Hey guys! So, let’s talk.

     We’ve never really talked about why we do our blogs, other than the fact hat we wish to educate you guys. You see, we were given, as our final project of our school year, a task – a task to make a blog about our learning experiences in class. It was called “The Blogging Project”.

The Science Blogging Project 2.0

     We first knew the mechanics of blogging thanks to Urban Guru. He showed us the things we needed to do for posts and things like that. So, we decided to prepare for this project by discussing whenever we would meet up. We’d ask our respective opinions on a given matter and we’d come to a conclusion. However, we had problems in making the blog. Our main problem was that we had bad communication with the each other. Even though we had time to meet up during all our posts, that time wasn’t sufficient. Since most members of our group were not able to use their computers, we had a hard time doing our posts on time. Most of the time, only one member would be the one to do the posting.

     We’d say this was more challenging than all the other projects, or Creative Expansive Outputs (CEOs), that we’ve ever had. If we had known the problems we were to face, perhaps we could’ve thought of a way to prevent them. We’d definitely do this project all over again, if we had the chance. Sure it’d be hard, but it’d be worth it.

     We loved this project very much. However, we think that the deadlines were a bit rough on our schedules, as we had a hard time communicating with each other. Also, we suggest doing more topics for better educational purposes. Other than those, this blog was pretty fun!

Teamwork!

     The most important thing we’ve learned is to value team-collaboration. It’s definitely better to do things together with your group members. Another important thing we learned was to increasing our creativity. Don’t just think outside of the box, think beyond what’s outside of the box.

So guys, this has been fun. Till next time!

.

.

.

.

If we have a next time...

That's all Folks!

     Hey guys! Okay, so for today we were given an situation. Apparently there is an energy crisis and oil is running out fast. What would we do in the presidents footsteps? Let's find out, shall we?


     The year is 2012, and the president is faced with something whenever knew was coming. The country can't afford oil; we're losing energy. The president has to answer the question, "To open the BNPP, or not to open the BNPP?" Well, knowing that the BNPP is very near the Morong Beach, which is the place where Pawikans lay eggs, will the president still do it?

If you already have the BNPP,
why don't you use it?

     Since the country's energy sources are depleting, the BNPP could be a solution for this predicament. The energy it creates will be sustainable and could really help in providing the electrical needs of the nation. It also produces only minimal amounts of pollution. Could this be the answer to the said crisis?


     Meanwhile on the other side of the page, there's always alternatives to this. Renewability is always a factor in energy. In this case, nuclear energy is not renewable, (however, it's uranium fuel will last for quite some time). The president has always been in favor of using renewable sources of energy because he sees them as a better alternative. However, will he stick to this?

Why open the BNPP
if you don't know if it will work properly?

     As you may recall, we talked about Pawikans - about their ecology and importance. Now, we mentioned a few moments ago that the BNPP is very close to the nesting ground of marine turtles known as Morong Beach. In fact, it's just an 8-minute ride. If the BNPP were to suffer a meltdown, this would be catastrophic! Basically all marine flora and fauna near the area would suffer. You, the reader, know the importance of marine wildlife, especially the Pawikans. Is the president going to take the risk? 


     The president has made his decision. His thoughts are as follows.




     "No, this isn't worth it; the stakes are too high. Besides, there are always different ways to get through this problem. If we all pitch in on this task, we can get through this crisis. I encourage everybody to lessen their electric-consumptions. We'll launch projects and try to make a different source of energy. My answer is no to the BNPP."

Nuclear energy, NO.

We'd rather use renewable energy.

     So there's our answer. The stakes are too high and the risks are too dangerous. We can find other ways to get through this problem. Renewable energy is a good option. Nuclear energy is a nice source of electrical power, but it's not our first choice.


Till our next blog-venture!

Nuclear Energy: Friendly or Deadly?

Hello Blog-venturers! Today we'll be talking about Nuclear Energy, [or dubbed as NE].

Everything Went
Better Than
Expected

     For starters, what is NE? Well, it is a type of energy in which you obtain the energy from nuclear reactions, which are fission and fusion. Fission refers to the separation of the atomic nuclei creating amounts of energy while fusion refers to its combination.


     The good thing about NE is that it is really efficient and reliable. It also causes less pollution. Another one of its benefits is that, if power plants were to open, prices for electricity would be considerably low. Lastly, it's definitely better than other sources of energy, such as coal due to the fact that it produces less harmful gases such as Carbon Dioxide.


