C ata p u ltaFALL 2015

SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY

VS

+A SPECIAL INTERVIEW WITH

SY MONTGOMERY

Welcome to the Fall Issue of Catapulta, the school science magazine! In this issue, you will find many different topics, from articles about fas-cinating species to a discussion of the history of football helmet designs and concussions. We are especially excited to present to you our interview with renowned science author and naturalist Sy Montgomery. Check it out on pages 10 and 11! Ms. Montgomery has written science books for people of all ages and her works are now on display at the school library. We hope you enjoy the issue and have fun trying out the puzzle at the end! And, of course, if you are interested in contributing to future issues (writing articles, working in the publication crew), feel free to contact us at catapultasciencebls@gmail.com.

Dear READER,

BLS CATAPULTA

Faculty Advisor: Ms. Bateman

Special Thanks:Mr. Pietrangelo

Mr. Smith

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AWARD Recipient of:New england scholastic press association

Meritorious award (2014(American scholastic press association

First prize (2014, 2015(Best Science-ThemeD Magazine (2015(

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In FULLcolor:

Editor-in-Chief:Michael Gao (I)

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Assistant Content Editors:William Ho (II)

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David Chen (III)Lauren Jiang (III)

Ting Wei Li (III)Tim (Zhaoyang) Liu (IV)

John Lin (VI)

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Ting Wei Li (III)Fahad Anwar (IV)

Carson Kannair (IV)Tran Nguyen (IV)

Staff Writers:Kevin S. Qi (IV)Liane Xu (IV)

1

2MARS OR MOON

6real view of the brain

19OBAMA’s keystone decision

15the quokka

17philippine spotted deer

7can you handle the pressure?

16the saiga; slipping away

9cancer and polio

20-back inside Science club spotlights

8 schizophrenia

12zombie ANTS

18 El NIñO

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A naturalist and author described as “part Indiana Jones, part Emily Dickinson” by the Boston Globe, Sy Montgomery has written over twenty books on her experiences in the field and with animals all over the world. One of her most notable books, a memoir about her extraordinary relationship with a pig named Christopher Hogwood, titled The Good Good Pig, is an international bestseller. Her most recent book, The Soul of an Octopus, was a 2015 Finalist for the National Book Awards. Ms. Montgomery seeks to spread awareness to a global audience about the importance of under-standing nature. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and several “animal friends.”

Her books are on display at the BLS Keefe Library. Check them out!

IN THIS ISSUE

An INTERview with RENOWNED author and nature lover

sy montgomery10, 11

3contending concussions

4-5 behavioral science

14 A snake with legs

13The dodo bird

pages

Colonizing the Moon may not be smart. There

are many earthquakes—or rather, moonquakes that are more frequent, longer-lasting, and stronger than those on Earth;

seven of the 28 moonquakes recorded since 1977 exceeded a magnitude of five! Sensors left by astronauts picked up over twelve thousand moonquakes from

1972 to 1977. If a large moonquake strikes, it could easily wipe out a human settlement.

Nevertheless, living on the Moon may not be so bad. It is a relatively short trip for supply shuttles, and less preparation is needed in the event that Earth undergoes an

abnormal, unpredicted cataclysmic change. Research can be transmitted and quickly sent back.

We have rovers on Mars and have determined that the atmosphere of Mars is mostly made up of CO2, unlike Earth’s atmosphere, which consists mainly of nitrogen. However, there still may be a possibility

of making breathable air on Mars. For example, there are signs of water in the soil. Furthermore, Mars is known as the Red Planet for its rusty red colored surface. Rust is made up of iron oxide, which is formed when iron is oxidized. This means that there could potentially be

oxygen on Mars which we could breathe.

MARS

or

MOON

Colonization of either presents difficulties which, at present, we are incapable of surmounting.

However, with all of the potential these astronomical

bodies offer, we may see colonization in the near

future.

2 Annette Chau, VI

Anyone who has bumped their head hard against something knows the feelings of pain, dizziness, and confusion. No other sport in the world is more closely associated with concussions than American football. Ever since the early days of the sport, it was very clear that head protection was necessary. In 1893, Admiral Joseph Mason Reeves was told by his Navy doctor that if he was hit in the head one more time, he would go insane. In order to resolve this, Reeves went to his local cobbler and asked for a moleskin hat

