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Posts Tagged ‘science’

Directing Some Lights Towards The Solar Panel Technology Choice

August 29th, 2010

Without a doubt, solar technology is the wave of the forthcoming future. Solar Energy development can be an extremely simple method to fully understand. The solar, or photo voltaic or pv, cell collects power right from the suns rays. A photo voltaic cell is a semiconductor unit which is created utilizing photo voltaic materials. It contains absolutely no liquids or chemical substances, with no moving pieces. Pv cells change sun energy straight into source of electricity.

A solar panel typically is made up of a series of single cells, which are maintained by a system that allows the actual cells to operate in unison. The power which is captured with the solar panel is usually held in a battery pack. Solar power systems create direct current (DC) energy. Quite a few solar panel technology systems have inverters within them which in turn allows for direct current (DC) electrical energy to be converted to alternating electric current (AC). Most consumer items such as kitchen appliances as well as electronic devices are powered by AC.

Unless you have a huge field of acreage to be able to accommodate a large selection of solar panels, it's improbable that you'll be in a position to power your entire house using solar panel technology. However, you can actually power one particular room within your house by using a modest selection of panels mounted to the roof top of your own home. Multiply the actual wattage of every particular electronic gadget by the amount of hours you imagine to make use of them on a daily basis. That combined range shall be your benchmark, or maybe the smallest amount your system must be able to generate.

There are a variety of possibilities to individuals who are looking at changing over to solar panel technology. A common set up that can be used to power your personal computer and a few various other smaller things are offered for about $1000.00. Needless to say, the cost increases depending on the actual generating capability of your structure. In many regions, the price of a set up structure costs somewhere within the area of $10.00-$12.00 per watt.

Solar Energy is one of a few genuinely environmentally friendly solutions which can be employed when it comes to electric as well as power generating. Every hour of each and every day, sunlight blankets our world with more than enough strength to support our global electricity requirements for a calendar year. When the technology driving solar power increases, individuals are going to be unable to refrain from the urge to transfer.

Plenty of means are being given to the particular growth and development of solar energy technological innovation. Almost all of the main oil and also electricity organizations have got whole sections focused on solar energy. Analysts and technicians are spending a lot of time attempting to grow the actual technological innovation today that may significantly improve conditions in the world down the road. It is no hidden secret that individuals can not continue on down the trail we are on. Fossil fuels really are not a viable option with regard to energy source manufacturing.

If you have been thinking about switching to solar power, you can compare energy prices at our website which you can find at: Buy Solar Panel.

How Hybrid Electric Vehicles Work

July 26th, 2010

Have you ever wondered about hybrid cars? They certainly look stylish and modern, but what is it about them that makes them so different and so special? After all, most cars look the same these days, do they not? They are all designed by computer to be aerodynamic and aerodynamic is aerodynamic, so they all end up looking indistinguishable to anyone who is not an aficionado.

Well, the fact is that the distinction between a hybrid car and a normal car lies under the bonnet. There are various types of hybrid vehicles as well, but the most common kind has a hybrid electric engine. Therefore, you could say that what makes hybrid cars special from most other, ordinary cars is their engine.

Or engines really, because hybrid electric cars essentially have two engines. One, the internal combustion engine, runs on petrol, LPG or diesel and the other, the electric motor, runs off electricity stored in an array of heavy-duty batteries. On the other hand, ordinary cars only have an internal combustion engine. It is a good idea to examine these two types of engine separately.

First of all the electric motor. Electrical energy is generated by several components on the car and stored in a large bank or array of powerful batteries. The electricity is created by the turning of the internal combustion engine, just as with a standard car, when it is in use, but also by the wheels or / and the car's braking system. Different models have different methods of generating this electricity, but they are all very hi-tech and very efficient.

When the car's internal computers determine that the car no longer needs the strength of the internal combustion engine, it will turn it off and switch to the electric motor instead. The circumstances where this might happen are, for instance, when you are driving slowly in inner-city traffic, when you are cruising at moderate speed on a flat road or when you are going down hill. This saves a considerable amount of fuel, which is obviously a great saving to you.

