My work this term

My main work was to do a research, which I carried out and trabslated with the help of Maria.

On top of that, I helped Oihane with her wallpainting, I went with both Jonan and Oihane to talk in front of 3rd level students, I took part in the games Jonan organised, I prepared and organised the tick, tack toe game for 1st level students and many more. I also helped Jonan to organise the mosaic, what in the end turned out to be a failure, but at least we tried.

What is Europe for me?

After having thought about it for a while, I've come to a clear conclusion: Europe means nothing to me. I see it as nothing but a piece of land that is governed only by money.

FOR MIREN

RESEARCH

  

•  In this project Maria and I are working on what Xabi told us to do: aresearch explaining te changes that climate has suffered both in our area and in any area of our choice. After talking about it, we have decided to compare the differences on the climate changes between Spain and China. 
• We have been looking many Scientifical Articles published in the net so we could do a proper research. We have found articles on Climate Change due to greenhouse effects in China, Recent and Future Climate Changes in Northwest China, The Role of Insitutions, Greenhouse Gases Inventory or Climate Change Projections for the Mediterranean Area among many others. Now, we have to go through this huge amount of information and draw our own conclussion. 
• At first, we thought it would be a great idea to compare the climate changes in San Sebastian and Beijing, but it wasn't until after having started to look up information that we found out that there was very little info available. That's why we opted to look into more general areas such us China, Spain or even the Mediterranean Area. Of course, both Maria and I joint to work so we could get as much data as possible. 
• Honestly, I must admit that we had no problem when it came to searching info or even rewriting it. It took us quite a long time to finish it off but we handled it well.

The constest: working proccess

As my part consists of doing research, I must admit that I am not having many difficulties when finding information. As we live in the Internet era finding information and doing research is much easier than what it would be twenty years ago. We are a click away from a world of information!

So far I have already found a couple of really interesting scientific researches which I still need to go through again and reorganise information. I expect to have my part done by next thursday. We'll see how it turns out!

THE CONTEST!

This third term my classmates and I are going to take part in a contest  where we have to organise different activities and prepare some documents on climatic change. I really think thius is a great chance to learn more on it, despite having heard about thousands of times.

Maria and I have to do research on the climatic differences between Europe and another country or geographical area. The idea would be to compare analyse how climate has changed through the last years in each of the areas chosen and then compare them to each other in order to see how climate change affects different geograqphical areas in the world.

 We still haven't decided which two places we are going to focus on, but San Sebastian and Beijing are strong candidates! This far we have already found some useful information on how CO2 emitions have afected chinese climate and, therefore, lifestyle.

I would really apreciate it if any of my mates sent me any piece of information he or she found and thought could be useful for my task. I think it's not much of an effort for them and would make things much easier for me. Thank you lads!

3rd term

The last term we worked on different aspects of health, health systems and alternative ways of healthcare. However, the third term we will take part in a kind of competition where we have to talk about climate change and how Europe is facing it. I hope to learn something about it and, of course, to win the competition.

POLITICAL MIGRATION

Currently, there is a huge controversy on whether european countries should welcome refugees or not. There can be many reasons why a person would be willing to leave his or her country, but, as I see it, there is none as cruel as having to escape from war or political repression.

In cases such as syrian refugees, it's hard to see how after having been forced to leave their country due to war, the very same countries which have created the war they are escaping from denies them political asylum. 

Some people may argue that the amount of refugees currently flooding into Europe are too high. Plus, these "refugees" aren't just trying to take refuge in any country, they are deliberately aiming for countries who will give them welfare and advantages, like Germany and UK. Even though this may be true, how could these countries deny them the entry when they are the principal causes for their moving?

First of all, UK colonalised Syria, creating a state of injustice and inequality. After leaving the country, UK established a regime that only represented a minority of the syrian pupulation, so that already creates a conflict. Afterwards, countries such as the USA financing Arabia Saudi, the main source of incomes for the Islamic State and the terrorists. Indirectly, rich countries are giving terrorists arms, money and training, what has lead to a civil war in Syria.

