SCIENCE&TECH

New Plane can go mach 4+

NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) mission

JADA CLAYTON
EDITOR OF HOME PAGE

Wanna get your daily dose of scientific discoveries, new technological advancements, and incredible news? Firstly, you are in the right place, Corner Canyon Chronicles science page is updated weekly! But the SciTechDaily website is updating, like it says, DAILY! On the site, I recently read about a new earth satellite that can track upcoming disasters, and predict effects of climate change. It will be launched into space no later than the year 2022. This insane machinery is able to see potential hazards and can measure sea levels, and ice shrinkage. Because its primary goal is to spot changes, hazards, and shifts, it can help us better understand how we need to handle the threats and how we can be prepared. The machine that can tell us all what's coming is roughly the size of a truck, or a large car, how crazy that there is a small satellite helping everyone! The way that this works is when there is slight movement on the earth, it detects it. The machine can detect changes as small as 0.4 inches, and even movement of magma underground before volcanic eruptions. And the information is then of course, sent to us to then react in the safest ways possible. This will help resource managers monitor areas that are concerningly damaged, or predicted to be harmed/hazardous.
Now the interesting thing is that this isn’t a project limited to NASA, we are also including the IRSO, each “team” will contribute different things to then combine resources and ultimate successes, goals, and achievements.
This will benefit many people and it is an exciting resource to be used, society will be better prepared with these updates and discoveries, thanks to the NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) mission.

For more information on decreasing carbon footprint, click here

POSTED 3/30

MARCH MAMMAL MADNESS IS ON!

OK, granted, this pic is blurry...Mrs. Bown took it! But...it's worth a stroll down S Hall lower level to see the real deal!

Animal Themed Trophies await the March Mammal Madness competition results.

Career/Technical Education and Science teacher Janelle Hanks create a March Madness activity for wildlife animal lovers. It's called MARCH MAMMAL MADNESS. Various animals "fight" to see who ends up the "champion of the Animal Kingdon." Animals are ranked and seeded determined by their warrior advantages, until a final animal stands alone. Wildlife Biology students fill out brackets and compete for trophies.

Covid-19 starting to fade away or mutate its way into the future?

By Caleb Bevan
Science&Tech Editor

You should all know COVID-19 has been here for a little more than a year at this point but right after its anniversary hits the number starts to go down. COVID-19 has been killing and infecting people across the world for a year now but luckily the numbers are starting to go down and we may even be mask-free in the summertime just in time for next year.
The vaccines against the virus are all at least 95% effective at preventing it and 10% of American's have already been vaccinated and if we stay at this rate we will all be vaccinated in a few months. The US has 3 vaccines going around; they are Fizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson Vaccine. Both Moderna and Fizer need 2 shots to give you its full effect but the Johnson Johnson only needs one to get the full effect and get the resistance to the virus. More people have been vaccinated than people who have tested positive for the virus so times are starting to turn for the virus and life will hopefully go back to normal like last year. Next month Utah is getting rid of mask restrictions but they will still be required in places like schools and some stores.
COVID-19 vaccines help our bodies develop immunity to the virus that causes it without us having to get the illness. Different types of vaccines work in different ways to offer protection. But with all types of vaccines, the body is left with a supply of T-lymphocytes as well as B-lymphocytes (Different types of defense white blood cells) that will remember how to fight that virus in the future. It typically takes a few weeks after vaccination for the body to produce T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes. So it is possible that a person could be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 just before or just after vaccination and then gets sick because the vaccine did not have enough time to provide protection. You can also get sick after the vaccine which is normal because your body is just getting immunity to it and building T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes to fight it. Our bodies are a unique thing that can repair itself which is truly remarkable. Side effects are common but are mostly mild to moderate. Side effects such as fever, chills, tiredness, and headache throughout the body were more common after the second dose of the vaccine than the first one because it's more severe than the first unless you get the Johnson Johnson where it is one then it is the 2 in one. Most side effects were mild to moderate. However, a small number of people had severe side effects.
This is mostly stats for the United States but it might be different in other areas. Make sure to wear your mask and keep following the COVID-19 restrictions for only a few more months and we can be done with this and go on with our lives. Stay safe and wear your mask.
Posted 3/17/21

https://covidtracking.com/data/#chart-annotations https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/different-vaccines/how-they-work.html https://www.sciencenews.org/ https://cen.acs.org/index.html

Spacex new rocket explodes?!?