However, there are occasions when you have to have more power than the batteries can supply you, for example, when accelerating hard, when overtaking or when climbing a hill. At times such as these, the electric motor will shut down and the combustion engine will take over and start supplying power to the accelerator and electricity to the batteries. When the requirement for extra power has ceased, the batteries will take over again.

These choices are all taken by the hybrid electric vehicle's (HEV's) on board computer system and you will not notice much other that a rush of power or a quietening of the propulsion system. This works very well in most scenarios, but some drivers of HEV's would like to have a manual override for abnormal circumstances, such as an undulating terrain.

All in all, cars with hybrid electric engines work very well at reducing fuel bills but they are still too dear to be much more than a gimmicky toy and a salve to the conscience for the well-to-do.

Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with hybrid electric engines. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at New Hybrid Vehicles.

Calendars - Why They Can Be A Bit Out

July 13th, 2010

Thousands of years ago, ancient Greek astronomers calculated that the track of the Earth's axis is constantly, even if in a very slow way, shifting in a uniform pattern. The change is very similar to the manner a spinning top slowly leans one way and then another as it slows down. It is a wobble that occurs as its axis changes direction.

This peculiar movement of the planet is due to a couple of factors, the most important of which is something called 'precession'. Precession stems from the fact that the Earth is not a perfect sphere. It is in fact about twenty-seven miles longer around the Equator that it is about the Poles. The Earth then is oblate, or fat around the middle like middle-aged spread, but it is due to the spinning not to its age.

If you imagine the Earth with its Poles off centre. Then rotate that image and you will find that any point, except the exact centre of the axis, will travel in a circle. But very, very gradually. So slowly that it takes 26,000 years to travel full circle and get back to where it started from.

This point then, any point you choose, is very gradually shifting its location in relation to the stars because the axis is gyrating too. The result of this is that, what we call the North Star (formally known as Polaris, which is in fact one degree off true North) will not be over our North Pole one day. In fact, by about 15,000 AD, Vega will be almost above the North Pole, although it will be about four degrees off true North. But even this will not endure, and by 28,000 AD, Polaris will be back above where it is nowadays.

One of the effects of the precession is that seasons vary. They modify the dates that they take place, so that Summer could come earlier or later. The amazing thing about our calendar is that it is corrected for that (with the leap year). If it were not, the vernal or Spring equinox would shift over 13,000 years from March 21st to September 21st., which is the date of the autumnal equinox, precisely half a year later.

It is for this reason that the precession of the Earth is generally referred to as the "Precession of the Equinoxes". Although the precession of the equinoxes is very gradual, it can be easily seen. The correct year of 325.25 days is the length of time from one vernal equinox to the next vernal equinox, however, it takes 20 minutes and 24 seconds longer for the Sun to appear in exactly the same position in relation to the stars behind it over the same period. It is for this reason that accurate star maps have to be stamped with the exact time and date to which they relate.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with researching Franklin planner pages. If you have an interest in calendars, organizers or promotional calendars, please go over to our website now at Promotional Desk Calendars

Calendars And How To Appreciate Them

July 10th, 2010

The calendar is such a routine, everyday thing, but how much do you actually know about the operation of it. Why is it like that?

A DAY: The Earth turns at a reasonably steady speed about the imaginary line running between the North and South Poles named the Earth's Axis. The time it takes to spin once is called a 'rotation' and this takes just under twenty-four hours. Nevertheless, because the Earth is constantly travelling around the Sun, the precise time from noon one day to noon the next is 3 minutes 56 seconds longer and this makes a day almost precisely twenty-four hours in length.

The actual time from noon to noon varies depending where the Earth is on its celestial course around the Sun, but if you average the days in a year out, it comes to exactly twenty-four hours.

A YEAR: All nine planets in our solar system travel around the Sun in almost perfectly circular paths called orbits. Each trip around the Sun is called a revolution and all the planets revolve around the Sun in the same direction. The direction the Earth takes can be verified by noting its location against the background stars.

