Internet

By Joel Suñé

Internet began on the 29th October 1969. Nowadays internet is an essential tool to the people. But internet sometimes isn’t good. It has a lot of dangers because not always respects your privacy and furthermore there are a lot webs with offensive contents.

How can we escape this problems?

We always must know what the web contents are when we sign in. A good way is with the searchers. An important searcher is Google. When you do a search with Google, it indicates under the name of the page some lines of the contents. If we don’t look that we can get in sites that we don’t want, and sometimes we can have problems.

The other most important problem is the privacy. You must not give your personal information on internet because when you give this information all the people can see it and some people manipulate it.

Another thing is the downloads. Many downloads aren’t legal and you can pay your downloads with a penalty. And sometimes the files have viruses. In this case the virus attacks your computer and sometimes destroys your files. So to download is dangerous and it’s better you don’t download.

These are only some of all the problems on internet, so you must be attentive.

CosmoCaixa

By Daniel Belvis

On Friday October 22th 2010 we went to the CosmoCaixa to witness some electrical experiments. It was called “Viu l'electricitat”, which means “Live the electricity”. After the experiments we did a free tour of the museum. During this visit we saw some impressive displays, such as an exhibition about magic and optical illusions. We also saw a rainforest exhibition called “Bosc inundat”, which means “Flooded forest”, with many tropical species of animals and plants, such as the pirarucu and the boa. We also saw a stingray. After that, we went to make some free experiments, to discover things like the law of gravity or how density influences the weight of different materials with the same dimensions. The most impressive things we saw were a giant block of ice and a strange electric ball that conducts electricity to the person who touches it, without electrocuting him.

The CosmoCaixa is a great place to visit: you will have some great experiences and thoroughly enjoy it!

A new species of carnivorous: Durrell’s vontsira

By Rut López

This finding marks the first new species of carnivorous mammal discovered in the last 24 years. It was described for the first time in 2010 and it was included in the Eupleridae family (the meerkat and mongoose also belong to this family).

The habitat of this new species of carnivorous mammal is Madagascar, the fourth biggest island in the world. This recently discovered animal is an endangered species. The discovery was made by a team of scientists from the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. They found this carnivorous mammal, approximately the size of a cat, in 2004. They named it Salanoia Durrelli (it is also known as Durrell’s vontsira), after the naturalist Gerald Durrell, brother of the novelist Lawrence Durrell and author of several books about collecting animals.

The Iberian Lynx

By Nicolás Ordax

This text is about one of the most wonderful creatures in the world – no, it is not a bird, I’m referring to the Iberian lynx.

The Iberian Lynx is one of the few Spanish endemic fauna species. It is an endangered animal which only lives in the Doñana National Park and the Sierra de Andújar (Jaén).

The Iberian lynx is a small feline, no longer than 110 cm and no taller than 70 cm.

Its appearance is very similar to that of the European lynx and was once a subspecies of the latter. One of its most distinctive distinguishing traits is its spots, which are rather pale in other lynx species but very dark (like a leopard) in the Iberian lynx. It has also got very big ears. Another interesting characteristic is its “beard”.

As the Iberian lynx is smaller than the other lynx species, it also hunts smaller prey.

It mostly hunts small mammals, especially rabbits, but it also eats birds, reptiles and amphibians.

Its characteristic habitat is the “Dehesa”, an open plain with high grass, bushes and occasional cork trees. It is now confined to the mountains of Jaén and the Doñana National Park on account of the destruction of its habitat.

The Iberian lynx is a critically endangered species, and of course it is illegal to hunt it. The biggest cause of death in Iberian lynxes, however, is car accidents, which take place when they cross roads at night. The Doñana National Park has started to reproduce them successfully in captivity. Let us hope that this helps the king of Spanish fauna.

The new IPOD NANO

By Laia Esquerrà and Rut López

The new iPod Nano is 46% smaller and 42% lighter than the previous one. It measures 37.5 x 40.9 mm and weighs 21.1 grams. It has a Multi-Touch screen that is very precise and easy to use. It has the same connector as previous models and can be used with all iPod products. It has a clip that allows it to be attached to clothes or bags, making it possible to play sports without any inconvenience.

