w e ll- k n o w n M i c ro so f t

( A n d r o id i s a L in u x d i s t r i b u t io n ) , a pr oj e c t

p rod u c ts w e re Wi n d o w s 9 5 a n d In t er n e t

w hic h or i g in at e d in s om e o n e 's ho me , n ot

E x pl ore r. Th e se t w o re v o lu t i o n s , o n e in

W i n d o w s , th e p r o d u c t of a g ia n t c om p a ny .

th e f iel d o f o p e ra t i n g s y st e m s a n d t h e

S o i f L i nu x i s th e m o s t p o p u l ar s ys t e m,

o the r in b r o w s er s , w e re de si g n e d b y

w he r e i s i t f o un d ? P r ac t i c a l l y e v e r y w he r e !

M ic ro s of t a s p ro p ri e t a r y s o ft w a re . Th is

I t po w e r s th e m aj o r i t y o f w e b se r v e r s, i t i s

m ea ns it w a s p ro t e c t ed fr o m

u t il i z e d i n a i r c r a f ts ' e l e c tr o n ic s y s te m s ,

re d i s tr ibu t i o n o r c o p y i n g , a n d i t c o uld

a n d e v e n th e N e w Y o r k St o c k E x c h a ng e

o nly b e u s e d t h e w a y t h e a ut h o r i n t e n d e d

r e l i e s o n it . I t m ig ht e v e n b e o n y o ur

it to be . A t t h at ti m e , M i c r o s o f t t h o ug h t

p ho n e wi t ho u t yo u r e al i z i n g i t. S o w hat

th at ke ep in g t h e i r pro g r am s' s o u rc e co d e s

m ad e L in u x s o s u c c e s s fu l ? T he c o m mu n i ty

s ea l ed wa s t h e be st st r at e g y fo r

p o w e r s i t — e v er y o ne c a n c o n tr i b u te to th e

m a in ta in in g h e ge mo n y i n t h e I T s e c to r .

s o f tw a r e . F r an k l y , i t al l c o m e s d o w n t o

H ow ev er, a d i f fe re n t g r o up w as w o r k i ng

b a s i c s , s om e th in g w e 'v e b e e n l e a r ni ng

o n a p r oj e ct ca lle d L i n u x . Th e m a i n p a r t of

s i n c e k i n d e r g a r t e n : c o l l ab o r at io n i s t he

th is p r oj ec t , t h e L i n u x k e rn el , w a s w ri tt e n

k e y to e v e r y thi n g . D o n ' t yo u s e e i t? We , a s

by o ne m an , L i n u s T o r va lds . O t h e r s

a c o mm u ni t y, a r e m o r e im p a c tf u l t ha n th e

be c am e c on t ri bu t o rs t o t h i s p ro j ec t la te r

b i g g es t te c h c o m p an i e s . U n l i k e t h e te c h

o n. Un lik e W i n do w s , L i n ux w a s f r e e

g ia n t s , w e h a v e r e a l i ze d th at d e s p i te

â—? Communities Driving Change

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

INFOGRAPHIC BY EIN HONG

Civic Technology WHAT IS CIVIC TECH? Civic tech is broadly defined as technologies that are deployed to enhance the relationship between people and government, by giving people more of a voice to participate in public decision making and/or to improve the delivery of services (usually by gov’t) to people. These technologies can be developed by either non-profit organizations or for-profit companies, or even by government itself.

CITIZEN TO CITIZEN (C2C) Technology that improves citizen mobilization or improves connections between citizens Civic Hacking and Hack Events Engagement and Organizing Platforms Political Technology Innovation Prizes and Challenges

CITIZEN TO GOVERNMENT (C2G) Technology used for social and political advocacy purposes by nonprofits, political campaigns and ordinary citizens.

Citizen Communication and Engagement Crowdsourcing Problems and Solutions Government Transparency, Petitioning Government Open Data, Tech Access (e.g. municipal WiFi) Service Delivery Improvement/Tools

GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY Technology used by governments for improving internal efficiency and/or delivery of services, as well as interacting externally with citizens.

Data and Analytics eGovernment Election Administration Infrastructure Innovation and Modernization Procurement

www.stematix.org

38

h av i ng d i ffe re n t g o a ls, w e c a n st i l l c oop er at e.

T he r e i s , ho w e v e r , a n o the r c o m mu n i ty d r iv e n mo v e m e n t I w o u l d l ik e t o in t r o d u c e y ou to a l o ng s i d e op e n - s o ur c e . A f e w y e a r s

T o d a y , w e 'r e u s i n g o pe n - so u rc e c o d e

a g o , I s a w s o m e w he r e on l i ne th at t he r e

ev er yw he re . Ev e ry p r o g ra m m i n g la n g ua g e

w as a m e e tu p g r o u p c a l l e d "C o d e F or

h as its ow n pa ck a g e li b ra ry w h e re a n y o n e

P o l a nd , " the P o l i s h b r a n c h o f th e C o d e F o r

c an u p loa d t h e i r c o d e t o b e u se d f o r fr e e

A l l o r g an i za ti o n. I d on ' t k no w w ha t

by o the rs . T h a n k s t o o p e n -s o u rc e ,

c o m pe l l e d m e to g o to t he te c h m e e tu p,

s cie nti s ts h ave t a k e n p h o t o s o f a b la ck

but I'm glad I did. As an 11-year-old, I was

h ol e , a mo ng o t h e r t h i n g s. W h e n y o u c a n

a m a z e d b y t he t h i ng s t he y w e r e d o i ng a n d

jo in the e ff o r t o f d o z e n s o f p e o ple i n t o a

th e m e e tu p ' s a t mo s p he r e it s e l f . I l e ar ne d

p roj e ct wi t h a s i n g le li n e o f c o d e , e ve n

a f e w t hi n g s b a c k th e n , a n d a l t ho u g h I

a s tr o p hys ic s b e c o m e s ea si e r ! I f b y so m e

d i dn ' t u n d e r s t an d e v e r y th i n g , I w as ab l e

m ira cu lou s o c cu r r e n c e , o p en -s o u rce w as

to fi n d o u t w ha t th e C o d e F o r P o l a n d

to b e c om pl e t e l y r e m o v e d f ro m o u r li ve s ,

m i s s i o n i s r e al l y a b o u t . I t f oc us e s o n "c i vi c

w e w ou ld b e i n da n g e r o f a w o r ldw i de

te c h , " s om e t hin g w it h a b i za r r e na me b u t

br ea kd ow n o f n e a rly e v er y d evi ce . Th e n , i f

a s im p l e g oa l . C i v i c te c h i s a te c hn ol o g y

s o m uc h is f re e , t h e qu e st i o n i s ra i se d : " A s

c r e a t e d b y t he c o m m un i ty t o i m pr o v e

a co ntr ib u to r , w h a t 's i n i t fo r me ?" . It ' s a

th in g s ar ou n d us . I t c a n b e al m os t

re as o n ab le que st i o n f o r p eo p le w h o w a nt

a n y thi n g t ha t h e l p s s o c i e t y. F o r i n s tan c e ,

to b e r ewa rd e d f o r t h e i r w o rk .

I r e m e m b e r o n e l ad y w a s c o o r d in a ti ng a fa c t - c he c k i ng w e b s i te p r o j e c t , a n d

T he a n s w e r i s si m p l e . T h e re wa rd i s

a n o the r g u y w a s c r e at i ng an ap p t o

n ot m o ne y . Or , a t le a st n o t d i re ct l y . Ye s ,

d i st i ng ui s h l o c al p r o d u c t s b y b a r c od e .

s om e p eo ple o ft e n m a k e j u st a s ma ll par t

T he y w e r e w o r k i n g fo r f r e e , b ut the y w e r e

o f co m m er c i a l p ro j ec t s o p e n - so u r ce d, s o

s o c i al ac ti v i s ts w ho w a n t e d t o ma k e t h e

th ey ea rn m o n ey fr o m t h e co mp a n y t he y

w o r l d a b e t t e r p l a c e ! I n t he e n d , c i v i c t e c h

w ork fo r e i t h er w a y . H o w e ve r , o t h e r s ar e

a i m s n o t to c r e ate n e w t e c h b u t ai m s to

ju s t op e n -so ur c e f re a k s w h o si m p l y w an t

p os i t iv e l y i m pa c t s o c i e t y b y u s i ng

to m ak e t h e wo rl d a b e t te r pla ce w i t h

te c h no l o g y a n d d at a a s a t o o l . I r e c e nt l y

c od e. M y " re w a rd " a s a n o pe n - so u rce

r e tu r ne d t o C o de F o r P ol a n d a f te r a l o n g

p roj e ct m ai n t a i n e r a n d co n t r i b u t o r i s k no win g tha t p e o ple ca n use t h i n g s I c od ed. I t 's als o a n e xc e ll e n t o p p o rt un i t y to w ork w it h pr o f e ss i o n a ls an d le a r n f r o m th em , w h et h e r t h e y' r e f r o m C a li f o rn i a o r a cro s s th e o c e a n i n E u ro p e a n d A si a . O n to p of t ha t, i t ' s a ll w i t h o ut s i g n i n g a n y fo rm al co n t ra c t o r a g re em e n t! F o r me, o p en -s o u rc e i s g o i n g b a c k t o t h e ro o t s th at I T o r ig i n a t e d fr o m — t h e q ue st i o n , "H ow c a n w e s i mp li f y t h i n g s a ro un d us ?"

39

â—? Communities Driving Change

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

br ea k, an d I am n o w c o o rdi n a t i n g a pr o je c t m ys elf —a se a r ch e n g i n e f o r h i g h s c h o o l s i n W ars a w, P o la n d's c ap i t al . In Po la n d,

CIVIC TECH LEADING POSITIVE CHANGE

s tu d en ts c h o o se t h e h i gh sc h o o l t h ey w a n t to g o t hro u g h a po o r ly p re p a r e d o n li ne s ys t em . I ' v e e x p e r i e n c e d th i s p r o b le m fir st h a nd , a s I 'm i n t h e fi r st g r a de o f hig h s cho ol , a nd n o w I a m a ct i ve ly t ry i n g t o f i x it u s in g c ivi c t e c h .

H elp in g t h e co mm u n i t y w i t h t h e u s e of te ch is th e d i re ct i o n w e sh o u ld t ak e w h e n th in kin g a b o u t IT . W e sh o ul d a lw a y s f o c u s o n t he im p a ct w e ca n m a k e . Op e n -so u r c e a nd ci v ic te ch sh o w us t h at e ve n h u g e th in gs are p o ss i b le w i t h t h e s u p po rt o f t he c o m mu ni ty . C o n t r i b ut e t o o p e n -s o u rc e a nd p art icip a te i n c i vi c t e c h p r o j e c ts , a nd th e n ext gr ea t d i sc o v e ry o r so ci a l m o v e me n t m igh t h a p p e n al l t h a n k s t o y o u r e f f o r t s!

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40

A High-Schooler's Understanding of Computer Software

By Alexander

STATS: 12 JOBS FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE MAJORS 1

We, Generation Z, have used computers since a young age and can't imagine life without one! However, familiarity with computers doesn't necessarily mean an understanding of how it operates. I was personally always intimidated by the perceived complexities of the machine.

However, my high school computer science class completely changed my perspective! Programming is fun.

Period. It gives the programmer the feeling of being a ROCKSTAR in a world controlled by computer systems. It did open up a whole new world for me as a teenager. It forces you as the programmer to think outside the box, so that you, as the programmer, can create something unique. Having the ability to create something is very special. Programming is geared towards solving problems, and it requires thinking out of the box to solve those problems. The enjoyable part of computer programming is that it teaches you to think critically. Another one of the most important lessons that I had to learn was never to give up; only because you cannot solve the problem on the first try doesn't mean that you, as the programmer, will not solve the problem. By utilizing these lessons as a teenager, I have gained many essential life skills.

Programming in high school gave me a newfound appreciation for computer systems. Programming opened up a new whole new world of understanding, especially around everyday electronics surrounding us like traffic lights or smartphones. The programming class in high school taught me one of the best lessons in my life: never give up anything that you start.