with earflaps. Helmet

technology then improved with the introduction of hard leather helmets in the nineteen twenties. In 1939, the renowned John T. Riddell invented the first plastic helmet and founded Riddell Inc., which makes the helmets for practically every football player. Even though the plastic was brittle and broke easily, it was reintroduced a year later with more durable plastic. Padding for helmets and chinstraps came shortly after. The National Football League (NFL) made a prominent decision to require all players to wear helmets in 1943, and the plastic helmet was officially adopted in 1949. Since then, many improvements have been made upon helmets. In 1971, Riddell debuted air bladders that softened impact. The full face mask appeared in 1975. In 1984, protective visors came to the field to prevent eyes from being scratched during a game. Then, in 1985, the first polycarbonate helmets were used, which were lighter and more durable. Today, helmets are more advanced than ever before. Scientists are constantly designing and testing new designs. Riddell has unveiled a helmet that bends at certain points to reduce direct impact significantly more than previously designed helmets. Even though helmets have come a long way from their original design, head

injuries and concussions are nowhere near being a thing of the past. More innovation is required to make

football safer while keeping it physically demanding.

3kevin zeng qi, IV

CONTENDING AGAINST CONCUSSIONSHow football helmets were made.

4 ethan kim, ii

Why do human brains act the way they do? Why do so many people smoke even when they understand its harmful effects on their health? Why did Pete Carroll choose to throw the ball during the Super Bowl? Why did Grady Little leave a tired Pedro Martinez in during the 2003 Ameri-can League Championship Series? Humans are perhaps the most intelligent life forms on Earth and have developed staggeringly advanced levels of knowledge and science. Now, however, that same sci-ence reveals that much of human decision making is based on the way the human brain has evolved for survival in an earlier time. This insight allows scientists to under-stand seemingly irrational human behavior and poor decision making. For early humans, a sig-nificant advantage of having larger brains was the ability to quickly gath-

er and process information, and an incredible capacity for pattern recog-nition allowed them to recognize and adapt to changes in the environment far better than any other species. Hu-mans quickly formed connections that gave them a better chance of survival: certain streams always had clean water; sticks could be rubbed

together to create fire; clouds in-dicated certain weather patterns. Modern humans retain the same tendency to see patterns in every as-pect of their lives. Problems arise, however, when people assign signifi-cance to random coincidences. These half-formed connections are often more convincing to people than ac-

tual scientific evidence and data. Take, for example, the refusal of some people to vaccinate their children due to the belief of vac-cines causing autism. Despite the ad-vice of an overwhelming majority of medical professionals, they choose to put their children and the children of others at risk for diseases such

as measles that had been all but eradicat-ed in highly devel-oped societies. They believe that vac-cines cause autism since it is often di-

agnosed in the toddler years when many vaccines are also given. Other examples include supposed correla-tions between artificial sweeteners and cancer; cell-phone use and brain cancer; and palm size and life expec-tancy. Statisticians, of course, laugh at such claims as they know how data can easily be manipulated and

BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE

bad decision making—from the way the human mind evolved for

survival in an earlier time

why the human brain acts the way it does

5ethan kim, ii

presented to support any number of claims. The key principle, that cor-relation does not imply causation, is lost on many people whose brains recognize a pattern and immediate-ly jump to a conclusion. This pat-tern forming tendency means that humans often make decisions based on instinct. Subconsciously, we rec-ognize a pattern that informs our decision over the analysis of our conscious minds. Another exam-ple of evolution affect-ing the brain’s function is the way people perceive num-bers. For the majority of human existence, we had no need for large numbers. For example, we have dif-ficulty visualizing the value of very large numbers; it takes us a while to realize the sheer difference between a million and billion, which are used interchangeably although one is a

thousand times larger than the oth-er. It turns out that people’s brains are wired to perceive numbers not linearly, but on a logarithmic scale. A study of primitive Ama-zonian tribes who had never had contact with the outside world re-vealed their view of numbers. When asked to place numbers on a linear

number line (they only had words in their language up to five), they would place them increasingly close together, not evenly spaced. This logarithmic perception comes up in other aspects of life. Take percep-tion of time, for example: a recent day now seems longer than a week last year; the next hour of class is a

grueling ordeal, but the last month sped by. This perception empha-sizes the present over the past and the future, which is the way animals think. This view is exemplified by the poor long-term financial deci-sions many people make because the gratification of spending now is perceived as greater than sav-

ings spread out many years into the future. The human brain is an enormously power-ful asset which has the ability to understand and analyze the world.

People, however, also have a large capacity to make bad or seem-ingly irrational decisions, whether caused by primitive and evolu-tionary instincts, environmental influences, or emotions. Scien-tists today continue to develop more fascinating explanations for patterns of human behavior.

BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE

correlation does not imply causation—this key principle—is

lost on many people

Recently, ordinary people in the United States had the chance to witness a live brain surgery, which aired on the National Geographic Channel. To film the operation, cameras were placed inside the doctors’ tools, and two cameramen were allowed into the operating room at the University Hospital’s Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The patient was a 49-year-old man named Greg Grindley, who had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease ten years before. The goal of the surgery was to plant a device that sends electrical currents to certain parts of the brain to improve his symptoms. Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative and incurable

movement disorder that leads to uncontrollable tremors, slow and stiff movements, and a lack of facial expression. Currently, over one hundred million people in the United States have Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is caused by cell death in a particular part of the brain called the substantia nigra. These cells contain a neurotransmitter called dopamine, which facilitates movement. Typical treatment for Parkinson’s disease involves deep brain stimulation, in which medications specifically aim to increase dopamine, as well as surgery. Mr. Grindley was awake while the surgery was performed, so that the surgeons were able to know if they had placed the device in the correct area. The surgery was an immediate success as viewers watched the patient’s tremor improve when the device was turned on. The hope is that now Mr. Grindley will have an improved quality of life. In addition, there is hope that viewers will be more capable of understanding the process of brain surgery and that patients will be less fearful about considering such procedures.

A Real View of the Brain

Parkinson’s diseasecaused by cell death in the substantia nigra

Emily parkerson, VI6

Prosthetics have come a long way from the days of clumsy wooden shafts and thick leather straps, but even so, the possibility of a replacement limb being able to function just as well as the original part has been confined solely to the realm of science fiction. That is, until now. Scientists at Stanford University, led by Zhenan Bao, have created a system that could enable prosthetics to restore a person’s sense of touch. With the union of tiny pressure sensors, flexible printed circuits, and a certain type of light-sensitive nerve cell, Zhenan Bao and his colleagues recently developed the Digital Tactile System (DiTact), which will allow the transmission of signals directly from sensors in the “skin” of the prosthetic to the nervous system in response to pressure. Like their biological counterparts, these sensors output oscillating electrical signals between 0 and 200

hertz, which fall in the natural range of human touch and even mimic the slow reaction time of human nervous system/sensory receptors (compared to that of a machine or instrument). The printed organic circuits, courtesy of Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), are also used to offer the capacity for low-cost, large-scale operating as well as natural flexibility. The mechanism is “power-efficient and robust to noise, allowing for mechanical sensations to be transmitted over long distances, such as from extremities.” This is a major step in the ongoing quest for fully-functional, integrated prosthetics, and “it could have important implications for the development of smarter prosthetics,” says Ali Javey of UC Berkeley. Next, Zhenan Bao’s team hopes to develop additional systems that can simulate other sensory capabilities of human skin, such as the ability to feel heat.

Can You Handle the Pressure?

“The realm of science fiction. That is, until now.”

7Lauren Jiang, III

8 Sofia papadopoulos, VI

Schizophrenia is a chronic brain disorder that has existed since the beginning of humanity. Approximately one percent of all Americans suffer from this disease. Symptoms include visual and auditory hallucinations, thought disorders, and movement disorders like catatonia (a state where a person does not move normally). The most common causes of schizophrenia are genes, environmental factors, and imbalances in brain chemistry and structure. Schizophrenia affects both sexes equally and occurs at similar rates in all races and ethnic groups. Symptoms usually occur between the ages of 16 and 30, but diagnosed men tend to experience symptoms before women. It is more difficult to diagnose teens with schizophrenia, because most signs are not especially unusual in this stage of life. The main signs

of schizophrenia in teens are drops in grades, friendship issues, insomnia, and increased irritability. Some other red flags include isolation, an increase in unusual thoughts and suspicions, and a family history of psychosis (a mental disease characterized by deviation from reality). In general, schizophrenia causes hallucinations. Patients afflicted by schizophrenia are plagued by auditory and visionary hallucinations and begin to believe in fantastic things. There are treatments available on the market for schizophrenia, but there is no definite cure. Some treatments include antipsychotic medications and

psychotherapy. Most people, however, refuse treatment because they do not think anything is wrong.

Even though schizophrenia is uncommon, it is still a serious issue because it has

the potential to ruin someone’s life.

Schizophrenia

There is no definite cure.

