Somewhere in China, a bat had a virus. That is how it started, a virus no one had seen before. It was a coronavirus. The bat passed the virus on to a person, who passed it on to other people in Wuhan, before they even knew they were sick. Now, the whole of Asia has it, as does Europe, and the United States. I live in Maryland, which has 43 cases today. If you think of doubling numbers on a calculator starting with the number 2, how quickly the numbers grow, that is what it’s like. That is how quickly the virus can spread. And because this virus has such a high death rate, especially for older or sicker people, the whole US has shut down most schools. The coronavirus affects the world economy: money isn’t made, stock markets go down. Parents worry. They call it “social isolation” and “flattening of the curve” to make sure that virus transmission slows down. This is to help hospitals handle the numbers of sick patients better. But those terms are not what this feels like. Washing your hands until your skin cracks and bleeds, wearing masks, elbow bumps instead of handshakes. I’ve never been part of a pandemic this bad, this scary. Such a small substance that we can’t even see causes our world to crumble. We haven’t been quarantined yet… but we are learning at home. It is scary to think that you aren’t in school because a virus going around could kill you. It makes my heart break, knowing why we are not in school. But maybe there is a golden lining. Maybe, since people aren’t traveling and we are all staying home, we can slow down pollution and global warming, and help the Earth. Maybe people will see the good in this way of life. Maybe a quieter, calmer way of life can bring people together more. I will hope for this. Sofie Dardzinski, 9 Potomac, MD
Young Bloggers
The Science Of Making Water
Water is one of the most important things every human being needs to survive. However, not everyone has access to clean drinking water. Plus, with global warming and climate change, an increasing amount of countries are experiencing extreme droughts. So, if people need water so much, why can’t we just make it? Humans have made artificial meat, and even artificial versions of ourselves! And with chemistry knowledge in hand, we could easily combine hydrogen and oxygen and— boom!— clean sparkling water. However, the process is not as simple (and safe) as it sounds. First off, mixing two hydrogen atoms and an oxygen atom will not create water— there would need to be a sudden burst of energy to get their orbits to link. You will need a flame (or some sparks) to make water. This is super easy, considering that hydrogen is extremely flammable and fires burn brighter with oxygen. Hold up— did I tell you this would also cause an explosion? In May 1937, a blimp (a type of airship), that was filled with hydrogen to keep it afloat, approached New Jersey to land after a long journey. Static electricity caused the hydrogen to spark— and the plentiful oxygen did not help the situation. The hydrogen exploded, creating a ball of fire that swallowed up the blimp and destroyed it in less than a minute (and also creating a lot of water in the process). It is okay to make water with this method in small quantities, but not in large amounts. Thankfully, there are much safer (but less exciting) ways to make water. Like cooling water vapor so they condense and turn into water droplets. An Australian inventor created the Whisson windmill to make water. A pair of American inventors used the same concept to make AquaMagic, a special camper. They either put refrigerant on windmill blades or refrigerate coils that cool air and cause water vapor to condense so water droplets can be formed and collected for use. Or, if you have the government on your side, you may want to try cloud seeding. Cloud seeding is the process of firing silver iodide into storm clouds so that they rain. China has used this to good effect, but in Britain, it caused terrible floods that claimed the lives of more than thirty people. One area even experienced 250 times the amount of normal rainfall! Not the most foolproof plan. Maybe we don’t have to make new water at all… but just make small inventions that purify dirty water anytime and anywhere? There is a special straw called Lifestraw that filters water so you can drink it. The membrane micro filters inside have microscopic pores that only clean water can pass through, blocking out most parasites and dirt. Humankind has thrived for centuries due to their ingenuity and creativity. Hopefully , we can invent many things that can solve global water problems so everybody can access clean water. Sources: https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geophysics/manufacture-water2.htm https://www.lifestraw.com/pages/how-our-products-work#technology
My Dream
Imagine that your country was divided into two countries. Nobody would like their country becoming split. I am a girl who lives in a small country called Korea, which is beneath China and near Japan. If you see the map, Korea is divided between South Korea, where I live, and North Korea. Korea became independent in 1945 after the thirty-six-year colonization by Japan. When I first learned about Japanese imperialism, I only waited to next learn about Korea’s independence, but what happened was unexpected. The happiness of our independence only lasted a while; then a big unhappiness came. The North and South Korean governments were made, and on June 25th, 1950, the Korean war begun. These days at my school, we are learning about the problem of the division of Korea and the reasons why we should unify. We talked about the countries that unified, like Germany and Vietnam. We compared how the two countries united. Vietnam was united by military force, but Germany was united peacefully. There are problems about being divided. First, because of the partition of Korea, people are always in fear that a war might happen. I also get frightened every time North Korea shoots a nuclear missile for practice. Secondly, the dispersed families from the Korean War can’t go back to their hometown or meet their parents and siblings. Thirdly, Korea is having economic loss. There are lots of natural resources in North Korea, and South Korea has high technology to reach it. The pros of if North Korea and South Korea hold hands together is that we can be free of the fear of war and the dispersed families can see each other. Finally, if the two countries’ resources and technology can be combined, we can make better supplies and inventions. Korea can also develop their traditional culture to inform the world. Therefore, to solve these problems of Korea’s partition, North Korea and South Korea should work hard to live peacefully and become one country. Can the North and South get together right away? South Korea’s economic standard has developed about thirty-two times more than North Korea. Also, because North Korea and South Korea have been divided for sixty-six years, the two nations’ cultures and language changed. We face many challenges in our life that block our goals and dreams. I think that Korea should jump over the obstacle of the differences between North Korea and South Korea. The longer we are separated, the bigger hurdle we’ll have to overcome, and the bigger wound both countries’ peoples will have. I can still remember the day that I did my presentation about my dream in front of the class. I said, “I want to get rid of the ceasefire line that is blocking the path from South Korea to North Korea. My dream is studying with the North Korea students and going on a trip to North Korea.” My teacher patted my head. Smiling, she said, “We will achieve your dream, which is also Korea’s dream. I hope that day comes soon.” Of course, I can’t get rid of the ceasefire line by my self. However, if people who have a dream like mine cooperate, the two countries’ students can study together, and we will be able to go on a trip to North Korea.