     Now that we've told you one side of the coin, we must tell you the other. The bad thing about NE is that it's not 100% safe. Victims of Chernobyl and Fukushima can tell you this. Also, it's a nonrenewable source of energy, so at some point in time, the fuel it uses will run out. Although, some fuels such as Uranium will last quite a long time.


     We all think that NE is a very good source of energy. We think that it should be used as a source of energy and that it's worth the money. I mean, it's very efficient and it might just save us from poverty. Solarium says it'd be worth it.

To use Nuclear Energy

Or not to use Nuclear Energy

Which to choose?

     You may be wondering, how did we all know this? Actually, we paid a little visit to the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant, or simply BNPP. Before the trip we expected to learn what NE's about, including its advantages and disadvantages, the Nuclear Power Plant's history, etc. When we got there, it was exactly what we learned.


     During the tour, we saw all kinds of different parts of the power plant. We loved all of them. We enjoyed the operating room, turbines, control room and more. We all found these parts very interesting.


That's pretty much everything there is to know about nuclear energy. Till next time Blog - venturers!

Pawikans: Need Us, Need them

     Last time here on Blog-venture Time, we discussed about sea turtles, or Pawikan. Now, were going to help spread awareness on their biggest threat to survival. And do you know who that is? Humanity. Yes, it's true. We are the number-one cause for their death-tolls. We do this in many ways, such as hunting for their eggs, polluting, etc. However, one of them is Global Warming.

The effect of Global Warming

     Let's define first Global Warming, [let's dub it as GW]. It is when gases, [like Carbon Dioxide], increase the Earth's temperature, hence the name GW. One way that this affects the Earth is when these gases go up and tear down holes in the Ozone layer for ultra-violet rays to come in and heat up the Earth. Now, we found out that GW has been here for quite some time now. But, we humans are just speeding up the process. In fact, we're speeding up the process more than  hundreds of times more! This is why we urge you to try and slow down the process, thus helping Mother Earth.

The turtle's gender is
 affected by the temperature.

     GW drastically effects sea turtles. Euroturtles states that a sea turtle's gender is based on the temperature it's in while it's still in its egg? If global warming were to continue to speed up, almost all turtles would be females, due to higher temperatures influencing their gender to be female. This means that they would have a hard time keeping the population up. Another thing is that if the temperature is too hot, they might have to change their nesting grounds and search for new ones, if there are still ones out there. Also, when the ice-caps melt because of GW, they increase the sea level which means that the tides near the shore will increase and perhaps even be able to drown their eggs.

A wild HAWKSBILL appeared!

     Now, we mentioned earlier that GW is a big cause for the deaths of many organisms, especially Pawikans. Some of you might be wondering, "Why should we help these guys?" Well, you don't hear them asking the same thing to us, do you? That's right. Sea turtles play a very significant role for the environment! Oceana says that Green Sea turtles help by grazing in the seagrass beds, making their nutrient content better. Hawksbills help too by eating Sponges from reefs, ergo, making room for other organisms to colonize and live. Also, the Leatherbacks eating jellyfish keep their population under control and save the lives from other organisms eaten by jellyfish, such as fishes. Another thing is that some turtles carry species such as barnacles with them, thus allowing other animals to go feed on them. You see, you shouldn't underestimate these turtles.

Cleaning the shore
Will make them more

     We, the Blog-venturers, happen to just be students. But, age isn't an X-Factor in making a difference. We participate in costal clean-ups, alarm others of what's happening, [like now], etc.  Maybe you, the reader, can do something as well. Why not? I'm sure that you're fully capable of picking up trash from the beach. Did you know, picking up plastic from the beach can save a turtle's life? Go on now! Share this blog or  make your own, it doesn't matter. What matters is that you spread awareness and do your best in
preserving these guys!


Till next time! Now get off that chair and do something for these guys!

Operation Pawikan: Success!

Blog-venture Pawikan Time!

Let's find a way
to make our Pawikan stay!

     A few weeks ago, we were given a mission to explore the different areas in Bataan. Of course we were feeling a bit excited, knowing we finally have another adventure to complete. We decided to take the adventure to learn and discover new things. We knew that this would be an unforgettable experience and that it would be very educational and enjoyable. 


