Questions

The biggest question I will have to answer is what is the higgs boson? In the most simple explanation higgs boson, also known as the “god particle”, is the particle that gives matter mass. Finding it 2012 revolutionized physicist ideas of the origin of mass. The higgs boson interacts with the Higgs field and this gives particles mass. The larger the particle the more it interacts with the field and the more mass it has. How is a particle detected? Using the Atlas detector of the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva Switzerland. The LHC was built in collaboration with over 10,000 scientists and engineers from over 100 countries, as well as hundreds of universities and laboratories. It lies in a tunnel 27 kilometers (17 mi) in circumference, as deep as 175 meters (574 ft.) beneath the ground. It accelerates particles at nearly the speed of light around the 27 kilometer circle and Atlas is a super computer that can read the data of the particle collision. How does colliding particles get this particle? Einstein’s famous equation E=mc² tell us that mass is just another form of energy. By speeding the particles up to nearly the speed of light, the collision turns this energy into many particles and it is just a matter of Atlas capturing this data. The question of why is it named higgs? The particle is named after Dr. Peter Higgs after he predicted such a particle should exist in 1964. He thought an energy field permeated the entire universe, later called the higgs field. 

Student Essays

I choose to look at Student Essay’s 4 and 8. Titled “Per Aspera Ad Astra” and “Watson’s Big Day”. Both start off with a single sentence before their body paragraphs. Essay 4 starts off with a sentence that reads “Seventeen seconds.  Seventeen goddamn seconds was all it took to lose those three men.” Not knowing what the title meant this statement grabs anyone attention. Essay 8 “Good afternoon, Mr. Trebek, I have been waiting for a very, very, very long time.” Neither statements reference what exactly is the topic of the articles but they get your attention or curiosity. This is what I will need when I write about the Higgs Boson. It is a big topic and can be very difficult to explain so I want a strong introduction so I don’t lose my readers right off the start. Both of these article have the one sentence introduction that does a strong job. After further reading we see that Essay 8 is about Watson the computer and its ability to communicate with humans and the article lead into Artificial Intelligence. Essay 4 is about the death of three men abroad a practice test. A fire broke out and burned the three men. This article has an interesting twist. They start with the opening statement but then go through to history and lead to their initial statement. Along the way there are short statements that are related to the fire and death of the men. The author keeps you reading since you get taste of what is to come after going through the history. I now have more ideas on how I will tackle the paper of writing about the Higgs Boson.

Bring them back to Life

“Bring them back to Life” does an excellent job of keeping my attention in the introduction. They article talks about bringing an extinct creature back to life. Right away this made me think of the scene from Jurassic Park when the blood is being drawn the mosquito in the amber and how they had breed dinosaurs back in existence. This idea of de-extinction seemed just like an idea from science fiction. I thought it was interesting that after reading the intro that they made the same reference to Jurassic Park that I had. The article makes strong points for de-extinction. Since humans did wipe out these animals by hunting them or destroying their habit we should help bring them back. The article kept my attention through this park since it kept me thinking and convincing me for this idea. The idea that a woolly mammoth could be brought back to life defiantly peaked my interest. It seems impossible but with advanced in technology we are seemingly right on the edge. I liked the reference to 1813 when the pigeons would blanket the sky. It’s really mind blowing to think that a species of such abundance was destroyed because of human hunting and human activity. The article does close on the more realistic note that even though we are close it is still years away. Also the question of would these animals be able to survive will come up over and over again. I liked this article. It made an idea that seems to come straight from science fiction as a possibility over the coming years.

Chasing Lightning Blog

This article starts off with very strong imagery. We can picture was it would have been like to inside the car and looking off into the huge clouds and seeing the lightning. We even get to see the windshield covered in crushed bugs and the cracks that the hail in forming. We also see that end of the storm and the rainbow which forms. The opening scene that the author describes is used as a cliff hanger. After the first scenario the author goes back and explains what the article is about. What help keep my attention through the whole article was the facts that the author wrote which were that we still don’t know everything about lightning. A picture of lightning striking the ground would be able to help these questions. I was also very interest in the camera system which could take images less than one-millionth of a second apart. It also helps keep attention is the fact that the chances of catching the lightning in the wild is close to zero due to the long time it takes to operate Kahuna and he has to be facing the lightning directly. The article does begin the lose excitement as it gets closer to the end. The ability to catch the picture in the wild is almost impossible. Even when the lightning strikes are triggered by rocket the new and improved Kahuna couldn't capture the picture because of the window in which the machine can take pictures. The article ends with Samaras still on the chase for the picture of the lightning strike. 