In view of the fact that you cannot see the Sun and the stars at the same time, it is obligatory to note the location of the Sun in the morning and the see which stars come out there in the night. You will see that the Sun appears to pass through the twelve constellations of the zodiac during a year.

Earth's journey around the Sun, which seems like the Sun travelling through the zodiac takes about 365.25 days. This is different from year to year, so astronomers add or delete a second in some years to keep their time accurate with the Earth's motion.

THE SEASONS: The seasons mark the change in the pattern of daylight over the span of a year. Because the Earth is tilted off centre, different parts of it receive different amounts of sunlight on different stages of its path around the Sun, a path that we call a year. So, between approximately the 21st September and late March, the Earth's Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun, which produces Autumn and Winter, giving less than twelve hours of daylight per day.

From April to the 20th September, the Northern Hemisphere enjoys more than twelve hours of daylight a day, producing Spring and Summer. The exact opposite occurs in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Equinoxes occur at the points in the year when there is exactly twelve hours of sunlight and darkness in the day. So, the vernal or Spring equinox is on or around the 21st March and the autumnal equinox is on or around the 21st September. Summer officially begins on the day with the greatest amount of daylight, the 21st June or summer solstice.

The winter solstice occurs on the shortest day, the 21st December. 'Solstice' is a combination of two words meaning 'sun standing still' and the days are so called because they are the days when the ostensible movement of the Sun reaches its limits and reverses course again.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with researching Franklin planner pages. If you have an interest in calendars, organizers or promotional calendars, please go over to our website now at Promotional Desk Calendars

Home Schooling And The Family

May 29th, 2010

If a survey by the National Center For Education Statistics is to be believed, almost 1.1 million children took home schooling in 2005 alone. That's a great deal of children. Not so long ago, homeschooling used to be a radical statement - something like a declaration of independence.

It was the conservative Christians who advocated homeschooling in the '80s and legalized it in every State. But the typical homeschooler of today is not religiously motivated.

More recent surveys indicate that parents are quite fed up with the public school system where much of the learning is superficial and compulsory. They are also concerned about the negative environment in school, ranging from drugs and abuse to negative peer pressure.

As a result, we have a surprising mixture of people who make up the homeschooling world of today. They cut across all religious creeds and all regional borders. Their main aim is providing meaningful and productive education through a method that strengthens the bond between the various members of the family.

All these families have one main thing in common - a long enduring commitment to the sanctity of childhood. The children in these families are accorded a primary position. Many believe, and, I think, rightly so, that home schooling allows parents to bring up their children in a more natural and nurturing environment.

Public schools can make a child nervous, diffident and downright mean. Children who get their education at home are protected from these damaging, negative influences until they reach an age where they can deal with them.

Home-schooling draws the whole family into the almost religious task of teaching. Everyone is put to work. Both the parents together form a bond with the children. Any experience can be turned into an learning experience. Both the parents are aware of exactly what is going into their child's education.

Parents also have a greater say over the type of religious and moral values that the child is taught. Even watching a film together can become an educational experience. Visits to the libraries, zoos, museums and other places become educational experiences as well as recreational ones.

A home-schooling family is usually dependent on the income of one earning member. That means that often outgoings have to be curtailed and proper planning of expenditure is necessary. This helps to bring the family members together and everybody becomes involved in the task of not spending money.

Just having a parent at home to supervise, to nurture and to care for the children brings with it a lot of love and caring. Even the husband chips in and there just is no room for boredom.

All right, problems do crop up, and there will be a lot of misgivings in your mind, but when you know that your kids can always count on you, and your kids know it too, then homeschooling becomes a richly rewarding experience.

If you are practicing Home Schooling then please visit our website at Home Schooling Information

Laser Teeth Whitening

May 24th, 2010

Nowadays, there are many treatments that are made more effective with the use of lasers. Teeth whitening is no different and laser teeth whitening is now one of the options that people have if they desire whiter teeth.