Applications Software Developer They are creative thinkers, who might work on creating anything from word processors to digital workspaces to video games

2

Computer Hardware Engineer They are tasked with designing, developing and testing new hardware

3 4

Web Developer They design and create websites

Systems Software Developer They create and modify the software that controls the basic function of a computer, phone, or any other computer hardware.

5

6

Computer Systems Analyst They work at the intersection of computer science & business. They are employed by a company to incorporate new technologies into their systems.

Network and Computer Systems Administrator They are responsible for organizing, installing and maintaining an organization’s computer systems.

7

Quantitative Analyst They are typically employed by hedge funds and investment banks, and tasked with the highly-challenging job of developing complex models that allow companies to price and trade financial securities.

8

Forensic Computer Analyst They work in conjunction with law enforcement to investigate cyber crimes and to analyze computers that may have been involved in a crime.

9

Multimedia Artist or Animator They develop graphics, designs, and visual effects for television, movies, video games, websites, and other kinds of media.

10

Computer and Information Research Scientist They design new approaches to computer technology, oftentimes working in the fields of data science, robotics or programming.

11

Database Administrator They are responsible for ensuring the security of sensitive data, creating and maintaining databases, preventing the loss of data etc.

12

College Professor Computer science majors may continue to study their subject and pursue a career as a professor, training the next generation of software developers and hardware engineers.

Infographic

by Ein Hong

41

â—? A High-Schooler's Understanding of Computer...

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

ASTROBRUINS

ROBOTICS EDUCATION

WHO ARE THE ASTROBRUINS? ABOUT The AstroBruins Robotics Team (13217) is based at the Santa Clara High School, California. Our mission is to create an inclusive, diverse, worldclass team that is able to cooperate efficiently and productively to make an innovative, top of the line robot. We are a small but highly efficient team of ten members. Last season, we won first place Inspire at NorCal Regionals and qualified for the World Championship.

10

highschoolers

3000+

hours of enrichment

1

robot

WHY We hope to use the opportunities presented to us

by FIRST to the fullest extent and inspire fellow students with similar interests. FTC was initially a chance to try something new and different and we hope to inspire others to do the same.

@schsastrobruins

HOW WE HELP We offer online mentoring for rookie/junior FTC teams.

astrobruins.com

@SCHSAstroBruins

It’s way more than building robots. FIRST Tech Challenge teams (up to 15 team members, grades 7-12) are challenged to design, build, program, and operate robots to compete in a head-to-head challenge in an alliance format. Guided by adult coaches and mentors, students develop STEM skills and practice engineering principles, while realizing the value of hard work, innovation, and working as a team. Each season concludes with regional championship events and an exciting FIRST Championship. More information at: www.firstinspires.org

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42

ASTROBRUINS

ROBOTICS EDUCATION

A Board for Every Budget Some of the AstroBruin Team's Favorite Microcontrollers!

Seed Xiao

I want to build a burglar alarm

Arduino Nano BBC Microbot

I want to drive a pan and

Afafruit Flora

tilt mechanism

Sparkfun Redboard Artemis Lilypad Arduino USB I want to create a

Adafruit Playground Bluefruit

wearable device

Raspberry Pi 3B+ Banana Pi M2 Berry I need a cheap,

Arduino Mega

sensor-packed board

Adafruit Clue with Bluetooth Raspberry Pi 4 I want to play with AI

Adafruit Pyportal Opne MV Cam H7 Arduino MKR GSM 1400 Qualcomm Dragonboard 410C NVIDIA Jetson Nano Google Coral Mini 0

43

25

50

STEMATIX Magazine

75

100

● A Board for Every Budget

BY AMELIA HOYOS

Is Our Brain A Computer?

www.stematix.org

For years, humans have compared the

add and subtract. After that, Tabulating

brain with this powerful machine. The

Machines. They were invented by

metaphor is easy to understand, and it

Herman Hollerith and were sold

illustrates important qualities that both

massively by IBM. And throughout the

entities share. The whole idea of

decades, the computer era started as

creating a machine that resembles our

more powerful and fast machines were

brain has existed for centuries. First, the

created. Some famous ones were

abacus, that helped our mind remember

Colossus, ENIAC, or Enigma. Now, many

numbers. Then it developed into Napier's

of us have a computer directly in our

Bones, a manual calculator created by

pockets, that helps us perform many

John Napier to multiply two numbers.

daily tasks. But in contrast with the

Later the Pascaline, a machine made of

computer idea, the brain has existed for

wheels and gears that was useful to

a long time, enabling humans to think,

44

survive, and create. So how similar are they? It is easy to

Additionally, computers can do multitasking. But the brain

understand how these two objects are alike. Both use

can't concentrate on two conscious things at the same time.

electrical signals to send messages from one place to

Furthermore, the energy they need comes in different forms

another. Also, they use memory to store information. They

(Brain: oxygen, glucose, etc.,‌ vs. Computer: electricity).

can adapt to change and learn. Additionally, both can

Besides, the brain is more skilled at imagining, creating, and

analyze their surroundings and act in a specific way

having new ideas. The computers are better at doing logical

depending on the external conditions.

or repetitive tasks. Many experts agree that there is no need to discuss if the brain is a computer. In reality, each

As Gary Marcus, an AI expert, says: "Computers are, in a

Computer and the brain have their abilities and defects that

nutshell, systematic architectures that take inputs, encode

complement each other. For example, when you work with a

and manipulate information, and transform their inputs into

calculator, you need to understand the concepts and how

outputs. Brains are, so far as we can tell, exactly that. The

to solve the problem. The calculator does the arithmetic for

real question isn't whether the brain is an information

you. More powerful like a team.

processor, per se, but rather how do brains store and encode information, and what operations do they perform over that information, once it is encoded." But the comparison of the brain as a computer has its limits as it can't describe all the qualities of it. There are some visible differences. The brain, apart from using electrical signals, also uses chemicals. The electrical impulse gets to the end of the neuron. How does it pass from one neuron to another?

There are some chemicals called neurotransmitters. The electrical impulse causes them to move from one side to another of the synapse (or space between the end of one neuron (axon terminal) and the start of another (dendrites).

The neurotransmitters attach to "receptors" that result in a small electrical impulse. Additionally, our brain is not boolean, like computers. Although a signal may or may not be traveling through a neuron, an individual neuron may receive information from thousands of other neurons. If the total amount of electricity exceeds a certain amount, an action potential (Large signal) will travel through the receiving neuron.

In its essay "Why It's Good That Computers Don't Work Like the Brain," Norman, D.A introduces the topic as it follows: "A common prediction among technologists and a common fear among the general population - is that computers and robots will come to mimic and even surpass people. No way.

Computers and people work according to very different principles. One is discrete, obeying Boolean logic; and deterministic, yielding precise, repeatable results. The other is non-discrete, following a complex, history-dependent mode of operation, yielding approximate, variable results.

One is carefully designed according to well-determined goals and following systematic principles. The other evolves through a unique process that is affected by a wide range of variables, severely path-dependent, fundamentally kludgy, challenging to predict, and difficult to emulate. The result-biological computation-is complex, parallel, multimodal (e.g., ionic, electrical, and chemical)." But the difference above all is consciousness.

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â—? Is Our Brain A Computer?

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

People have been questioning this feature of humans for centuries. Will robots one day develop consciousness?

Nobody knows for sure. But as of now, it is the main thing that differentiates the human brain from a computer. What about AI? As the "future of life institute" said on its webpage, "Most researchers agree that a superintelligent AI is unlikely to exhibit human emotions like love or hate and that there is no reason to expect AI to become intentionally benevolent or malevolent." Future of life institute continues: if it is in the wrong person's hands, The AI may be programmed to do something devastating. But there is also another possibility that will be attainable with AI. The machine could be programmed to do good things, but the AI may discover a destructive method to do them. It could not do what you require but what you vaguely commanded.

The classic moral controversy: The end justifies the means.

"The concern about advanced AI isn't malevolence but competence," said the Institute in their article about AI. So our interest is not to make conscious computers, but competent machines. We put the moral in the matter. So, are the brain and the computer system technically the same or are they as different chalk and cheese? For now, this similarity will stay, not to characterize the human brain as a computing mechanism but to explain some of the essential features of it.

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By Serena Gandhi "Computer science is the operating system for all innovation." - Steve Ballmer

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46

Forgotten History "Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine."

ALAN TURING Alan Turing laid the groundwork for modern computing, hastening the end of World War II, at a time when his existence was illegal. Turing was born on June 23, 1912, the second of two siblings. Foster parents primarily raised Turing after his parents returned to India, where they met. He attended Sherborne School in Dorset, where his interest in science and mathematics was out of the ordinary at a time when the curriculum was based on classic literature. He was often described as being good with numbers, not people. At school, he met Christopher Morcom. The two bonded over their similar interests.

Morcom became Turing's first love.

Sadly, Christopher died of tuberculosis in 1930. Inspired by his passing, Turing decided to pursue their passion.

By Aminah Hegdes

47

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

â—? Forgotten History

After developing methods to decode messages sent by the Enigma machines, Turing continued to work at Bletchley. For a time, he led an attempt to break German naval signals. He went on to develop the Turingery technique to break the Lorenz cipher and developed a speech code called Delilah. While not widely discussed, Turing's sexuality was well known at Bletchley. Turing proposed to Joan Clarke in 1941. He later withdrew the proposal and explained that he was gay. Clarke took the news well, and the two remained friends.

Turing went on to graduate King's College, Cambridge, in 1934 and received a doctorate from Princeton in 1938. In 1939, the same year Britain declared war on Germany, he was recruited to work at Bletchley Park, the government's top-secret home for code breakers. Turing's first challenge was discovering how German Enigma machines coded messages. These typewriter-like machines made messages secret using a combination of rotors and lightboards. These codes were initially considered unbreakable, producing nearly 159 quadrillion permutations. Alan worked with Gordon Welchman, using research done by Polish mathematicians who studied the machine with details from Hitler's forces. Using rooms filled with large Bombe machines, they could imitate how the Enigma machines functioned and break the codes.

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After the end of World War Two in 1945, Turing turned to what had always been a pet project, computing, and the concept of artificial intelligence. Turing wished to build a brain, purportedly to carry on the existence of Christopher Morcom. He conceived of, but never built, a universal Turing machine. He believed that machines could do any well-defined task with a single program, a foundation of modern computing. He developed the Turing Test, an experiment to determine if a computer could pass as human. While credit for the first functioning computer goes to John Presper Wcjers and John W, Mauchly's Eniac created in 1946, Turing developed the machine in theory years before.

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In 1948, Turing began working at Manchester University's computing lab, developing the first functioning British computers.

On January 23, 1952, Turing's house was robbed. When the police investigated the break-in, Turing was open about his relationship with Arnold Murray that had begun earlier that year. The two were charged with "gross indecency" based on a Victorian law that was only repealed in 1967.

Murray was given a conditional discharge, and Turing was given probation. Turing was chemically castrated, forced to take estrogen to lower his sex drive as part of his punishment. On June 7, 1954, Turing was found dead by his housekeeper; a half-eaten apple dipped in cyanide beside him. Alan Turing died as an unknown criminal; most of his work still classified. In 2009, the British government apologized for their treatment. Only in 2013 was Turing given a pardon, 59 years after he was found dead.

SALLY RIDE On June 18, 1993, Sally Ride became the first American woman in space.

She dedicated her life to scientific advancement and expanding STEM education. Ride was born May 26, 1951. As a child, she was encouraged to follow her interests. She was an avid tennis player and was ranked top 20 nationally. After abandoning her tennis career, Ride enrolled at Stanford University. By 1978, she had earned a bachelor's degree in science and English, a master's degree in science, and a physics doctorate.

In 1977, Ride answered an ad in the newspaper placed by NASA looking to expand its space program. After the selection process, she became one of five women chosen to be mission specialists and a member of five crew members selected for Challenger STS-7. On June 18, 1983, Sally Ride became the first American woman and the youngest American to go to space. On the trip, she acted as a flight engineer. She launched two communication satellites, operated the shuttles mechanical arm (that she helped design), and conducted experiments. After another flight, Ride went on to work in refueling techniques at NASA. She helped investigate the 1986 Challenger accident and served as a special assistant to the NASA administrator for long-range strategic planning. Once she left NASA, Sally became the California Space Science Institute Director and later a professor and physicist at the University of California, San Diego.