9patrick O’Shea, ii

What if we have already discov-ered a cure to cancer, but never realized it? One study conducted at Duke University deals with immunology relating to cancer, or how the body’s immune system reacts against cancer. Many researchers previ-ously steered away from immunology re-search because of the way the body targets cancerous cells—it does not. Cancer is the result of many mutations in cells and the body losing control over these mutated cells. These cells then continue to divide into new mutated cells which, without interference, could clog veins and arter-ies, cause seizures, and have other harm-ful effects on the body. The body does not target these cells because—although mutated—they behave like ordinary cells. With this in mind, the study at Duke University deals with introducing a mutated form of the poliovirus, PVS-

RIPO, to cancerous cells via direct injec-tion. This form of the poliovirus neither causes symptoms, nor produces toxic side effects even at high doses. Cancer-ous cells have receptors that are highly susceptible to the poliovirus and thus can be infected even if noncan-cerous cells in the body have been vaccinated, which most people are upon birth. The polio-virus then begins repro-duction by using cancer-ous cells as host cells and a breeding ground. It then kills the cell and spreads to other cells; this process continues until no cancer-ous cells are left. So, could we already have a cure for cancer within our grasp? Only further research and testing may tell.

CANCER AND POLIOA cure for cancer in our grasp?

Patient treated on PVS-RIPO 2 months

after treatment

Patient treated on PVS-RIPO 9 months

after treatment

The PVS-RIPOvirus

One Disease to kill another...

symontgomery

10 Interview

What does a typical day look like for you? If I am at home, I wake up, fix breakfast for myself, my husband and our border collie puppy, Thurber, and then Thurber and I head out for a hike around the pond. Then I get to work at my desk. This might mean conducting some phone interviews, or being interviewed on the phone; writing a column for The Boston Globe; tracking down books or films I need for my research, and/or reading/viewing them and taking notes; or organizing what I’ll need for a field expedition, like the one I’ll be on this May to Masai Mara in Kenya to study hyenas, or another the following month to Tanzania’s Serengeti to observe the wildebeest migration. After noon, Thurber and I go for another hike, and sometimes a third before the day’s done. If I am in the field, though, there is no typical day! I might wake up in a tent in a cloud forest, or in a little guest house in a jungle. Or I might wake up on a boat, as I did when researching my next book to be published this summer, The Great White Shark Scientist—and spend my day diving in a cage with great whites!

When and how did you decide to pursue a career as a naturalist writer? My father, a Brigadier General who had survived the Bataan Death March, was my

hero, so when I was a small child and began to read, naturally I wanted to know what he was reading. And he was reading the newspaper. He would help me with the big words, and the big words were scary. This was in the 1960s and the words in the news that scared me most were pollution and deforestation and extinction. At that time Americans were just starting to realize that we were poisoning our planet, cutting down the forests, over-hunting endangered species...and it was so bad that some of my favorite animals, like elephants and gorillas and whales, might go extinct like the dinosaurs. Up to that point, I had imagined I’d be a veterinarian when I grew up. But reading the newspaper with my dad helped me decide I might help more animals by becoming a writer, and alerting my readers to the ways we can protect and cherish all the inhabitants of this sweet green world. In your book The Good Good Pig, you describe the tender experiences you shared with a pig, Christopher Hogwood. How have your experiences with animals changed your outlook on life? That is such a good question I plan to write a book about it! Animals teach us to pay attention. They teach us unconditional love. They show us a sensory world we cannot experience any other way—we can’t experience scent like a dog or touch like an octopus, but we can watch them do so and so become aware of worlds that exist beside our own. Animals have taught me how to be honest, how to live fully and die with dignity and how to play with a full heart. In short, animals have taught me how to be a good creature—and that is going to be the title of my new book.

11Interview

What is the overall message or theme that you want readers to take away when they read your books? That animals matter. They can think, feel and know. They love their lives as we love ours, and we should respect and honor those lives.

In the future, do you plan to Write any works that discuss Specifically the negative impacts humans have had on species diversity? I’ve touched on this in many of my books. In my Scientists in the Field books, most of the researchers are doing their work because they study animals, or the animals’ habitats, are endangered. I have done reporting for newspapers specifically about these negative impacts. But I think that at least for now, I am catching more flies with a higher dose of honey than vinegar—I am trying to draw people into caring about animals by attracting them to the adventure of science, by getting them to know and love individual animals, and showing them what we stand to lose if we don’t protect our environment.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers? Writing is sometimes difficult even for professional writers! Don’t think you’re no good at writing if it’s hard for you. Remember that in your writing, you have the power to change the world. Keep writing. Keep reporting. Keep collecting those vivid details that allow your readers to share your experience with this issue or people or animals or landscape. Respect your readers as you would respect and care for a friend, and write knowing that your readers are good people who can be made to care if only you show them how.