Laser teeth whitening is best for people who want to have it done effortlessly and quickly. Unlike other methods of teeth whitening, you do not need to wait days or weeks to enjoy the results of the treatment. You will notice that once the laser treatment is finished your teeth are whiter than they used to be. Many people are choosing this option because of the fast results that it brings. If you need to be at a do where you want everyone to notice how beautiful your smile is, this is the best method you can achieve it.

How does laser teeth whitening work?

1. Teeth Cleaning: The dental expert will start the process of whitening by cleaning your teeth. This is very important because the plaque and germs that are present on your teeth will have a huge effect on the whitening process. The result of the treatment is greatly affected by the present state of your teeth. That is why they have to be cleansed first of all.

2. Application of Whitening Gel and Laser Treatment: After your teeth have been cleansed, the dentist will spread the whitening gel on your teeth. After the gel has been applied, you will be positioned for the laser treatment. The purpose of the laser is to enhance the whitening process of the gel. Without the laser, it would take several minutes or even hours before the gel can affect your teeth; however, with the laser, the whitening ingredients in the gel are activated immediately so that it produces results in a matter of seconds.

However, for extreme cases of discolouration, one session is probably not enough to get the desired result. Sometimes, the person has to come back again for some more sessions before the change in the teeth colour becomes apparent. But for those who have mild teeth discolouration, one session is usually enough.

Is laser whitening for everyone?

Just as with all professional teeth whitening treatments, you can expect to pay a higher price for laser treatment than for over-the-counter remedies. Laser teeth whitening is more expensive than any other dentist-assisted method and if you are used to OTC teeth whitening products, you will be shocked at the cost of professional laser teeth whitening. However, the cost varies from clinic to clinic, but if you want to get the best value for your money, you should do some extra research to discover which one is offering the best deal.

You will discover many opportunities for laser teeth whitening clinics to choose from on the Internet, but before deciding on one, go over all the adverts so that you will not miss out on any of the other deals there might be out there. If you are determined to have a great Hollywood smile, you could set up a savings account just for the laser teeth whitening treatment. Once you see the results, you will not be sorry and you can be sure that your money was well spent. Just think of it this way: why spend repeatedly on something that will take longer when you can spend once on laser teeth whitening and have an instantaneous and fantastic smile?

If you are thinking about laser teeth whitening or traditional ways of teeth whitening, just go to our website on Teeth Whitening

Will Buying A Hybrid Car Save On Petrol?

May 13th, 2010

As you pull up to the gas station pump and fuel your car up with $10-$70 worth of gas, you may find yourself releasing a huge out sigh. How on Earth did fuel become so expensive? Should you consider one of those new hybrid cars you saw on the television? Everyone's talking about hybrid cars anyway. Hybrid cars and other types of cars may seem to be a good idea, but before you go out and do something you'll regret, perhaps you should ask yourself a few basic questions about how you can begin saving money on petrol.

There are many options out there that include everything from staying home to purchasing a hybrid car, but you have to find out what's right for you. You can only do that by asking yourself the following questions.

Maybe you should drive less mileage?

Of course, you could spend the rest of your life in the house watching films, but how would you get by then? I know what you're thinking! You will walk more and so get more exercise. That could be true, but what will happen when you get bored with walking or riding your bike? How are you going to be able to get to the gym then? And, have you forgotten about work? You know you just love listening to your books on tape while you are sitting in the traffic jams at the end of the workday. Should you drive less? Perhaps not then. But what should you do? Well, have you ever considered purchasing a hybrid car?

Perhaps, I should buy a car that is more economical on gas?

Yes, you could do this, but what about when the vehicle starts to depreciate with age and it becomes less fuel-efficient than you thought it would be? Moreover, subconsciously, because you know you have a car that gets more mileage out of petrol, you are going to start travelling more miles than you traveled before.

How about getting up earlier each morning to look for the cheapest gas prices in the area?