Throughout her life, Sally kept her personal life private. She was married to fellow astronaut Steve Hawley in 1982.

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STEMATIX MagazineÂ

â—? Forgotten History

They later divorced in 1987. Sally met Tam O'Shaughnessy as a child while competing in tennis competitions.

They remained close friends throughout Sally's life. Their relationship later evolved into a romance. The pair acted as both life partners and business partners. They were passionate about improving science education. Together, they established Sally Ride Science and Imaginary Lines to inspire girls and women to enter STEM careers.

Together they published seven children's books. The pair were open about their relationship to close friends and family.

Sally Ride died of pancreatic cancer on July 23, 2012, at the age of 61. After Ride's death, O'Shaughnessy opened up about their relationship, which Sally had been hesitant about until she had passed. At the time of Sally's death, there were no active astronauts who had come out. While Sally worked there, NASA pedaled a homophobic attitude towards queer people.

Coming out could impact both her chances of going to space and her efforts at Sally Ride Science. Before her death, Ride permitted Tam to discuss their relationship. Obama awarded Ride the Presidential medal of freedom in 2013, which O'Shaughnessy accepted in her honor.

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LYNN CONWAY Lynn Conway pioneered systems to make modern computing faster and cheaper. Born in Mt Vernon N.Y. in 1938, Lynn Conway was raised male.

She studied physics at MIT and received a bachelor's degree in 1962.

She went on to earn a master's in science and electrical engineering at Columbia University in 1963. Conway began working at IBM directly out of grad school. Working on supercomputers, she developed a way of processing large amounts of information at the same time, called dynamic instruction scheduling, or DSI. By the 1990s, this invention would allow for powerful chips used in PCs.

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Conway was closeted at IBM, still living as a man. In 1967, she began her medical transition, becoming one of the first trans- women to do so. In 1968, she had gender reassignment surgery. When the management at IBM learned about Conway's transition, she was fired in an event filled with animosity. She lost not only her career, but her relatives, friends, and colleagues. Lynn Conway began to work her way up again, keeping her past hidden to avoid violence that is often directed towards trans-women.

She went from a contract programmer to being hired by Xerox Park in 1973.

With Mead, Conway worked on tools used for very large scale integration, or VLSI. Her simplified models and design made it easy to place large amounts of transistors in chip design. By breaking chips into basic units, companies no longer needed specific electrical engineering knowledge. Instead of using large labs, a separate company could build the chip, cutting costs and allowing for rapid chip production.

Conway went on to work as a visiting professor at MIT in 1978. Here, she pioneered teaching digital systems.

After her stint there, Conway took a position as Assistant Director for Strategic Computing at Darpa, the defense and research department. She led a strategic computing initiative. She crafted meta-architecture and was a part of the 1980s effort to expand modern intelligent weapons technology. She began to craft a course on VLSI for MIT. Within two years, universities all over the world began using her work. Lynn's work gave her almost international fame.

However, throughout this time, Conway remained in "stealth mode," as she called it. For 31 years, she did not discuss her past work at IBM. In 1999, computer historians discovered her work. Conway feared that everything she had worked on would be taken away, just as it had before. To her surprise, it barely impacted her career and relationships. She shared stories and began to work on transgender activism.

In a field that is lacking in diversity, ignoring the queerness that exists only makes the problem worse. As of 2014, an estimated 43% of LGBTQ+ people who work in STEM fields are closeted. If history is ignored, these people seem like a new addition, an exciting increase in diversity. In fact, LGBTQ+ people paved the way for modern computing, but their identities were swept under the rug.

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STEMATIX MagazineÂ

â—? Forgotten History

SINGAPORE INNOVATION FAIRE

By Students at GEMS World Academy

Recently the Student Council of GEMS World Academy hosted an event called the Innovation Challenge. Where students brainstormed ideas and built prototypes of these ideas. They then learned how to pitch from the Halogen Foundation's COO Timothy Low in an interactive pitching workshop. After only one week, pitched their truly wonderful projects to our judges, with many teams winning prizes!

It was amazing to see these students' enthusiasm to participate, their ability to apply classroom knowledge in a realworld situation, and their strong technical ability.

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BY ODIN SCHAEFER , NEIL GHOSH & ARSH SHRIVASTAVA

medicines for use, all at a cheaper cost. This

medimaker

people's lives and broaden their access to

low cost Medimaker will impact many medicine. This idea is also feasible to an extent as it is easy to manufacture. Similar bioreactors have also been made, with one main competitor being the Farma Bioreactor, which can also produce pharmaceutical drugs, but at higher costs.

To create the actual bioreactor for use, we would have a cylindrical stainless-steel body, with rotating impeller blades as our agitation system and pumps for feeding nutrients to our culture medium. It would then have a limited amount of sensors controlling the variables of the culture medium. Finally, it would have a small pressure-swing adsorption chamber for liquid separation.

Our idea is a modular, mini bioreactor capable of producing pharmaceutical drugs such as antibiotics quickly and cheaply,

BY RIKHLJOT SANDHU , JAN BOROWSKI & GAMAN BYNA

proj3ct hope

capable of obtaining large batches of desired products. This product is made for those who do not have access to pharmacies, doctors, or medicines.

According to the World Health Organization, this target audience consists of an estimated 2 billion people, accounting for nearly a quarter of the globe. Our version of a bioreactor would create the most basic medicines such as painkillers and insulin, requiring very basic genome editing, handled by the bioreactor, and using simple materials, gathered by the people. Certain controls such as pH and air pressure will be removed to cut down on costs and volume. However, it will still function as a bioreactor and create basic

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STEMATIX MagazineÂ

â—? Singapore Innovation Faire

We are Proj3ct Hope, and we are going to try to solve the problem of deforestation.

We are focusing on the UN Global Goal, Life on Land. Our idea to fix this issue is to create a robot or a drone and use them to plant seeds and water in areas that are inaccessible to humans or too dangerous to be in. These robots will scan their surroundings to find the best places to plant the seeds. Also, the robots will make sure to plant the seeds far enough from each other to prevent them from competing for resources. The first step would be to send out a reconnaissance drone to map out the terrain where the seeds will be planted. Once finished scanning, the drone will return to the starting point and upload the map to the robots. The ground-based robot will have two tracks allowing for good off-road capabilities, while the air-based drone will have enough power to lift a lot of weight.

The ground-based robot would plant biodegradable capsules with a few seeds inside to increase the tree's chance of growing. Also, inside the capsule will be

some necessary minerals to aid the tree in growing. The capsules will have something like chili flakes inside. This will prevent the animals from eating the seeds and ensure that they will survive and grow well. The ground-based robot will also water the capsules, which will cause the capsule to dissolve and drop the seed into the soil.

The capsules will be pushed into the soil.

The air-based robot will use the same capsules as the ground-based version; however, it would drop them from the sky instead of pushing them into the soil. The air-based robot will be useful if the planting terrain is too extreme for a tracked robot to maneuver in. Also, the drone can do the planting on a much larger scale and much faster. Our initial prototype was built from Lego Mindstorms.

However, our actual robot would be made of aluminum. The design of both our ground-based and air-based robots would prioritize the function over aesthetics. The ground-based robot would be available in two versions, a cheaper version for $269, which wouldn't water the seeds and only drop seeds without capsules. The higherend and more expensive version would drop the seeds with the capsules and water them during the initial planting. It would be priced at $369.

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BY EDWIN CHEAH & SPIROS KOLOKOTSAS

es entrpreneurs This project is about education being shared around the world. Our product is digital, so many people will be able to access it. It works on the 4th global goal, Quality Education. 5.17 billion people have mobile devices, which is 66.77% of the population in the entire world. What about the poorer countries? The country with the lowest percentage of users in Switzerland, which has 6.2 million users only, but only because of the population. This means that 72.34% of the population of Switzerland has a phone. This shows that there is a good chance each school has at least someone who can connect to devices and our product.

However, for more options, professional domains would be used in the actual product. There will be more detail in the parent and teacher guides in the real product, and probably the coverage of specific units with more tasks and resources.

Check out our website at https://sites.goog le.com/gwa.edu.sg/the-ib-education-hub/.

Our prototype is on Google Sites. It contains split products that provide guidance to

BY ALEC MACHEROUX-KEEDLE

teachers and parents to educate their

happy trails

students with resources and tasks.

The dog tracker is a very useful device that allows you to attach it to your dog and connect its GPS location to your phone.

The tracker will be attached safely and unharmful manner; it will be put on using double-sided medical tape to prevent the dog from getting irritated and itchy. This tracker allows the dog to move around freely in a way they would quickly get used to. The tracker will be mainly used on wild dogs such as the local Singapore Special.

This tracker will be attached to the dog once it has been caught (more information down the bottom). After attachment, the tracker will tell you exactly where they go.

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STEMATIX MagazineÂ

â—? Singapore Innovation Faire

This would tell the vets or animal welfare CAS (Causes for Animals) where they live and their main day/night pattern. This could tell the user where they eat, how they hunt, etc. This will be useful to catch puppies and neuter them. If you don't neuter them, they will keep breeding, and their puppies will breed, and after a long time, their population would have grown by a lot. We don't want them to keep breeding because the people who live near them don't like their barking, so they tell the government to trap them and put them to sleep (which we don't want). Secondly, Singapore keeps on expanding with new roads and condos, for which they need to then tear down the dog's home. Then the dogs will have to travel for a long time and go through many fights because they are passing another pack's territory. This tracker is small, tough, waterproof, and able to record for around five days.

BY AARUSH BAJAJ , FELIX CAMERON & JAKE EVANS

team seekr The SEEKR is a state-of-the-art drone with a thermal camera appended on the bottom of it. The SEEKR undertakes the challenge of finding people during the aftermath of natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis. The thermal camera is utilized do such. Also conjoined to the drone is an Arduino that has been programmed to transmit the thermal camera's footage to your phone. The SEEKR is closely tied to solving a small section of natural disasters, displaced people. The prototype of the SEEKR is a mere 3D printed design that has no function whatsoever. It is only used to depict what the SEEKR would look like as a real product. If we were to make the SEEKR, we would buy a drone and a thermal camera that is compatible with the drone. (most likely one with a USB-C) We could code an Arduino to wirelessly transmit the data from the thermal camera to your phone/drone remote.

Creating the SEEKR would cost around $150. The SEEKR would make a huge impact on the world and people using it because the SEEKR is used to find lives; lives with meaning. For example, if someone was displaced due to a fatal disaster and the SEEKR finds them, it would save people lots of grief and time that they would have lost if the SEEKR hadn't found them. The person whom the SEEKR found would have their life saved.

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BY OWEN WEI & RYAN LEE

team pha Our project is software that integrates artificial intelligence, social software, and external devices. Its target groups include students, white-collar workers, and the elderly. Among them, especially the elderly, have the biggest health problems. At the same time, most of the elderly are not familiar with using electronic products and mobile phone software. The software can help them by synchronizing their health status and displaying it on their children's devices, giving them a better idea of their parents' health status. Besides the elderly, it is also very important for the young to master their own conditions. This app can collect the data of your physical conditions for analysis, and finally calculate and display the eight diseases that are most susceptible to infection in your current health state for you. It sources data from wearable devices, case history, latest physical-examination-result, and a proprietary smart personal health-examination assistance. Also, the app will obtain the user's location information after the user's permission. When a user is considered highly likely to be infected with a virus by the system, he will be marked as suspected. The benefit is that when flu season comes, it can tell users where flu or illness is high and remind them to stay away. Finally, to protect users' privacy, we will use our developed face recognition technology to protect customers' privacy.

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â—? Singapore Innovation Faire

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

BY TOM PODER , BILLY THURLOW & LEE OFFICER

browse opportunities and select those that

sports hub

use our built-in messenger function to

We are Team Sports Hub, and we are

final details.

they are more interested in. They can then chat with the coaches and arrange the

hoping to solve the issue of sports teams not being able to field a complete eleven.

