The Electron Times

The Punishment of Delay

2012-01-24T12:13:00.001-05:00

As President Obama prepares for his State of the Union address tonight, he will presumably focus on the economic issues plaguing the nation. He will undoubtably mention the positive economic figures on unemployment and homeowner debt, and state that we're doing well. He'll also remind everyone that despite our progress, there's still more work to be done. Meanwhile, the Republican presidential hopefuls are campaigning in Florida, creating potentially eloquent speeches about how Obama is doing the completely wrong thing, and how if they're elected, they will work to undo many of his major achievements. They promise to cut taxes and spending, and get rid of the health care plan Democrats railroaded through Congress in 2010.

At this point, with conservatives in Congress railing against stimulus and tax increases and Democrats going all 'Occupy Wall Street' and railing for increased taxes on Americans in the highest income bracket, it is unlikely much will be done until the next Congressional election season. At this time, all the Tea Party senators and representatives come up for reelection. With approval ratings for Congress at an all time low, it seems that their reelection hopes are unlikely to come to pass.

Until then, we cannot have a stalemate. Extreme right-wing conservatives will oppose any liberal plan violently. It is at this time when we must rely on the public to tell what is right. It is beyond unlikely that a plan composed only of increased stimulus and tax raises on the wealthy will pass, but the same can be said of the conservative fantasy: a bill full of tax and spending cuts.

At this time, our best hope is to aim for a middle of the road compromise. The general member of the public would greatly prefer any sort of action at all to a political impasse. While it would hurt President Obama's liberal credentials to compromise, he would garner votes from some moderate Republicans if he successfully passed a bill involving a bit of everything - a small tax raise on the wealthy, a cut for other wage groups, increased spending in some areas and decreased spending in others.

Nothing can, or will, happen if the two sides stand off over every possible economic issue. There are enough conservatives in Congress who could come to the middle, and it seems likely that with some work, Obama could get the support of most every liberal.

Tonight, when Obama enters the room packed with the press and members of Congress, let us hope that he suggests compromise, and goes down in history as a president who successfully overcame a political stalemate and helped to bring a struggling economy out of a recession. For at the end of the day, it does seem that even a reasoned, wrong decision may be better than no decision. After all, members of Congress are elected to make decisions. It's time for them to start.

Understanding Math

2012-01-13T16:44:00.002-05:00

At my local public high school, math classes primarily consist of algebra and geometry, with a few exceptions. The students who took algebra in the eighth grade take calculus in their senior year. Also, every student takes precalculus, which comprises topics in algebra, number theory and probability. Yet, a friend of mine who teaches high level geometry and calculus at the school frequently talks about how his calculus students cannot expand polynomials, such as (a+b) cubed. He has mentioned geometry students that can't find the slope of a line, or solve a quadratic equation, two things that are typically taught in algebra one.
Despite countless hours spent in math classes, students seem to lose their grasp on the basics, which makes understand advanced concepts even more difficult.

Why is this? I believe that the problem originates not in the difficulty of the material being taught, but in comprehension of the basics. For example, to understand algebra, you need a firm understanding of the fundamentals, such as simplification of equations. What are you doing when you simplify an equation? Students are frequently told to memorize something like, 'Isolate the variable'. To students, what does that really mean? I think that many students who have trouble in high school remember the phrase 'isolate the variable', but not why. Sure, isolating the variable is understandable when you're solving one variable, linear equations such as 4x+5 = 17, but the whole concept changes when you need to isolate the 'x' in 3xy + 4x = 5. This lack of understanding appears in many topics, such as factoring, the quadratic equation and coordinate geometry.

To solve this problem, I think that one year of math in middle school should be devoted to number theory and probability topics - both of which are heavily applicable in real life. For example, understanding the likelihood of winning the lottery. The basics of algebra, and to some extent, geometry, can then be taught in the same fashion. If you use math skills in a real world situation, they will probably be retained longer. In addition, most students won't go on to pursue a math related career or degree. Why not teach them general math skills that will be useful in daily happenings?

Another thing to remember is that everyone learns differently. Drawing graphs, equations and symbols on a whiteboard will work for some, and those are the students who excel in high school math and pass calculus with an A. For others, demonstrations or even hands-on work could make the topic 'click'. While it's hard to demonstrate the quadratic equation, it's always important to remember to explain it in as many different ways as necessary.

As a final point, I have to protest teaching calculus to advanced seniors. While it is a fascinating topic to some, and has many applications, most students will never find a derivative or a limit again. Instead, why not delve into advanced algebra, number theory or any other more applicable topic? Any senior who enters a math related field will take three or more semesters of calculus in college, and many, if not most, colleges will not give the student credit for any high school calculus.

While I'm targeting a single high school, I think many other public schools have these same problems. Fixing them would only require a change in curriculum, and it could result in a huge change for the better. With the growing importance of math and science education, it could be vital to America's continued production of talented scientists, economists and entrepreneurs.

