3-D Printing Body Parts

      3D Printing Body parts can revolutionize medicine. From these machine it can create cheaper and better prosthetics for people or animals who have lost a body part ( includes organs), the list includes body parts from heart to skin grafts. Most of the 3D printing materials are made from wax or plastic but scientists are developing a way to make 3D printing materials from metal too. The term for printing out body parts is also known as biomedical engineering. The body parts are actually used from real human cells but instead of growing cells to make the body parts, the scientists just make scales of the cells. Although the 3D printed organs are not that effective it is a step toward making fully functioning organs.

       This will definitely help with heart transplants or liver transplants, etc. in the future. Currently 3 D printing industry is worth about 2.7 billion. The great part about 3D printing is when you all set everything up you can create "organs" with the click of a button. Most of the bio printers are not even modern technology yet they can still make things like this. 3D biomedical engineering will definetly change the world for the better.

Photo link:http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing

Author :Leckart, Steven 

Published: August 6. 2013

Link: http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-07/how-3-d-printing-body-parts-will-revolutionize-medicine
http://www.bbc.com/news/health-35581454
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/03/explore-wellness-3D-printing-body-parts/

Tidal barrages

Tidal barrages creates renewable energy but also have many drawbacks with it. The tidal barrage has the same concept as a hydro- electric dam except the barrage is bigger. The barrage is built between an estuary and the sea. The water ( when it is going in and out) the water flows through tunnels in the dam. The water pushes air into the turbine and generates electricity or the water pushes the turbine by itself. Large lock gates similar to ones used in canals are being used for the barrages. A Severen barrage can produce more than 12 power stations of energy or less than 3 power stations( it depends on size and location). A small nuclear core costs about 750 million in US dollars but a tidal barrage can cost more than £15 billion. Doing a little math and the cost for 12 small nuclear core would be about 900,000 in US dollars. Because a tidal barrage costs  are in pounds the currency rate would be 1.52 and the tidal barrage could cost a significantly more but tidal barrages give renewable clean energy while nuclear power stations give out pollution and are not renewable and costs electricity to run. A tidal barrage also gives protection against tidal waves. The tidal barrage also provides a road bridge.

But there are cons to the barrage. The estuary brings waste to the sea but if there is a barrage in between those too the waste goes significantly slower. The barrage would also change how far the tide goes out and it would not go out as far changing the environment. A example would be 80,000 birds who feed on mud flats can't anymore because the tide won't go out properly anymore. All in all a tidal barrages can have many cons but they provide clean , renewable energy (which the world is in dire need because fossil fuels are running out).

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rance_Tidal_Power_Station

Author: Darvill, A

Title: Tidal Power

Retrieved from :http://www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/tidal.htm

Accessed Jan, 2015

Spontaneous Combustion

         Combustion is very common when mixing two chemicals together, doing so can create an exothermic reaction. An exothermic reaction is a reaction that requires less energy to break bonds but more energy to create new bonds, thus releasing heat and form of energy. One type of combustion was made by mixing potassium permanganate and glycerin. The permanganate which is an oxidizer an reacts with a carbon- hydrogen bonds in glycerin. A video of this reaction happening can be watched here, https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kA12Y-B-U08. The reaction only happens when the temperature is above 70°F though. The materials can easily be found in hardware stores (permanganate ) and in bakery stores or drug stores (glycerin). Exothermic reactions are very helpful in everyday life. For a rocketship to propel itself upward it uses exothermic reactions. To light a cigarette it requires exothermic reaction(I do not recommend using cigarettes though). Spontaneous combustion also happens in nature. When a forest fire ignites it is not just because of people, it is because of spontaneous combustion. A chemical in nature can react with trees, grass etc. and create a fire.

Photo : http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermite

Link: http://www.popsci.com/diy/article/2012-09/gray-matter-playing-fire

Author: Theodore Gray 

Published : Oct 18. 2012