It includes an FM radio, a Nike pedometer and an iPod support and it can play up to 24 hours of audio playback. Its recharge time is less than that of previous models.

This iPod only works at temperatures between 0 and 35ºC and it is only compatible with iTunes 10 or newer versions.

It has a very good resolution. Photos and album covers can be put on to it. It comes in more colours than the previous models – the most amazing color being its exclusive red, only available at the Apple Store. A portion of the profits from every exclusive red iPod purchase will go to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa.

Alzheimer test

By Rut López

American scientists have recently developed the first blood test to allow a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease. Details were published in File on Neurology in June 2010. Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative disease that affects approximately 800,000 Spanish people. The process begins 10 years before the symptoms appear.

The test measures the presence of a protein called clusterin. It is known that clusterin levels increase with age and that it is responsible for the loss of cognitive functions and it is associated with the development of the disease when it accumulates in the brain at high levels.

The study included people older than 70 years: 300 without any loss of memory, 200 with loss of memory for causes other than Alzheimer’s and 102 who had the disease. The results showed a relationship between positive tests and scans made 10 years earlier in patients suffering from the disease.

Pasqual Maragall disclosed that he suffered from Alzheimer’s disease in October 2007. Maragall's daily life was filmed for two years and he is the main character of the film Bicicleta, Cullera, Poma. This film, directed by Carles Bosch and screened for the first time at the 2010 International Film Festival of San Sebastian, shows Maragall and his family’s fight against the disease. Bicycle, spoon and apple (the title of the film) are words used in tests to detect the loss of memory.

“Solar Impulse”

By Juan Diego Thielen

Solar Impulse is the first airplane to run on solar energy by recharging its batteries during the day. On April 7th 2010 it made its first flight, piloted by its creator Bertrand Picard, and reached an altitude of 8,500 meters from Payerne, Switzerland. This project, which required five years of work, seeks to promote renewable energies.

Life until 120!

By Daniel Belvis

Nowadays the average life expectancy in Great Britain is 75 years, but this fact could change soon. A pill that scientists think could increase life expectancy to 120 years is being tested in Scotland. This pill contains a protein which would repair and restore the body's natural defences. We usually find this protein in fruits and vegetables, but in smaller quantities. If it works, it would be useful for treating Alzheimer’s and other diseases.

Catalan internet users are concerned

By Denis Timotei Savu

The results of a study conducted by the Foundation Centre for the Information Society in Catalonia and the University Rovira i Virgili show that 72% of Catalan Internet users are concerned about the use that public and private firms make of the personal information they find on the Internet. The results also show that people between 16 and 34 years old know more about the security of the network, men more so than women. Furthermore, 55% of the population are members of social networks and most of them post photographs of their friends without their permission. The conclusion of the study is that security on the net can improve.

Lollipop

By Antonio Martínez and Andreu Ribes

The lollipop, pop, lolly, sucker or sticky-pop is a type of sweet at the end of a stick.They are available in many tastes and forms.

The invention of the lollipop is a mistery and a lot of Americans companies say that they have invented it in the 20th century. There is a book, "Food For Thought", which explains that the lollipops were invented by George Smith from New Haven, Connecticut, who started making sweets on sticks in 1908. He named them after a racehorse, Lolly Pop.

The first time that people ate what we call lollipops was about the Middle Ages, but the idea of the lollipop is very simple and it's possible that a lot of people have invented this sweet before.

Chupa Chups is a very important lollipop company founded in Spain by Enric Bernat in 1958. Its name comes from the Spanish verb chupar, meaning "to suck".

This company created a lot of lollipops with many tastes, but they created only one shape, circular form.

The Band-Aid

By Irene Monferrer and Berta Moya

Earle Dickson was working as a cotton buyer for the Johnson & Johnson Company when he invented the Band-Aid in 1920. He created it to help his wife Josephine Dickson, who used to cut her fingers when she prepared food in the kitchen.

The first prototype of Band-Aid was not successful, so he changed its design. James Wood Johnson, his boss, liked his idea and decided to produce it with machines (in the beginning it was hand-made). The Band-Aid was widely used in World War II.

