Science blog

The latest Nokia N90 and Motorola RAZR V3 clamshell mobile cell phones all incorporate sophisticated hinges which allow you to flip open your cell phones smartly amongst admiring onlookers. Another winner is the hinge assembly in Orange SPV M5000 3G PDA cell phone device which allows the screen half of the cell phone to swivel 180 degrees and close to allow simultaneous tablet mode and full phone functionality. These hinge assemblies which were previously used in laptop computers have been designed into the sleekest cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDA) and small handheld digital cameras over the past few years. Basically, the hinge assembly connects the cell phone base to the folder unit which contains the display screen. From the simple open-snap-close mechanism, the latest hinge mechanism now can control the angle of opening. Free-stop designs, where the folding stops at any angle, and 2 degree-of-freedom hinge assembly is in vogue. This flip-and-twist hinge assembly combines 2 rotary hinges with perpendicular axes, letting the clamshell cell phone flip open then twist 180 degress. Each tiny custom hinge comprises a guide pin, shaft, cam, spring and housing. Advancing from the classic hinge components which were made from polyoxymethylene, the latest complicated hinge components are designed and manufactured from metals to provide stronger rotary hinge joints. These hinge components are manufactured using the metal injection molding (MIM) process or cnc machining. The former process, which is suitable for complex solid net-shape components, allows the mass production of hinge components competitively. However, with the recent shortening of product cycle in the competitive cell phone market, especially in Japan, more and more cell phone manufacturers are working with competent precision machining companies capable of machining these hinge components. Leading Japanese companies in developing and selling sophisticated hinge units include Strawberry Corporation, Sugatsune Kogyou Co., Ltd, Omron Corporation and Yamamoto Precision Co., Ltd.

Ever wonder if your insecurities about math will be passed down to your children? You're not alone. Many parents who struggled with math in the past believe that their children may have similar problems in the future. Relax. Remedial and even advanced math skills are not genetic. You can help your child acquire a love of math by turning everyday activities into learning opportunities. According to Dr. Andrea Pastorok, education psychologist for Kumon Math and Reading Centers, fostering a child's love of math should be fun and stress-free. "Children have a natural ability to reason and problem solve. Parents who show enthusiasm for math will help build these important skills needed for life," says Pastorok. Here are some simple activities that can make learning seem more like child's play: • Draw a large number on a piece of paper and encourage your child to transform the number into his favorite animal, food, person or imaginary character. •Involve your child in measuring ingredients when you cook or in figuring out if a container is big enough to hold her toy cars and blocks. •Ask your child to count each apple slice or pretzel while dividing snacks onto two plates to share with a sibling or friend. • When you ask for something, ask for a certain number. ("Can I please have five crayons?") • Count together daily; count cars, trees, homes, stoplights. Each day, add a few numbers to your child's vocabulary. • Teach fractions by cutting a whole sandwich in half and then in fourths, showing the relationship between "whole, half and fourths" -and then have your child put the sandwich together as a whole. • Hands should be washed for a minimum of 10 seconds. Have your child count to 10 or 15 each time he washes his hands. • Teach the logic of adding numbers. As she progresses, teach your child to count by twos, fives and tens. • Talk about the shapes on a tiled floor. If you look at them one way, they're squares; if you look from a different angle, they're diamonds. • Help him to see counting as a pattern and predict what comes next by asking such questions as, "We're reading page six in our book now. What will the next page be? What was the page we just read?" These easy activities can build the foundation for an appreciation of numbers. In addition, you'll be delighted to see your child demonstrate creative reasoning, knowing you have stimulated it.

