Lesson 7 Space and Technology
Bringing Space Technology to Earth
What do you feel when you see a smoke detector? Do you ever
feel like an astronaut? No? Well, the next time you see one, try imagining that
It’s part
of your spacecraft’s caution and warning system. It
might sound surprising, but smoke detectors were originally found on spacecraft
before they were used to save lives on earth.
In fact, much of the technology developed by NASA and other
space agencies has eventually been adapted for use in our everyday lives. These
adapted space technologies are known as “space spin-offs,”
and they have been enhancing our lives on earth since the beginning of space
exploration.
Currently, there are more than 30,000
space spin-offs that can be found in hospitals, stores, offices, and homes. In
the early years of space travel, these spin-offs generally occurred by chance,
when a practical use of a new technology was accidentally discovered. These
days, however, space researchers work together with industrial scientists to
find ways to make space spin-offs useful here on earth.
PAST SPACE SPIN-OFFS
Fabrics
Fabrics designed for space travel have
proven to have many practical uses. In space, aluminized fabric is used to
protect spacecraft from extreme temperatures. On earth, it has been used in a
number of products, including survival blankets. Fireproof material used to
make spacesuits has been adapted to make fireproof clothes for children and
special suits for firefighters. Also, the “cool suits” worn by
the astronauts -- made of a net-like fabric with water-filled tubes -- are now
used by professional race car drivers and others who work in extremely hot
places.
Materials
The designers of early spacecraft found it necessary to
develop special material that was lightweight but also extremely strong. Since
that time, this material has been used in products such as sports helmets and
tennis rackets. Another important material developed for use in space is memory
metal, which “remembers” its original shape after it is
bent. This material can now be found in simple eyeglass frames. Also, the shock
absorbing material used in the boots worn by astronauts is now found in a
variety of sports shoes.
Electronics
Along with smoke detectors, quartz timing crystals were
originally developed for use in early spacecraft. These crystals, which are
highly stable during temperature changes, now make sure that our watches and
clocks keep time accurately under any circumstances. Also, in order to list its
millions of spacecraft parts, NASA developed the technology which eventually
evolved into the barcode. Barcodes can now be found on goods in supermarkets
and convenience stores all around the world.
CURRENT TECHNOLOGY
Cleaner Cars
Space flight researchers are constantly studying how
different materials burn, and this kind of research may have a big impact on
the future of earth. NASA currently uses liquid hydrogen as a fuel when
launching space shuttles. Hydrogen burns more cleanly than fossil fuels,
creating fewer harmful emissions. The eventual development of a
hydrogen-burning engine for use in cars and other vehicles could make it
possible to dramatically reduce the rate of global warming.
Synthetic Soil
In the interest of possible future moon colonies, space
agencies have searched for new ways to grow plants in places they normally
would not grow. This has led to the creation of a kind of synthetic soil. It is
made with a common mineral called *zeolite, which can store nutrients and
release them over time. This artificial soil is already being used by some
farmers and may be developed as a new kind of fertilizer. Because of its
ability to release nutrients gradually, such a fertilizer would cause less
pollution when washed away into surrounding streams and rivers.
Medical Technology
Medical technology has also benefited from spin-offs of space
research. Some of the systems that were used to track the life signs of
astronauts in space have evolved into the high-tech devices used to monitor
intensive care patients in hospitals. And much of the equipment designed to be
used aboard spacecraft has been adapted for use aboard ambulances. But perhaps
most important are the tiny but highly effective pumps that were developed for
spacecraft engines. These may eventually be adapted to provide smaller
alternatives to the heart pumps currently used by heart patients.
So, the next time you want to feel like an astronaut, just
take a look around you. Put on your eyeglasses, set your watch, and then take a
walk in your sports shoes to the convenience store. All of these simple acts
have been affected by spin-offs of the same space technology that has sent
astronauts to the moon and beyond.
