Oceanography

Oceanographers are scientists who study the sea. Oceanography incorporates features of many sciences, including biology, chemistry, geology, and meteorology. For this reason, oceanographers have varied backgrounds and do many kinds of work. Oceanographers may work on ships or in laboratories on land. Some work for private companies. Most work for research institutes or government agencies, or hold teaching and research jobs in colleges and universities.

Oceanographers who conduct research study many aspects of the sea. Their findings provide valuable information for industry and government. The fishing industry, for example, is interested in the life cycles and food chain of marine life. The federal government and the shipbuilding industry use information about the sea to design new ships. Oil and mining companies are looking to the sea for new sources of fuel and minerals. Plants and animals found in the ocean are used for medical research. Researchers are also trying to find new sources of food made from marine animals and plants.

Chemical oceanographers and marine geochemists investigate the chemical composition of seawater and its interaction with the atmosphere and the sea floor. Their work may include analysis of seawater components, desalination of seawater, and studying the effects of pollutants. They also examine chemical processes operating within the marine environment and work with biological oceanographers on studies of living systems. Their study of trace chemicals in seawater helps us understand how ocean currents move seawater around the globe, and how the ocean affects climate.

Geological oceanographers and geophysicists explore the ocean floor and map submarine geologic structures. Studies of the physical and chemical properties of rocks and sediments give us valuable information about Earth’s history. The results of their work help us understand the processes that created the ocean basins and the interactions between the ocean and the sea floor.

There are plenty of job opportunities in the study of oceanography. They typically make about 32,000 to 40,000 a year. They help the world in so many different ways that probably effect all of us and we sadly don't even know it. Overall if the ocean and its creatures interest you, you should make your passion your career :)

The Big Bang Theory

About 15 billion years ago a tremendous explosion started the expansion of the universe. This explosion is known as the Big Bang. At the point of this event all of the matter and energy of space was contained at one point. What exisisted prior to this event is completely unknown and is a matter of pure speculation. This occurance was not a conventional explosion but rather an event filling all of space with all of the particles.

The origin of the Big Bang theory can be credited to Edwin Hubble. Hubble made the observation that the universe is continuously expanding. He discovered that a galaxys velocity is proportional to its distance. Galaxies that are twice as far from us move twice as fast. Another consequence is that the universe is expanding in every direction. This observation means that it has taken every galaxy the same amount of time to move from a common starting position to its current position. Just as the Big Bang provided for the foundation of the universe, Hubbles observations provided for the foundation of the Big Bang theory. (ironic)

There are many different theories of how the universe began. They are same in some aspects and completely different in other areas. Some believe it was caused by something other than itself and others believe the exact opposite. Many people believe that the big bang is an example that there is a god and that he created all. Others believe that it is all cosmological and that is has nothing to do with god. Science and religion come together at points but believe different things especially about the beginning of time and how they occured.

I honestly am not to sure what to believe. I believe in god and believe that he created all but I also believe scientists when they talk about the big bang theory. I am at a coin toss so to speak on what is really the truth. I guess no one will really and truly ever know.....except god himself. :)

Solar Systems and Galaxies

Our solar neighborhood is an exciting place. The Solar System is full of planets, moons, asteroids, comets, minor planets, and many other exciting objects. Scientists believe that the Solar System evolved from a giant cloud of dust and gas. They believe that this dust and gas began to collapse under the weight of its own gravity. At the center of this spinning cloud, a small star begin to form. This star grew larger and larger, as it collected more of the dust and gas that were collapsing into it. Further away from the star that was forming in the center were smaller clumps of dust and gas that were also collapsing. The star in the center eventually ignited forming our Sun, while the smaller clumps became the planets, minor planets, moons, comets, and asteroids.
Galaxies on the other hand are large systems of stars and interstellar matter. There are many different types of galaxies such as the spiral, lenticular, elliptical, and irregular. We live in a spiral galaxy known as the Milky Way. (well at least you should know that) Galaxies emit light of every wavelength and were known as the Island Universes. Our own galaxy has over 200 billion stars and also has a disk in it, which holds our solar system. Galaxies are much bigger than solar systems and contain billions of extra stuff.
I think space is a very fascinating thing. I love stars and I am actually a proud owner of a star that is on ursa minor. I received it as a gift which I thought was pretty cool. Although I will never get to see an entire galaxy in real life, it would be really cool to see another planet in our Solar System like Jupiter perhaps;)
"For I dipped into the Future, far as human eye could see; saw the vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be." -Alfred Lord Tennyson, 1842 I thought this quote was kind of cute:)

Compare and Contrast Red Giant, White Dwarf, our Sun, and Black Holes

The Red Giants are evolved from main sequence stars. They are huge in size generally 4 to 6 solar masses. A red giant is a luminous giant star of low or intermediate mass that is in a late phase of its evolution, with nuclear fusion going on in a shell outside the core but not in the core itself. Red Giants are typically colored yellow to orange and to sometimes red. Red Giants are stars that contain way larger radii than the sun does. Thats Huge!!
A White Dwarf is a star that is exhausted of its nuclear fuel. A typical white dwarf is half as massive as the sun. Although it is only a little bigger than the Earth. White Dwarfs are one of the densest forms of matter. Some white dwarfs have almost all helium and hydrogen atmospheres. White dwarfs are said to have very strong atmospheres' as well. They are also known as the degenerate dwarf.
Our Sun is the most prominent feature in our solar system. It is the largest object and contains approximately 98% of the total solar system mass. That's CRAZY. Solar energy is created deep within the sun's core. The Sun appears to have been active for 4.6 billion years and has enough fuel to go on for another five billion years or so. At the end of its life, the Sun will start to fuse helium into heavier elements and begin to swell up, ultimately growing so large that it will swallow the Earth. After a billion years as a red giant, it will suddenly collapse into a white dwarf. It may take a trillion years to cool off completely. Yeah a trillion years unless global warming takes over first. lol.
Black holes is a region of space that has so much mass concentrated in it that there is no way for a nearby object to escape its gravitational pull. Some black holes spin around an axis, and their situation is more complicated. The surrounding space is then dragged around, creating a cosmic whirlpool. So far there are no signs of a blackhole near Earth. Thank God.. Either way black holes consume everything in sight, even light.
All of these are a part of our world today. I personally think that black holes are like the bully of society, you never want to cross one. We need the sun to exist and live. Without the red giant or the white dwarf the sun would not exist today. Overall the solar system and the galaxies are something so beautiful that it would be bad news for everyone if something went completely wrong. Say goodbye to life as we know it....

Compare and Contrast Science and Pseudoscience

Science extends and enriches our lives. It is a way to better understand the world around us. The word science comes from the Latin "scientia," meaning knowledge. Science is a way to acquire knowledge through experiments and systems. Science is also defined as any knowledge gained by systems. A primary aim of science is to gain facts. After gaining facts it is then explained through tests and observations. A hypothesis is formulated based on observation and experimentation. There are many different fields in science. Some fields are biology, chemistry, and physics. Science is as simple as a cause and effect process.

Pseudoscience however is a false science. Many people today use horoscopes and palm readers to explain why things happen in their lives. But is there evidence to prove what they are saying and if it is true? Of course not, there might be signs and thoughts but there is no clear evidence. Pseuodscience is used to excite people and to soothe anxiety about life and its adventures.

Pseudoscience is more appealing to the general public rather than science alone. Although science is more factual than pseudoscience and can be backed by experiments pseudoscience seems more interesting. So the next time you read your horoscope think about what it is saying and if it is really true, or just a false science.