By Mason Hughes
Nation&World News Editor

On March 3rd, Elon Musk’s SpaceX tested the prototype starship SN10. SpaceX has been working for years to create a functional starship: a space shuttle that can re-launch without the construction of a new rocket apparatus. Most space-capable vehicles can only be used once, with the rocket apparatus breaking off of the cockpit once the vehicle breaks orbit. However, SpaceX wants to make science fiction a reality by creating multi-use rockets. The SN10 flew about 6 miles into the sky before beginning its descent, and it was the first Starship to successfully land on the ground.
However, a few minutes after its successful touchdown, the rocket exploded on the launchpad. The explosion sent the rocket back into the air. The cause of the explosion is not publicly known. However, some speculate it was caused by the rocket’s landing apparatus breaking off as SN10 touched down.
SpaceX is working to develop a functional starship that can reach orbit by 2023. Elon Musk, the founder of the company, believes that his starship design will take people to the moon, and one day, Mars. The starships utilize Musk’s raptor engine and use a series of flaps to control the rocket as it descends, using air resistance to slow the rocket’s approach to the launchpad. Despite the explosion, SpaceX is continuing their project, planning at least 9 more additional rocket launches in the near future.
Although SN10 exploded, the rocket launch was successful. The SN10 was able to land on the launchpad safely. Both Musk and SpaceX were encouraged by the results. Musk tweeted that SN10 “is in Valhalla [the mythical Norse afterlife for the honored dead] now.” Musk’s goal remains the eventual colonization of Mars and the privatization of space flight.
Musk has promised Japanese Fashion Mogul Yusaku Maezawa his own rocket to orbit the moon by 2023. Maezawa invited the public to apply for 8 open seats on his space shuttle, with applications due on March 14th. Maezawa has promised to pay for the 8 people who will join him on his journey. Maezawa’s trip would be one of the first for-profit manned space missions in human history.
Posted 3/12/21

Are Solar Storms a Threat to Earth

By Caleb Bevan
Science&Tech Editor

Solar storms have been getting worse over the years and some go right next to earth. Solar storms are very dangerous to every planet in the way, especially when living things live on that planet. The largest solar storm ever recorded was in 2012 it nearly missed the earth and passed by the northern hemisphere. Scientists knew about the solar storm for the earth and they made preparations for it to not do much damage even if it wasn’t going to hit the earth it could still cause damage. When it passed by the northern hemisphere it shut down Many telegraph systems throughout Europe and North America failed, and the electrified lines shocked some telegraph operators it came to be known as the Carrington Event. Many people and astronomers reported having seen patches of bright light go by the side of the earth right before all the power went out.
We don’t want another solar storm because of the pandemic we are in and how people stay connected through zoom, google meet and other online communication. A Carrington level impact today would knock out satellites, disrupt GPS, mobile phone networks, and internet connections. Banking systems, trains, and traffic signals would take a hit as well. Damaged power grids would take months or years to repair from the damage caused by it. We rely on technology in our everyday lives and if one were to hit now many people would be in lots of trouble and it would impact our everyday lives so much. The most common type of solar storm is a solar flare which is just radiation coming from the sun that if it hits a planet's heliosphere could damage it and let the radiation in if it is powerful enough.
Coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, are powerful eruptions on the sun's surface.

They are the most threatening kind of solar storms but they aren't always harmful; they generate dazzling auroras near the poles, after all. But considering the risks of a storm shutting down the key military, it’s understandable that scientists and governments are concerned. They are caused by weaknesses in the sun's magnetic field. Sometimes they can even launch a billion tons of superheated gas into space. Most drift away across the solar system, but occasionally one is aimed at Earth. But a CME’s biggest threat is its giant cloud of plasma, which can be millions of kilometers wide; it typically takes between one to three days to reach our planet, depending on how fast the sun propelled the chunk of plasma toward us. Earth’s magnetic field, our first defense against space weather and space radiation, can protect us from only so much. Satellites have shown that a CME’s charged particles interact with and distort the magnetic field. They can have 2 effects from the CME one is producing more intense electric currents in the upper atmosphere and the other is shifting stronger currents away from the poles to places with more people and more infrastructure, Aaron Ridley said (of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor). With an extremely powerful storm, it’s these potentially massive currents that put satellites and power grids at risk.
Solar storms are very dangerous and can expose radiation that shouldn’t be exposed to it. It can shut down satellites and even damage the earth's heliosphere. We need better funding for space weather forecasts so we can predict better when a storm is heading for earth and then we can be more prepared for it. Solar storms could be a major problem in the future and could cause massive problems for humanity and even the earth itself. We need to take solar storms seriously because we want to just have no power or cellphone when we wake up someday they would impact everyone's lives so much and would destroy so many years of work.

SOHO Launched 1995 ACE Launched 1997 DSCOVR Launched 2015
These three main satellites have been monitoring space weather, starting as early as 1995.