Come on, who has the time to do all that? If you really think about it, you would probably spend your time more profitably finding the right answer to the real question. Do you really want to spend extra time looking for a cheap petrol station? What would your boss think if you arrive late for work and tell him you were trying to save money on petrol? And anyway, how long do you honestly think you'll keep doing that?

Should I find a way to run my car on electric batteries?

Well, you certainly don't want to have to recharge your car every day before you go to work because that might make you late as well. With a hybrid car, you wouldn't have to worry about that. Therefore, the next question should be obvious.

How about buying a hybrid car?

Perhaps you should. It's possible that buying a hybrid car could be a wise way to avoid higher fuel prices. Would your car depreciate as soon as you drive it off the forecourt? A hybrid won't do that so quickly as it brings the buyer in more and more money as they save on petrol. A hybrid car just might be a good choice here. However, it's still a good idea to conduct further research on a hybrid car.

If you are interested in the insides of New Hybrid Vehicles, just visit our website on http://new-hybrid-vehicles.com

Millennium Predictions

May 5th, 2010

A lot of people predicted that the start of the new Millennium, the year 2000 would be the date of the apocalypse. However, fortunately, they were very wide of the mark.

What is it that makes people to try to predict disasters? Is it because they are trying to warn people or because they wish to scare people? Frighten people, I think and thereby gain advantage over the gullible.

These apocalyptic prophesies go back thousands of years and even happen in the Bible. Their only raison d'etre is to frighten people and so gain money, power and influence over them.

Even the millennium bug turned out not to be a problem with computers working perfectly well after midnight in spite of claims by 'computer experts' that there would be a worldwide crash of astounding importance. The computer industry made a fortune out of frightening businesses and individuals with their deceit. That was the swindle of the Nineties to end all swindles!

So why all the hype? Was it just the arrival of a new millennium, which gave rise to so many to make predictions on this date rather than stick to their usual common sense? Yes, I think. People saw the chance of a lifetime to rip others off and they jumped at it.

Needless to say there were hundreds of prophesies made ranging from the arrival of aliens and the Second Coming of Christ to airplane crashes. None of which came true. Here are a few of those less than accurate predictions:

May 5th was the date upon which all the planets lined up. The prediction was that the gravitational force of all these heavenly bodies in alignment would bring about massive earthquakes, huge tides and volcanic eruptions.

A lot of people also prophesied that the shifting of the poles would occur during 2000 and that this would cause disastrous events such as high tides, widespread electrical failure and computer failures, which would mean economic disaster for the larger countries and insurance firms.

I do not know what you think, but perhaps instead of worrying about the demise of the world (most doom-mongers have decided on the year 2012 for the destruction of the world) we should work together to make the best of the time we have left on this planet, as well as ensuring that we pass the planet on to the next generation in the same condition as we received it.

If we behave in this way, we may hold off the apocalypse for a long while yet. We are far more likely to undergo apocalypse through nuclear war, global warming and events which are avoidable and within our control, than cosmic events which we have little control over such as asteroids or the Sun's turning into a red dwarf and ultimately exploding.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with custom wall calendars If you have an interest in calendars, organizers or promotional calendars, please go over to our website now at Promotional Desk Calendars

Holy Days In Christianity

April 23rd, 2010

Christmas - is the celebration of Jesus' birthday. Although the precise date of his birth is unknown, December 25th was most likely selected because it coincided with a pagan mid-winter festival. The 'Twelve Days Of Christmas'' mark the days between Christmas and Epiphany (January 6th), which was the day of the wise men's visit.

Easter - is the most significant day in the Christian calendar, because it celebrates Christ's Resurrection, which gave / gives Christians the hope of salvation and eternal life. Easter always occurs on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal (Spring) equinox, which is on 21st March.

Shrove Tuesday - (Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday) was originally a day of penance, but is now marked by merrymaking. It is the day before the beginning of Lent.

Ash Wednesday - is derived from the marking of a cross on the forehead of believers with the ashes from the burnt palms used on Palm Sunday.

Lent - 40 days of atonement and fasting

Palm Sunday - the Sunday before Easter, celebrates the arrival of Jesus at Jerusalem, where palms were laid on the road before him.