For our eventual end product, we will

Sports are very popular around the world,

develop a Progressive Web App. This is

but often, teams can't find enough

due to the cost-effectiveness and the

players. This means that the teams have

requirement to build only one app that will

to forfeit, meaning that they automatically

be optimized for all platforms. A PWA is an

lose, and the kids don't get a chance to

app built using web technologies with

play sports.

additional code that allows it to act like a native app. For the backend of our app, we

Our app allows coaches to post potential

will use Firebase's database and

opportunities for kids that do not

messaging services. These are cost-

currently play in a team—players who are

effective and reliable ways of

looking for more game time to fill in for

implementing a database. To fund our app,

teams low on players. Players are able to

we will use Firebase's built-in ad services.

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58

By Enzo Pereira da Cunha

ALL ABOUT THE

LI-ION BATTERY Hello, Stematix readers, my name is Enzo Pereira da Cunha, and I am a high schooler from Brazil. As a high school student, I am incredibly passionate about chemistry and its everyday applications. This article is about a chemical development that, in the past decade, has changed all the world dynamics.This development was made mainly by three scientists, who worked decades apart (reminds me of Newton and Leibniz), and was awarded the 2019 Nobel prize in Chemistry.

Dr. John B. Goodenough, Dr. Akira Yoshino, and Dr. M. Stanley Whittingham were collectively responsible for creating an efficient rechargeable cell that can store energy and liberate it through redox reactions. This cell was called the lithium-ion battery.

According to Google, a battery is "a container consisting of one or more cells, in which chemical energy is converted into electricity and used as a source of power."

The mechanism of electrochemistry has been known for almost 200 hundred

59

years, but it was only through the scientists' discoveries named above that it became economically viable. Doctor Goodenough is the oldest one of the three winners.

He received the Nobel Peace Prize when he was 97, but our history does not begin with him.

M.Stanley Whittingham discovered what became known as the first rechargeable battery(there were others before, but their efficiency was questionable). The mechanism's complicated. Still, he could intercalate electrodes with Lithium ions in the early 70s. Yet, his battery wasn't commercially viable because it used a lithium alloy as an anode. Even though lithium gets more stable in alloys, it can still explode, like the image shown.

Dr. Goodenough enters the scene in the early 80s. While working at Oxford University's Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, he discovered that if he used the Whittingham research mechanism but replaced the use of TiS2 with LixCoO2 cathode,

â—? All About the Li-Ion Battery

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

the results would improve. The capacity of the battery almost doubled through this breakthrough.

Dr. Akira Yoshino completes the story of the first Lithium-ion battery(LIB) in the 1980s. As we have seen so far, M. Stanley created the mechanism for the rechargeable batteries, and John B. improved the cathode, but one part still needed refinement. The anode had serious problems due to the use of Lithium aluminum alloy. Dr. Akira Yoshino then tried to improve this mechanism using polyacetylene.

Still, this compound had some stability problems associated with a super low density (A good battery would require a massive volume).

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So in 1985, Yoshino tried a carbonaceous material that had an appropriate density, a good electrical capacity, and amazing stability; and it worked! Dr. Akira Yoshino, in 1985, synthesized the first fully capable battery that was commercially viable. In less than six years, Sony had started using his battery. The LIB has changed and become more efficient; a graphite rod is used as the anode.

The cathode usually uses LiCoO2(Goodenough's discovery ( image on the side) ), lithium iron phosphate, or lithium manganese oxide. As you may now, for a battery to function, the cathodes must be in contact throw and electrolyte(solution of an organic solvent + lithium salt); in general, a lithium complex is associated with ethylene carbonate(C3H4O3). If you do not know what LIB is used for, you must be asking yourself, why were these such major breakthroughs? I would answer this question with another question: What device are you using to read this magazine? And unlike math magic tricks, I do not need to know your answer to say that your device contains a LIB inside it. From the most advanced iPhone to the oldest notebook (that can open a google chrome page, of course), all of them use LIB to retain energy. The world that we live in today would not exist without Dr. Goodenough, Dr. Yoshino, and Dr. Whittingham's discoveries. Today's wireless and fossil-fuel-free society would not have been possible without the discoveries made by these scientists. It makes you wonder what the world would look like today if Oxford had cut Dr. Goodenough's research budget?

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Remember to maintain a healthy relationship with technology during qurantine.

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STEMATIX MagazineÂ

â—? Art by Aleena

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62

poem platter

By Liam Nguyen

computer science Computer Science; a booming industry in today's modern and digital society, Dealing with all the detailed data and software systems, Including its theory, design, development, and application; the whole variety Be warned, it's a fierce field to study in with so much competition.

Have you ever looked around the classrooms? Computers everywhere, But how many of the billions of users really understand its software?

So prevalent in our daily lives; staring for hours into these interfaced rectangular screens, It's the only connection we have with the outside world during this tedious quarantine.

engineering

mathematics

Machines,

Subtract, Multiply, Divide, Add

Engineers form.

Constant practice drives me mad

They solve, build and invent

All those SLAMs and YELLs,

Making the world more efficient

Where are my brain cells?

Kind souls.

The Math journey all students had.

technology

stem

The world seems closer,

STEMATIX

But family seems further.

Trying to promote STEM education

Technology sucks!

Empowering the global youth community Magazines for the Kids, and by the Kids

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STEMATIX MagazineÂ

â—? Poem Platter

BY MOROZOV VITALY | HEAD OF CMIT | DEPUTY DIRECTOR | MSU SCIENCE PARK | RUSSIA

01

CMIT at the Science Park of Moscow State University MSU Science Park Mission of the park: creating an environment for the emergence and early development of hightech enterprises

Operator CMIT Movikom Company Manufacturer of mechatronic and robotic systems Founded by 2 graduate students from the Research Institute of Mechanics, Moscow State University Imaging systems supplier for sporting events such as the Sochi 2014 Olympics Victory Parade Exports systems control cameras to Europe and Asia

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64

Opening of YIC 02

Opening Date

CMIT Specialization

October 13, 2013

3D modeling, 3D printing, metalworking

Results

Visitors: 5000+ Students: 300+ (grades 6-11) Projects: 100+

Renovation of TsMIT Equipment: 3D printers laser cutter turning and milling machines hand tools soldering tools electronic components and robotics computers

Center for Youth Innovative Creativity

CYIT Activity Project activities with pupils and students Training courses in 3D modeling, programming, robotics, computer animation Carrying out vacation gaming intensives on technical topics Organization of work of schoolchildren with cases of innovative companies

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â—? CMIT at the Science Park of MSU

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

CYIT Activity 03

Prototyping for innovative companies Digital Manufacturing Training for MSU Students Organization of the all-Russian competition "UMNIK" at Moscow State University and a section for CMIT called "Scientists of the Future" Technical and expert support for the children's scientific and technical camp "Lanat"

Important Milestones In 2017 and 2018, CMIT was recognized as the most effective platform for the InnoMake competition Annual participation in the Science Festival at Moscow State University Participation in the exposition of youth innovation activities in the framework of the 33rd IASP World Conference

TsMIT teacher and MSU student Mikhail Bakin took first place in the Moscow Masters competition according to WorldSkills Russia standards in the Reverse Engineering competency At the Innovation workshop at the Future Intellectual Leaders of Russia forum in Yaroslavl, a working prototype of an automatic dispenser for mixing polymers was created by a team of schoolchildren from six cities of Russia

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Cooperation with schools: Lyceum No. 1533, Lyceum No. 1535, School No. 2086 Mentoring in the framework of the project "School of real affairs" Collecting practical tasks and project topics from innovative companies and supporting the project activities of school teams Implementation of a project for the Darwin Museum to create an interactive exhibit with the involvement of schoolchildren from the Lyceum of Information Technologies No. 1533

04

Cooperation with the scientific and technical project camp "Lanat" Joint project development and provision of equipment for the implementation of youth projects Participation in out-of-town project camps

CYIT Projects Development of a prototype housing for creating the head of the Movicom RobyHead D1 robotic camera.

The project was presented at the Panasonic booth at IBC2017 in Amsterdam, which is the largest annual forum in Europe.

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â—? CMIT at the Science Park of MSU

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

CYIT Projects 05

Details of an unmanned solar-powered boat for the Marine Research Center of Moscow State University

Hemosorption column prototype for children Non-invasive glucose test receiver Quadcopter control systems test bench

The city of the future after the vacation camp Laser burning in the framework of the research of students of MechMat Moscow State University

CONTACT: Морозов Виталий (Morozov Vitaly) | morozovvitaliy@gmail.com | 8926-610-3787

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THE CAMERA

BY AMANDA KAY

No matter which way you look at it, the invention of the

By definition, a camera operates by capturing light and

camera is vital in a multitude of ways, helping us

recording the image to display it. This can be done with

advance further than ever. Documenting memories,

many different methods; some, admittedly, work better

both large and small, the camera stores all of the

than others. Ranging from simple pinhead cameras to the

memories made day-to-day, preserving them for

high definition professional ones seen today, the camera

hundreds of years. It communicates with an eloquence

has evolved rapidly throughout time. To understand why

that words couldn't hope to mimic (after all, a picture is

the camera is so essential, one must understand the

worth a thousand words), and that was too complex for

camera's evolution.

drawings to detail. From an image of a child's first momentous steps or the catastrophic damage caused

Dating back to the ancient Greeks and ancient Chinese,

by an earthquake, the camera can document all of these

the first camera used a technique that led to the pinhole

moments, thereby helping us learn more about who we

camera: the camera obscura. Ibn Al-Haytham is accredited

are as humans. Without it, we would have no reference

with this discovery; however, both Chinese texts and texts

to previous events, and the rate of innovation would

from Aristotle both mention this method from around

falter in any profession: science, art, or technology.

300-400 B.C. It was

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STEMATIX MagazineÂ

â—? The Camera

ingenious at the time but rudimentary by today's standards; the central part of the camera is a box with a hole punched out to project an upside-down image of an object.

This type of camera does not capture an image, but instead it displays one upside down. Used mainly for art or observation, this camera would eventually lead to the modern camera we use today. One of the primary uses provided is the ability to watch solar eclipses, in which Reiners Gemma Frisius did in 1544.

Approaching the mid-1600s, another invention helped further the capabilities of the camera obscura: lenses.

These lenses allowed for a precise, clean-cut image that would be more accurate for drawing. Despite not being permanent yet, this was a massive advancement in the field of photography, allowing people (artists, scientists) to work with a more functional version of the camera.

Transitioning from the room-sized camera obscura to a portable one would be no easy feat. Still, a man named Johann Zahn accomplished this in 1685, publishing the device under the name Oculus Artificialis Teledioptricus Sive Telescopius. His work included experimentation with lenses, slides, telescopes, and more. Later in 1727, Johann Heinrich Schulze began experimentation with photo-sensitive chemicals, including silver salts.

