Sunday, June 16, 2013

TED Talk



The Caves and the Moon – Bill Stone

Rating: ****

An extremely interesting and engaging TED Talk. It was great to listen to, and was very informative about the exploration of both outer space and our own earth.

In the video Bill Stone talks about how human exploration of the deepest, darkest places on our planet could help to make advances in space exploration. I’ll start with the cave exploration. In the last thirty years or so humans have begun to explore the Earth’s deepest recesses that we were unable to before. This is mostly because of huge advancements in climbing/repelling techniques as well as technological advancements such as 3d cave mapping devices and better scuba gear. These scientists obviously have to be in peak physical condition to be able to explore in this way. Stone goes on to how we could use this technology developed for Earth to be able to explore a moon of Jupiter, Europa. A probe would melt through the 16 miles of ice until it reached the vast ocean, which it would map a fully 3d model of using a radar-like device used to map caves. After this he talks about more technical aspects of space exploration, and the video slowly becomes less and less related to the outdoors.

This video made me realize how closely the outdoors and science can be. Every aspect of the process of design, planning, and execution was very interesting to me. I would be interested in nearly every profession involved, from the field scientists plunging into places that no human has ever been, to the engineers that design the equipment, to the ideas people that come up with it all in the first place. I have no idea what I want to do after school, but this video has given me a few ideas.

Stone, Bill. “The Caves and the Moon.”
TED June 2007.  Web. 16 June 2013.

11 comments:

  1. Winter camp assignment:

    This year was my first year taking outdoor Ed and I’m starting too really like it. Winter camp was a great experience, and a lot of fun. My group was only Debbie and I in the quinzhee so there was a lot of room to move around. We decided to build and share a quinzhee with another group which had 4 people, which made the building of it really fast and a lot of work got done to make it. Our meals were really quick because we just made hot dogs over the fire with some snacks we bought from Metro the day of the winter camp. We shared a lot of food with everyone around the fire which gave us all a lot of hotdogs and buns to make sure we had enough food for the night. The quinzhee was very warm at the beginning of the night but once it got into early morning it became very cold, and we had to really get comfy and find warmth in our sleeping bags. I think this was a great experience except for how cold it was, but either then that it was fun to get to know people from my class and get involved in a class opportunity.

    Kaylie Baril

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  2. A Fatal Year On Everest
    Rating: **** By: Noëlle Saumure

    From the month of April to the month of May 2012, there are 10 people who have suffered unfortunate deaths on Mount Everest, making it the 3rd most deadly spring season in it's history aside from the 12 deaths in 1996 and the 11 in 2006. In 2012, there were even more deaths due to exhaustion, climbing too slowly, ignoring high levels of altitude sickness, rockfalls, avalanches and blizzards. The ten deaths are listed below:

    - Karsang Nagel Sherpa, age 40, death from mysterious causes
    - Namgya Tshering Sherpa, age 30, fell to his death off of Everest
    - Dawa Tshing Sherpa, suffered a stroke, died in Kathmandu
    - Indian Ramesh Gulve, age 33, suffered a stroke, died in India
    - German Eberhard Schaaf, age 61, died from cerebral edema on Everest
    - Nepali- Canadian Shriya Shah, age 33, died below balcony of Everest
    - Korean Song Won- bin, age 44, died below balcony of Everest
    - Chinese Ha Wenyi, age 55, died below balcony of Everest
    - Spaniard Juan José Polo Carbayo, age 43, died after summiting from the North side of the mountain
    - German Ralf D. Arnold, age 43, broke his leg at 2nd step of Everest

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  3. Reflection:
     
    The hiking trip was a great experience because it helped us plan good meals and how to pack the right amount without over packing or packing to much. My group worked really well together with working hard to clean up around our campground and taking turns to carry the food and dishes to make sure there was no one stuck carrying to much stuff. We made sure to keep our menu quick and healthy but still with food we regularly ate and all liked. We precooked the meat for our dinners so it was quick to make at dinner time and so we knew that it was already cooked and we wouldn't get sick from it not being cooked enough. My group had plenty to eat and defiantly enough that lasted us for the 3 days. We tried to have all the food groups included but it was difficult because we could have food or products that needed to be refrigerated which meant we couldn't have any dairy products because it would have gone bad or made us very sick. Most of our meals were hot which was great because after a long day of walking gave us energy and was nice to have. I think this was defiantly a great trip to go on and I know I would for sure go on another one for more experience.

