Extraterrestrial

When I look up at the stars at night, I just have to wonder who or what is looking back at me from some distant planet in some distant galaxy. We’ve all probably wondered what lies beyond our small, self-contained little world. The question many have pondered is whether or not there is intelligent life beyond earth. In the words of Metrodorus, a Greek philosopher of the fourth century, "To consider the Earth as the only populated world in infinite space is as absurd as to assert that in an entire field of millet, only one grain will grow."

                I believe that intelligent extra-terrestrial life does exist. Critics of the theory of intelligent life beyond earth will argue that there is no such thing because they’ve never seen a "little green man." There are those who want proof of extra-terrestrial life before they can accept the fact that there is any life besides what is on our Earth. They have a point. I’ve never seen an alien.

                Many scientists and philosophers have speculated about life on other planets for centuries, and today the search for life is a major driving factor in space exploration. Extra-terrestrial life is not just an idea reserved for those who watch The X-files every night with all the lights out, it is an important concept in our current space-age, and to ignore the fact that extra-terrestrial life would be like those of our ancestors who refused to believe that the world was round.

The Planets in the Solar System

  Our solar system as we know it is a very mysterious place. Even as we learn about our solar system, the planets that make it up, and all of the stars and other matter that make it up, it is still very hard to come to the reality of what all this actually means. Very few people have the privilege to really understand our solar system and what makes it what it is, these people are astronauts who actually can see it and begin to understand first-hand what is going on beyond our world.

Mercury.

            As you travel outward from the Sun, Mercury is the closest planet. It orbits the Sun at an average distance of 58 million km. Mercury is airless, and so without any significant atmosphere to hold in the heat, it has dramatic temperature differences. Mercury is also the smallest planet in the Solar System, measuring just 4879 km across at its equator.

Venus.

            Venus is the second planet in the Solar System, and it’s an almost virtual twin of Earth in terms of size and mass. Venus orbits at an average distance of 108 million km, and completes an orbit around the Sun every 224 days. Apart from the size, though, Venus is very different from Earth. It has an extremely thick atmosphere made almost entirely of carbon dioxide that cloaks the planet and helps heat it up to 460 °C. If you could stand on the surface of Venus, you would experience 92 times the pressure of Earth’s atmosphere, with incredibly high temperatures, and poisonous clouds of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid rain.

 

Earth

            Earth is our home; the third planet from the Sun. It orbits the Sun at an average distance of 150 million km. Earth is the only planet in the Solar System known to support life. This is because our atmosphere keeps the planet warm from the vacuum of space, but it’s not so thick that we have a runaway greenhouse effect. The Earth has a solid core of iron surrounded by a liquid outer core that generates a magnetic field that also helps protect life on Earth from the radiation of space.

Mars

            The 4th planet from the Sun is Mars, the second smallest planet in the Solar System. It orbits the Sun at an distance of 228 million km. You might think Mars is large, but it’s a tiny world, with about half the diameter of Earth, and just 1/10th the Mass. If you could stand on the surface of Mars, you’d experience about 1/3rd Earth’s gravity. Mars has almost no atmosphere to help trap heat from the Sun, and so temperatures can plunge below -140 °C in the Martian winter. Even at the height of summer, temperatures can get up to 20 °C in the day – just barely shirt sleeve weather. Mars has two tiny asteroid-sized moons: Phobos and Deimos.

Jupiter

            Mighty Jupiter is the biggest planet in our Solar System. It’s so large, in fact, that it has 2.5 times the mass of all the rest of the planets in the Solar System combined. Jupiter orbits from the Sun at an average distance of 779 million km. Its diameter at the equator is 142,984 km across; you could fit 11 Earths side by side and still have a little room. Jupiter is almost entirely made up of hydrogen and helium, with trace amounts of other elements. Jupiter has the most moons in the Solar System – it has 63 moons at last count.

Saturn

            Saturn is the 6th planet from the Sun, and the 2nd largest planet in the Solar System. It orbits the Sun at an average distance of 1.4 billion km. Saturn measures 120,000 km across; only a little less than Jupiter. But Saturn has much less mass, and does it have a low density. In fact, if you had a pool large enough, Saturn would float! Of course, the most amazing feature of Saturn is its rings. These are made of particles of ice ranging in size from a grain of sand to the size of a car. Some scientists think the rings are only a few hundred million years old, while others think they could be as old as the Solar System itself. And speaking of moons, Saturn has a total of 60 moons discovered (so far).