The Coming of the New Year: The Pressing Issue of 2012

2011-12-30T15:34:00.001-05:00

Sunday marks the start of a new year of chances for America. In it, we hope for the recovery of the economy, a severe drop in unemployment, the resolution of the Syrian uprisings and an end to the European debt crisis, among many other pressing national and international matters. It is unlikely they will all be resolved; perhaps only a few will. Despite all of our concerns, there is one national issue which hasn't been in the spotlight for many years now: education.

You might say that the economy, unemployment or the stifling debt of the nation are all more important than education. I strongly disagree. America's position in the world is decaying, however slowly, and while we're still on top in terms of GDP, we may not hold that position for long. We need to ensure our dominance in the fields of the future. The only way to do this is to ensure the adults of the future, namely the kids of today, are readily prepared for the pressing challenges that they will be faced with, because we won't fix them all. Even climate change alone is a depressingly large task, and we have barely started to curb our emissions as a nation.

My solution? Make 2012 a year of education reform. Get America out of the middle of the pack for math, science and English education, and start preparing the next generation for the challenges of tomorrow. This is certainly not an easy job - no number of education professionals will be able to solve it perfectly the first time around. But we have examples, and glaring problems.

Singapore, Hong Kong (China) and Finland all dominated on recent international PISA tests. There are consistencies between them - the fact that education is a national priority, for example. In Singapore, education is treated as part of the economy, rather than part of social services. There's a good reason to treat it like such - the next generation of educated tech professionals is as much a part of the economy as Wall Street is, since they will create the next generation of startups and fill the upcoming technological jobs.

China is a bit tougher on education - Amy Chua's 'Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother' gives a fascinating insight into traditional Chinese parenting, where teachers hold an honorary position in society. To Chinese kids, disappointing your teacher is a matter of family concern. In Finland, like China, teaching holds a high position in society. A high percentage of their college graduates go on to become teachers, and it is considered a very good career choice. They are on a higher pay scale, and are well respected.

The examples from these three countries alone provide America with several starting points, but there are numerous other examples which can be found simply by browsing through the New York Times or reading the new book by Thomas Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum, 'That Used to Be Us'. The details are not as important as the overall culture though - education currently is being 'swept under the rug', when it comes to debates about national priorities. It's our job to pull it back out.

In 2012, America needs to undergo another Sputnik moment, this time for education. This time, however, it won't just be Russia surpassing us, it will be much of the industrialized world.

Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: What are they?

2011-11-18T12:02:00.001-05:00

When you think about solar cells, images of massive arrays of black, shiny rectangles may spring to mind; or, perhaps, a smaller setup that a friend, or even you has for your house. Sheets of silicon, green energy, or even climate change spring to mind. Some things that probably will never enter your thoughts are fruit, vegetables, or even leaves. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) are a new type of photoelectric cell based upon pigments from plants. Developed by Michael Gratzel in 1991, they have always been on the fringes of solar cell research - never cost-effective enough to become mainstream, but always worth a thought.

The most commonly known natural dye is chlorophyll, which is the green pigment in leaves that plants use in photosynthesis. However, there are a multitude of natural pigments, from betalain to anthocyanin to rutin, which account for the plethora of colors in plants we see. The dye acts as a molecular sensitizer - in other words, it gives up electrons when energy, in this case, light, strikes it. Those electrons are transferred through a semiconductor, and into an electrode, creating a current. The electrons are then deposited at a cathode, and are moved back to the dye molecule, ready for the cycle to repeat.

Since DSCs can be made of extremely low cost materials, they pose a viable alternative to the traditional silicon based solar cells. In addition, they are easier on the environment, since their creation is relatively easy and does not require heavy manufacturing. They also have a relatively high conversion efficiency, with an average of around 11%.

The only real downside to DSCs is that they stop working over time. The dyes degrade, meaning that they, along with other chemicals, need to be replenished regularly. At the moment, there is no push to shift from silicon-based cells, since they can be produced cheaply and quickly. In the future though, when solar cell manufacturing moves away from big companies and into smaller, entrepreneurial groups, DSCs have a lot of potential.

Dr. Heroux at the University of Maine at Farmington and I are in the beginning stages of research on the longevity of the cells - specifically, how their voltage decreases over time. We intend to start experimentation in the spring - several months of measurements from cells under a light. Hopefully, this will give us a better understanding of how often constituent chemicals need to be replaced for the cell to maintain near optimal efficiency.

Although DSCs will probably never completely take over the solar industry, they provide an alternative to the traditional cell, and they may come to have more advantages in the future. Flexible, thin sheets of dye-sensitized cells are currently in production. In addition, the cells are more accessible in rural areas, such as India and parts of China, where it is possible that DSCs could be made locally, removing the necessity of shipping in large numbers of silicon-based cells.

Either way, with the prominent problem of global warming, any new green energy technologies are certainly worth considering. Who knows? Maybe raspberry based electricity is all the world needs.

Lengthening School Days - Good or Bad?

2011-09-27T18:52:00.000-04:00

The New York Times recently published a discussion page focusing on whether kids should spend more time at school, and if so, how that time should be spent. Most of the contributors agreed that there are things missing from every school day, but what those elements are is the real question.