So, lets think about it again... Europe conquers land which doesn't belong to them, stablishes a regime that only represent a minority of the population, create a conflict feeding terrorists, so that many people have no other option than moving to Europe, and them european countries don't welcome them as they find them a problem... Where is justice in our culture? 

After having done all that harm on their own country, we must at least be charitable with them, and of course, try to find out a solution for the subject.

STOP WAR!

War is not necessary. For thousand of years religion, fear, intolerance, and other things have caused unnecesarry wars to start. The excuse, i am starting a war with them because i don't want them to start a war with us is a ridiculous excuse. The simple truth is that when wars start it is the decion of the president and the government. Whether you support the war or not does not matter, the person who starts the war is who should be fought, not the thousands of inocent people who get in the way of soldiers

I want his land his wife his son his daughter I want what he's got is why war starts. If everyone could just be ok with what they have and share there gifts with people who don't there would be no war. I'm 16 years old and I know that there's not one man that comes back after killing people and watching his friends die just come out and say I love war. No who cares if they have a different religion then you let make there own choices. And if they don't believe in freedom lead by example don't shoot some of them or blow them up because we all no that's not how people agree with you.



Humans are rational enough to not go to war. Problems and disagreements can be resolved through political debate and discussion, rather than guns and bombs. Of course wars exist, but war is not a natural state of affairs, and with increased global communication and discussion it is becoming less of a reality.

As Albert Einstein wrote in 1915, "Every man who knows that he acted to his best knowledge and ability should feel honorable, without regard to the words and deeds of others. Words and actions of others or other groups cannot violate one's personal honor or the honor of one's group. Power-hunger and greed shall, as in the past, be treated as despicable vices; the same applies to hatred quarrelsomeness. I do not suffer from an overestimation of the past, but in my opinion we have not made progress on this important point; we rather fell back. Every well-meaning person should work hard on himself and in his personal circle to improve in these respects. The heavy burdens which presently plague us in such a horrible way will then vanish too".

To sum up, the obvious conclussion to be drawn is that war provide as nothing but hunger, death and desolation, so it makes no sense to keep on promoting it.

The Dangers of Mobile Radiation

As technology has advanced a lot during the las decades, people are more and more afraid of the effects mobile phone radiation may have on our bodies.In fact, an uncountable number of studies have shown how harmful radiation can be. Among others, a study published by Dr. Carlo pointed out the following facts:

• Originally developed for the Department of Defense, cell phones devices were never tested for safety. They entered the marketplace due to a regulatory loophole.

• Questions about cell phone safety arose in the early 1990s, when a businessman filed a lawsuit alleging that cell phones caused his wife’s death due to brain cancer.
  
• To address the questions surrounding cell phone safety, the cell phone industry set up a non-profit organization, Wireless Technology Research (WTR). Dr. George Carlo was appointed to head WTR’s research efforts.
  
• Under Dr. Carlo’s direction, scientists found that cell phone radiation caused DNA damage, impaired DNA repair, and interfered with cardiac pacemakers.
  
• European research confirmed Dr. Carlo’s findings. Studies suggest that cell phone radiation contributes to brain dysfunction, tumors, and potentially to conditions such as autism, attention deficit disorder, neurodegenerative disease, and behavioral and psychological problems.
  
• Dr. Carlo brought safety information about cell phones to the public through his book, Cell Phones: Invisible Hazards in the Wireless Age, and by creating the Safe Wireless Initiative and the Mobile Telephone Health Concerns Registry.
  
• The best protection against cell phone radiation is keeping a safe distance.
  
• Always use a headset to minimize exposure to harmful cell phone radiation. 

On the other hand, there have been many studies have tried to show that mobile phones are not as damaging as some people are trying to make us believe. However, there were some drawbacks on those studies such as not being any biological hypotheses tested in the study or not having into account how much technology has evolved since when the study was carried out.

Piece of new taken from:  http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2007/8/report_cellphone_radiation/Page-01

Scientific Culture: Second Term.

