Biofuel presentations

Before  doing the robot activity, I was tasked along with Mingi Park to present about Biogas. Although we could not present on friday due to the schedule and lack of time, we could see all the oter presentations of our classmates.

 Overall I think the presentations were all good and also, they were a huge support for understanding better the benefits and issues about the use of Biofuels, because every group face the problem from a different point of view.

When analysing each presentation separately, I think all the peer did a nice job presenting their respective subjects . Some topic were more complicated specially the one about the biofuel production process but Mr Nuñez and Mr Ugarte managed to present it in a good and understandable way although they could have speak a little more louder. 

Mr Oporto and Mr Gastó presented about the Economical Effects, wich I find a really interesting topic, because of the contrast between the comercial benefits of Biofuels and the problem about the impact of biofuels on food prices. 

Finally the last presentation I could listen to was the one from Thomas Reynolds and Sebastian Barriga who did a really good presentation and show of their topic about

 producing biofuels on land used for food or cattle.

 Robot design

Last week, along with Rafael Labra as my partner, we were tasked with designing  a robot to solve an actual problem. The result of this was the "Librarius 2.0", a robot whose characteristics will  be described below.

What problem or challenge does the robot solve? What are some of the functions you will program your robot to carry out? 

The robot is designed to solve the problem of reaching high shelves from libraries and ordering books. It´s main function is the ability to distinguish books by topic and ordering them in the proper shelve, no matter how high it is due to its large robotic arm.

What materials will it be made out of? Why?

It will move by the use of special wheels designed for little objects made from rubber and aluminum.  Its main body and the robotic arm will be made mainly from steel and cooper to ensure the proper and efficient use of energy and the main terminal will be directed by the new generation of microprocessors.  All these materials ensure the correct functioning of the robot and make it capable of doing its work without problems.

 How will the robot sense its surroundings?

It will have 5 sensors. The first four will allow the robot to move in all directions by detecting possible obstacles and avoiding them. The fifth one and most important, will be locate in the top of the robotic arm and will be in charge of distinguishing the books by topic and selecting which books goes to each shelve.

 How will it move and respond to the environment? 

It will have small wheels, which will aloud the robot to move through the library without problems. Also it will avoid any possible obstacle in the way and will only stop to select and leaves books in their proper shelve.

How or why is a robot better equipped to handle this challenge than a human? 

Mainly because the robot will get the job done efficiently and correctly, whatever a human might do it wrong or don´t do it at all. Basically, the robot reduces in almost a 100% the human mistake.

What specific functions will the robot carry out?

It will distinguish books by topic and ordering them in the proper shelves. This will be possible because of the front sensor, which will recognize the books by topic using an international database.

 What components will the robot include that help it carry out these tasks?

It will include mainly the wheels to move freely around the library, accompanied by the movement sensor that will determine the best way to move. It´s main task will be achieved with the help of a special sensor to detect books by topic and a pincer that will grab the book and left it in the appropriate shelve after the sensor have determined what type of book is it.

 What will the robot look like?

The robot will look like a small construction crane, but with wheels to move, a main terminal which will look like a box unite to the wheels and the upper part, which is basically a large robotic arm with a sensor to distinguish books, and a sort of pincer that will take books from a basket attached to the robot and deposit it in the appropriate shelve

 Will it look humanlike? 

No, it won´t look like a human as it is more like the concepts of a crane and a toy car, much like Wall-E but instead of the head it will have this large robotic arm with it the only thing of the robot that can be considered “humanlike”

Why or why not? 

It does not need to look like a human because it is not necessary, apart from that it would not be practical because if made like a human it will have limitation to reach high shelves, which is exactly why the robot have the large flexible robotic arm.

How will the robot’s appearance influence how people interact with it? What limitations does the robot have?

People won´t have any problem interacting with the robot, since it does not present any possible harm, actually the robot when encountering with a human blocking the way will turn around and find another way to where it is going.. It will be designed to be very user friendly so that anyone can use it, and it will go slowly and silently enough for a library. The only robot limitation is that to start working it needs to be turn on by a human and you need to left the books in the basket so the robot can order them.

Stem cells breakthrough and seeds of hope

I will answer some questions based on a video we saw in class, this time about stem cells in order to understand better the topic of study.