Some authors supported increasing time for physical education, the arts, and for younger students, naptime. These activities are often the first to go in budget cuts, they argue, and they are vitally important to the success of a child at school. With an obesity epidemic rising among children, time for exercise is paramount - yet we cut it. The arts promote creative thinking in students, something that is uncommon nowadays because of the "teaching to the test" phenomenon. Teachers are forced to spend all their time preparing students for standardized tests, leaving no time for the creative activities which never appear on exams. Sleep is also vital to academic success, as many studies have shown. Lack of sleep can reduce attentiveness, and amplify behavior problems.

Other writers argued that it is not extra time that matters so much as making the most of the time we already have. KIPP schools are rapidly working on this problem, one author writes. Inside a KIPP school, there is a sense of urgency; a rush to get things done. From my past experiences, public schools don't have that feel. Often, advanced students will not be challenged by their classes - instead, they are waiting for their less prepared classmates to catch up. This is no fault of the students, however. In a class with a range of ability, schools focus on the less prepared, rather than challenging the students ready for new material. Perhaps we do not need extra time so much as we need to make the time students spend in school valuable for them, whether by offering alternative subjects, by allowing teachers to teach how and what they want, or by separating classes by ability.

In my opinion, all these points are valid. If we try to accomplish too many things though, nothing will ever get done. By selecting one or two points, we stand a good chance of success. I believe that our best chance is to look at separating out classes, and reinstating physical education. Extending the length of days is certainly a controversial topic, and will take much debate. We do not have that time though, so we must pick less contentious issues.

I have heard the argument that by not separating students based on ability, we are keeping schools 'fair'. To some, marking students as high or low achieving is a blow to their self confidence. What if it doesn't matter though? By separating students, we let teachers teach in a way specific to their class, and allow students to work in a more equal social environment.

Physical education and recess are incredibly obvious needs in the school system. For many students, opportunities to learn about a healthy lifestyle are few and far between. Many parents haven't been trained or taught these principles either, making school the primary place for kids to learn good practices for a healthy lifestyle. In addition, many studies have shown exercise to improve mental function and help students focus, as well as waking them up if it is early morning.

Agreeing on what to tackle first will take much debate. We need to move fast though - the future of our schools and children is at risk.

The Pirate Party - No Rum and Booty Here

2011-09-20T22:32:00.000-04:00

The state parliament in Berlin has some unusual new legislators in their ranks; fifteen members of the Pirate Party entered office because of their claim of an impressive 8.9 percent of the vote. And no, not the Blackbeard kind of pirate. Pirate Parties International is the worldwide organization associated with the Pirate Party movement, whose overall goal is ”promoting global legislation to facilitate the emerging information society”. On their agenda? Three primary issues: copyright reform, abolishing the patent system, and respecting the right for privacy.

The Pirate Party began in Sweden, with a bid for the Swedish parliament. The Piratpartiet was founded on the first of January, 2006. Since then, pirate parties have sprung up across the globe, with officially registered parties concentrated in Europe, along with Canada. Many countries have unregistered pirate parties though, including Russia, the United States and Mexico.

"Facilitating the emerging information society", as they put it, is something many would treat as a small, almost nonexistent issue. But for those who spend hours online using social networking sites or finding information, it is anything but. The call for transparency resounds throughout the party, conjuring images of WikiLeaks to mind.

Their three issues of choice might seem odd to some. However, with the amount of information available online increasing by the hour, the ability to use and access information is increasingly valuable. According to their website, they believe that copyrighted information should be free to use for non-commercial purposes as soon as it is available, and that the time on commercial copyrights should be drastically reduced, all the way down to five years. In their words, "The commercial life of cultural works is staggeringly short in today's world. If you haven't made your money back in the first one or two years, you never will. A five years copyright term for commercial use is more than enough."

The same sort of thought backs their second issue: abolishing the patent system. Between patents by the pharmaceutical industry, which often portray the industry as a collection of heartless companies that would rather collect profits then prevent a global epidemic, repulsive patents on living organisms, and unimportant patents on business concepts, there is nothing to lose in their view. By abolishing the patent system, private monopolies would disappear - the overall goal of this idea.

Finally, respecting the right for privacy. The Big Brother idea has become a meaningless term in the United States - something used in jokes. However, in their opinion, the amounts of surveillance equipment has only increased in Europe. They argue that this leads down a bad road, and in their words, "we must pull the emergency brake on the runaway train towards a society we do not want."

I congratulate the Pirate Party for the progress they have made in the last week. Since most of the populace do not know of them, they have an uphill battle to awareness and support. Still, they are well on their way after blowing away any expectations from last weekend. It only remains yet to be seen whether this success can be replicated outside of Europe, and if so, where it will appear next.

The website of Pirate Party International can be found at http://www.piratpartiet.se/international/english.

The Feel of Python

2011-09-07T23:04:00.000-04:00

I just began my college courses at University of Maine last week, including Introduction to Computer Science. While I had previous programming experience in Scratch, C++ and a bit of Java, I knew that the course would primarily focus on Python. To feel prepared for the class, I started the O'Reilly School of Technology Python courses a month before the first day of classes.