Posted 3/3/21

New mars rover lands

By Maci Waldron
Student Life Editor
On July 30, 2020, lifting off of Florida’s Space Coast on top of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, was the one and only… Perseverance. This sparked the beginning of the Mars 2020 mission which was a rover mission that is being held by NASA. As the end of February is approaching, Perseverance has recently landed on the mysterious planet of Mars.
   The rover landed on Mars on February 18, 2021 after it’s 292.5 mile trip from earth. NASA administrator Steve Jurczyk explains that “The landing is one of those pivotal moments for NASA, the United States, and space exploration globally -- when we know we are on the cusp of discovery and sharpening our pencils, so to speak, to rewrite the textbooks.” The landing is truly the aspect that starts the mission, the part where the mission starts coming together and people are excited to see what lies ahead for this complex rover.
   The purpose of this mission is to discover more about the planet. The NASA website describes that the key objective of the mission is to “search for signs of ancient microbial life” and start paving “the way for human exploration.” If this mission is successful, it could mean big things for the United States and the rest of the world.
   Along with the rover, there was a helicopter that was attached to the back of it. NASA claims that the helicopter will remain attached to the rover for 30-60 days. The helicopter was named Ingenuity which receives charges from the rover but when it is disconnected from the rover, it will receive charges through solar panels. Although the rover and the helicopter have made it to the Red Planet, there are still many questions as to if the mission is bound to be successful. So far, things are looking good.
Posted 2/26/21

Out of the darkness

By Caleb Bevan
Science&Tech Editor
For the second time in human history, a human-made object leaves the heliosphere which is the protective bubble the sun has made to keep stuff in this solar system. . It's been about 44 years since NASA launched a spacecraft called Voyager 2 and now NASA is trying to connect to it again. This spacecraft has passed Uranus, Neptune and, maybe even interstellar space. Last March communications shut down to the spacecraft leaving people wondering where it even is. NASA is almost done fixing the antenna that was communicating with the spacecraft. The antenna is called DSS 43 it is a massive dish that is 70 meters long and still receiving updates to this day. When NASA connects to the spacecraft it will take nearly 35 hours for them to even connect enough to communicate with Voyager. They would have been done with the antenna months ago but Covid-19 hit and reduced the team of 30 experts to only 4 people working on this massive dish. In October of last year, they sent a test command to Voyager to see if it was still talking to us and it came back and so the spacecraft is still talking to us we just can’t send big commands before the antenna is finished.
“I think there was probably a big sigh of relief there,” Mr. Nagle said. “And we were very pleased to be able to confirm that the spacecraft was still talking to us.” Both Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 hold the records for the farthest operating mission in the world. Voyager 2 is about to exit the heliosphere it is a protective bubble and magnetic keeping planets in our solar system.
“The challenge is not in the new technology or the great discoveries,” Ms. Dodd said. “The challenge is in keeping it operating as long as possible, and returning the science data as long as possible.” The team estimates that both spacecraft can operate for another four to eight years, and NASA last year granted the team three more years of flying time. “The challenge is not in the new technology or the great discoveries,” Ms. Dodd said. “The challenge is in keeping it operating as long as possible, and returning the science data as long as possible.” The team estimates that both of the spacecraft can operate for another four to eight years, and NASA last year granted the team three more years of flying time.
Posted 2/18/21

https://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/spacecraft/interactive.php
This is a link to the 3-D model of the Voyager

The Future of Bluetooth

By Spencer Croston
Entertainment Editor

Bluetooth technology has become an integral part of our everyday lives. The technology that started its life with the sole use of taking wireless calls has grown tremendously. Within the past ten years, it has been implemented into almost every electronic device in some fashion. Dan Thorp-Lancaster of Windows Central stated, ¨Bluetooth is rarely something we, as consumers, give a second thought. It's just there.¨ Most recently, it has been largely seen in headphone and speaker technology such as the Apple Airpods and Airpod Pros. With Bluetooth´s wide useability and multitude of applications, many are wondering what the technology will do to grow and evolve for the future. The bluetooth technology being added to cars has grown immensely as now cars can take calls and play music without your phone being physically connected. Cars, like all of the Tesla models, have also been adding bluetooth directional technology that has made it easier than ever to find the best and most precise route to a specific destination. Furthermore, David Hollander, the director of marketing for Bluetooth, has discussed how bluetooths next steps seem to be headed towards extremely accurate location tracking. He stated, "Imagine a room in a museum where there are multiple exhibits that have associated beacons. Currently, those point-of-interest applications can let a visitor know about all the exhibits in a room, and then you have to select what you want to learn more about. With direction finding, it'll streamline that whole experience. Museum visitors will be able to simply point their smartphones at an exhibit and get more information on that item." It appears that Bluetooth is also looking to continue to increase the quality and effectiveness of its wireless headphone technology. Bill Ray, a research director at Gartner, addressed current audio issues, claimed, ¨A significant reason for this [dips in audio quality] is the chaos of codecs. Because Bluetooth doesn't specify a codec, you can have a high-quality speaker paired to an expensive phone and still experience terrible audio quality because the speaker doesn't support particular codecs. On the opposite end, a really cheap phone may sound great with that speaker because both devices happen to support the same codec. Ray claims that this issue will be solved in the future by specifying a high quality standard audio codec. With all this happening, its pretty interesting to see how bluetooth technology continues to evolve.
Posted 2/10/21

The new Apple Airpod pros

Tesla´s new Bluetooth interface

The very first Bluetooth wireless headset

New Way to transport? faster and better?