Unfortunately, this discovery wouldn't be utilized for a while. Unlike the previous camera obscura, the discovery mentioned beforehand would allow for creating the first permanent camera. In 1827, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce would develop the first permanent image using the camera obscura, light-sensitive materials, and the sunlight. Exposing a pewter plate coated with bitumen to the sun, the shadows blocked the light while the chemicals exposed

Over time, the development of cameras has been essential to how we evolved as humans, with the impact a picture can truly hold.

reacted to the sunlight. After putting the plate into a solvent, an image slowly appeared. Granted, it would take eight hours to fully develop and would fade away

Sadly, Niépce would die four years before Daguerre

quickly, but it was a massive step in the right

would master it. Since Daguerre had taken up Niépce's

direction. nother Frenchman named Louis Daguerre

experiment, he named the finished product after himself:

was also searching for ways to fully capture an image,

the daguerreotype. The daguerreotype process is as

teaming up with Niépce. It would still be a while

follows: putting the images on sheets of silver-plated

bfore he would get the developing time down to 30

copper, exposing it to iodine vapor, as it forms silver

minutes with a longer-lasting image, but the mix of

iodide, which is a light-sensitive coating; exposing the

chemicals he used eventually achieved this goal.

plate to light, and finally bathing the entire solution in

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silver chloride. A while later, in 1893, Daguerre and Niepce's son would sell the daguerreotype's rights to the French government, only serving to expand its popularity in Europe and the U.S. At one point in time, there were over 70 studios in New York using this method. This method was used for quite a while but was later seen to be declining in popularity after the invention of emulsion plates. Emulsion plates had many benefits, but the main ones were that they were less expensive and had a shorter developing time (2-3 seconds). Replacing the copper plate, emulsion plates used either glass or tin, as they had increased sensitivity to light. Despite these advancements, there

was still a drawback; they had to be produced quickly, meaning that these chemicals would have to be taken on the road. Advancing into the modern era of cameras, George Eastman founded the company Kodak, a name still recognizable even today. This camera's purchase supplied ample film, although they did have to be sent to the factory to be processed. After all, it's not like the average American would carry such chemicals daily. To remedy this came the invention of instant cameras, such as Polaroids, which are created by Edwin Land. These cameras are still in high demand today, but back then, it was such a hot commodity that it was worth paying the hefty price tag attributed to it. Unlike other cameras from this era, it was highly convenient. Lastly, the development of the digital cameras we have today. Highly convenient and somewhat affordable, these cameras can take high definition photos without film, instead opting for a memory card or other storage. They now include screens for easier use, and some can connect to Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Over time, the development of cameras has been essential to how we evolved as humans, with the impact a picture can truly hold. From civil rights to STEM subjects, it is clear that we would be less advanced and less interconnected without the camera than we are right now. This invention, as well as others, truly sets the tone for our very existence.

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â—? The Camera

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

A TRIP, A CAMERA, AND A NOVICE PHOTOGRAPHER

BY LIAM BRADY PHOTOS BY MIGUEL BALINGIT

August 2019. My school informed me of a trip overseas to a land far from my own. As a South African boy with a newly purchased Nikon D3500, a ticket to Japan, and a batch of some of my closest friends joining me, to say that I was excited would definitely be an understatement. My problem wasn’t the mixture of caffeine and adrenaline in my veins, but rather, the fact that it was wearing off...

My anticipation for the upcoming journey urged me to keep my eyes open wide enough to never miss a possible photo that could be captured on my new entry-level DSLR. Of course, I hadn’t had much practice with it before, as purchasing the camera was a long and arduous process. This was not because of crammed queues or poor service but because of my indecisiveness towards decisions involving spending money. No matter how low the prices maybe... Instead, the decision

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was made for me by my vexed parents, whom I had dragged to the camera shop after many months of contemplating whether or not I should make photography my established hobby.

There I was, trotting off the A380 with a camera bag

strapped

around

my

shoulder

and

determination to take more photos than I could count. I was told it would be hot, and yet the most humid weather I had ever experienced was still there, not to greet me, but to surprise the sweat out of me. Nonetheless, I was ready to take photos of everything I was to lay my eyes upon.

My photography experience mainly consisted of close-up shots of plant life (the majority being flowers) with my Huawei p8 lite 2017. Close-up shots specifically as I felt that was where it shone. With my Nikon, I was able to take much more than close-ups. With my two lenses, 35mm and 300mm, the photos were not only crystal clear, but they were ranging from extreme close-ups all the way to long shots. These shots were of the long-awaited torii gates, beautiful Buddhist temples, vibrantly colored flowers, and my lively peers who were just as excited to be out and about in the crowded, yet enthralling afternoon streets of Japan.

From Tokyo to Osaka to Hiroshima all the way to Kyoto.

What an experience. With a mixture of roughly 2 000 photos and videos, I was happy with what I had captured.

Switching between lenses was, at first, a slow process that I would soon become accustomed to after constant practice.

I was given tips from those of my friends with some camera experience. Tips such as pointing the camera down when switching lenses so as not to accumulate dust on the mirror and to do the same with the lenses. I was learning to capture photos from different angles. How to take medium shots of people and to remember to include their feet… Yes, it may sound strange, but it makes sense as it helps the photo feel more complete. Objects creating diagonal lines give the picture a different mood and perspective and can change up even the blandest of images. However, in Japan, I couldn’t find anything bland, so capturing photos wasn’t too much of a challenge.

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● A Trip, A Camera, and a Novice Photographer

STEMATIX Magazine

Experimenting with various camera settings opened up a wider variety of shooting and editing options. Although I had the camera set to auto for most of the trip due to my lack of experience and confidence with it, I would test the other modes, most often portrait, to test what it was capable of. I messed around with different types of lighting and how the various settings influenced the picture’s outcome. Natural lighting was most definitely the better option as it felt, well, more natural. I restricted my use of the flash only for when I was experimenting with interesting photo ideas or for when there was very little surrounding light to work with.

I experimented with how a lower ISO, such as 100 ISO, is better for well-lit areas, while a higher shutter speed was better for capturing things in the moment. Increasing shutter speed would result in more exposure, which can be used to make creative images when in the streets during the evening. Manual focus is good for capturing images of an object behind glass, fences, or even between objects (I used the autofocus for most of the trip, but I’d switch to manual for those specific situations). A wide aperture will let in a large amount of light, whilst a smaller aperture will not. In auto mode, the camera does this all for you. However, if you want a better image, then learning how to use manual efficiently with loads of practice will result in better photos.

Although I was not and am still not the best at photo taking, I enjoyed and still enjoy capturing images of my beautiful surroundings in unique ways. For a first DSLR, I believe the Nikon D3500 is perfect as it is not too costly, and you still get a high-quality camera. I will continue to use it for quite some time.

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THE MATH HAPPENS FOUNDATION

MAKING A POOL TESTING APPARATUS

By Lauren Siegel Co-Founder & Director of The MathHappens Foundation

75

● Making a Pool Testing Apparatus

STEMATIX Magazine

THE MATH HAPPENS FOUNDATION

You don’t need robots and computers, just a system and apparatus to organize the steps! This model is based on the results alluded too but not completely explained by an Israeli company in the recent NY Times article by David Halbfinger on creative pool testing options.

Trying to come up with one of these is a great activity for teachers, students or anyone who wants to understand testing strategies better. And it’s not that hard. We want a pooled test that can give more test results for less lab chemicals and time. At the extreme, lab engineers in Israel and other places are claiming to return 8 results for 1 test, or even 9 results for 1 test.

We set out to figure it out, build an apparatus and test it out using vinegar, water and PH test strips. There are a lot of options with different features. We did a frame for simple pooling (see photo), but then we really went for it (scroll down) with a combination of two matrices and overlapping pools. It totally worked, no robotics or computer controlling the pipette work which took 27 minutes. We’ll try to shoot a video and I bet that time comes down.

SIMPLE POOLING For one infection in the group, 10 tests: 25 results.

Here’s a video (less than 2 minutes) to show how this works.

Frame for Simple Pooling 3 drops from each vial straight down to the bottom row. Test the bottom row.

COMPLEX MATRIX AND OVERLAPPING POOL 8 tests, 72 results This strategy works if there is a low prevalence. We are expecting 0 or 1 infections out of 72. It’s a 2 part design. A 6 x 6 matrix to put the samples into sets of 12 pools, 6 vertical, and 6 horizontal. There will be a positive on the associated vertical and horizontal pools so do a second matrix and we mix and match on the next step (useful insight). We take the vertical pools together and using the overlap guide, place them into 4 groups I, II, III, IV. We did the same for the horizontal. We now have just 8 tubes to test, and the results show us which row and column we should reference to find the vinegar sample back in the matrices. Actually doing the experiment was unexpectedly fun (see bottom).

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01. on the page

02. into the computer

03. gluing it all together

You don’t need robots and computers, just a system and apparatus to organize the steps!

04. finsihed matrix rack and overlapping pool guide

It worked! We did a hidden vial of vinegar test. Taking 3 drops from each vial and putting them into into the matrix pools (vertical and horizontal) so each sample goes into two vials on step 1. Then we used the overlapping pools guide to help organize 12 samples (both verticals) into 4 vials. Which vials are positive for vinegar, 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th or 1st and 2nd, 2nd and 3rd, 1st 2nd and 3rd, etc tells us which single pool has the vinegar, and that pool tells us a column in one of the two matrices. When we do the horizontal pools together, we expect the positive to come from the same matrix as the vertical (or there’s a problem). The one sample that is in both the positive vertical pool and the positive horizontal pool is the one we are looking for and its at the intersection of the two pools we identified.

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● Making a Pool Testing Apparatus

STEMATIX Magazine

THE MATH HAPPENS FOUNDATION

Having more than one positive sample could mess this up, but if you could use this method, for less than 27 minutes of pipette time you can leverage your lab equipment 1:9. If there are multiple positives, you would either test all 24 pools in the matrices or test all the samples. Positives in one side may mask positives in the other so it may be smart to switch the position of the horizontals or think strategically about the masking issue.

Having more than one positive sample could mess this up, but if you could use this method, for less than 27 minutes of pipette time you can leverage your lab equipment 1:9. If there are multiple positives, you would either test all 24 pools in the matrices or test all the samples. Positives in one side may mask positives in the other so it may be smart to switch the position of the horizontals or think strategically about the masking issue.

Other constructs avoid this problem, but may cost more tests. Here’s one I’m tinkering with a 9:36 or 1:4 ratio of tests to results. The top half and the bottom half make sense, the middle is trials at matrix after overlapping, but I don’t think that works as well as the other way. Bottom right I’m trying to figure out how many samples could be in question if different numbers of the pools test positive.

Working on posting videos just as a record. First try of the experiment worked perfectly, the video recording not so much, but here are some if you care to look.

Calibrate the PH strips | Set up the samples | Matrix Pooling in progress | Recap start to Matrix | Reading the second set of Overlapping Pools | Final Answer – compare to the record from the secret set up

Next up, tackle the Rwanda Hypercube. This is 3 x 3 x 3 cubes, and then multiples of them.

The method described in this article also includes a surveillance pool that creates a high probability of 1 positive with a low probability of 2 for a given number of samples. With that preparation, the right matrix, cube or hypercube can be selected to give the most efficient results.

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STEMATIX From August 10th - August 14th, 2020, 100+ middle and high school students attended STEMATIX Labs to be introduced to scientific thought, innovation, and communication through a 5 day workshop series. In these series of workshops, participants had the option to be immersed in a rapidly growing STEM field of their choice (Medicine and Healthcare Technologies, Computer Science and A.I., Environmental Science and Technology, and Robotics and Engineering). In the workshop, students worked in teams to create solutions to the world's most pressing problems. With the help of the STEMATIX team and mentors from Stanford University, students were able to research, ideate, and propose a solution to current issues related to Covid 19, Nutrition, Assistive Technology, and Mars.

MEDICINE

CS/AI

ENVIRONMENTAL

ROBOTICS

COVID 19

self-adjusting ventilator alapenem

covid-19 detecting app contact trace california

shrimp plastic

covid-19 ventilator ventilator crisis

NUTRITION

nutribar

balanced nutrition app

dome planters

controlled environment feeding 10 billion

ASSISTIVE TECH

artificial liver

autistic and dyslexic training app picread connect disabled

algae baskets

athletic patient prosthetic above knee prosthetic limb

MARS

CUHLSS zero-g infirmary

sleep tracker app an automated psychotherapist

efficiently mining ice on mars

mars rover design

track topic

Ashar Siddiqui

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Udita Mahajan

Nidhi Thankasala

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

Ryan Liu

â—? STEMATIX Labs

W H A T

I S

S T E M A T I X

L A B S ?

STEMATIX Labs aims to introduce middle and high schoolers to the realm of scientific thought, innovation, and communication through a 5 day workshop series. In these series of workshops, participants will have the option to be immersed in a rapidly growing STEM field of their choice.

P I C K

A

Medicine and Healthcare Technologies

W H A T

T R A C K

Environmental Science and Technology

D I D

W E

Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence

Robotics and Engineering

D O ?

In this program, students worked in teams to solve our world's most pressing problems. Throughout the week, students researched, created, and proposed a solution with the help of the STEMATIX team and mentors from Stanford University.