After working for a month on my O'Reilly class, the Euler Project and the Python Challenge, I feel I have a basic grounding in Python. Now, I must say that Python is unlike any other language I have brushed upon in the past. The language is simple and direct. Typically, the commands are abbreviated versions of exactly what the command does; a relief to newer programmers like myself. The syntax is relatively simple when compared with C++, so the number of errors on account of a missed semicolon is drastically reduced.

Last night, I attended a project night with the Boston Python Users group. A mix of newcomers to the language and professional developers; help was rapidly being given and received. I got help with several projects I had been working on, and now know of channels to get Python questions answered.

Even for complete newcomers to computer science, Python is a very accessible language. Documentation and tutorials are widespread, and many are tooled for people with no programming experience. The community does not feel like that of C++, which was often cold and intended only for experienced users, instead, it has a warm, welcoming feel.

I commend Python for making one of the first programming languages that is easy to learn and very accessible. Anyone with any interest in computers should definitely look into learning the basics. I know I look forward to working more with Python and learning many more of its applications in the world.

The Little Brown Bat: America's New Bison

2011-08-17T21:38:00.002-04:00

The American bison has a tragic story. Nearly hunted to extinction in the 19th century, today the bison reside only in a few national parks and reserves. Thanks to timely intervention, today bison are rated as "Near Threatened", four big steps away from extinct.

The little brown bat shares the bisons' plight. This time however, the hunter is no longer human. White-nose Syndrome, Geomyces destructans, a fungus newly introduced to America, is sweeping through little brown bat colonies, and has killed more than a million bats since it was first discovered five years ago. Bats in nineteen states have been diagnosed with White-nose Syndome (WNS), and it only continues to spread. The survival rate of the disease is scarily low: less than ten percent of infected bats live. The truly scary part? We have no idea what we can do to stop it.

In February of 2006, forty miles west of Albany, N.Y., White-nose Syndrome was first observed in a single cave. The following winter, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation took interest in cases of erratic bat behavior, strange white substance on bats, and hundreds of dead bats. In January of 2007, White-nose Syndrome was documented, and it was confirmed that it was responsible for mass die off of bat populations.

White-nose Syndrome is not directly responsible for the death of the bats. When bats are hibernating, WNS disrupts them, causing them to awaken, and fly around, thinking that it’s spring again. Since the energy consumption of bats is decreased while in hibernation, waking up too many times burns too much of the bats’ fat reserves, causing them to starve before the winter is over. Unfortunately, the ideal conditions for WNS are the same conditions that bats prefer to hibernate at.

The origins of White-nose Syndrome are no secret. WNS is widespread in Europe, appearing in countries across the continent and affecting a large percentage of bats. However, the death rate of bats in Europe is significantly lower than that of bats in America, suggesting that genetic resistance has developed to the disease in Europe. However, WNS has probably been around for centuries or millennia in Europe, meaning that bats may have needed a long time to develop a resistance. Perhaps a mutation causes the immune systems of European bats to respond to WNS faster, or maybe bats that hibernate at a slightly different temperature have been naturally selected for over time.

A question of vital importance remains: why do bats matter? Of course, the loss of species is a horrible tragedy, but eradicating WNS will be a time consuming, expensive process. In a time when the economy is in a period of rapid fluctuation, investing in a species of animal that most people have never seen sounds a bit odd. To many, bats are no better than mice, invading attics and flying in through open doors. Bats fill a vital ecological niche perfectly though, and it is a task none other could take over. In a single night, little brown bats typically eat at least half of their body weight in insects. While there is no accepted method of putting a price on this service, we know that bats are the primary predator of many crop damaging insects.

So, what can we do about it? There are chemicals that kill WNS quickly, but applying these fungicides to every bat that is infected would be impossible. In addition, chemicals could disrupt other species of fungi that live in caves. Culling has been proven as ineffective; primarily because WNS can be spread by many methods, so culled bats may have already passed on the fungus. The problem is that WNS is still a mysterious organism. Little is known about the way it passes from cell to cell, and how well it will respond to changes in the climate that bats hibernate at.

Bats reproduce incredibly slowly; a little brown bat population increases at a rate of .008 percent per year. WNS is destroying the colonies because of its high death rate. We have to be careful also. If a chemical treatment that kills the fungus also kills more bats than are born, we will just be taking the place of WNS.

Federal funding for work to help the bats is scarce, but individuals still press on. Many research projects are being led to determine what can be done to help infected caves, prevent new caves from being infected, and to understand WNS better. One thing is certain: we need to work fast. It is possible, even probable, that the entire population of little brown bats will be decimated within a century, leaving only the few individuals who have a genetic mutation that allows them to withstand the fungus. The little brown bat is only the start though, there are forty-seven species of bat in the United States alone, and who knows how many will be susceptible to WNS?

The American Bison is on its way to becoming a common animal. Lets hope that bats stay that way.