    Kaylie baril

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  4. Is Injectable Oxygen in Surfing’s Future? Article #1


    Is Injectable Oxygen in Surfing’s Future? -Justin Housman
    Rate: ***

    In this article it tells us about how doctors discovered how people can stay under the water up to 15 minutes using Injectable oxygen. I think this is an incredible article because it shows people that there are things that could help with water activities that could damage your lungs with water or could even make you drown.

    I think people should be aware of the things doctors discover. Because it could save so many peoples lives and maybe stop the risks people take.

    What the article is really trying to say is that we need to start looking more and taking risks into what the articles are giving us, and the new opportunities

    Housman, Justin. Is Injectable Oxygen in Surfing's Future?. Surfer Magazine.

    Kaylie Baril

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  5. Response to Hurricane Sandy ~ Article #4
    Rating: *** Noëlle Saumure

    On September 29, at 8:00 pm, Hurricane Sandy hit near Atlantic City, radiating tropical force winds 500 miles outward from its center, causing unrepairable damage along the coast. 6 ft. high waves broke buildings in New Jersey every 10 seconds for 6 six. Issues such as water levels rising to approx. 14 ft., completely undoing the record of 3 ft. in1821 in Manhattan and Maryland receiving 28 in. of snowfall are the doing of Hurricane Sandy. The hurricane caused 130 deaths in the United States and 60 in the Caribbean. 8.5 million homes in 16 states, 300 in New York and 72 000 in New Jersey were all damaged, some completely beyond repair. $ 80 billion is needed for repairs and financial aid from the federal government, who is still today working to pay off this enormous bill.

    I liked this article, but it did not pique my interest like the others three did. I found that the article did not explain in detail how Hurricane Sandy affected the people in the areas that it was active, how the economy fixed all of their financial problems or how they payed the enormous bill that was owed to the people for all of the damage that it caused.

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  6. Hiking Trip Make-up Assignment~ Noëlle Saumure

    Part 1: Plan a three- day hiking trip

    1. Plan a route.
    a. For the three day hiking trip through Frontenac Provincial Park, my 3 friends and I start the hike from the Frontenac parking lot. We cross through the parking lot to the other side where thick forest meets us. We hike through the forest and past several different campsites along the way, and continue to hike ten kilometers where we stop to set up camp and spend the night at Godfrey.
    In the morning, after all of us eat breakfast, my friends and I pack up camp, and hike five kilometers to Verona where we stop to relieve ourselves and eat lunch. After we eat lunch, my friends and I hike seven more kilometers to Harrowsmith and set up camp for the night.
    In the morning, we pack up camp, eat breakfast and take our time hiking the five kilometers to Sydenham. Once we reach Sydenham, my friends and I stop for lunch, and continue for ten kilometers all the way back up to the Frontenac parking lot where we started our trip. Once there, a bus arrives to take my friends and I home.
    b. For the first day of the hiking trip, my friends and I hiked ten kilometers to Godfrey. On the second day, we hiked five kilometers to Verona and then seven kilometers to Harrowsmith. On the third day, my friends and I hiked five kilometers to Sydenham and then hiked the ten kilometers back to the Frontenac parking lot. The total distance that my friends and I hiked over the three days of the trip is thirty-seven kilometers.
    c. The map(s) that my friends and I needed for the hiking trip were the Frontenac Provincial Park Map and the map of the trail that my friends and hiked on. We also needed a map of the campsites we were staying at.

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    Replies
    1. 2. Provide a detailed equipment list for your friends.
      My friends and I needed:
      Three hiking packs
      One tent big enough for three people
      Three Insulate pads
      A long food hanging rope
      Three rolls of toilet paper (One for each of us)
      A saw
      Hand sanitizer for all of us to share
      Fire starter (6 Cotton balls, 1 small container of petroleum jelly, 6 waterproof fire sticks)
      A stove
      Two alcohol bottles (Trangia) for the circular stove that we used
      A small box of matches and a lighter
      A pot set (two small pots, a pan)
      A pair of cooking gloves
      A cutting board
      An extra dish set (3 plates, 3 bowls, 3 cups, 1 bottle of Nalgene for the water)
      Cooking utensils (a spatula, a sharp knife, a large spoon, a pair of tongs) and extra cutlery (3 forks, 3 knives, 3 spoons)
      A dish kit (a bottle of dish soap, 3 tea towels, 2 scrub pads, 2 dish cloths, a bottle of hand sanitizer
      Extra Ziploc bags & garbage bags