MEDICINE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TRACKS

Research Paper

Poster Presentation

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COMPUTER SCIENCE AND AI TRACK

Research Paper

App

ROBOTICS AND ENGINEERING TRACK

Research Paper

CAD Model

80

SO OF FT TW WA AR RE E P PR RO OJ JE EC CT T S MA AN NA AG GE EM ME EN NT T M

By Akshita Ponnuru & Serena Gandhi

Software project management refers to the branch of project management dedicated to the planning, scheduling, resource allocation, execution, tracking and delivery of software and web projects. “89% of the project professionals surveyed in 2019, said that their organization implemented hybrid project management practices.” (Aston, 2019)

AG IL E

collaborating to iteratively deliver S CRU M

whatever works

W AT ERF AL L

enabling a small,

planning projects

cross-functional, self-

fully, then executing

managing team to

through phases

deliver fast

PROJECT MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGIES

K AN BA N

PM I / PM BO K

improving speed and

applying universal

quality of delivery by

standards to

increasing visibility of

Waterfall project

work in progress and limiting multi-tasking

management

LE AN

streamling and eliminating waste to deliver more with less

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● Software Project Management

STEMATIX Magazine

5 FAMOUS WOMEN IN COMPUTER SCIENCE

BY VYSHNAVI KATTA

Women were among the first programmers in the early 20th century and contributed substantially to the industry. After the 1960s, the "soft work" that had been dominated by women evolved into modern software, and the importance of women at work decreased. The lack of women in computing from the late 20th century onward was examined, and it was found that the recorded history of the field has downplayed their achievements. Even so, here are five examples of famous women who made significant and vital contributions to the computer science industry

GRACE HOPPER Rear Admiral Dr. Grace Murray Hopper was one of the most influential computer scientists of all time, famous for her groundbreaking work in developing the first accessible computer programming languages written in English.

Hopper was noted for her curiosity since early childhood, having been caught by her mother dismantling seven alarm clocks to see how they worked (she was limited to one afterward). She first studied at Vassar College, a liberal arts college, before completing her master's and Ph.D. in mathematics at Yale University, graduating in 1934.

GRACE HOPPER

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During World War 2, Hopper tried to enlist in the navy but was rejected due to her age and size. However, she persisted and eventually received a waiver to join the Women's Reserve. Her perseverance was also notable in her programming work, as she was told very quickly that her idea for a new programming language using entirely English words couldn't work because computers didn't understand English. It took years before her idea was accepted. Still, she persisted, and the COBOL (Common Business Orientated Language) has gone on to become the most widely used business language to date. Amongst other awards, Hopper was granted the Society of Women Engineers Achievement Award in 1964 and has earned the nickname 'Amazing Grace.'

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ADA LOVELACE Ada Lovelace (1815–1852) had a passion and gift for mathematics from a young age. She is credited with being the world's first computer programmer, as she drafted plans for how a machine called the Analytical Engine could perform computations. The machine, invented by her friend, mathematician, and inventor Charles Babbage, is considered to be the first general computer. Lovelace detailed applications for the Analytical Engine that relate to how computers are used today.

Lovelace is remembered annually on Ada Lovelace Day, held on the second Tuesday of October. The international day of recognition celebrates women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

ADA LOVELACE

MARY KENNETH KELLER The first woman to receive a Ph.D. in Computer Science was a nun: Mary Kenneth Keller entered the "Sister of Charity" in 1932, professing her vows in 1940. Keller received her B.S./M.S. Mathematics from DePaul University in Chicago and briefly studied at Dartmouth, breaking the "men-only" rule. Keller played a significant role in developing a critical computer language: Beginner's All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code, or BASIC. Thanks to BASIC, writing custom software was no longer restricted to mathematicians and scientists. Her contribution made computer use much more accessible to a broader portion of the population.

Keller returned to the Midwest and, in 1965, received her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin. In Dubuque, Iowa, Clarke College hired Keller to create and chair their Computer Science Department, where she continued to grow and share her knowledge for 20 years.

SISTER MARY KENNETH KELLER

GLADYS WEST Gladys West is primarily hailed as the figure whose mathematical work led to the invention of the Global Positioning System (GPS). She programmed the IBM 7030 'Stretch' computer that delivered advanced calculations for a geodetic Earth model, which eventually became known as GPS. In 2018, she was inducted into the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame.

GLADYS WEST

margaret hamilton Margaret Hamilton is an American computer scientist, systems engineer, and business owner. Hamilton was the Director of the Software Engineering Division of the MIT Instrumentation Laboratory, which designed the onboard flight software that made Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's Apollo mission possible. On November 22, 2016, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama for her work on NASA's Apollo Moon missions. After her stint developing software for NASA, she founded two software companies.

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MARGARET HAMILTON

● 5 Famous Women in Computer Science

STEMATIX Magazine

NUCLEAR FUSION: INFINITE ELECTRICITY FROM TINY STARS ON EARTH

BY GRIFFIN GLENN STANFORD SCIENCE PENPALS

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THINK ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU USE THAT RUNS ON ELECTRICITY, from your TV and computer to your refrigerator or maybe even your family’s car! To power all of these things, people use more electricity now than ever before. Right now, most of our electricity comes from burning coal, oil, or natural gas. Even though this is cheap and easy, it makes pollution that hurts people and makes climate change worse. Making electricity with solar, wind, or geothermal power doesn’t produce pollution, but these power sources can all only work at certain times or in certain places. We can also make electricity with a process called nuclear fission, but fission generates radioactive waste that is very difficult to throw away. You might wonder whether there’s any source of electricity that doesn’t have any of these problems, and it turns out that there is!

A PROCESS CALLED NUCLEAR FUSION POWERS THE SUN AND ALL OF THE OTHER STARS IN THE UNIVERSE, AND SCIENTISTS ARE WORKING HARD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO USE IT TO MAKE ELECTRICITY ON EARTH. A process called nuclear fusion powers the Sun and all of the other stars in the universe, and scientists are working hard to figure out how to use it to make electricity on Earth. When they do, we will be able to make electricity all the time without harming people or the Earth. In nuclear fusion, small atoms are combined to make larger atoms. (This is the opposite of nuclear fission, in which big atoms are broken apart into smaller atoms.) Nuclear fusion releases a lot of energy: if we were to compare the mass of the original atoms to the mass of the atoms resulting from fusion, we would see that some of the mass had disappeared. According to Einstein’s famous equation, E = mc2, some of this mass (m) has turned into energy (E), and since the speed of light squared (c2) is a very big number, a little bit of missing mass can turn into a lot of energy! Nuclear fusion has more benefits than just the incredible amounts of energy it can supply. Perhaps most importantly, it’s easy to find fuel for nuclear fusion: we can get

85

● Nuclear Fusion (Stanford PenPals)

STEMATIX Magazine

thousands of years’ supply of one of the fuels for nuclear fusion from seawater. Also, nuclear fusion does not generate the radioactive, hard-to-store waste that nuclear fission does. The waste from the most common type of nuclear fusion is helium, which doesn’t hurt the environment and is often used to fill party balloons. Finally, nuclear fusion power is safe. Because of the way nuclear fusion works, if an accident happens at a nuclear fusion power plant, the fusion process will simply stop, and the plant will be able to shut down safely.

WHILE NUCLEAR FUSION IS EASY FOR STARS (THEY DO IT ALL THE TIME— LITERALLY!), IT’S MUCH HARDER FOR HUMANS TO DO ON EARTH. To make two atoms fuse, we have to push them very close to each other. This is hard, though, because atoms, kind of like the opposite poles of a magnet, push each other apart when they come together. So, they have to be moving very quickly so they can slam into each other and fuse before being pushed apart. To make atoms move very quickly, we have to make them hot—millions of Griffin Glenn degrees Fahrenheit.

Scientists usually call atoms that are this hot “plasma,” which is a different state of matter than the solids, liquids, and gases you may have learned about already. The problem is that when the atoms are this hot, they want to fly out in all directions rather than slam into each other. This means that we need to find a way to hold hot atoms near each other for a long enough time for them to run into each other and fuse. How do stars do it? They are so huge (much, much bigger than the Earth) that the gravity pulling on the outside of the star can squeeze the atoms in the middle and make sure they bump into each other. On Earth, we have to figure out something else. Scientists have thought about lots of different ways to do fusion, and at this point, there are two main approaches they are working on for fusion energy: magnetic confinement fusion

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and inertial confinement fusion. In magnetic confinement fusion, scientists use powerful magnetic fields, hundreds of times stronger than those from the magnets on your fridge, to create a “bottle” for the hot atoms that keeps them contained.

There are many different ways to make this “bottle,” but the most common is to use a donut-shaped device called a tokamak. The world’s largest tokamak, called ITER (the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), is being built in France right now.

USING THE RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTS ON SMALLER TOKAMAKS AS WELL AS REALLY BIG COMPUTERS CALLED SUPERCOMPUTERS, SCIENTISTS PREDICT THAT ITER WILL BE THE FIRST FUSION REACTOR THAT RELEASES MORE ENERGY THAN IT TAKES TO POWER IT.

Using the results of experiments on smaller tokamaks as well as really big computers called supercomputers, scientists predict that ITER will be the first fusion reactor that releases more energy than it takes to power it. This won’t make ITER a power plant, but it will still be an important demonstration that fusion can be a useful source of energy. In the other main approach to generating fusion energy, inertial confinement fusion (ICF), scientists point enormous lasers at a tiny piece of fuel. The lasers are so powerful that they’re able to not only heat the fuel but also squeeze it with incredible pressures. The flash of laser light lasts much less than one-millionth of a second, but because the fuel is so hot and under so much pressure, it is still possible for enough atoms to fuse together to generate lots of energy during that time. The biggest ICF

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STEMATIX Magazine

● Nuclear Fusion (Stanford PenPals)

experiment in the world right now is the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California —it uses 192 laser beams to heat the fuel up to temperatures of millions of degrees Fahrenheit and create pressures much, much greater than those found at the center of the Earth.

Scientists working on both of these ways to make fusion energy have made tremendous progress since this work began in the 1950s, but there is still a long way to go. The hot atoms we need for fusion are very difficult to contain, and even the tiniest gap in the magnetic fields or lasers used to contain them can force the fusion process to stop. There are also many other problems to solve: Is there a metal strong enough for the walls of these fusion machines to survive the incredible heat of the atoms? What’s the best way to extract energy from the atoms and turn it into electricity? Many people like Griffin Glenn are still working on these problems, and we’ll need help from the next generation of scientists—hopefully including some of the people reading this article! For years, people have joked that no matter how much progress we make, nuclear fusion energy is always 30 years away. But in the words of a British scientist named Steven Cowley, “Once we know how to do fusion, we’ll never not know how to do fusion.” All of the hard work scientists have been doing for years will be worth it when we learn how to follow the Sun’s recipe to do nuclear fusion here on Earth since it will let us generate electricity all the time without harmful pollution. I think nuclear fusion has the potential to change the world, and I hope you now look forward to the day we figure it out as much as I do.

ONCE WE KNOW HOW TO DO FUSION, WE’LL NEVER NOT KNOW HOW TO DO FUSION. STEVEN COWLEY

GRIFFIN GLENN STANFORD SCIENCE PENPALS

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TOP 8 COMPUTER SCIENCE TECHNOLOGIES THAT HELP THE UNITED NATIONS ACHIEVE ITS 17 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

BY GRACE MURESAN The United Nations (UN) defines the 17

As the foundation for all computing, Computer

Sustainable Development Goals as the blueprint

Science is defined as “the study of computers and

to achieve a better and more sustainable future

algorithmic processes, including their principles,

for all. These goals address the global challenges

their hardware and software designs, their

we face, including those related to poverty,

[implementation], and their impact on society”

inequality, climate change, environmental

(Tucker et. al, 2003).

degradation, peace, and justice. The 17 Goals were adopted by all UN Member States in 2015 to be achieved by 2030. All 17 are all interconnected and depend on one another to successfully

achievements of Computer Science Technologies that are helping the UN achieve each of its 17 Goals in many parts of the world, through many different

improve the quality of life for humankind.

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In this article, I will highlight the top 8

channels.