NASA's New Spacecraft

2011-08-08T12:31:00.000-04:00

NASA recently launched Juno, a small, solar-powered spacecraft designed to orbit Jupiter. It's goal? To discover more about how the solar system was formed. Jupiter, as the oldest and most massive planet, holds a lot of information about the formation of the planets, but we have little knowledge of the planet itself. Only one other spacecraft, the Galileo, has ever orbited Jupiter. It's easy to see we have a lot to learn.

Juno is expected to arrive in 2016, and complete an estimated 33 orbits before its system gives out. In that time, it will attempt to answer questions about the formation of Jupiter, whether water exists on the planet, what exactly is happening beneath the atmosphere, and what's up with the magnetism of the planet. It's a big job for one little spacecraft.

In less than one day, Juno will cover the distance from the Earth to the moon. It then has another 1,740 million miles to go until it reaches its destination. It astounds me that in such a short time, we have moved from walking on the moon to sending solar-powered spacecraft to study planets billions of miles away. With so much being discovered about our universe, astrophysics is an ever-expanding field. What will the next revolution be?

The Deficit Crunch

2011-07-26T15:14:00.000-04:00

As the August 2 deadline for raising the nations debt nears, lawmakers are no closer to passing a final deficit reduction bill then they were three weeks ago. President Obama and Speaker Boehner are at odds again, after Boehner walked away from private discussions of a final plan.

To me, it seems like most politicians have forgotten who they are representing: the people. The people want them to make a compromise, to solve the issue and to move on to other, more important things. Both sides are making mistakes, however. President Obama, by offering to cut entitlement programs as a bargaining tool, is angering many of his elderly supporters, opening him up to the same "death panel" criticism as during the 2008 elections. The Republicans, by not taking a very generous offer of trillions of dollars in cuts in exchange for eliminating tax loopholes, are changing the public view of the party to an uncompromising, absolute bunch of lunatics. While standing your ground is good in some situations, when the country is about to default, party lines should be abandoned, and everyone should meet in the middle.

With 7 days and counting to find a solution, I hope that lawmakers can abandon their positions and come to a compromise. Otherwise, no bill will pass on this issue, and potentially on many more.

My Experiences with Complexity and Modeling

2011-07-24T12:59:00.001-04:00

After returning from Santa Fe Institute's Complexity and Modeling Program yesterday, I can say that I understand what it means to model a process on a computer. A model provides a graphic interface for understanding a system. While models can never capture the detail available in the real world, the abstractions they provide can often be more than enough. By demonstrating a process, it allows you to identify patterns that can emerge out of unlikely places. For example, take Langdon's Ants, a simple cellular automata. After creating an ant, we tell it to follow very simple rules:

1. If the square you are standing on is black, turn it white. Then, turn left and move forward one square.
2. If the square you are standing on is not black, turn it black. Then, turn right and move forward one square.

You might expect these rules to create a mess of squares, unrelated patterns of black and white. However, after having the ant repeat this process thousands and thousands of times, fascinating structures emerge. After a point, the ant breaks off from the mess, creating a highly composed line of repeating patterns of squares. Adding in more ants can result in even more interesting patterns.

In addition to modeling, I learned about chaotic and complex systems, and the differences between the two. Ecological data gathering made up a major part of my time there, which included looking at the wood-cutting habits of beaver, the spread of pollen by pollinators and the shape of leaves depending on their location in the forest.

NetLogo, the modeling program of choice there, is an excellent tool for both beginning programmers and modelers. It is highly reminiscent of Python, although certainly easier to learn. A full dictionary of terms is provided, as well as all other documentation on its use.

I look forward to working more with SFI in the future, and I think that modeling and complexity science certainly have a major role to play in the future of science.

Hydrofracking: A Real Concern

2011-07-03T16:22:00.000-04:00

Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York, recently decided to explore lifting the ban on hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking) in southern shale formations. This is a process used by natural gas companies to increase extraction rates of gas. It involves pumping massive amounts of water mixed with sand and chemicals into wellbores - a very controversial practice because it has been shown that some of the chemicals can leak into water systems nearby, potentially harming consumers of the water. The wastewater can also be contaminated by naturally occurring elements, and then seeps into other bodies of water.

Cuomo supports the drilling for economic purposes. I argue against this, primarily because hydrofracking is a relatively new practice and may have unforeseen consequences in the future. Even so, the risk to health is significant enough that no amount of economic growth could make it worth allowing. I hope that Governor Cuomo reconsiders, and decides to let what has effectively been a moratorium be.

Coming to New York: The Museum of Mathematics

2011-06-30T14:30:00.000-04:00

Glen Whitney has an ambitious plan that involves changing the stigma of a classroom topic - math. He is the founder of the Museum of Mathematics, which will be the only mathematics museum in the United States. He plans for a grand opening in more than a year, but that hasn't diminished his enthusiasm. A former math professor turned hedge fund worker, he quit his job in late 2008 on a mission to inspire people about math.

So far, he has received twenty-two million dollars in funding, from sources ranging from his past hedge fund contacts to Google. At the moment, he works with about twenty others designing museum exhibits to fill his 19,000 square foot building in Manhattan. In his spare time, he leads tours around the city, pointing out interesting mathematical phenomenon such as the unusual use of pentagonal bolts on water hydrants.