Nerf Guns

The author of “How Nerf Became the World’s Best Purveyor of Big Guns for Kids” starts of him article similarly to the author of Black Hole. They both start off with suspense. In the Nerf Gun article the author uses the first paragraph to set up the article as almost a mission impossible. The question of if it possible to make a gun that can hold 50 darts and fire 75 feet. One thing that keep me interested and I am sure this is true is that the topic of Nerf products relates to out childhood. Back in the day when we would save our allowance to buy the newest and biggest Nerf Gun to crush our friends. It made me think of countless Nerf Wars in my basement and stairway with cousins and friends. The YouTube videos of “modding” the guns also reminded me of being a kid when my cousin and I would raid the toolbox to edit our Nerf Guns to make them better. The article makes you feel like a kid again. Since your attention is drawn the author then writes about the history of Nerf and surprised me with the fact that this branch of Hasbro made $410 million in 2011. That is a lot of Nerf products. The whole article is written to make these toys seem as a very serious topic. The tone says constant with this serious mode through the article. The ending wraps it up well. The gun can fire over 75 feet and then a swarm of kids run in the complex and go crazy with the new toys. I thought it was a very cool article about Nerf and their blasters. 

black holes

The author uses imagery very well in this piece. They paint the picture of the stars and use size comparisons to Earth to put it all into prospective. One of my favorite lines is “A neutron star’s gravitational pull is so severe that if you were to drop a marshmallow on it, the impact would generate as much energy as an atom bomb.” It really puts the whole idea into perspective and how little our Earth would be compared to other stars. To keep attention the author the author uses references to the atomic bomb as a comparison of the energy that stars have. The author also uses a bit of a cliff hanger. On the second page he keeps breaking down the material until nothing. He then explains what we have figured out so far. His cliffhanger at the beginning of the paper really made me want to read more. I thought the history was interesting as he built to the idea that made me think the most. The idea that gravity can trump time. This really made me think about our universe and continue to read the paper until the end. The ending of the paper is very well done I think. The author introduces the idea of the multiverse. The fact that there could be thousands of universes that all exist and black holes connect them seems impossible. The author uses only scientific data in his paper so these aren’t ideas he made up. What ultimately kept my attention was these ideas that made me think about how small humans are. 

AJ Joslin review of Julia Saunders

Peer Review Worksheet – Inquiry Essay AJ Joslin review of Julia Saunders

Introduction:

What is the initial inquiry question?  Is it expressed clearly?  Why/why not?

The question is “What environmental and genetic factors influence child behavior and temperament?” It is clearly expressed.

How does the author draw in the reader’s interest?  Can it more effectively?  Is this an inquiry with greater import?  Is it expressed? (note: it might be more effective expressed later in the inquiry.)

The author draws in attention by explaining that finding an answer to this question can eliminate antisocial and problem behaviors in children.

                   

Do we know where the author prior knowledge?  Does s/he have a stake in the inquiry?

The author has prior knowledge since the author is a Student Development major so this inquiry relates to their courses.

Voice:

How would you characterize the voice?  Is it effective for the subject material?  Do we believe in the inquisitiveness of the author (does this matter to him/her)?

The voice was strong throughout the paper. It was effective for the subject since they wrote as a researcher and stuck to facts and observations.

If the voice/tone breaks from type, point it out to the author.  Should it not?

The voice/tone is consistent through the paper.

Abstactions/Generalities: are there any instances where abstract ideas need specific details and concrete support for greater understanding?  Point these out.

The author does a good job of explaining her ideas and building on another.

Body:

Is the author’s thought process evident?  Are we led smoothly from one section of the inquiry to the next?  Are there any questions/answers the author missed?  What are they?

The author’s thought process is very evident though out the paper. As the author observes the children since explains what they think about the situation.

Does the author question his/her own assumptions, findings, logic? 

No the author stays with the same idea through the paper.

How is research effectively used?  Incorporation of quotes?  Does the research lead to other branchs of inquiry?  Intellectual disciplines?  Are there missed opportunities for expansion?

Research is effectively used since the author went out into the field and actually studied the behavior of two children and this helps her paper since it data she found. They also use outside sources to contribute the paper.

Does the author maintain your interest?  How so?  Where does your attention lag?  Why?  How can it be fixed?

The author maintains interest by explaining her observations of the children and her thoughts about it.

Does the reader continue to broaden the inquiry?  Should it be further broadened, complicated?

The author uses her own observations and thoughts to expand the inquiry.

Conclusion:

How does the conclusion operate? (Is an answer found?  Is the initial inquiry complicated, expanded?  Does it point to further inquiry?  Does it conclude with greater import/implications?)

I think the second to last paragraph should be switched with the last paragraph. The last paragraph introduces a new idea while the second to last would be a strong way to end the paper.

Is it effective?  Are you, the reader, satisfied with the ending?  Why, why not?  What are some suggestions for greater effectiveness?

If the conclusion was the second to last paragraph then it would be a more effective way to end the paper

The paper answers the question of nature vs. nurture. I’d like to see more information about the nurture side or environmental factors of the question too. Switching the last two paragraphs would help a lot. Overall it was a strong paper.