You have traveled all over the world. Is there one place that you have not been that you are eager to one day visit, and of the places that you have been, which one is your favorite and why? Oh, gosh, so many places I want to visit!! Near the top of the list is the Galapagos. But also Madagascar’s Spiny Desert, Antarctica’s penguin colonies, the Sahara in Niger (which I was scheduled to visit a few years ago but was forced to cancel due to terrorist kidnappings)...the list goes on and on! Of the places I am headed next: I have wanted to see the wildebeest migration with my friend, the world’s top wildebeest expert, Dick Estes, for 30 years—and this summer I am finally going! It’s not possible to decide on a favorite place I have been, unless I can count home. Here on our eight acre farm in a little NH village with 1,800 people, with its field and brook and forest, our 150 year old farmhouse and barn, our chickens, our border collie Thurber, and my beloved husband who is also a writer, is just about paradise.

ZOMBIE ANTS

12 Kevin S. Qi, IV

In a few centuries, the human race could bow down to a fungus. Perhaps. Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, also fondly referred to as “zombie fungus,” is an entomopathogen. In other words, it is a fungus that infects insects through spores. Entomopathogens typically kill or severely injure their victims, and the zombie fungus is no exception. It is nicknamed the zombie fungus, however, for a reason. Inhabiting the tropical forests of Brazil, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis infects with spores any ants that are unfortunate enough to walk into its range. Once an ant is infected, it is as good as dead. Ophiocordyceps unilateralis takes control of its brain and thus can change its behavior. The ant is directed to leave the leafy tree that its colony is most likely inhabiting or the foraging trail that

it is currently on in favor of the rainforest floor, which is humid and very hospitable for fungal growth. After letting the spores grow inside the ant for a few days, the newly grown fungus is ready to spore again and dispose of its host. Therefore, it leads the ant to a suitable plant, one with leaves that sport a large center vein. The fungus then instructs the ant to bite into the vein hard enough to hang on to it. After the ant bites the leaf, the fungus moves through the ant’s body and destroys its muscle fibers, assuming control of its mandibles. The ant can no longer move its jaws, resulting in what is popularly known as the “death grip.” If all of the aforementioned horrors do not terrify you, this should. The fungus then kills the ant and grows fruiting bodies, which contain spores. In this process, the fungus

splits the deceased ant’s head wide open. The fruiting body then spreads its spores to any passing ants, and the gruesome cycle starts again. The marks that ants deposit on the leaves have been found in fossils 48 million years old. This means that the ants of Brazil have been fighting this zombie apocalypse for 48 million years. Over this period, ants have actually evolved and developed the ability to sense when one of their fellow colony mates has become infected. For the good of the colony, groups of ants pick up the infected ant then relocate it to somewhere far away. While ants have seemingly developed ways to cope with the zombie fungus due to a long period of quite gruesome deaths, the thought of something similar happening to humans would be a scary bedtime story!

The Dodo Bird

Have you ever heard the phrase “as dumb as a dodo?” This common saying is based upon the fate of the dodo bird, Raphus cucullatus. The kind-natured dodo bird once lived peacefully in forests on the island of Mauritius, located in the Indian Ocean. In fact, it lived without natural predators for so long that it lost the ability to fly. In the 16th century, the Portuguese became the first humans to arrive on Mauritius. The dodo bird, weighing between 22 to 40 pounds and growing over three feet tall, became an easy source of fresh meat because it could not fly—large numbers of dodos were killed as food for sailors.

The Dutch also used Mauritius as a penal colony, or a place to send convicts. Pigs, monkeys, and rats were brought there with the convicts. These new mammals ate the dodos’ eggs, since the dodos’ nests were on the ground. In 1662, the dodo bird went extinct.The extinction of the once abundant dodo is a sad story, one reminding us of what can happen if any resource or organism is over exploited.

From Abundant to Extinct

13Liane Xu, IV

14 Jackie Kam, ii Inside a rock that resides in the Burgermeister Muller Museum in Solnhofen, Germany, lies an obscure specimen. It is a 15-inch long fossil found in the Brazilian Crato formation of the early Cretaceous period, about 140 million years ago, and it has a winding body very similar to that of a snake. The specimen is packed with ribs and has curved teeth and a short tail. At a glance, a person would say that it actually is the fossil of a snake–until he or she looks closely and notices that it has four legs! This specimen is labeled as an “unknown fossil” in the museum, and this is indeed an understatement. The fossil is referred to as Tetrapodophis, or four-legged snake, or as one professor calls it, “the Archaeopteryx of the squamate world.” (Squamates refer to snakes and lizards.) Just as the fossil Archaeopteryx shows the profound transition from reptilian dinosaurs to modern birds, Tetrapodophis is believed to show an early stage of the evolution from lizards to snakes. There are two competing hypotheses as to how this change in limbs occurred. One states that early “snakes” originated from the sea. This is supported by the seemingly close relationship between snakes and the extinct marine reptiles known as mosasaurs. The other theory, and perhaps the more popular one, states that snakes evolved from burrowing lizards as they lost their limbs and developed slimmer, longer bodies. The Tetrapodophis fossil seems to support the latter theory. A lack of physical characteristics such as a flat tail is evidence that it did not swim, but features such as a short snout are evidence that it burrowed.