Lesson 9 The Beauty of Art
The Secret of the Golden Ratio
What is beauty? What allows us to say that a sculpture, a
picture, or an impressive architectural work is “beautiful”? Is it
possible to compare the beauty of a portrait to the beauty of a temple? If so,
what sort of elements do they share that make them both so visually pleasing?
Surprisingly, the answer can be found in the field of mathematics. It seems
that a universal characteristic of beauty does exist, in the form of a
proportion called the “golden ratio.”
What is the Golden Ratio?
The golden ratio — a precise way of dividing a line or a
shape — appeared early in mathematics. It goes back at least as far as 300
B.C., when Euclid described it in his major work, Elements. The golden ratio is
a proportion in which a straight line is divided into two unequal parts in such
a way that the ratio of the smaller to the greater part is about 1:1.618.
It can also be applied to a rectangle, which is the most
common shape for a canvas. As you can see in the example, the ratio of its
width to its length equals the golden ratio, 1:1.618. This kind of rectangle is
called a “golden
rectangle.”
The golden rectangle is a very important shape in
mathematics, and it appears in nature as well. By continually dividing one
golden rectangle into smaller golden rectangles, you can create the pattern of
a golden spiral, such as the one found in a *nautilus shell or even in a
galaxy. It is also often used in art and architecture. The golden rectangle is
considered to be one of the most pleasing and beautiful shapes to look at. That
is why many artists have used it in their work. Leonardo da Vinci and Piet
Mondrian are perhaps the most famous artists known to have used golden
rectangles, following an artistic tradition that began much earlier in the age
of Classical Greece.
The Parthenon in Greece
The Parthenon, located in Athens, Greece, is perhaps the best
example of a mathematical approach to art. This temple, built for the Greek
goddess Athena in the 5th century B.C., was designed by Ictinus and
Callicrates, using the golden ratio.
For example, the front of the Parthenon
was constructed using several golden rectangles. The ratio of the width of the
building to the height of the face is the golden ratio, too. The Parthenon, for
these reasons, has come to be known as the "perfect building."
Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa
Leonardo da Vinci was a great Italian
Renaissance painter. He was also a scientist and inventor. In his art, da Vinci
carefully examined the proportions of the human body. He found many occurrences
of the golden ratio and golden rectangles.
You have probably heard of the Mona
Lisa, which is housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris. The Mona Lisa is
one of the most famous paintings in the world. It's a classic example of both
the power of the golden ratio and its role in creating beauty.
For instance, if you draw a rectangle around the Mona Lisa’s face, that rectangle
will automatically turn out to be “golden.” That is, it’ll form a rectangle whose
proportions match the golden ratio. Moreover, the dimensions of the painting
itself also form a golden rectangle. There are, in addition, other examples of
the golden ratio to be found in this famous painting. One of these, amazingly,
is that a golden rectangle can be drawn from her neck to just above her hands.
Piet Mondrian’s Abstract Style
Piet Mondrian was a modern Dutch artist who lived from 1872
to 1944. Although he painted many realistic landscapes at the beginning of his
career, over time Mondrian came to favor an abstract style in his work.
Mondrian became famous for using horizontal and vertical
black lines as the basis for many of his paintings. He shared da Vinci’s belief that
mathematics and art were closely connected and used the simplest geometric
shapes and primary colors — red, yellow, and blue — to express reality, nature,
and logic from a different point of view.
Mondrian’s point of view was that any shape can be created with basic
geometric shapes and that any color can be created with different combinations
of red, blue, and yellow. The golden rectangle is one of the basic shapes that
continually appear in Mondrian’s art. For example, if
you look at Composition with Red, Yellow, and Blue, which he painted in 1942,
you can see many golden rectangles.
It may be difficult to believe that there is a secret” to being beautiful,
especially one as cold and simple as a mathematical ratio. If one examines the
history of art, however, it certainly seems that there is something special
about the golden ratio. Though derived from a mathematical ratio, it plays an
important role in creating objects of great beauty that can be appreciated by
people from many different cultures around the world.