If the museum succeeds in portraying math as a fun, interesting topic, it could do a world of good. It may inspire students in local schools to be more involved in math, and perhaps even challenge some pupils to compete in math. It could also cause more museums to be opened up across the country, in population centers such as San Francisco, Detroit, Chicago or Austin.

I would certainly mark it as a must-see in New York, and I look forward to visiting myself. I hope that it continues forward with the enthusiasm Glen Whitney currently has.

Irrationality in Our Beliefs: Carbohydrates and Weight Gain

2011-06-23T17:06:00.001-04:00

When the article Is Sugar Toxic? was published in the New York Times, it quickly garnered thousands of views and surged to the top of the "Most Emailed" list. It discusses whether sugar causes diabetes, and is the primary cause of obesity. Many studies back this principle, and the science behind it is certainly valid. It goes against something we all are taught: Eating fatty foods, such as bacon, makes you gain weight. Instead, it shows that sugars are the true cause of our increasing chubbiness as a nation. I'm not going to go into the science here, but this concept has sparked a revolution. New diets are being created, designed to eliminate processed sugars from diets: put the focus on meat, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and take it away from carbohydrates.

Yet, while browsing my local newspaper this morning, I saw an article spouting that we would soon be seeing more potatoes in school lunches. After reading it, I shook my head in disbelief, then went on to other articles. As I was near finished with my toast, I happened across another article with "Spuds" in the title, this one about a Harvard study confirming that potatoes are a primary factor in weight gain. Potatoes are one of the primary carbohydrates in the American diet. After flipping back to the first article and rereading it in disbelief, I began to think of why we might not take this science as true, and continue with our current diets.

My first thought was that of change: marking sugars as a "bad" substance would fundamentally change our diets by eliminating pasta, bread, potatoes, fruits and many processed foods. I believe the fundamental human instinct is to resist major changes like these, and lock ourselves away instead. This could constitute a backlash against this discovery, and allow us to mark it as false and meaningless.

The belief that fatty foods cause weight gain is something we all are taught - when I first read this article, it took me a while to wrap my head around what it was suggesting. In addition, I was already influenced towards this theory by a friend. But many people will not believe what the article is saying, or will not read the article at all. That is our problem - we cannot choose whether to believe it or not, the science says it is true. As a nation, we should continue from there.

The Death of Creativity

2011-06-17T23:16:00.000-04:00

I recently watched a TED talk by Sir Ken Robinson, a strong believer that public school kills our creativity. He thinks that we are trained to be good workers, rather than creative individuals. I must agree with him on most counts, primarily because of the increase in class size. If there are 30 students in one class, the teacher has no time to work with one student for longer than another. They must constantly be moving, changing from one student to the next. In addition, I feel that many teachers may not recognize a gifted or inspired student unless a parent intervenes.

The Incredible Growth of Online Education

2011-06-15T10:32:00.001-04:00

While browsing today's New York Times, I ran across Thomas Friedman's most recent opinion article. It talks about the popularity of Harvard University philosopher Michael Sandel in countries in Asia, specifically China and Japan. He is an incredible lecturer, who can relate abstract moral concepts to real-world dilemmas, but he has become incredibly popular only because all the lectures for his most popular course, Justice, were released online in 2009. They are free to watch, and contain assignments and forums for the class as well. It is a near-stand alone class, as the textbook reading is not a major component of the course, as far as I can tell. In addition, his course was released in book form last year, Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?. The book has already sold more than a million copies in East Asia alone.

He is not the only professor to have online courses though. MIT OpenCourseWare is MIT's online database of classes, all for free. Many contain class notes, forums, assignments and video lectures. Courses range across all topics, but unfortunately the textbook is necessary to learn from some classes. Still, OpenCourseWare is an incredible resource for students in high school, or even adults who feel like continuing their college education on the side.

I feel that online courses are the future of both high school and college education. A majority of my courses are online, and I think that in the future, most high school students will be learning through a computer for the majority of their work.

The Art of Problem Solving is a company that develops and teaches online math courses to students. Its classes are centered in a real-time classroom, where students and instructors are actively discussing solutions to problems. They focus on problem solving; the teachers merely explain the concept and assist students where necessary; the students do all the mathematical work themselves. They believe that you should always be challenged by a class, that it should always be an uphill struggle. I have taken all my math classes through them, and am currently in the middle of my seventh class.

There are many more online opportunities. Thinkwell, CTY, Khan Academy and EPGY, to name a few. I believe that eventually, everyone will have to make the transition to online learning. By creating online courses, colleges and companies open up opportunities for students who otherwise might not be able to attend a regular school. In fact, if online education continues to expand, and students in other countries continue to take advantage of the opportunity, then it is entirely possible that they will surpass our level of high school education within a few years. Taking college-level classes is much more difficult than taking high school courses, so the students that are prepared for college-level workloads will be the ones accepted to higher level universities, such as Princeton or Harvard.