But can we call this specimen a snake? Based on its visible features, scientists can conclude that the specimen shares many behavioral patterns with modern day snakes. For example, Tetrapodophis has a very long body, suggesting it killed its prey by constriction. It also has backwards-facing teeth, which are a distinctive feature in present-day snakes because they greatly help it grip onto its soon-to-be meal. As for the reptile’s stubby external limbs, these could have assisted it in restraining prey. Others are still hesitant to call this specimen a snake, due to its lack of certain features in the skull and spine. They believe that Tetrapodophis might not be related to a snake at all. In fact, there have been twenty-six recorded cases of snake-like bodies evolving independently in different species; these were simply legless lizards, rather than snakes. The chronological evolution of squamates also shows that they gained and lost limbs at different points in time, depending on the given environmental niches. Perhaps the limbs of snakes did not slowly evolve “off ” of lizards’ bodies, but the physical prominence and ability of the limbs changed based on their necessity.Much more research still needs to be done in order to correctly categorize Tetrapodophis in the world of squamates. Hopefully, there are many more fossils waiting to be discovered to add to this field of study.

a snake with legs

Can we call this

specimen a snake?

15jerry han, iv

QU KKATHE

What is the happiest animal on the planet? The quokka. This animal, scientifically named Setonix brachyurus, is the only member of its genus. It is the size of the average domestic cat, and its fur is a brownish color. Due to its “never-ending smile,” the quokka has rightfully earned the title “happiest animal on the planet.” Looks, however, can be deceptive, as the quokka can be very ferocious when threatened. Having sharp claws on the ends of its feet, this furball can ruin your day if you anger it. The quokka is a nocturnal marsupial and is the smallest species in the macropod family, which includes the kangaroo and the wallaby. Like other macropods, the quokka is a herbivore. Quokkas primarily live on Rottnest Island, which is near Perth, Australia.

Some also live on Bald Island and in Western Australia. Unlike many other animals, the quokka is not afraid of humans, and will even try to interact with them. For example, it often “poses” for pictures, but people are not allowed to feed or touch it, as that might cause harm to both parties. There is a fine of up to $2,000 for interacting physically with the quokkas.

Unfortunately, the quokka population has decreased due to deforestation, predation, and poaching. Additionally, the species is currently at risk of developing a disease called muscular dystrophy, which would cause muscles to be damaged or strained. Its environmental plight, therefore, is another such instance of how its happy appearance can often be so deceptive.

Top: The quokka’s habitat

Bottom: region of Australia where the quokka lives

Happiest animal on the planet

The saiga is an odd-looking species of antelope that is in great danger of becoming extinct. In May alone, about 200,000 saigas died of an unknown cause in Kazakhstan. That is over half of the entire population, an incredible number for only a month. Even though scientists are trying to find out what happened, no one knows yet. In the past, there have been events during which many saigas died, but never in such a short time span. Some researchers think that the cause was a bacteria of the genus Pasteurella. Many others think it was caused by a disease or by climate

and vegetation change. Poaching and recent road construction have also been a cause since these developments reduce the distance saigas can

migrate. To sum up, saigas are facing many problems at the moment and need help. In an effort to address this issue, the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS), is trying to find a solution to the difficulties saigas face. They have already had a few meetings and are working

to help these strange antelopes. Saigas are very interesting animals that are disappearing quickly, so scientists must figure out what is happening to them.

The Saigas are

SlippingAway

in May alone, about 200,000 saigas died of an unknown cause...