      3. Plan a complete menu for the trip.
      a. The meal for the first night is Chicken Alfredo- For this we need 2 pre-cooked chicken breasts, some Alfredo sauce, some Penne noodles and some vegetables such as green and red peppers and dried tomatoes.
      On the second night we eat French toast for breakfast, Noodles for lunch and Chicken breasts and Rice for supper. For the French toast we need 3 slices of bread, a small container of butter, a carton of liquid eggs, a small carton of milk and 3 packets of cinnamon. For Noodles we need 3 packets of Noodles and some water. For the Chicken Breasts and Rice we need 3 pre-cooked chicken breasts, and a packet or two of rice that we all share. b. The nutrition in the meals is the vegetables and noodles, the chicken breasts and rice are also nutritious.
      c. The snacks that we have for in-between meals are:
      Granola bars
      Packets of dried fruit
      Fruit (apples, oranges)
      Vegetables (Radishes, celery, carrots, cucumbers)
      Pita bread
      Meats for sandwiches along the way (ham, turkey)
      d. Each person in the group contributes $90 towards buying all of the food at the grocery store. We provide our own food and do not buy from the park's store.

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    2. 4. Frontenac Provincial Park regulations.
      a. A summer vehicle permit is $107.63. A daily vehicle permit costs $14.00/ vehicle. Camping costs $14.00/ night. All prices include HST (Harmonized Sales Tax).
      b. No cutting down trees, no hunting, no littering, no pets off of the leash, controlling fires, no fireworks or firecrackers, maximum of six people per campsite, no loud noises, permit for using power boats on water, permit for vehicles, no consummation of liquor on boat or campsite, no over- possession of fish, permit for fees.

      5. $65.00 for map and camping, $40.00 for food, plus park entrance fees.

      Part 2: Interview 2 students and write an article
      1.
      a. My theme is Lessons from the Wild.
      b. My article is a prezi presentation. http://prezi.com/gu3jslowmuhm/

      Delete
  7. Injury Prevention: What helmets are meant for?
    Precious Protection – Michael Frank and Matt Phillips
    Article #2

    Wearing a helmet while doing activities like biking, scootering, and skateboarding is very important because you never know when an accident could occur.

    Not only should children and teenagers wear helmets but they should also never go without a helmet on the road ever. This article really helps explain why people should care about the protection of your head because so many things head juries, concussions, and deaths can happen from not wearing a helmet which takes only 2 minutes to put on.
    This article brings awareness to how important wearing a helmet is, and I think everyone should know that and save some many injuries and deaths could be saved and will.

    Frank, Mitchell and Phillips, Matt. Injury Prevention: What helmets are meant for? Precious Protection. Bicycling Injuries

    Kaylie Baril

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  8. Exploring Outdoors- John Wadsworth
    Article #3 Rate: ****


    This article shows how even small children love the outdoors and they get so curious as to what’s out there and the different seasons and what the outdoors has to offer to people.

    Articles like this show how many families and children get involved in outdoor activities like swimming, hiking, and talking adventures with their parents and friends. I think everyone should look at this article and see how much fun people and families have getting outside and into the nature.

    Outside helps kids see what the nature has to offer and see how wildlife and plants live in their habitats. Kids should be able to take ricks without being afraid and love doing things outside instead of being inside without nature.

    Wadsworth, John. Exploring Outdoors. Helpful articles.

    Kaylie Baril

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  9. The Art of Portaging - Brian Cooke
    Article #4 Rating: ****

    Portaging takes a lot of strength and ambition to do, as well as never wing it, don't let a shoulder that can't handle it take the canoe, get your feet wet, and try not to take breaks. The things you can do is bring paddles, organize, and keep the group together.

    The most important thing about portaging is telling yourself you can do it and always put your best effort doing it even if sometimes you want to give up. This article gives a lot of advice on how to portage and the ways you need to carry the canoe because there's a certain way to carry the canoe with out it hurting the person carrying it, or getting hurt. The guy in the article loves portaging because it makes him feel so good about doing it and knowing that he won't give up and in the end he will get a great trip out of it.

    This article made me realize that portaging isn't so bad and that all you really need to do is carry the canoe the proper way, never give up on yourself, and tell yourself you can do it even if it becomes hard.

    Cooke, Brian. The Art of Portaging. Ottawa Outdoors

    Kaylie Baril

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