I hope that classes such as Justice become a nationwide phenomenon in America, just as they have in Asian countries. The Art of Problem Solving is growing in popularity: this year, all United States Math Olympiad (USAMO) winners took courses through them. They are expanding their curriculum, and have a bright future. I hope that other companies take their classroom format into other subjects.

American high schools need to take advantage of online classes to remain competitive with education in the world. Once more colleges and universities realize the popularity of online education, they will start designing online classes. The trend will continue to grow, and I hope America managed to stay abreast of the newest developments.

Paul Romer's City Building

2011-06-13T23:10:00.001-04:00

I just finished watching a TED talk by Paul Romer, a senior fellow at Stanford University. He believes that every family in the world should have a choice of where to live, where to find a job, where to build a life. Because of the expanding populations in growing economies such as India, or many countries in South and Latin America, cities are flooded with people, and there is always a limit. His idea is to build "charter cities", which are cities in rapidly expanding areas (Honduras is leading the way) that are built on the land of other countries.
In Honduras, the government has donated land to the United States, and are now going about building a city on the land. This is all to help the 1 million people who leave Latin America for the U.S. each year. By finding a job in this new city, they enter the jurisdiction of the United States and gain the potential for a new life. I find his work fascinating, and look forward to seeing what happens in the future for Honduras.

The American Prejudice Against Muslims

2011-06-10T16:15:00.000-04:00

In recent years, more of America has become prejudiced against Islam. From states passing laws that ban parts of the religion to representatives calling on Muslim leaders to assist law enforcement officials in seeking out extremists, we as a country have managed to convince ourselves that Islam requires its followers to commit acts of violence. A 2009 Gallup poll found that Muslims are the most racially diverse religion in the United States, with 28% of them white. They are people we see every day, yet we remain scared that they will commit an act of terror in our own backyard.

After the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995, unfounded hatred was directed at Muslims. For many days, Muslims were abused by members of the general public, although there was no evidence that connected the destruction to their religion. When the perpetrators of the crime were convicted, background checks revealed no ties to Islam.

The 9/11 attacks had the same effect as the Oklahoma City Bombing. Although al-Qaeda is an Islamic group, they are militant extremists. Despite this, hate and prejudice quickly spread against Muslims. From 2000 to 2001, the number of hate crimes committed against Muslims increased by more than 1600 percent, while the number of crimes against whites, blacks and Asians fell drastically. America banded together against a common “enemy”, which was not al-Qaeda, as it should have been, but the Islam religion in general.

Nine years after the 9/11 attacks, the Dove World Outreach Center church in Gainesville, Florida announced plans to burn hundreds of copies of the Qur’an, the Muslim holy book. This drew protests from national and international organizations, including leaders of more than eleven countries. When Pastor Terry Jones declared that he had changed his plan, and would never burn the Qur’an, a sigh of relief could be heard across the world.

The question is, why does the hate of Islam persist? The 9/11 attacks have been the only mass destruction committed by Muslim extremists in America, and we responded appropriately by entering Afghanistan. No more major crimes of mass destruction have been committed, so why does the hate for Muslims in this country persist?

It certainly cannot be that Islam is a religion that opposes Christianity. After all, almost all the moral teachings in the Bible appear somewhere in the Qur’an, including the Ten Commandments. The view of God is almost identical through the two books, including his wishes, Heaven and Hell, and the meaning of life. Extremists interpret the Qur’an differently, claiming it allows them to commit acts of destruction. The same must be said about Christian extremists though, or extremists of any other religion.

I believe that when Americans do not understand a widespread idea or culture, we tend to fear it. After the Oklahoma City bombing and 9/11 we knew little about Islam, and so we tried to villainize it. It stems from xenophobia, the fear of people or cultures from other countries. Islam was just something we didn’t know about until 9/11, when we realized what the extremists were capable of.

America is xenophobic, in my opinion. Two decades ago, Islam wasn't a widespread religion in America. The Oklahoma City Bombing was our first national “impression” of them, or so we thought, thus we took them at what we thought was face value: terrorists and violent extremists.

The prejudice has only grown since then, prompting government officials to create bills against Muslim culture. As a country, we should be ashamed to be so hostile against the culture which 21% of the world practices. After all, 43% of Americans said they felt at least “a little” prejudice against Islam, compared with 18% against Christianity and 15% against Jews.

Recovering from this prejudice will take work. The first step is to treat Muslims like everyone else, and act like following Islam is the same as following Christianity.

Some Muslims may never forgive us, because of the abuse or cruelty they received from other Americans. We can only hope that this prejudice will be forgotten, and that we will welcome the Muslim community back into America.

The Sky is Falling and America Hasn't Noticed

2011-06-08T16:12:00.000-04:00

More than six years after the Kyoto Protocol entered into force, every country with a major land mass has signed it. Except one: the United States of America.

Why, after all these years, are we still so stubborn to sign the treaty? It doesn't ask for much, a decrease in carbon emissions to 5.2% less than what they were in 1990. Sure, it would require work, but at the cost of saving a planet, is it not worth it?

I think that several factors are the primary reasons why America is so reluctant to reduce, or even admit to, climate change.