     For today's blog, we'll talk about the Pawikan Conservation Center, or simply PCC. It's a place where people are devoted to protecting and preserving the wildlife of the Pawikan, (Pawikans are sea turtles). Now, on our way there we expected to be informed well on the ecology of the Pawikan. We expected to learn their behavior, lifestyle and so on and so forth. When we finally got there, we learned just that. 


     In PCC, we encountered the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle. According to seeturtles.org and Wikipedia, they can weigh 75-100 pounds and they can reach 2 - 1/2 feet in length. It has a very unique heart-shaped carapace, measuring 60 - 70 cm. They eat wide varieties of organisms, such as crabs, shrimps, etcetera. Also, they are named Olive Ridley due to their shell and color. Another fascinating thing about them is the fact that they are perhaps one of the smallest marine turtles alive. Despite all these wonderful features it has, among our group, we had our favorite kinds of Pawikan. Skeletrox and Cashew favored the Green Turtle most due to their  simplicity and normality. Shinobro and Solarium both enjoyed the Hawksbill Turtle the most because of its physical attributes. Meanwhile with Twenty-six, she preferred the Olive Riddley because she found it cute. 


Here is their taxonomic classification [source from Wikipedia]

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Family:	Cheloniidae
Genus:	Lepidochelys
Species:	L. olivacea

     Pawikans are very important to the world. They help keep the coral reefs clean, for a start. They also balance the food chain. How, you may ask? It's very simple. The Pawikan eat certain species of organisms. Now, when they eat these organisms, they also decrease their population, meaning the Pawikan also control overpopulation of said organisms. Every organism should be kept preserved, as they are a creation from the almighty one. Plus, they're awesome!


     Although Solarium and Cashew did not release any hatchlings into the sea, Skeletrox, Twenty-six and Shinobro all did. They all released Olive Riddley Turtles. Actually, some held a race between which turtles would reach the water first. It was a moment in our lives that we'd never forget. Truly this was an inspirational and beautiful moment for all of us. Maybe someday, you, the reader, can release a hatchling of your own! 


Till next time, fellow blog-venturers!

Blog-venturers - Making you yearn to learn!

Blog-venturer Solarium

Derp

     Solarium is a man of cars and basketball. He get's his name from the sun. A good start for his morning would be watching a good game in NBA with some of his "Cheetos" snacks. He's a relatively good man. He'll always have your back. He's the kind of guy you can always depend on, no matter what.

Blog-venturer Skeletrox 

Me Gusta

     Along with Solarium, this fellow enjoys his time watching basketball. He also enjoys rapping and playing the turntable. He's also known to be quite the Minecraft player, along with Shinobro. He's very sporty as well. He loves playing classic games like "Bang-Sack" or "Ice, Ice, Water". One does not simply make him leave his Xbox.

Blog-venturer  Twenty-six

Derpina

     She's a very kind soul who loves sports and activities. She enjoys "The Beatles" and is very passionate for music. She's quite energetic and has a rather nice hand when it comes to play the guitar. One would always remember her as the girl who has a charming personality.

The eyes of the Tiger

Blog-venturer  Cashew

Anime
Derpina

     They say that the most silent minds are often the most intellectual. Here you have a very quiet but brilliant girl. With her pet tiger on the palm of her hand, she is delighted to watch her favorite anime shows and mangas. Not many know what could be lurking in her thoughts, but it is certain that her minds will dazzle you with its awe and geniuses. Perhaps one day in the future, her mind will be recognized as one that has no comparison.

Blog-venturer Shinobro 

 Forever Alone

     Being the editor of this blog, Shinobro has a lot of things on his hands most of the time. With a nice glass of orange juice and a grilled cheese sandwich, this guy can pull of an all-nighter. He has a taste in pop and rock music, as well as a taste for online gaming. He finds the games "Counter-Strike" and "Minecraft" a good balance between action and creativity. Never doubt this underdog, because if he sets his mind on something, he'll get it done and done well. 

Finn and Jake

 Our Purpose of blogging

     Blogging has definitely been an enjoyable way to educate one's self. Not only has it been a very interesting way to learn, but it also is a nice way to have some fun. That is our goal - to help others learn more about the scientific world in which we now live in. It might be a little boring in class but through the internet, it's certain that all who read our blogs will be entertained at the same time as educated. So go ahead and learn! Our mind's knowledge has unlimited potential.