over half of the entire population

16 Catherine flynn, IV

17Jose M. Antonio, VI

The Philippine Spotted Deer, Rusa alfredi, is currently endemic to the Negros Island. The

spotted deer is also known to inhabit the larger Visayan islands of Panay, Cebu, Guimaras, Leyte and Samar. It is one of the rarest and least known deer species in the world, with 95% to 98% of its former range destroyed, according to a survey conducted in 1991. At present, due to conservation efforts, only about 300-500 of the deer remain in existence. The Philippine Spotted Deer is a beautiful species, with a soft, dense, and fine dark-brown coat over its upper body, spots on its back and flank, which are retained throughout its life, and pale white fur on its

underside, chin, and lower lip. The deer’s ears and tail are relatively short, with females particularly smaller than males. A mature deer can reach heights of around 75 to 80 cm (2.46 to 2.62 ft). Though beautiful, Rusa alfredi, however, does not have a promising future. Habitat destruction and illegal hunting are destroying the specimen one by one. Although it is fully protected by the Philippine government (as it is included in the international list of endangered species), the deer is still intensely hunted, both by the local farmers living in hinterland communities and by recreational hunters from larger cities. Some hunters sell the deer meat to local specialty restaurants and local markets, while

others sell them to the

affluent as pets or trophies for display on walls and shelves. Rusa alfredi’s scarcity is also caused by illegal logging and agricultural expansion, which destroy its natural habitat. If illegal hunting and habitat destruction continue to happen, this species may become extinct in ten to fifteen years. Experts have recommended some conservation strategies to prevent this. Among these strategies are enhancing management of existing protected areas, creating better local policy with deterrent penalties, and involving local communities in preserving the deer species in their area. Young

citizens can become involved by raising awareness of the issue in their schools and communities, where the spotted deer abound, by

helping out in local conservation actions, by volunteering in

deer conservation sites, or by encouraging fellow young

people to be involved.

THE PHILIPPINE SPOTTED DEER

Habitat destruction and

illegal hunting are destroying

the specimen one by one

18 osasenaga idahor, VIExperts have announced that the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) could be catastrophic this year. El Niño, which disrupts weather patterns across the Pacific Ocean, is one of the most powerful events on Earth. It occurs when the waters of the equatorial Pacific Ocean become so warm that they pile up and cause torrents, or heavy downpours and floods. The El Niño of 1997 to 1998, one of the worst (if not the worst) El Niños ever, was responsible for roughly 1,000 deaths. The countries of Peru and Ecuador attributed a total of about 550 casualties to this El Niño, and in the state of California, the 1997-98 El Niño caused 17 casualties. Aside from actual deaths, it caused major loss of jobs, crops, and homes. These horrible but true facts are frightening, and if this upcoming El Niño turns out to be worse than that one of 1997 and 1998, it could be catastrophic. Compared to the El Niño of 1997-1998, the current El Niño appears to be “larger,” “more intense,” and “more deeply embedded in the ocean,” according to National Aeronautics and Space Administration

(NASA) climatologist Bill Patzert. The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center (NWS CPC) concludes that there is a 95% chance that this year’s El Niño will continue throughout the winter. It will impact Boston and the northeastern United States in November. During this month, the eastern United States will experience warmer temperatures, like those that commonly occur in September, while the midwest and western regions of the United States are likely to experience frigid air and light snowfall. This could be a record-breaking El Niño, and the United States, Panama, Ecuador, and places near the equatorial Pacific Ocean ought to be prepared for something potentially historic.

El Niño

This Year’s El Niño has the Potential to be the

Strongest Ever

19Yanxi Fang, IV

On Friday, November 6, 2015, President Obama rejected a proposal for the 1,897 kilometer (1,179 mi) Keystone XL Pipeline, citing climate change as a primary factor. The pipeline, proposed by the company TransCanada, would carry crude oil from oil sands in Alberta, Canada, to the Midwestern United States. Oil production from oil sands, also known as tar sands, is a recent innovation. Alberta is home to one of the largest deposits of tar sands in the world and accounts for over 50% of Canadian oil exports. It is more difficult to obtain and process oil in this way than with conventional, modern technologies. Crude oil extracted from tar sands emits significantly more carbon dioxide (CO2) than coal, the burning of which already releases 40% more CO2 than other conventional oils; a hybrid car exclusively using gas sourced from tar sands oil would emit approximately the same amount of CO2 as a Hummer using gas produced from conventional oil. CO2 traps heat in the atmosphere and is the most rapidly increasing greenhouse gas in terms of emissions, representing 43.1% of greenhouse gases contributing to global warming. Global warming, in turn, causes changes such as rises in sea levels, dramatic heat waves, and violent natural storms. Our planet has already been witnessing these effects for over a decade: in 2003, a heat wave killed 35,000 people in Europe; in 2004, a hurricane hit Brazil for the first time in history, and a new all-

time record for tornadoes in the US was set; and in 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the southern United States. President Obama’s decision would prevent the transportation of thousands of barrels of tar sands oil into the United States. Considering that 3.4 million barrels of tar sands oil were imported by Canada each day in August, this is an important milestone for environmentalists and broadcasts the United States’ stance on climate change to the world.