● Computer Science and the United Nations

STEMATIX Magazine

1. Digital Financial Services Goal #1 No Poverty Money, as cliche as it sounds, is a fundamental building block for reducing poverty and accessing opportunities to achieve economic growth. Money management can be achieved optimally by using financial services. In developed countries, such as in the U.S., financial services give people access to savings, credit and insurance, loans to start and expand businesses, investment in education or health, manage risk, and weather financial shocks, all of which can improve the overall quality of their lives. However, 2017 data from the World Bank showed that 1.7 billions of adults do not have access to formal financial services. That means, people without access to financial services operate with

Money, as clichĂŠ as it sounds, is a fundamental building block for reducing poverty and accessing opportunities to achieve economic growth.

cash or physical assets (livestock, household items) transactions. Cash as-is does not earn interest, livestock may die unexpectedly, and household items lose value over time. To complete distant economic transactions, without a bank account,

the idea of Mobile Banking, Cashless

one must deliver physical assets through self-carry,

Payments, Digital Money, and Electronic

of which in itself is often a very dangerous journey.

Financial Transactions. Many countries that

Computer Science advancement pushed through

have large populations in rural areas have benefited tremendously from developing Digital Financial Services. The main benefit was that rural economy players now have better access to a wider range of products and services that were not possible for them to have in the past. They did not have to travel to big cities, for example, to get for the most efficient solar-powered machineries that could help them save money in electricity.

Rural buyers only need to view the goods online, make their orders, and pay for the goods to be delivered to them.

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2. Mobile Medical / Health Care Goal #3 Good Health and Well Being

how to help him, and asking my brother how

The UN recognizes that ensuring healthy lives and

and care for my brother to recover from his

promoting well-being at all ages is essential to the

sprained ankle injury.

he felt upon my mother’s touch and pressure.

The doctor then suggested some treatment

prosperity of a nation. Despite global progress, 4 out of every 5 child deaths are children under 5 years

In that framework, Computer Science

old in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia.

technology helps patients give data to health

Globally, adolescent girls and young women face

care providers, without having to physically

gender-based inequalities, exclusion, discrimination

travel anywhere, and get answers and help

and violence, and are generally at increased risk of

that they need, based on the health care

acquiring HIV and other similar infections, due to

providers’ recommendations.

the disrespect placed on their bodies and the downplaying of rape in many countries. And most

If COVID-19 was not a travel constraint,

recently, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the society

imagine what m-Health could do to patients

to avoid non-emergency health care so that health

and health care providers in remote areas,

care providers could focus on treating and helping

such as this one in the Tanzanian village of

the COVID-19 patients.

Shirati, in which Dr. Buire Changi, chief medical officer, is in charge of a 200-bed hospital. He frequently diagnoses skin conditions such as Kaposi’s sarcoma and candidiasis in HIV positive patients. Despite his experience, Dr. Changi may need a second physician to confirm his findings. His patients need to be triaged and some referred to a larger hospital. The decision to seek a second opinion is crucial. If Dr. Changi chooses to refer the patient, it is an expensive five-hour bus journey to the Mwanza regional hospital. He uses First Derm, a mobile app that enables him to use a smartphone-connected

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Computer Science development rose to the

dermatoscope to take photographs of his

occasion through providing Mobile Health Care

patient’s skin lesions. These photos are then

services (m-Health). For example, closer to home

reviewed by a consultant in Dar es Salaam and

here in the U.S., when my family needed to consult

the patients are triaged. Though the patients

our family doctor about my brother’s sprained

may still have an uncomfortable five-hour

ankle, we were able to have a video call with the

journey to Mwanza, they are referred with

doctor. The doctor assessed my brother’s ankle

confidence that the journey is worth the

visually, guiding my mother where to touch and

discomfort.

● Computer Science and the United Nations

STEMATIX Magazine

3. Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH UNICEF) - Goal #3 Good Health and Well Being, Goal #6 Clean Water and Sanitation Water scarcity, poor water quality and inadequate sanitation negatively impact food security, livelihood choices and educational opportunities for poor families across the world. 2018 UN data showed that more than 2 billion people were still living with the risk of reduced access to freshwater resources and by 2050, at least 1 in 4 people were likely to live in a country affected by chronic or recurring shortages of fresh water. Drought in specific afflicts some of the world’s poorest countries, worsening hunger and malnutrition.

However, the UN reported that there has been great progress made in the past decade regarding drinking sources and sanitation, whereby over 90% of the world’s population now has access to improved sources of drinking water. UNICEF’s WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) team works in over 100 countries to improve water and sanitation services and educate people in thirdworld countries in basic hygiene practices.

Computer Science, through advancement and more wide-spread use of IoT (Internet of Things)

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provides people with healthier, more economical, environmentally friendly, and more sustainable hygiene practices. The internet gives WASH the power to reach and educate more people.

A great example of the implementation of IoT is The Human Sensor Web (HSW) system, designed to make it easier to collect and share data over time on the state of water sources and services in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Many residents of Zanzibar are onlyable to access piped water for a very short period each day, or must access community sources far from their homes. Developed by University of Twente, Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, Twente Institute for Wireless and Mobile Communications, and the 52° North Initiative, the HSW system is an SMS gateway application that accepts user reports as structured SMS messages, as well as automated sensor data through both water and power monitors. The data is meant to be used by communities to forewarn against dry wells, as well as to advocate for better water services. The water readings are used to corroborate user reports, and the electricity readings are incorporated in the system to determine whether or not power failure is the

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reason behind pump failure and lack of water

treatment that has been done). The advice is

availability. All this information is displayed publicly

provided on a regular basis (typically once a

on Google Maps. More recently, the developers of

week), from sowing to harvesting, which

HSW also implemented an Interactive Voice

reduces the cost of cultivation and increases

Response (IVR) system, which would be useful for

farm productivity as well as the quality of agri-

low-literacy residents who wanted to hear about

commodities.

and submit reports.

4. Agriculture and Manufacturing Techniques - Goal #2 No Hunger, Goal #12 Responsible Consumption The UN stated that a profound change of the global food and agriculture system is needed if we are to nourish the 821 million people who are hungry today and the additional 2 billion people expected to be undernourished by 2050. Agriculture is the single largest employer in the world, providing livelihoods for 40 per cent of today’s global population. It is the largest source of income and jobs for poor rural households.

5. Quality Education Goal #4 Quality Education

Farmers are using Computer Science technologies

Enrolment in primary education in

such as moisture sensors, drones, smart irrigation, terrain contour mapping, self-driving and GPS enabled tractors to produce food more sustainably.

In India, eSagu is a very good example of the use of Computer Science technology (the word 'Sagu' means 'cultivation' in Telugu language). It is an ITbased personalized agro-advisory system, which

million primary age children remain out of school. More than half of children that have not enrolled in school live in sub-Saharan Africa. Approximately 28.5 million primary school age who are out of school live in conflict-affected areas; and 617 million youth

aims to improve farm productivity by delivering

worldwide lack basic mathematics and

high quality personalized (farm-specific) agro-

literacy skills. Those were statistics from the

expert advice to each farm based on farmer’s specific questions. Basically, rather than visiting the crop in person, the agricultural scientist delivers expert advice by getting the crop status in the form of digital photographs and other relevant

UN website in 2018.

Research studies noted that computer science technologies in the form of computer aided instruction or mobile phone aided

information (e.g. soil condition, rainfall data,

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developing countries has reached 91%, but 57

● Computer Science and the United Nations

STEMATIX Magazine

6. Access to Information Goal #17 Partnership for the Goals Technological progress is the foundation of efforts to achieve environmental objectives, such as increased resource and energyefficiency. Without technology and innovation, industrialization will not happen, and without industrialization, development will not happen.

There needs to be more investments in hightech products that dominate the manufacturing productions to increase efficiency and a focus on mobile cellular services that increase connections between people.

The Internet and the World Wide Web, GPS, satellite communications, remote sensing, and smartphones are dramatically accelerating the pace of discovery, engendering globally instruction can boost student learning in rural and disadvantaged areas.

In Nairobi, Kenya, a group of software developers, engineers and technologists, started BRCK. BRCK is a durably built, brick-sized portable connectivity device intended for use where electricity and internet connections are unreliable. These engineers then built Kio Kit for education, which was an individualized, handheld device that runs on Android 4.4 KitKat OS. With a shock-resistant rubberized exterior, it is designed for the physical challenges found in a classroom. A Kio Kit consists of 40 Kio tablets housed in a water-resistant, secure transportation case. A Kio Kit also contains

Technological progress is the foundation of efforts to achieve environmental objectives, such as increased resource and energy-efficiency.

headphones for all of the Kios and a BRCK for connectivity. A Kio Kit makes localized and culturally relevant educational content available to students, even in the most remote physical location.

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connected networks of people and devices. The rise of practically relevant artificial intelligence (AI) is also playing an increasing part in this revolution, fostering e-commerce, social networks, personalized medicine, and other IoT tools.

A research by Bhaskar Chakravorti and Ravi Shankar showed how an emerging digital ecosystem is particularly crucial as a multiplier of the growth for 6 African countries, because access to smartphones and other devices enhances consumer information, networking, job-creating resources, and even financial inclusion.

7. Disaster Management - Goal #9 Innovation and Infrastructure, Goal #15 Life on Land

Big data, GPS, drones, and high-speed communication have enabled improved extension services; optimized transportation channels and provided early-warning systems

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Disaster Management in the UN framework

to prevent potential disasters from happening.

includes reducing exposure and vulnerability of the

Computer Science technology such as DART

poor to disasters or building resilient infrastructure.

(Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of

It also includes several goals and targets related to

Tsunamis) buoys, which wasbuilt by PMEL

promoting education for sustainable development,

(Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory),

building and upgrading education facilities and

was used in Chile to help the country detect

ensuring healthy lives in land and water.

tsunami threat in less than 8 minutes.

â—? Computer Science and the United Nations

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

8. Sustainable Energy Source - Goal #7 Affordable and Clean Energy, Goal #13 Climate Action Energy is central to nearly every major challenge and opportunity the world faces today. Be it for jobs, security, food production, or increasing incomes, access to energy for everyone is essential.

Working towards this goal is especially important as it links to many other Sustainable Development Goals.

Despite many of us living in a world of technology, 13% of the global population still lacks access to

Altogether, as these 8 new applications to

modern electricity; 3 billion people rely on wood,

technology show, computer science and

coal, charcoal or animal waste for cooking and

other similar innovations open doors in

heating; around 60% of total global greenhouse gas

every industry and can make a huge

emissions was from non-sustainable energy source;

difference, changing the lives of millions

and indoor air pollution from using combustible

across the world and helping the United

fuels for household energy caused 4.3 million

Nations achieve the 17 Sustainable

deaths in 2012, with women and girls accounting

Development goals.

for 6 out of every 10 of these. Simple technologies, such as solar lights, fuel efficient cookstove, less

While most efforts up to date made to help

polluted motorized vehicles, and more sustainable

people living in poverty-stricken environments

ways to harvest resources from the land and sea for

include face-to-face, direct interaction, the

food, would be beneficial for reducing those

implementation of the internet and

problems.

technology in these communities could improve their livelihoods in so many different ways, from managing money, to receiving adequate medical attention, to staying clean, managing agriculture, getting an education, staying aware of worldly updates and natural disasters, and of course, available energy. In the U.S. and other developed countries, access to technology is now extremely commonplace and was a massive building block to reaching the future. Computer science will do just that to help the development of all the communities not yet exposed to it.

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RELATABLES

By Serena Gandhi

Okay, Sir. For this last bit of registration, I need to know your age.

That sounds about right.

You're free to go.

Ooh! Sir penguin, I have a very important email coming your way!

Ummm..... January 17, 1756

Thank you

Oh Goody! I've been expecting one to come from my boss!

Here it comes!

SPAM 97

INBOX

● Relatables

STEMATIX Magazine

computer keyboard diys by sahana moogi

OVERVIEW Computer keyboards are especially useful when they are intact and working. If you’re a student, you probably use them to type up your homework or if you’re a software developer, you use them to write code. Keyboards are essential when it comes to communicating with a computer. But when they’re broken, they can be used to create cool projects and awesome jewelry!