The most exact definition of Solar Energy is plainly – “the energy from the sun”. It is a term used to classify the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sun and intercepted by the Earth. It is the world’s most permanent and reliable source of energy and the most copious. The uses of solar energy on earth include solar heating for buildings, solar heat for manufacturing or industry and electricity production. So what is solar energy? How does it affect us? Solar energy is responsible for weather systems and ocean currents. It provides light, heat, and energy to all living things on Earth. It has many uses. It supplies electricity; it can be used to power cars. Solar energy is also used as a power for satellites in space and in space shuttles. It could also power boats, generators during emergencies, toys, and even security systems. The amount of solar energy that the earth receives is about 770 trillion kilowatts (kW), an amount 5,000 times bigger than the sum of all other energy, may it be terrestrial nuclear energy, geothermal energy or gravitational energy. There are two types of solar energy. These are: 1. Thermal Energy 2. Electric Energy What is the difference between the two types energy? Thermal energy is kinetic energy. It is everywhere. It makes the earth hot and even heats up our homes. It helps us to dry our clothes. It is used as well to heat up water for household use or even pools. That is why thermal energy is called the heat energy because it is stored in the center of the earth as well. Electric energy is widely known to us as the electricity. It is an essential part of nature and it is one of our most widely used forms of energy. This uses sunlight to power ordinary electrical equipment, such as household appliances, computers, and lighting. Most applications of solar energy depend on systems including collectors, storage and controls. Storage is needed for a reason that solar energy is only available at daylight hours, but the demand for energy is needed both day and night. Controls are used to guarantee that the storage system works safely and efficiently. The accessibility of solar energy is determined by three factors: • The location is usually measured by latitude, longitude and altitude. • The time. • The weather. Aside from knowing that solar energy is a free energy still, you have to realize that it also has advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are: • Solar energy is almost limitless; it will be available for as long as there are still humans in the earth. • It is abundant. You will not worry of running out of it. • It could provide more power than all known fossil fuel reserves. • Solar energy is available during the day when electricity usage is really important. • It is the most inexhaustible, renewable source of energy known to man. • Solar energy can be absorbed, reflected, transmitted, and insulated. • It can be collected and stored in batteries. The disadvantages are: • It is not suitable in cloudy areas. • It is not available at night time. • And it may require large land areas. As a reminder, solar energy levels are lesser the farther north the site. Considering geography, season is an important determinant of solar energy levels because the Sun’s position and the weather vary greatly from summer to winter.

What do doctors, lawyers and architects have in common? For one, they are among teens' hottest career choices. They also require a significant understanding of math at work every day. Despite this, many teens are not motivated to take advanced math classes to help them prepare for success in these future careers. A telephone survey of 1,000 12- to 17-year-olds commissioned by Texas Instruments revealed that four out of five teenagers believe math is important for achieving their goals of being doctors, scientists, executives and lawyers, but only half are planning to take advanced math classes beyond their schools' minimum requirements. The survey showed 80 percent of teens want to pursue careers in medicine, sports, science, education, business, military, law or architecture-many of which require advanced college degrees with significant focus on mathematics and science. "Parents need to understand how important it is that they encourage their children to take higher-level courses of math while in high school," says David Mammano, founder and publisher of Next Step Magazine, which provides career advice to more than 860,000 teens. "The disconnect between teens' career aspirations and their plans to take minimal math classes could lead to students not being prepared for college-level classes or landing the job they want in the future." "No matter what career teens choose, a strong math education is critical because it builds analytical and reasoning skills. Students need to take challenging math courses every year in high school," Mammano said. He advises parents to work with their teenagers starting in middle school to plan out their course schedules. Parents can seek out resources to help teens understand the value of math and plan for their careers, such as MomsForMath.org, NextStepMagazine.com or Career Voyages.gov. More tips from Mammano include: Make Math Fun. Tie math into the things that already interest teens-their hobbies, TV or movies. A great place to start is Texas Instruments' "We All Use Math Every Day™" program that teaches math lessons based on plots featured in the hit CBS TV show "NUMB3RS." The free classroom activities are available at www. cbs.com/numb3rs. Provide Encouragement. Challenge teens to take harder upper-level math courses even though they may not make straight A's. Parents can make a difference simply by applauding teens for the effort it takes to participate in those classes. Reinforcing everyday use of math at home, while shopping, budgeting, baking or gardening can also help increase students' interest in math. Get Involved. Get teens involved in school or community programs such as science fairs or math team competitions that stimulate them intellectually and hone their analytical skills. Identify Career Role Models. Find local professionals and inquire about mentorship opportunities that match teens' career interests. Teenagers can "shadow" an executive on the job to see what kind of knowledge is needed for that field. Set The Example. They may not want you to know it, but teens look to their parents as role models. Let your teens see that you are interested in math and show them how you use it each day-at home and in your own career. Acknowledge that your teen's proficiency in math may exceed yours and that is a good thing. Also be aware that they are learning more math in different ways and this often involves the use of technology or teaching tools that might be unfamiliar to you. Talk with your teen's teachers to better understand these new advancements in math teaching. They'd likely welcome the interest.