OBAMA’S KEYSTONE DECISION

November 6, 2015

20 Science Club Spotlights

BLS's science team recently won second place at the last monthly Greater Boston West Suburban Science League (WSSL) meet in early November! The competition was centered on paleontology, human anatomy, stoichiometry, and physics. BLS’s science team will also now compete in the Middle School National Science Bowl. This competition is in a quiz bowl format which covers a range of science disciplines including biology, earth science, chemistry, physics, energy, general science, and math. Upcoming events include the annual Yale and MIT invitationals, the Women of Science competition, and the state Science Olympiad !

The 2015-16 school year has started off well for Marine Sci-ence and Aquarium Club (MSAC)! At our first two meetings, we brought in “biofacts” (instructional animal relics) from the New England Aquarium and had an awesome seminar about all of the types of animals and environments related to the biofacts, including the ever-shocking Mola mola and sharks. The school aquarium is seeing a significant amount of growth in our soft corals, Pachyclavularia violaceus. We will register soon for the annual Blue Lobster Bowl at MIT in March and start preparing a team! For more information or to sign up, contact blsmsac@gmail.com or William Ho (HR 131).

LEARN about what’s been happening in some of BLS’ very own science student organizations!

The BLS STEM Club is a new club that offers students hands-on lab experience. We will be hosting a series of after-school lab experiments throughout the year led by scientists from Boston University. Students will have the opportunity to learn exciting, cutting edge scientific techniques like bacterial transformation, gene expression and protein purification. Our first meeting is on Friday, November 20th. We will begin by inserting a gene

that codes for green fluorescent protein into bacteria and will eventually purify the protein. Contact blsstemclub@gmail.com or Elisabeth Kotsalidis (HR 120) if you would like to sign up.

SCIENCE TEAM

Marine science

STEM CLUB

Although the winter months are halting some of the BLS Garden's activities, we are building up our infrastructure and membership

to form a stable, long-lasting, and thriving club. We are currently constructing a shed to store all materials and we are working on Info Cards, which offer details about all the plants we grow, including nutritional facts, growing styles, popular recipes, and photos. We are also happy to report that our total membership has doubled since last year, and we are formulating some

innovative ideas for the spring planting season that capitalize on the mutualistic relationships between plants to boost productivity.

For all of you excited for once in a lifetime opportunities to meet world leaders in the medical field, the Biology Club has been dedicated to bringing you another four amazing speakers this year. In our second annual Speaker Series Program, we have invited a leader in genomics, two Nobel Prize Laureates,

and a successful entrepreneur in the biotech industry. We will also be expanding to include other programs that involve members and

any interested students from all grades to compete in biology-related competitions and contests at the local level in Boston

or even at the national level. Whether you choose to be more active in one of these student teams or if you just want to attend our events, make sure to stay updated with our club. Any questions? If so, email blsbiologyclub@gmail.com or speak with Kevin Yang (HR 216).

Since our founding in 1998, the NUTRONS has been a staple of the New England FIRST community with our winning robots and outreach programs. We are a team teaching high school students of all different backgrounds about building robots. We hope to help students discover future STEM career paths. We meet at Northeastern Richards Hall from 6 to 9 PM every Tuesday and Thursday.Contact nutrons@gmail.com with any questions.

SCHOOL garden

NUTRONS

BIOLOGY CLUB

Puzzle Cladograms

The Science The ActivityA cladogram (from the Greek clados — “branch” and gramma — “character”) is a diagram that shows how closely two species (or groups of species) are related. Species on a cladogram are shown on the lines branching off. Physical characteristics are shown on tick marks off the central line. For example, doves and humans are two species that have already been identified. Cladograms often include marks to show which species have which physical traits. Therefore, on the above cladogram, doves have feathers. Both doves and humans have lungs.

Your task is to complete the cladogram above, which has a lot of missing information. Fill out the remaining physical characteristics (letters A-C), and the remaining species (numbers 1-6). To help you solve the puzzle, a series of clues and an answer pool are listed below.

CLUEs1) Chimpanzees share 98% of their genes with humans.2) Hagfish do not have lungs.3) Chimpanzees are more closely related to mice than to lizards.4) Doves have claws or nails.5) Perch have jaws but not claws or nails.6) The salamander has one more trait than the perch but two fewer traits than the dove.

1 2 3 4 5 6

A

C

BLUNGS

DOVE

humans

feathers

Send your responses to catapultasciencebls@gmail.com To enter a raffle.The winner will receive a

10 dollar giftcard!

Species Characteristics

Chimpanzee Hagfish

Claws or Nails

Lizard Fur / Mammary Glands

Mouse Jaws

PerchSalamander