Denial
Climate change has been the new Rapture, except it doesn't save anyone. In less than a century, we are looking at having major issues with our planet, from increased rates of natural disasters to reduced land mass. The rate of consumption of resources on our planet has quickly grown beyond what Earth can support. The Global Footprint Network now estimates that with our current rates of consumption, we need about 1.5 Earths to live. We only have 1.

When surrounded by all these "doomsday" warnings, rather than admit that they are true and go about fixing them, people tend to deny them. Eventually, the denial will end, but at that point, will it be too late?

The Chamber of Commerce
As author Bill McKibben often states, the United States Chamber of Commerce is a major player in the fight against climate change. Most, if not all, companies that create massive amounts of emissions are members of the Chamber. It puts the most money into lobbying out of any U.S. corporation, and so far, it has been successful. While there is no way to directly track their influence, I believe that they are one of the key resources in stopping any climate change bill in its tracks.

Misinformation
The misnomer "Global Warming" has done a lot of harm to stopping climate change. People misunderstand, and if the average temperatures in their city get no higher, then they scoff and say "What warming?" To fight the problem, people need to understand exactly what is causing the issue, and what the issue is doing to the planet.

Lack of Decisive Evidence
Unfortunately, there is no conclusive evidence that all the recent natural disasters in America are a cause of climate change, but the circumstantial evidence is pretty massive. Tornadoes have been ravaging the country, as far north as Massachusetts, and all the way across the Mid-West. Flooding and severe thunderstorms are everywhere. It seems to point to climate change, but there is no way to directly back it up at the moment. With no concrete examples to point to, people become skeptical.

The United States is far behind in almost every regard possible. A recent Gallup poll showed that only 4% of Americans are unaware of climate change, but 47% attribute it to natural causes. In addition, 54% of Americans believe that we should prioritize economic growth, and only 36% believe that environmental protection is at the top of the list.

Chicago is doing an excellent job as a city to prepare for changing climates, but there is no limit to where it will end. They are basing their renovations off of the expectation that weather will be similar to that of Baton Rouge, LA. While that may be true, there is no guarantee that climate change will stop there.

As individuals, we are limited. As a group, however, much can be accomplished. Let's just hope we decide, as a nation, to take climate change seriously sooner, rather than later.

Khan Academy

2011-06-07T15:53:00.002-04:00

I'm very interested in Khan Academy, and the work of its founder, Salman Khan. He is the founder and "only faculty member" of the Academy, a website filled with videos giving tutorials on mathematics, science, history and economics, among others. The videos range from five to twenty minutes, and are completely free of charge. In addition, he has created thousands of practice problems and quizzes for every topic he creates a movie on.

He believes that the teacher spends too much time lecturing, and not enough time working 1 on 1 with students. His goal (which has already gone underway at some schools) is to use the videos as a form of "homework", where the students return home and watch the assigned lectures at their own convenience. This allows teachers time to help students with individual problems.

In addition to hosting more than 2,300 videos, the website contains many other resources. These include a progress manager, so that teachers can check on students as they attempt quizzes, and help them in class the next day, suggested videos for students, "badges" of various sorts, to promote the fun of watching the lectures.

I find this field of education fascinating, because of the far reaching implications. With this, parents could have a greater involvement in their child's education by checking progress reports, and helping them with simple topics at home. Taking stress off of teachers is very beneficial also, as it gives them more time to prepare students for standardized testing, and to ensure they have a deep understanding of the topic.

ARML

2011-06-06T10:33:00.000-04:00

I recently returned from the American Regions Math League (ARML) at Penn. State after my second year of competing on the Maine teams. For the third year in a row, the top team from Lehigh Valley, a region on the eastern border of Pennsylvania, won the national competition. They were competing against hundreds of teams from across the U.S., who competed at venues such as the University of Georgia, or U.N.L.V.

Their team left with many awards, and even more high scorers. This begs the question, why? There are plenty of teams that can compete with them, such as the team from Phillips Exeter, Nassau County, or NYC, but what about the lesser known teams, such as the Maine team?

After a bit of research, I discovered some interesting things about the Lehigh Valley ARML team. They are associated with Lehigh University: They hold practices on campus, have many professors as coaches to the team, and most of their team members take classes through the university. In addition, their team is invitational, they have the final say as to who they take to ARML.

These are the most obvious differences between the competition levels of teams such as Lehigh Valley, and teams such as Maine. They practice near year round on problems of the same difficulty as ARML, giving them an edge over teams that practice with easier problems, or less complex ones. After attending for two years, I can say with certainty that this applies to the Maine Association of Math Leagues (MAML). The practice required for the state competitions is obviously necessary, but is nowhere near the amount of preparation needed for ARML and the like.

For teams or individuals that practice on ARML, AIME, USAMO and NEML problems year round, finishing as a top team at ARML comes much easier then those that don't. Many past problems from these competitions are available through sites such as the Art of Problem Solving.

Next year, when MAML starts in September, I think that practicing with problems from the aforementioned contests will help me to become one of the top competitors in the state, and hopefully place well nationally. After all, if Lehigh Valley students can do it, why not students from Maine?