wanna learn how the bike works?

what an awesome video! yeah!

The Future of Cars

In Las Vagas in January 2010 general motors of GM test drove a new electric cars that looked like colorful eggs. This car holds two passengers. Parking with this car may be easy because of its small build but how easy. Well this car can self park. Also when you need it, it will come right to you with one easy click of a button on your cellphone. How cool! This car is called the EN-V pronounced envy.
Now scientists are researching to if newer cars will do more complex things. For example,reminding you when to take your medication, sending you a text when your car needs to be charged or, connecting to other devises. also it even 'talks" to other cars to insure pedestrians and other cars are safe on the road. lastly these cars save energy.

Google you may know of as the Internet search bar on your computer but, it also has scientists researching into these types of cars. They even invented six cars that can drive around surfactantly enough to have them drive all over the world to see if they worked. All that the driver did was give it direction to where it wanted the car to take them and check out the cars to make sure they worked well enough.“People who see our technology understand its potential to make driving safer and cut down on traffic,” says Sebastian Thrun, the engineer and computer scientist in charge of Google’s self-driving car program. That being said google is very much into safety of the people.Neither of these cars have been released because of safety concerns but cars by ford and other companies have been released that can parallel park by themselves.

At Massachusetts institute of technology or MIT scientists have invented an AIDA also known as affective intelligent driving assistant. This white robot sits in your car gives you directions and can cheer you up because it can tell when you are in a bad mood. Also it can detect when a car accident has occurred or there is a lot of traffic it will give you faster directions for you to get to the place you want to go.

Platzer a scientist got in a car named Boss built by his colleagues and Carnegie Mellon. “Right after the start signal, Boss hit the gas and rocketed forward, and I felt a bit like [I was] in a roller coaster. Only those are safe, because they simply follow the tracks,” he says. “Boss didn’t have any tracks to follow…. The curve came closer and closer, yet Boss still didn’t hit the brakes. It actually didn’t hit the brakes until long after I would have. That was a rather odd feeling.”

1) Do you think that for kids who are 11 now will get their drivers licenses before the robot cars?

2) If one of these cars came out would you buy one? Why or why not?

Drones in the sky.

Obama signed an aviation bill that would open the skies (300 feet high in altitude) to unmanned aircraft systems, also known as drones. The most important questions that have been asked are concerns about the low altitude in which the drones would be flying regularly. A few of the many questions include, what would stop a terrorist flying one of the drones at tree high altitude and plow through a few civilians. And would peoples privacy be declined because of the drones taking pictures at low altitudes in backyards and windows. An answer to the privacy question formed by officials is that the drones are merely flying through public air space.

There is also another part of the airspace in which the drones would be flying. The stratosphere. It is mostly empty in human activity. This layer will be increasingly populated by solar powered drones that would travel at bicycle speeds. High resolution cameras on their underside would take pictures of the population in city's.

One of the drones that would be used in the stratosphere is called the zephyr, a high altitude, solar powered drone, designed by the British company QinetiQ. It weighs about 120 pounds and has a wingspan of about 74 feet! This is quite incredible because it weighs just 120 pounds.

Although drones seem new. They are actually quite common. For example, a satellite up in orbit is a drone. And most military forces contain drones that are called UAVs or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. A helicopter toy that you got for Christmas or your birthday would be considered as a drone.

What will these drones be able to see? They will record the route and speed of auto mobiles and other land vehicles. They will observe the movements of individual pedestrians. They will also observe when people turn off the lights in their houses at night. The information gathered by the drones would be sent to smart meters and mobile devices.

1. Would you be worried of drones taking pictures of you in your daily life?

2. Do you think that it is a requirement to have these drones?

Mr Beaupre's class: round 1 part 2

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY – GRADE 8

SCIENCE BLOG ASSIGNMENT v1.02

The purpose of this assignment is two-fold: to have students research current scientific topics occurring in the media and, to create an environment wherein students can engage in a healthy discussion related to science.

Please Note – Participation in this assignment occurs on two levels.

Level One: Each week, ONE designated student will be responsible for choosing a scientific issue currently covered in the media (a list will be provided indicating each students designated date). After reading the article, the student will create a summary of the information presented and create TWO thought-provoking questions for the rest of the class.

On the blog, you will find links to numerous media sources for scientific information. You can use these sources, or identify your own, for your respective article.

Due Date: Your summary and questions are due on the Sunday, at 8:00pm of your specified week (please consult the schedule for details).

Level Two: Once the designated student has read the article, summarized the information, and posted the two questions, each remaining student in the class will be responsible for commenting upon the questions.

You MUST comment at minimum ONCE each week. However, bonus marks may be given if you discuss and respond more frequently.

Level ONE Evaluation:

1. Appropriate article chosen	5
2. In-depth summary provided	5
3. TWO thought-provoking questions	5
4. Summary & questions posted by deadline	5
TOTAL	20

Level TWO Evaluation:

1. Responds to the questions asked	5
2. Provides and interesting reflection	5
3. Spelling and Grammar	3
TOTAL	13

Article Schedule:

WEEK	STUDENT	DUE DATE
1	BUCK-THOMPSON, Liam	February 27th post, March 2nd
2	BISSONNETTE, Alissa May	March 5th post, March 9th reply
3	ANCONA ARIAS, Luis Javier	April 2nd post, April 6th reply

Our Blog Website:

http://grade8sciencejournal.blogspot.com/

Sample Places to find Science in the news:

(links to these sites are found on the Blog itself..)

Scientific American - http://www.scientificamerican.com/section.cfm?id=news

Science News for Kids - http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/

CBC Science - http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/science/

Popular Science - http://www.popsci.com/

Science News Magazine - http://www.sciencenews.org/

NY Times Science - http://www.nytimes.com/pages/science/index.html

Blogger – Student Evaluation

Level ONE Evaluation:

1. Appropriate article chosen	5
2. In-depth summary provided	5
3. TWO thought-provoking questions	5
4. Summary & questions posted by deadline	5
TOTAL	20

Comments:

Level TWO Evaluation:

Week:		1	2	3
1. Responds to the questions asked	5
2. Provides and interesting reflection	5
3. Spelling and Grammar	3
TOTAL	13

Bonus Tracks:

Week	1	2	3