The Chronicles of Weibel
Fred E. Weibel Elemmentary
Fusion Reactors: Future or Failure?
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by Sameer Rajdev
Energy is the supreme currency of the universe. It grows our crops for us, powers our computers, and even makes the earth orbit around the sun. There are tons of ways that we “earn” this currency. We burn coal, harness power from the sun, and even use nuclear reactors to get energy, but none of these ways is perfect. Burning coal causes climate change, nuclear reactors form toxic nuclear waste, and solar panels don’t collect enough energy for cloudy days, but there may be another way to fix these problems: fusion reactors.
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Well, what are fusion reactors? Fusion reactors are a way to easily generate clean energy. They do this by heating certain materials to unbelievably high heats, which forms plasma, a state of matter which generates more than enough energy to sustain itself. In this way, fusion reactors can convert the plasma to a surplus of clean energy. Sounds great right? So, where is the nearest fusion reactor? Currently, no fusion reactor is in working condition. The record for the amount of time that plasma is created is less than 7 minutes, which isn’t even enough time to start generating energy. So, are fusion reactors our future, or our failure? Well, it’s complicated.
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Firstly, your plasma would have to be unbelievably hot, about 252 million degrees Fahrenheit. This makes the energy generated so costly to get, that more money is spent on getting that energy than is actually generated by the reactor. However, before you turn up your nose, at maximum energy generation, a single glass of seawater can make as much energy as burning a barrel of oil. Crazy, huh? But what about those special materials needed for fusion?
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Well, we already have one ingredient. However, the other ingredient, helium-3, is impossible to find on Earth, and only 20 kilograms of its only possible substitute exist. That being said, the moon may have tons of helium-3 deposits, built up by the solar winds from the sun. Wait - isn’t building a miniature sun of Earth a bit dangerous? Fear not! If the plasma confinement fails, then the plasma will cool immediately, with virtually no time for possible injury. Basically, if something breaks, the fusion reactor will just stop doing anything...
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Future Technology Will Finally Bring Us
Flying Cars!
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by Prisa Singh
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Whenever you picture the future one thing is always in mind in your list of inventions, flying cars. For years people have been imaging flying cars as the future of transportation but that actually never happened. That is before engineers decided to take a step up in technology and create flying cars. The cars will be coming out soon and they can both fly and drive on ground. This invention is also predicted to change the world for the better.
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The Basic Facts
Many companies have been creating flying aircrafts but the general facts are basically the same. Many brands have the car's first look as a normal ground car, but after activating the machine wings appear from a small opening and start levitating, tucking the wheels inside. Flying Cars can fly from the minimum speed of 31 mph to maximum speed of 112 mph, and depending on the brand it can go 30-400 miles per hour on road! These machines are built to fit in a normal garage, and fits two to three people per flight.
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The Advantages
Why are flying cars being created? Is it because folks want to show off their cool vehicle, is it because people can finally laugh at the divers on the ground, or is it because they can solve frustrating problems? Well the answer is they can be solutions to road issues (though you can go with the other two ideas). First, the levitating vehicle can make a shorter distance of traveling than a normal car, saving time and patience to utilize for other useful things. Secondly, the aircraft can free up the roads, decreasing traffic and accidents. Finally, flying cars can limit gas pollution that is caused by fossil fuels which is much better for the environment.
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The Disadvantages
Though flying cars come with awesome perks they, like any other new technology, come with disadvantages. First, the cars can’t carry many passengers during flight which becomes a problem when you want to transport large groups of people at one time. Secondly, flying cars make lots of noise since it takes up a lot of energy to fly, so when flying/driving you will feel like you are in a helicopter. Finally, if your levitating car has a flat tire or ran out of gas that means you will fall out of the sky clearly leading to serious injuries. Though the disadvantages may seem scary, if folks are careful there will be less chance of dangerous outcomes.
Flying cars are predicted to change the world for the better. With flying cars serious or frustrating issues will be solved and will additionally bring pleasure to their owners. The flying aircrafts will soon not only be present in movies but in your everyday life.
Covid 19 Vaccine History
By Prisa S.
Covid 19 has been wrecking jobs, businesses, social life, and normal daily life for around a year, but that will soon come to an end with vaccines. Though of course if the vaccines had not come until around a year of quarantine it meant that the doctors or scientists working on the vaccines made a series of failures and mistakes leading to new discoveries and better choices for the next attempt. Doctors and scientists have been working on vaccines near the start of quarantine but all of that took a year which means there must be some interesting history of the vaccines.
How will the vaccines be distributed ?
The vaccines will be delivered to affected or infected bodies using a syringe (shots). Each year people have flu shots similar to that they will get covid or corona shots. Although it is not mandatory to take the vaccine it might soon become non optional, but for now people can choose to take the vaccine or not.
The History
First, scientists test 50 candidate vaccines on people and at least 150 candidates are in preclinical development which also includes animals and laboratory testing. Six vaccines in China and Russia have been approved early before three clinical trials which worries many folks about safety so health experts have been starting to slow down approval of vaccines or take shortcuts. Basically doctors try out vaccines using clinics (tests) and utilizing the results they make improvements for the next attempt. Though they do more than one clinic to capture all the data. Many countries have been using this concept so there is more than one vaccine. During quarantine, states have been focusing on phases which ensure safety, reduce transmission of Covid-19, help decrease distribution of them to the economy and society which also includes maintaining health care capacity and finally distributing vaccines to affected and non-affected people. These changes are predicted to come about around summer time.
In history it has taken a while for vaccines to provide a cure. However, once vaccines come out, doctors and scientists who helped create them can brag about how smart they were to come up with a cure. Soon we all hope that the coronavirus and covid will just be a distant memory.
The Psychological Benefits of Getting a Dog
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by Sameer Rajdev
Throughout quarantine, it has been very hard to stay happy, but one source of happiness that most of us have still managed to hang on to is our furry friends. Most of us know that dogs make us feel all the better, but we don’t really have many ways to prove that. However, we may have one big way to prove that yes, dogs are awesome, and it is science. So without further ado, I present to you, the psychological benefits of getting a dog!
Number 1: Dogs make us feel not as lonesome!
Unconditional love, warm cuddles, and just plain old cuteness, it’s hard to argue with this point. But science has found that within three months of buying a dog, owners felt less lonely. Here is the study: bmcpublichealth.com. What’s more, a national survey in America found that 85% of dog owners feel less lonely when they get a dog.
Number 2: Dogs literally make us feel happier. Seriously.
Most of us know this. We just feel good around a dog. But for the doubters, here's the study!
Number 3: Dogs give you your exercise!
You probably didn’t know that you were even getting exercise on all those dog walks because they are so routine. But you do get exercise! Dog owners are 4 times as likely to meet their daily exercise needs than other people.
Those are just three reasons why dogs are awesome, but there are tons more.
