Bennett Artman

Yeast makes heat rise, too
Independant variable: Amount of yeast on plant
Dependant variable: Heat produced
This was an experimant conducted by Spanish researchers and it was to find out if yeast helped to keep a plant warm. The scientists hypothesized that the yeast would create heat in the plant as it breaks down the sugars in the nectar. This is also true in producing things like bread with yeast. The experiment was conducted with a plant that was able to be regularly pollinated by a bee with yeast adhered to their body. There was also a plant that was protected from the invading bumblebees so as to see a difference in surrounding and internal air temperature for the plant. It turns out that the plant that was pollinated with yeast was recorded having a much higher and constant temperature than the plant with no yeast pollination.

I think the experiment could have been improved by using different types of plants, maybe fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables used in the experiment could have determined a way of keeping them warm during cold snaps. For example, when Florida expiriences a cold snap and loses its stock of oranges, they could use yeast to pollinate the buds of the plant or other parts so death to the oranges may be prevented!

Charlotte Maurno

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090630075622.htm

Independent Variable: the pigeons
Dependent Variable: the paintings

Scientists tested if pigeons could actually determine if the painting is good or bad art. They held various paintings up to the birds and they would peck at the painting if it was good. They would be awarded with food. Some were trained to peck at watercolor paintings and some were trained to peck at pastel paintings.

Jeremy Cobb

Pigeons Show Superior Self-Recognition Abilities to Three Year Old Humens
Independent variable: Species
Dependent variable: Time (sec.) it takes to recognize self

Scientists at Keio University have run some tests and now have data that a pigeon can recognize it-self in a video with a delay between 5-7 seconds. That is good considering that an average three year old human takes 2 seconds to recognize his/her self. Not bad for a bird brain.
I think that this was a ffun experiment, but it isn't getting us anywhere unless the bird can talk politics. This experiment could be improved by seeing how long it takes to recognize something besides it-self. That might be useful.

Sarah Alnaif

The Effect of Type of Music on Plant Growth

independent variable: type of music

dependent variable: plant growth

In the 1970s a well-known study performed by Dorothy Retallack at the Colorado Woman's College in Denver using the college's three Biotronic Control Chambers. There was one chamber where music would play daily for three hours, and for another it was played for eight hours a day. In the three hour chamber, the plants grew twice as large as the chamber with no music, but in the chamber where music was played for eight hours a day, the plants died within two weeks.

The types of music used were rock music and soothing music. Rock music made the plant made the plants small and unhealthy while the soothing music made them grow large and healthy. They actually grew towards the radio almost like it was the sun.

This was a good experiment because it gave both the chamber the exact same whereas some would have gotten more sunlight in others. The experiment could be improved by using more types of music like country. The could be many follow-ups to this experiment. For example, put plants in different conditions.

• the same plant types across the different conditions
• a variety of species, also across the different conditions
• strict controls on all other external factors, e.g. light, warmth, etc
• consistency of human interaction across the different conditions
• music vo,ume would need to be maintained at a consistent level

F

Emily Neuburg

The Big Bang Experiment
In this experiment scientists are taking 2 proton beams and steering them in opposite direction. The beams will be traveling at the speed of light, if not close. They will be going more than 11,00 laps each second. Soon enough the two beams will collide along the track combining the protons. Scientists hope that the "Big Bang" with create a new subatomic particle.
IV:direction of proton particles
DV:speed of beams
C:a beams, number of protons
I think this experiment could be improved by adding more trails. This would help to get an more accurate conclusion.

Cullen S

Simple Test May Help Judge Concussion in Athletes

Research has shown that even a couple days after symptoms are gone from a concussion that reaction time is slower. The tests used to show this use computers and special software. So Eckner and his colleagues created an inexpensive way to test this. It consisted of an string with a weight attached to it. The person would do a test at the beginning of the season and then do the test after they have had a concussion. If the time was slower after the test at the beginning of the season then they are not ready to play. IV: Way concussion is tested DV: Results of test. I think this was an good experiment. This could be improved by doing more trials.

Ben W.

New study possibly links cognitive and motor delays with "flat head syndrome" in young babies
This experiment was about how "flat head syndrome", or postional plagiocephaly, affects the development of cognitive and motor skills in babies. The babies, ranging from 4 months to 12 months, were tested with minor tasks, such as finding hiddeen objects and rolling over. They were rated using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development III.
IV: babies diagnosed with flat head syndrome(1/2 of the group)
DV: lower scores in major muscle function tests and higher in other tests
The results of the experiment show that having flat head syndrome may effect a baby's development, but there is not a certainty of it.
This is experiment could have gone wrong n many ways. There is a chance that the babies said to have flat head syndrome may not actually have it. Also, the BSIDIII may not be completely reliable. A good way to improve this experiment would be to recheck the babies to make sure they have flat head syndrome. A follow-up experiment that would be suitable would be an experiment that tests the babies over the course of a few months, to see how much thaty have developed.