Some months ago I wrote a few lines about what I expected about the subject, unfortunately, Scientific Culture hasn't lived up to expectations for the moment. I expected to learn about science in a more practical way, but much to my disapointment we have just read about science instead of doing science. I would call it History of Science rather than Scientific culture.

For the second term we have already started working on teams, what I enjoy more than working on my own, and being us the ones in charge instead of having a passive attitude in class. What's more, the subjects we are working on are more enjoyable than the ones in the first term.

Evolution

The main and most important theory for evolution is Darwinism, and it defends that there are two main causes for evolution to happen: DNA modifications and natural selection. Sometimes when DNA is being copied and pasted some errors occur and if this error doesn't kill the animal, it will carry on with evolution. Natural selection makes unadaptable species disappear, so only the most adaptive animals survive. This theory was developed by Charles Darwin, a British biologist and geologist. Darwin's theory was based on Lamark's theory and developed it.

There are other theories like creationism that defend the religious view of human creation. They believe that God created Adan and Eve and put them in the paradise, until they were kicked out of there.

There has been a great controversy through the years between this two theories.

Relevant Scientist: Mileva Maric

This is an article about Mileva Maric, a brilliant person, who married Albert Einstein and condemned herself to be in the shadow of her husband.

She was born in Serbia (1875) and graduated in a maths and physics specialized secondary school, getting the best marks of her class, what allowed her to enter Royal School of Physics in Zagreb, where only men were accepted. Afterwards, she entered the Polytechnic Institute of Zurich, where she met her future husband, Albert Einstein.

Maric left her studies when, in 1901, she got pregnant without being married and she was forced to take cover in her sister's house. Their daughter was given in adoption.

Mileva Maric is known for having a great relevance in most of Albert Einstein's discoveries. Some may very well say that she was the one making the explorations, but that her husband stole her ideas.

I have chosen this scientist, since it shows the impact women have had in science, despite them being covered  by sexism.

MASS MEDIA & SCIENCE

In my opinion, science doesn't get the attention it should get from the media. We rarely read anything about scientific research in newspapers, TV or any other means of information. Given that, I can't help thinking that the media should give more importance to science, as if average people get to know about what scientists are doing, they could get a bigger support, not only economic, but also moral.

MASS MEDIA & SCIENCE	SCIENCE SECTION	FREQUENCY	EXTENSION	GENERIC THEMES	PSEUDOSCIENCE
LA RAZÓN	SUBSECTION ('A TU SALUD')	1 PER FORTNIGHT	½ PAGE	CULTURE RELIGION SOCIETY SPORTS ECONOMY	NO
EL PAÍS	YES	EVERYDAY	1PAGE	TECHNOLOGY SPORTS SCIENCE	HOROSCOPE
BERRIA	NO	-	-	SOCIETY RELEVANT NEWS	NO
GARA	YES	EVERYDAY	1/2PAGE	RELEVANT NEWS	NO
VANGUARDIA	NO	-	-	SPORTS TECHNOLOGY LIFE	NO
ABC	SUBSECTION ('TECH&HEALTH')	EVERYDAY	?	RELEVANT NEWS	NO

Seeing through sound.

This article was published in portalmedico.co the 8th December, 2012.

http://portalmedico.co/sistema-sonar-vision-permite-a-ciegos-ver-a-traves-del-sonido/

How is it possible to see thread sound? Ingeneers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have created a way to do so. Blind people are now able to perceive a face, identify objects, and even words through sound, using a revolutionary system called "sonar vision", which was based on the echolocation bats use.

The way it works is really simple: you inlay a video camera in your glasses which is going to be connected to your smartphone. This camera turns images into sounds that will be projected by your earphones and your brain would automatically make a mental image.

This is only useful if you were born blind.
 

Scientific Culture: what do I expect?

Actually, I don´t really know what to expect from this new subject as it´s the very first time it´s tought in our school. I guess I´ll work on my English while I study different aspects of science... And, of course, I´d really love to go on an exchange if the opportunity comes up!