Decorated adhesive bandages first appeared in 1951 and nowadays they can be found in a great variety of shapes and sizes.

There was a music band of the same name: Band Aid. This was borrowed from the bandage brand because the musicians wanted to help people in Ethiopia and “try to cure their wounds”. It was founded in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure. They released the song Do They Know Its Christmas? for the holiday season and it became the Christmas number one song in the charts that year. Two other re-recordings of the song, also intended to raise more money for charity, were also successful.

Virtual human' Milo

By Guzel Nasibulina

In July 2010 Microsoft released a video to show the virtual human Milo. It was presented in 2009 at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles for the first time and it is still in development. We don't know when it will be released, but one day it will be a commercial product. This character, built using artificial intelligence, reacts to a person's emotions, body movements and voice. Mr Molyneux wanted to create a character that seemed real and alive. It uses sensors, cameras, microphones and psychological techniques to look like a human beeing. It was designed to be used with the firm's hands-free Xbox 360 motion controller called Kinect.

Internet users are more active

Internet users are more active

By Mercè Cid

The Internet Catalunya project is a research plan concerning the use of new technologies in every field, conducted by the Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3) of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. It began in 2001 and finished in 2007, and 40 researchers worked on it. It was supervised by Manuel Castells and Imma Tubella and enjoyed the support and financial subsidy of the Catalan government.

This project shows that 83% of young people aged between 15 and 24 are Internet users. It also proves that new technologies activate social life and personal autonomy. According to this project, people who use the Internet are more active, have more friends, are more involved in politics and suffer less from depression.

Children own a mobile phone at 10.3 years

By Marta Nicolás

The Generalitat de Catalunya made a survey of the habits of young people with respect to mobile phones with an Internet connection. The results show that the use of technology is increasing among young people.

The average age at which a child has a mobile phone is 10.3 years. As regards computers, more than half use the family computer and 45% have their own personal one. Kids between 11 and 12 say they began using it when they were on average 8.1 years old. Boys connect mostly to the Internet from their consoles, while girls have more personal websites than boys and connect to personal blogs and chats on a daily basis.

Gorillas play games of tag like humans

Gorillas play games of tag like humans

By Xènia Nogué

Scientists have discovered that gorillas can play games of tag just like us. A great ape can hit a playmate and then run away, only to be chased by the gorilla he struck. Other studies of the group behaviour of gorillas show strong similarities in the ways that gorillas and children play.

Dr Davila Ross said that his team had found 86 examples of this type of correlation.

Archaeological finding in Cuenca

By Oliver Afonso

In September 2010 Francisco Ortega and his team from the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia published scientific data about a dinosaur found in Cuenca in 2003 in the magazine Nature.

The team found a nearly complete skeleton, about 6 metres long from nose to tail, in the same position as the live animal. This is a newly discovered species of carnivorous dinosaur that lived 125 millions of years ago, during the early Cretaceous Period. They named it Concavenator corcovatus, because of the hump on its back. Furthermore, it has bulges on the forearm bones, perhaps for wing feathers. These features had never been described in dinosaurs before.

It can be seen in the Science Museum of Castilla-La Mancha (Cuenca).

Internet
By Denice Arandia

In my opinion Internet is very important because millions of people use it during his life as a tool for his job.

It became important in the 60's when Leonard Kleinrock and Lawrence Roberts discovered that they could produce red connections in many computers around the world.

When Internet didn't exist, people used more enciclopaedias and books and they went to the libraries to look up the information they needed. Now, thanks to internet, you have always it and quickly at your disposal. Sometimes it's better although the information is not as reliable as in the books.

The advantages of the Internet are that it is faster and the news and informations are updated and you can search all the things that you want. But the disadvantages of this tool (for teenagers and people "addicted" to this technology) are that they have a lot of entertainments (Facebook, Twiter, Myspace...) and then, 3 hours later, they start doing their homeworks or looking for something to make a project.
To sum up, I think that if you know how to combine this two tools (books and internet), you can have a nice way to work.