You can usually find old keyboards in a thrift store or you can pull some off of old laptops or computers. I pulled these off of broken computers, so the keys are more flat and thin than other keyboards, but any type of key will do!

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KEYBOARD JEWELRY supplies computer keys earring head pins earring hooks thin craft wire (or earring wire) small beads necklace chain

step 1: taking apart the keyboard The keys on the keyboard should be easy to take off. Take it apart and keep the keys you plan on using.

tools hot glue gun pliers

step 2: assembling earrings Add beads onto earring pins. Use hot glue to attach a computer key to each pin above the bead you attached, then attach the key identical to it to the back of the first key. Add another bead onto the pins.

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â—? Computer Keyboard DIY

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

step 3: finishing earrings Add an earring hook to two of the pins and use the pliers to bend the wire around it at the top. Bend the top of the third pin into a loop and cut off the excess material using wire cutters.

step 4: necklace Repeat the same process for the necklace as for the earrings and attach it to the necklace chain.

The only difference is that you don't add an earring hook to the necklace pendant. I chose to keep it simple, but since it is the pendant, feel free to add a little something extra. I did a ctrl+alt+delete theme for these, so I'd love to see what ideas you come up with!

step 5: bracelet wire Cut a piece of wire around 2-3 times the size of your wrist. String beads along the piece of wire. I only added a few beads and didn't fill up the whole wire. Form a small circle the size of your wrist by winding the wire around and wrap the ends around all of the loops.

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step 6: finishing bracelet Use hot glue to attach the keys to the bracelet. You can glue them directly or you can attach them as charms with a little extra wire. I did one that said Love and another that said Just Esc (just escape).

step 7: complete!

There are so many possibilities when it comes to jewelry and this is just one of them. I'd love to see what you make so please share your pictures below! My main inspiration for these ideas was through Pinterest :)

COMPUTER KEY DESK DECOR supplies small box/ container computer keys paint/spray paint scrabble piece holder optional: soil, plant, and drill

step 1: prepare the box Paint the box or container to a shade of your preference. I chose black so it would blend in with the keys.

tools hot glue gun pliers

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â—? Computer Keyboard DIY

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

step 2: decorate the box Use hot glue to attach the keys to the box in any order or pattern. You can have it spell out something or make it random.

step 3: planting To turn this into a planter, drill small holes into the bottom and add soil to the container. Plant any kind of plant you’d like. I chose to plant a Jade Plant in mine. Another cool idea would be to use this as a pencil holder instead of a planter.

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step 4: name plate Making the name plate is pretty self explanatory. Use the hot glue to glue computer keys spelling out your name onto the scrabble game piece holder. You can choose to personalize it even more with glitter, paint, etc.

find these on instructables!

Check out these DIY's on Instructables.com! Share your version of these projects if you make them, download the pdf instructions, and more on the project pages!

step 5: complete!

Enjoy your two pieces of decor! Hopefully, they add a little something to your workspace :)

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â—? Computer Keyboard DIY

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

Semiconductor Companies' Ecosystem and ARM's Wise Structural Decision

BY HYUN SEOMUN

2020 was a year full of semiconductor companies' M&A, which already exceeded last year's scale ($31.7 Billion), but NVIDIA's ARM acquisition was a complete shock. Why is ARM so unique that it drew so much attention among other acquisitions?

Let's rewind the clock to 2016. SoftBank, a Japanese investing company, bought ARM before this gigantic acquisition. Although lots of people criticized this $40 billion deal, Masayoshi Son (founder of SoftBank) told the reporters, "This is a company I always admired for the last ten years. This is the company I wanted to make part of the SoftBank. I am so happy." Pretty unexpected, isn't it? (As a result, Son earned more than $12 billion by selling it to NVIDIA) Son didn't just buy the company only considering the dominance in the market.

Instead, he saw a brighter future - 'singularity' (a point when AI exceeds humans' level), 'better world with AI' dream, and his desire to contribute to the future by buying the company

ARM is literally dominating the market. While other tech giants such as Huawei, Samsung, or Apple only have a market share of around 20%, nearly 'every mobile phone companies' (95%) use the APs based on ARM's architecture. To understand their dominance, we have to take a look at the semiconductor industries' ecosystem and know how it works. Due to its complicated structure, there are several structures of the semiconductor companies; IDM, Chipless, Fabless, Design House, Foundry, and OSAT. Let's take a look at those..

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As a result of being a Chipless company, ARM didn't have to waste money making factories. Instead, they invested more in recruiting competent engineers so that they could survive among the tech giants. The innovation of semiconductors made it hard for the IDM companies to keep their focus on their large, complicated, and high-cost businesses and corner the market just like they did in the past, so they started to focus on the Foundry business or a Fabless business - ARM's "concentration" strategy did go right.

Considering both companies' dominance in the market, the governments and fair trade commissions should keep tabs on the acquisition to prevent monopoly and job losses, as ARM co-founder Herman Hauser mentioned that it IDM, an Integrated Device Manufacturer, is a company

would be an absolute disaster for the

that has everything needed to make a semiconductor; a

whole of Europe.

fabrication facility, designing, wafer processing, packaging, and testing. Intel, IBM, Texas Instruments, and other companies are examples of IDM. Chipless (or an IP, which means Intellectual Property) company specializes in designing semiconductors. They provide a specific blueprint of semiconductors to Fabless, Foundries (we will discuss these names later), and other manufacturers and get a license fee. ARM is an example of a Chipless company. Fabless company is pretty similar to Chipless but has only one difference. While Chipless company doesn't have its own product (as they sell the blueprints to other companies and get a license fee), the Fabless company designs the product, gets it made by different manufacturers, and sells it. Fabless doesn't require a money-draining manufacturing facility and can have its own label, so Chipless and IDM company has a combined advantage. Design House is a company that has a position between Fabless and Foundry companies. They provide an optimized blueprint to the manufacturers, which was initially designed by a Fabless company.

Foundry is a complementary set of Fabless companies – it specializes in producing other companies' products. Their main customers are Fabless companies. Finally, an OSAT company specializes in packaging and testing the semiconductors made from IDMs and Foundries.

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â—? Semiconductor Companies' Ecosystem and ARM

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

BIOINFORMATICS: LOOKING AT LIFE THROUGH THE EYES OF PROGRAMMING

By Larissa Terto Alvim Biology is the science field that studies all living organisms on Earth and there are many challenges when it comes to studying organic matter at the molecular level. So what if we could make computers able to analyze and organize the most abstract and invisible portion of life? Bioinformatics gives us this possibility of using computational technology and programming language to study the microscopic world.

Bioinformatics is a recent science field that uses computation and programming to analyze biological information, especially at the molecular level, being so an information science discipline, and it dialogues with various STEM fields, from biomedical engineering and mathematical biology to genomics and proteomics. Bioinformatics tools include programs to search and analyze nucleic acids sequences, such as BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) and the EMBOSS (European Molecular Biology Open Software Suite).

There are also programs for predicting, modelling and imaging molecular structure, such as the RasMol. The importance of this field is helping scientists achieve advances in medicine, pharmacology and genetic engineering.

STEM fields related to bioinformatics

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Bioinformatics & Genomics The most common application of bioinformatics is building databases of genetic information. The International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration, which includes the DNA DataBank of Japan (DDBJ), the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA) is responsible for gathering the genetic information collected until now from a diversity of organisms. This data includes genome, gene expression pathways and protein composition of organisms, and scientists publicly update it in the GenBank and Protein DataBank repositories. The medical field largely applies genetic mapping to predict and prevent diseases that are transmitted or influenced by peoples’ genetics. For example, one of the Breast Cancer causes is genetic disposition, and the genes responsible for suppressing the formation of breast tumors is BRCA1. Through genetic mapping, we can identify a mutation in this gene, and so prevent it from causing the disease.

Bioinformatics & Genetic Engineering Genetic engineering is responsible for manipulating genes in microorganisms, affecting the function of their living cells. This field uses bioinformatics to analyze genes, proteins and their function within cells, allowing scientists to study the best way to alter the molecular structures.

For example, scientists modified bacteria DNA by inserting the human gene for insulin production, and those microorganisms started to produce this hormone. With millions of bacteria able to produce insulin, this substance became cheaper to commercialize, making it more accessible for people with diabetes around the world.

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Flow chart illustrates the role of genetic engineering and bioinformatics in gene therapy form about all the gene and product which are involved in disease

STEMATIX Magazine

● Bioinformatics

Bioinformatics & COVID-19 In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, scientists of various fields, including bioinformatics, are coming together to fight this disease. With bioinformatics, scientists can map the virus genetic information and make a copy of it, partial or entirely, which we can use as a vaccine, since our bodies will identify the virus's genes and believe the real pathogen is attacking.

Tracking the genetic changes of SARS-CoV-2 to map its spread using bioinformatics tools. December 2019–May 2020, by nextstrain.org.

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By Artyom Sobolev

One of FabLab Station Russia's best creations are their incredibly detailed models of human organs.

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● FabLab Station Russia

STEMATIX Magazine

"Thanks to the initiative of people who are not indifferent to the future of the country, in 2012, at the state level, a competition was organized to create Fab Labs in our country (with grant financing of equipment)" - Artyom Sobolev, FabLab Station Leader

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Written By Thivina Edirisinghe

WHAT WILL BE OF

COMPUTERS IN 2050?

Computers are one of the most revolutionizing pieces of technology ever created.

German Konrad Zuse invented the first electromechanical binary programmable computer in the 1920s, described as the first functional modern computer. Since then, we have seen multiple iterations of computers, becoming a commodity at the workplace and home. The magnitude and breadth of tasks you can do with a computer are endless, and we can't even imagine our life without one.

However, have you ever wondered what computers would look like in 2050?One possibility is outlined by Ray Kurzweil, when in his 2005 book "The Singularity is Near," he predicted that computers would run software based on artificial intelligence. This would mean computers' software will continue to run selfimprovement cycles with each new and more

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intelligent generation. Soon it will appear that computers will be inserted into robots tackling tasks that were used to be completed by humans.

Furthermore, this new relationship with state-ofthe-art intelligence could be beneficial for humanity. It could usher a new age of interplanetary discovery and create a more sustainable society due to renewable energy use. However, it makes you wonder whether computers becoming more self-reliant is a good thing. It will end with humanity and machine fighting against one another as depicted in those dystopian futuristic films.Another possibility follows the trajectory of Moore's Law. Moore's Law, created by Gordon Moore in 1965, predicts that the number of transistors on a chip roughly doubles every two years as their cost goes down. Since transistors are used frequently in computers, it would mean

STEMATIX MagazineÂ

â—? FabLab Station Russia

that doubling transistors would lead to doubling the computer processing power. Computer processing units (CPUs) are not the only things that are improving at an exponential rate. Every few years or so, we see memory and hard drives becoming larger and faster and cameras capturing better images. In the future, we could see computers made out of atoms, DNA, or even light.

Moore's Law predicts doubling, but when computers go from quartz to quantum, the factor will be off the scale. We could see nano-sized bio-computers that could target specific areas inside your body, setting a new standard for medical treatments.

There is a growing future possibility of computers becoming ubiquitous. Mark Weiser was best-known for his advocacy of "ubiquitous computing," a concept he first

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computing is essentially humans interacting with used computers without thinking of them.

Computers would be vanished in the backgrounds, weaving themselves into everyday life that they eventually become indistinguishable. This kind of computing could expand to numerous technology devices such as tablets and phones.

Users could call upon these devices in any location and any format, resulting in a sheer number of new innovative uses.

Just imagine being able to call someone or be able to tell time with your mind! It makes you excited about the future possibilities of this new technology. However, it is still uncertain when this new technology will be released to consumers or its logistics.

Computers in 2050 will be technology. However, it is still uncertain when this new

technology will be released to consumers or its logistics.

Computers in 2050 will be strikingly different from the ones we have been used to so far.

With the rise of new technology, we could see computers run software through artificial intelligence, becoming more selfaware. Computers could be made from a whole range of materials and sizes, providing even more usages. We could even see computers become ubiquitous and be one with humans in itself.

The future of computers is exciting, and it will be interesting to witness how they are in 2050.

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