Lesson 10 Saving the Planet
Saving the Planet: How You Can Help
Global warming is one of the most serious challenges facing
us today. The glaciers are melting faster, our sea levels are rising, and
weather patterns are unexpectedly changing. However, the good news is that each
of us can take action to solve this crisis. All of us have a role to play, and
none of us bear the burden alone. The positive effects of small actions,
multiplied by millions of people, can lead to dramatic effects. You’re part of this
movement, and by making simple changes in your everyday life, you can make a
significant difference.
Reuse Newspapers
If we reused one million more pounds of newspaper, the trees
we would save could absorb 125,000 pounds of CO2 per year.
The first step in helping the
environment is reusing newspaper, which is the number one thing we throw away.
You may ask, “Why reuse instead of recycle?” Paper can be
recycled only three or five times because its fibers gradually break down in
the process of re-pulping. So, before you head to a recycling bin with a big
pile of newspapers, think about how to get more uses out of them to increase
the life span of paper and save trees.
• Protect fragile packages: Instead of
protecting your shipment of glasses in bubble wrap, use balls of newspaper.
• Stuff it in your shoes: It’s good for keeping the
shape of shoes, removing moisture and killing bad smells as well.
• Clean your windows: Crumpled newspaper
makes mirrors and glass shine. You don’t even need glass cleaner.
Recycle Your Computer
If one million people reused or just upgraded their
computers, we would save 265,000 tons of fossil fuels.
Do you want to buy a new computer because yours is four or
five years old? Think about it first. Making microchips uses a lot of energy.
Usually, five times more fossil fuels are used for manufacturing a computer
than a car or a refrigerator. Chemicals in discarded computers can also pollute
landfills, and this creates serious environmental problems. So, what are some
other things you can do with your old computer?
• Upgrade: If all you need is a bit more memory and a faster
processor, upgrading is the best choice.
• Reuse: Give your computer to a local charity or school.
Donating your working computer can make a big difference in someone’s life.
• Recycle: If you have recently purchased a new computer, you
may be able to send the old one back to the manufacturer. You can also take it
to a nearby recycling center.
Read the Labels
If one million people used appliances
with Energy Saving Labels, we would eliminate about 5.6 million tons of CO2 per
year.
If you want to be a responsible “green” consumer, you have to know what you’re
buying. That means reading labels. Eco-labels indicate that a product or
process causes minimal damage to the environment. Eco-labeling programs are
being carried out by a number of governments and NGOs(Non-Government
Organizations) in countries around the world. Most eco-labeling programs for
appliances and equipment include energy efficiency as one major component of
the label rating scheme.
• Korea Eco-Label: This has been run by
the Ministry of Environment since 1992. It certifies products as
environmentally friendly during the entire production process.
• Energy Star Label: This label is given
to products that have satisfied international energy saving standards.
• Fair Trade Label: This label means
that food producers are guaranteed fair wages and that premiums can go to
encourage eco-friendly farming methods.
Go Green in Your Fashion
If one million people washed their
clothes in cold water, we would eliminate 250,000 tons of CO2 per year.
Many of the clothes we wear today are
made from synthetic materials, such as nylon and polyester. They are made from
petrochemicals, which don’t break down easily and pollute the environment. So, how can you “go green” in your fashion?
• Wear Natural Fabrics: Cotton, wool,
and linen are examples of natural fabrics. They’re environmentally friendly and “skin friendly” as well.
• Buy Used clothes: What is one person’s trash is another’s treasure. You can give old clothes a second life while saving
resources.
• Wash Well: Washing clothes requires
lots of water and energy, so only do it when you absolutely need to and use
cold water.
Even though these are seemingly small
steps, their effect on the earth can be enormous. Remember that if you use the
list below to CHILL our earth, you can do your part to keep our planet healthy
and stop global warming!
Commit the proceeding tips to memory.
Hunt down your excessive CO2 habits, one
by one.
Inspire others to do the same.
Love our earth and take care of it.
Laugh a little; saving the planet can be
a pleasant journey!
댓글 없음:
댓글 쓰기