By Caleb Bevan
Science&Tech Editor

Hyperloop is a new form of ground transport currently in the making by several companies, It could see passengers traveling at over 700 miles an hour in a floating pod which races along inside giant low-pressure tubes, either above or below ground. The hyperloop was pitched by Elon Musk himself many years ago. The hyperloop train is thought of to be the transportation of the future; it will get people around much faster on the ground.
It will be above and below the ground for different types of travel. They do very low-pressure tubes with lots of air for the pod to float on. Making it less dense then the air outside of it causing things to float on it. The train uses something called magnetic levitation and it is a method by which an object is suspended with no support other than magnetic fields. Magnetic force is used to go against the effects of the gravitational acceleration and any other accelerations. Magnetic levitation lifts a train car above a track, as the magnet-like poles push the train upward off the ground. The magnets also propel the train as poles repel and push the train forward. The pod is floating above the ground so there isn’t any resistance against the ground or the air so it just glides. Magnetic levitation has been used on some train systems since the 1970s. When people ride in the hyperloop they aren’t supposed to feel any gravity or force upon them because of the magnetic levitation they shouldn’t feel any air resistance either. Many companies are working on things like this: companies like SpaceX/Tesla, Hyperloop 1, Virgin Hyperloop, and many others are working on transportation like this. Virgin Hyperloop even had its first test drive with actual passengers about 2 months ago. Virgin Hyperloop is farther along than the other companies making technology just like it for transport.
Jay Walder (CEO of Hyperloop 1) said “Our company's hyperloop system will be certified in 2025 or 2026, and that we could see hyperloop projects before the decade ends”. Hyperloop looks like it is the most promising type of transportation for the future.
Elon Musk is working hard to make the hyperloop a reality. Elon’s Construction company is digging holes for the hyperloop and he is using his AI and electronic technology to make the hyperloop as best as possible. Elon Musk has 2 of the most expensive companies in the world so if given time he might be the first to even achieve the hyperloop.

Posted 2/4/21

The video below shows what the Virgin Hyperloop will hope to look like in a few years.

Posted 2/3/21

Apple's latest release

By Caleb Bevan
Science&Tech Editor

Apple has done it again creating an amazing product that will blow people socks off with all the tech in it. Apple has recently released the new Apple Airpods Max, they are Apple's most recent tech release so everyone is waiting to see how good these Airpods are.
    “AirPods are the most popular headphones in the world, beloved for their effortless setup, incredible sound quality, and iconic design. With AirPods Max, we are bringing that magical AirPods experience to a stunning over-ear design with high-fidelity audio,” said Greg Joswiak, The Senior Vice President of Apple.“The custom acoustic design, combined with powerful H1 chips, and advanced software enable AirPods Max to use computational audio to wirelessly deliver the ultimate personal listening experience.” says Greg Joswiak.
The new Airpods have a stainless steel frame and a noise-canceling mode. It has 11 microphones on it. There are 8 for active noise canceling and 3 for voice pickup. It even comes with a free case to bring it around if and a charger so you can charge them on the go. These headphones have everyone's attention for being the new Apple product and because they cost as much as they do. They are designed to fit anyone no matter their head shape or size. The ears cuffs on the headphones even fold inwards. The cuffs have pillow mesh in them to make them have a soft fit and to make them feel like you're lying on a pillow. These AirPods are top of the market tech for today's age and have so many more features than the AirPods that have been released before them. The AirPods have spatial audio with dynamic head tracking that gives you an experience like the movies, with a sound that surrounds you. Using built-in gyroscopes to track your head. To top it all off they say they have a breakthrough listening experience that is better than the 2 other AirPods released by Apple.
  So overall these new AirPods seem like they are going to be the new tech and show all the other headphones who are in charge. These are Apple's latest releases so the world waits to see how good these new AirPods really do against everything else.

Dan Riccio

Dan Riccio will join the executive team as senior vice president of Hardware Engineering at Apple. Riccio has been a leader in designing, developing, and engineering almost all of Apple’s products. Even back to the first generation iMac and even to the new AirPods Max. After joining Apple in 1998 as a leader on the Product Design team, Riccio became vice president of iPad Hardware Engineering in 2010, and in 2012 he joined the executive team as the leader of Hardware Engineering. Riccio will continue to work for apple and work harder to bring a change to the company.
Posted 1/27/21

Science & Tech!