Uranus

            Next comes Uranus, the 7th planet from the Sun. It orbits the Sun at an average distance of 2.9 billion km. Uranus measures 51,000 km across, and is the 3rd largest planet in the Solar System. While all of the planets are tilted on their axes, Uranus is tilted over almost on its side. It has an axial tilt of 98°. Uranus was the first planet to be discovered with a telescope; it was first recognized as a planet in 1781 by William Herschel. Uranus has 27 known moons.

Neptune

            Neptune is the 8th and final planet in the Solar System, orbiting at an average distance of 4.5 billion km from the Sun. It’s the 4th largest planet, measuring about 49,000 km across. It might not be as big as Jupiter, but it’s still 3.8 times larger than Earth – you could fit 57 Earths inside Neptune. Neptune is the second planet discovered in modern times. Neptune has 13 known moons.

            And those are the planets in the Solar System. Unfortunately, Pluto isn’t a planet any more. But still, it is very wonderful.

The Importance of Coral Reefs and Mangroves

      Tropical marine and coral reef ecosystems, including mangroves and sea grasses, are vulnerable environmental resources that provide significant economic goods and services and contribute to the livelihoods, food security and safety of millions of people around the world. The health of these resources is critical to human well-being.

            Sustaining Tropical Marine Ecosystems. Coral reefs form an important part of the tropical marine biology. The coral reefs maintain a balance of life with the mangrove and sea grass ecosystems near the coastal shores. Many marine creatures spend their lives in moving from mangrove ecosystems to sea grass beds and then coral reefs, thereby transferring nutrients and connecting life. Mangrove trees are known to grow to a height of 15 meters and their roots are always in proximity to the shores. The root systems serve as a source of underground water ecosystem for marine animals. Sea grass beds are found in totally shallow bays. The coral reefs lying at the bottom protect the mangrove trees and sea grass beds from erosion by the waves.
            They are Primary Producers. In the 'circle of life', humans along with every other organism plays a significant role, coral reefs aren't an exception. According to biologists, primary productivity is described as the storing of organic and inorganic compounds by the process of photosynthesis. Like trees and plants are known to reduce our carbon levels, corals also help in reducing the effects of CO₂. Coral reefs support the food chain by being a food for tropical fish and other marine animals that serve as food for animals, higher in the food chain. This maintains the balance of the ecosystem.        

            Tourism. Coral reef destinations are recognized as the biggest tourist attractions, especially on islands like Maldives and Jamaica who totally depend on coral reefs for their economy. Not surprising that the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, the world's largest coral reef ecosystem .Though coral reef tourism is believed to be an alternative source of income for the poor coastal communities, none can guarantee how long the poor countries will be able to preserve these beautiful sites.

            Coastal Protection. The disastrous hurricanes and tsunamis that sweep off life and property, in the blink of an eye, are lessened in their impact by coral reefs. Yes, coral reefs are known to break the power of waves and reduce their intensity, thereby protecting coastal areas from destruction. Coral reefs can be called as nature's defense mechanism to prevent coastal soil erosion and flooding.
            Fisheries. The fishing industry and the common income source for the fishermen in the coastal areas are heavily dependent on the coral reefs. The coral reefs provide shelter, nutrition and habitat to almost a quarter of the world's fish!! Think how valuable is this contribution when it comes to the national, international and local fisheries market.
            Medicinal Research. A major breakthrough in the treatment of HIV infections is the medicine AZT that is based on the chemicals found in sponge reefs in the Caribbean and it highlights the potential of medicinal value of coral reefs. Pharmaceutical companies have targeted coral reefs for medicines on cancer and other terminal diseases.

     Cultural Significance. 'Men, enough of greed, stop exploring other lives just for some parochial needs, let life sustain, in what form it is, no matter wherever it is'. Coral reefs are worshiped as life sustaining organisms in innumerable cultures around the world. Most significant are the islands of Fiji, where coral reefs and their waters are thanked through ceremonies and prayers. In Fiji, the traditional reef management system has worked wonders and has sustained marine habitat ever since its existence. For Fiji, coral reefs are a symbol of life and reverence and same is true for many other cultures around the world.