Maundy (Holy) Thursday - the day of the Last supper.

Good Friday - is the day of Christ's crucifixion.

Holy Saturday - is the day before the Resurrection.

The Annunciation - March 25th is celebrated by Catholics as the day that Archangel Gabriel told Mary about her impending pregnancy.

Trinity Sunday - is celebrated by some denominations in honour of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. It was confirmed part of the holy calendar in 1334 by Pope John XII.

Corpus Christi - Catholics remembers the presence of the body of Christ on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday.

All Saints Day - this mainly Catholic remembrance is on November 1 and honours all Christian saints.

Advent - a religious season that starts on the Sunday nearest to November 30 and lasts until Christmas Day. It celebrates the birth of Jesus and anticipates his Second Coming. It was once a period of fasting, but now no longer.

Holy Days Of Obligation - are feast days in the Catholic calendar marked by attendance at mass and the avoidance of unnecessary work. There are six in the USA: Solemnity of Mary - January 1: Christ's circumcision, ie his first shedding of blood Ascension - 40 days after Easter Assumption - August 15: Mary is accepted into Heaven All Saints' Day - November 1 Mary's Immaculate Conception - December 8 Christmas Day - December 25.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with Franklin Covey planner refillss If you have an interest in calendars, organizers or promotional calendars, please go over to our website now at Promotional Desk Calendars

Astronomy - Important Pre-Christian Dates

April 22nd, 2010

There is no uncertainty that astronomy is the oldest science and there is also no hesitation that astronomy was being studied by everyone, not only the wise men, thousands and thousands of years ago.

We do not know precisely why they did it, but we can surmise that early man noticed a correlation between the weather and the stars, which were themselves not fully understood, of course.

Early man, probably even as far back as Neanderthal man, noticed the relationship between the weather and herd movements and crop growth, or at least fruit and nuts on local trees, if they did not have planted crops.

This means that people could see a connection between the stars and food availability. This relationship was probably ritualized into some sort of religion like early Wicca. Therefore, the stars became a very important part of the lives of every single person and it is likely that astrology and astronomy were widely intermixed by the average person.

However, there were also people who did not only use the stars as some vast celestial clock and who tried to make sense of the whole shebang. I am going to narrate below, eight of the most important dates or years in the history of astronomy before Christ walked on the Earth. In no way forget that they had nothing but an abacus to do there calculations and no telescopes, which came about two thousand years later.

585 BC: Thales of Miletus (c. 625- c. 547), a Greek, predicted a solar eclipse in Asia Minor purely on the basis of his observations and calculations. It was not a lucky guess!

c. 400 BC: the astronomer Oenopedes (5th. century). also a Greek, announces that the Earth is tilted on its axis with respect to the Sun.

352 BC: the Chinese report what they called a 'guest star', a supernova, which was the earliest reported sighting.

340 BC: The astronomer, Kidinnu (b. Babylon c. 379 BC) discovers the precession of the Equinoxes, ie the apparent change in the position of the stars caused by the Earth's wobbling on its axis.

c. 300 BC: a 'committee' of Chinese astronomers compile star maps of the visible universe.

c. 240 BC: Chinese astronomers observe and make notes about Halley's Comet. Also Eratosthenes of Cyrene (c. 276 - c.194 BC), a Greek, correctly calculate the Earth's dimensions.

165 BC: Chinese astronomers notice sunspots for the first time.

c. 130 BC: the astronomer Hipparchus of Nicea (b. 147 BC), a Greek, correctly calculates the distance to the Earth's Moon and also rediscovers the precession of the Equinoxes.

You will see from the dates above that clearly not everyone let nature and the stars govern their lives, as the common farmer or hunter did. Some men actually put pen to paper, but before pen and paper even existed, and tried to work out 'why these manifestations took place?'.

These people must have been remarkable men to have worked these measurements out by calculation, observation by the naked eye and rationalization alone.

If you are fascinated by astronomy, then please visit our website at: http://astronomy.the-real-way.com