heat – BioQuakes

Heat Waves in U.S Rivers have been rising. Why have they been rising and what are the effects of this? According to research in the article, heat waves in rivers have been occurring more recently and more frequently due to the warm weather. Scientists studied different Rivers in the U.S and found that rivers that are upstream from reservoirs cause extreme heat while rivers downstream from reservoirs don’t cause heat because the dam is able to cool off the water. They also said that where these rivers are located there are warmer winters then usual. Another key thing that they also found is that less precipitation will also have an effect because there is less water in the river therefore making it warmer. Another bad thing about this is that it is affecting the organisms that live in the rivers. In the research, they said that animals like salmon and trout like cold water and need it in order to obtain oxygen and regulate their body temperature. Scientists say that dams are looking promising in order to stop this rise in heat.

According to another article, a similarity between the two articles is the worry about wildlife and how this heat will affect them going forward.

According to a third article, another worry that relates to all of this is that a rise in heat will cause more evaporation meaning there will be less water. If there is also less precipitation that means that there will be little water in the river and everything will get worse.

This ties into what we have learned so far in class because of the way organisms need certain things in order to survive. During our pill bug lab we were able to understand where pills bug lived and how we would find them in order to bring to class. They live under rocks usually and like damp soil. Without this they can die quickly. In the research from the articles we see how the organisms need certain things in order for them to live too. The fish need cold water so they can retrieve oxygen and regulate their internal temperature. So we see how organisms need certain necessities in order to live.

What is the Microwave?

So I’ll assume you all know what a microwave generally is. That black white or silver box on your kitchen counter that heats up your pasta at 1am. Letting you know its done with an alarm that’s far too loud. But what is it actually? How does it work? As stated in the first paragraph of this article, the discovery of the microwave was just an accident. The Microwaves emitted by various pieces of equipment were enough to heat foods and in the case of the story from the article, melt the scientist’s snack. The production of the microwave blew the minds of many. Providing a quick and easy way to near-instantly heat your food.

How Could It Be Bad for You?

Throughout my life, my father has always told me not to stand directly in front of the microwave while it was on. No matter how much I liked watching my snack spin and spin and spin in the magical machine, the thoughts of the horrifying radiation hurting me overtime was enough to deter me. But it is, in fact, untrue that microwaves cause cancer or any type of injury/illness due to its radiation. The device would need to be putting out much higher frequency wavelengths, not the microwaves that your microwave lets leak out through the door.

Is Your Microwave Killing You?

No, the answer is most likely no. More of the issue is what you are putting into the microwave. Putting metal in the microwave can be a terrible idea. Speaking from experience I’ve seen silverware spark in the microwave. Depending on the type of silverware and variety of utensil it may not go as poorly but never the less is a bad idea to try. Also, many sources suggest against putting plastic into the microwave just because of the interaction high heat and soft plastic can have together. As well as possibly melting, there is some interesting research to see if the heat will cause chemicals to leach into your food. Something that only sounds like a bad thing for human health. So is your microwave killing you? Most likely not, just use some common sense when reheating your leftovers in the middle of the night.

BioQuakes

AP Biology class blog for discussing current research in Biology

Tag: heat

Heat Waves in U.S Rivers Rise

The Microwave. Cancer Causer? Or Convenient Cooking Appliance?

What is the Microwave?

How Could It Be Bad for You?

Is Your Microwave Killing You?

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