The importance of reefs and other tropical marines nowadays is increasingly highlighted. They play crucial roles in our lives. At an individual level, we must try to make certain changes in our lifestyle that helps in significantly reducing global warming affects because that's the least we can do for saving our planet.

Importance of Earth's Hydrospehre

“Rivers are roads which move, and which carry us whither we desire to go.” 

                                                                                      –Blaise Pascal. 

            As far as we know, the Earth we live on is the only planet that is able to support life. Amongst other factors, Earth is just the right distance from the sun to have temperatures that are suitable for life to exist. Also, the Earth's atmosphere has exactly the right type of gases in the right amounts for life to survive. Our planet also has water on its surface, which is something very unique. In fact, Earth is often called the 'Blue Planet' because most of it is covered in water. This water is made up of freshwater in rivers and lakes, the saltwater of the oceans and estuaries, groundwater and water vapour. Together, all these water bodies are called the hydrosphere. The hydrosphere plays an important role because it interacts with, and is influenced by, all the other earth spheres. It is the home for many plants and animals.

            It is so easy sometimes to take our hydrosphere for granted and we seldom take the time to really think about the role that this part of the planet plays in keeping us alive. Water is a part of living cells. Each cell in a living organism is made up of almost 75% water, and this allows the cell to function normally. In fact, most of the chemical reactions that occur in life, involve substances that are dissolved in water. Without water, cells would not be able to carry out their normal functions and life could not exist. 

Water also provides a habitat. The hydrosphere provides an important place for many animals and plants to live. Many gases, nutrients, nitrite and ammonium ions, as well as other ions are dissolved in water. The presence of these substances is critical for life to exist in water.

Water regulates climate. One of water's unique characteristics is its high specific heat. This means that water takes a long time to heat up and also a long time to cool down. This is important in helping to regulate temperatures on earth so that they stay within a range that is acceptable for life to exist. Ocean currents also help to disperse heat.

Water provides human needs. Humans use water in a number of ways. Drinking water is obviously very important, but water is also used domestically and in industry. Water can also be used to generate electricity through hydropower.

Water is life. We would die in three days without water. Our body can’t go on with its complex processes without water that will help metabolize and circulate nutrients, oxygen and blood in our body. With the growing pollution in our environment, our water system is imperilled. Dams and watersheds have gone dry, rivers become polluted and our drinking water has been contaminated with chemicals. Water is very important so we should take care of it, because without it life would be miserable.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Science and Technology

The advancements in science and technology are very important in our daily life to do our work easily and to have a simpler life. It is also used in agriculture to have a good harvest and to increase our productivity. Because of the curiosity and intelligence of human being in this world, who created the technology that we used today. Every generations to come, the technology will develop and they will innovate this to make our life easier and to provide the needs of people in the community. How does the human intellect make it all? That’s the question that I want to be answered when it talks about technology. Even me I can’t explain how, I just know that they used the minerals, energy and other resources in this world. I’m thankful to have this technology because it helps me a lot especially in my studies and not only me, but also the other people who existed in this kind of generation.

Science and technology brought us a lot of benefits to us. It gives us a comfort living, a beautiful home and healthy foods. In the field of medicine, there are many medical researches to help find cures or treatment for diseases such as cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer’s and leukemia that can’t be cured in the past generation.

Science and technology made our life easier because of the invention of the technology. Doing work or job at workplaces is easier because of the invention of computers. Computers are very popular inventions which are commonly used nearly everyday for many reasons. It is used for financial things and to keep files in a folder on the computer rather than using cabinets for keeping the files. Even though it is very useful to us, it has also negative effects on the people who used it. One of these is the radiation that affects the health of a person which can also damage our eyes.

Science and technology brought us a lot of things that we used today but there are disadvantages of science and technology as well like the effects of nuclear technology. When it goes to the bad person, they will use it to kill people. They also used the technology for pornography websites, hacking, cyber crime and stealing of information. Technology is also used by the military to kill people quicker and more efficient than ever before, which give a shorter life span. The industrialization and development causes the pollution to our world. Examples of these are the smoke from vehicles and factory that will destroy the ozone layer. As a result, people suffer illness and diseases like cancer.