1) Why are stem cells considered so valuable for medical research?

Because stem cells can be the cure for many diseases.


2) Why did the researchers have to narrow the spectrum of genes within stem cells? (video 1)

Because they need to find the specific genes for stem cells from wich they could revert the biological clock and produce new stem cells.


3) What are the sources of stem cells and the advantages and disadvantages associated with using each?

The stem cells that are used are the one from embryos. The advantages of this is that stem cells can create and heal any organ because they can specialize and regenerate any organ damage. The disadvantages is that in order to produce this, apparently you need to create life and then take the stem cells from embryos, but the problem is that they do not survive wihout them.
4) What are the three cases presented at the beginning of the second video?

We see a hockey player with spinal cord damage do to an injury.  then we see a young man with diabetes and finally a baby with a disease called taysachs, wich cause the inhability to produce enzymes vital for brain cells survival.


5) How might a stem cell be used to treat spinal cord injuries?

Stem cells can replace the damage cells by adding a scaffold filled with stem cells that replace the damaged area, Stem cells react and reproduce spinal cord cells repairing the damage.

6)Explain the outcome of the experiment with injured rats presented in the second video?

The outcome was incredible because  within 2 months of treatment, rats with spinal cord damage that should not walk, were walking almost normally.

7) What issues surround the debate over of stem cell research?

Mainly Ethic issues, because the stem cells retrieve from a embryo does not survive.


8) What issue do you think needs to be debated as we make decisions about stem cell research?

One of the most important issues to be debate, is about manipulating life and taking away one life for the benefits of another being.

Genetic Tool kit

 As in the last posts, I will answer some questions based on a video, this time about the genetic tool kit.

1)How has evolution tinkered with genes of animals?

The evolution  altered the genes of animal  to adequate animals to the changing condition of the evironment they  are living in.
2) What role has embryos played in the study of evolution?
All animals come from similar types of cells. By studying the embryos, we can analyse how this cells specialize to make a particular function.
3) What did the experiment with fruit flies and mice show?
It shows that they share some same genes because they have a common ancestor. Beside this, it is important to notice that there are many different different factors that make the gene produce a specific kind of eye, arm, leg, etc.. to a specific animal.
4) What does the presence packages of information suggest about evolution?

It suggests that all animals come from a common ancestor that passes the package of genes, wich show why they have similar genes. Finally, although they share the same genes, other factors like the evironment, food and weather determine the evolution path each race follows.

GENE CONTROL VIDEO

1) Why did the German scientist decide to study the fruit flies at the larval stage?

The german scientist decided to study fruit flies because they are fast breeding insects, but unlike most scientist she decided to study the fruit flies at a larval stage so they could see it growth and determine the exact moment when something went wrong.

2) How does the mother fly activate the control genes?


By leaving  chemical messages that activates during the larval stage.


3) What is the role of control genes?


Control genes controls the activity of many other genes and also they control when and how some specific genes are expressed.


4) Which of the two species are closer to humans?

In this cases it would be fishes, beacuse they have control genes and body plans closer to our own.

The embryo takes shape

We have start looking at the topics of gametes, embryos and pregnancy. To understand better all these topics we looked at a video in class that explains how and in wich way human beings are born. Based on the video I will answer some questions.

1) What directs the sequence of events that turn a blob of cells into an embryo with specialized tissues and organs?

It´s a process called gastrulation that turns a blob of cells into a embryo, this process divide cells intro three layers, each with a specific function.

2) The narrator says that “cells talk to each other.” What does that mean? .

This "communication" between cells is actually that chemicals sings or  chemical process of a cell can trigger a reaction in a nearby cell.

3) How do cells in different parts of the embryo become different kinds of cells and organs?

In each of this cells, different genes or DNA activates, making each cell produce something different


4) What kinds of proteins are found in different cells and organs?


Crystalline:  related to the lens of the eye.
Collagen:  related with tendons, bones and skin.
Keratin:  related with hair
Haemoglobin:  Transports oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body

5) What tells the cells which kinds of proteins to make?


The DNA and genes that are activate within each cell.

6) What is the relationship between DNA, genes, and the proteins that are produced in cells?


They are all related because DNA contains the genes that when activate tell each cell what proteins to produce in order to accomplish a specific function that help our body to work properly.