WE ARE SC!ENCE

WE ARE

April 2017 Issue

SC!ENCE Cosmos The amazing - and terrifying world of black holes. pg. 32

New Jobs, New Tech, New Problems pg. 16

Dwindling Numbers of Species pg. 6

Women in STEM pg. 8

TABLE OF CONTENTS

04 Letter From the Editor A quick message about this edition from the editor.

Contributor’s Page 05

An introduction to all the authors and creators.

06 Dwindling Numbers

A look into some of the reasons so many species are becoming endangered.

Women in STEM

An article looking into the increase of women in the STEM fields.

14 Advice: from Girl to Girl

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A quote display answering the question “If you could give one piece of advice to girls in the STEM field, what would it be?

08

16

New Jobs, New Tech, New Problems An article exploring the interplay between today’s technology fueled world and education.

22 MOXIE

A device for mars colonization

LABAH

24

An article about a local animal hospital

30 Chemistry Through Time

A timeline of the most important Nobel Prize in Chemistry winners throughout history.

Cosmos

32

Black Holes are an immense unknowable power

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r e t t e e

Lfrom th

r o t i

d E

T

he baffling and the unfamiliar intrigues me like nothing else can. I love how science is like a never ending puzzle that you can continue to solve and gets more exciting along the way. Additionally, I love how science can challenge me in ways nothing else can and encourages me to think differently about the world around me.

This issue of “WE ARE SC!ENCE” showcases interesting stories from people in science related fields all over Austin. From Women in STEM to a local veterinary clinic and from space to education in science, our magazine highlights it all. We sincerely hope that you enjoy this issue, as it has not been an easy path getting here.

Through ups and downs, my amazing graphic design team got through it all. Our experience making this magazine has been indescribable. Every single one of my team members plays an crucial role in the unity of our team. I have formed lifelong friendships with each designer along the way, and I couldn’t have asked for a better team. Special shoutout to my contributors, family, and of course, all of you readers!

Sruthi Ilangovan - Cheif Editor 4 - WE ARE SC!ENCE

Contributors’ Page

Our chief editor, Sruthi Ilangovan is a Cali girl.

She fell in love with science at a very young age and aspires to be a doctor when she grows up. In her free time, she like to volunteer and sing. She is a nationally recognized debater on the LASA debate team, and she loves public speaking. Sruthi would be seen as the heart of the team, as she is always smiling and constantly talking to all of us!

Liam Childs

Bailee Phillips

Christopher Mejia-Gutierrez

was born and raised in Austin, Texas. She has one sibling, a twin brother named Rogan. In her free time she reads, walks on South Congress, and watches movies, one of her favorites being die hard or star wars. She does horse riding, rowing, and volleyball. She wants to go to college to pursue her goal of becoming a veterinarian. Bailee would be seen as the perfectionist of our group, making sure that her work is aesthetically appealing.

was born in Virginia and was raised in Northampton, Massachusetts and Austin, Texas. His favorite subject in school is math. When not in school, Liam likes to play card games, watch TV, and ride cyclocross. Liam would be seen as the quirky one of the group, constantly making weird things in photoshop.

was born and raised in Austin, Texas. Living there his entire life, he’s seen most of what Austin has to offer people. Christopher is interested in space and coding. Christopher works hard, finishing his work on time. While on his off time, he codes or plays video games. Chris would be seen as the quiet member of our team, yet he is full of personality.

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Dwindling Numbers

By Bailee Phillips

As humans develop at an extremely fast pace in the modern world, many species around the world are left behind, and are now on the verge of extinction. Animal populations are decreasing at a rapid pace, due to different things such as habitat loss, poaching, or accidents created by humans.

Although populations are way down today, there are still many efforts to preserve these amazing species, but there is still a long way to go.

Between 2007-2017, more than 10 million honey bee hives have died off in the US due to Colony Collapse Disorder.

Out of 17 species of macaw, 3 are critically endangered due to illegal trapping as pets. Habitat loss is also a serious issue.

Due to oil spills, coastal tanker traffic, and poaching, the sea otter population is only around a population of 106,000.

Amur Tigers used to be at a population of 40 in 1940, but due to efforts by Russia, their population has risen to 540.

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Due to habitat loss and poaching, The okapi population has gone down 50% in the last twenty-five years alone.

Just in the last 15 years, the asian elephant population was around 100,000, while now it is only 35,000-40,000.

Previously eaten as a delicacy in Mexico, axolotls are endangered, with only around 700-1,000 left in the world.

Most sea turtle species are endangered due to accidental capturing in fishing gear, as well as poaching and loss of habitat.

Mexican Wolves used to be a present species but due to habitat loss, they continue to be the most endangered wolf in the world

With only around 2,000 left, it is hard to come back due to the difficulty for giant pandas to reproduce.

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Carolyn Jenkins is the cofounder of Iconixx Software Corportion.

Iconixx software is a compensation management engine.

Photo By: Carolyn Jenkins

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STEM

Women in

Women are breaking boundaries in male-dominated fields By: Sruthi Ilangovan

T

hrough media and advertising, a common stereotype has been carved into the back of the brain. The strong father goes out to work and brings food to the table, while the gentle mother nurtures and cares for the children. In the modern era, women refuse to be limited to housekeeping.

They are now proving themselves in male-dominated fields: STEM.

More girls than any other generation are now entering careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). In 1970, only 7 percent of STEM workers were female. Now, over 25 percent of STEM workers are female.

However, this ratio is not nearly equal enough. The field of STEM is actively changing to include more opportunities for women, but times were not always like that. Carolyn Jenkins, co-founder of Iconixx Software Corporation and Susie Rich, founder of the Lady Cans, an all-girls robotics team, shared their experience in the STEM field.

“I can remember when I talked to my family a billion years ago about maybe being a doctor, my family immediately said ‘oh you don’t want to do that. The hours are way too long.’ My dad literally said those words to me,” said Jenkins.

Up until the 20th century, pursuing science and technology was seen as unladylike. There was an expectation that the women would eventually stay at home to care for the children. Therefore, many women faced unequal access to education.

“My options as a graduating senior in 1972: I could be a school teacher, a nurse, a secretary, a shop clerk, a mommy and those were well respected. I chose to be a dancing teacher, because I liked math. I liked numbers. I liked art. I liked putting patterns and sequences together.

That’s geometry. That was, at that time, the closest thing I could come to being an engineer,” said Rich.

The working options for women were very limited at that time. Outside of the household,

most jobs were taboo for women, because those jobs required devotion - devotion that should have been present for raising the children and caring for the household.

“I absolutely watched and witnessed firsthand. We would have quite a few females who would come to work for us out of school and when they got married you would see a drop off and some of them would continue to work for us. But as soon as they found out they were pregnant, they were done,” said Jenkins.

A huge reason that women only make up 29 percent of the STEM workforce the immense travel and time needs. When professional women start their family, they often feel conflicted over the time needs of their business and their family. This results in women quitting their jobs to take care of the household, as they do not have the option to quit the family, according to Rich.

“There were definitely times for me, when Katherine was only 2 years

By working together, The Lady Cans build award winning robots and form lifelong friendships. Photo By: FRC Team 2881 & Sruthi Ilangovan

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“Women are all going to change the world”

old, I had to travel for almost 16 weeks - Monday to Friday. I left from Houston to California every Sunday, because the client wanted me in Monday at 8 a.m. and they kept me until you know 8 p.m. on Friday. So I only had around 20 hours at home over the weekends. I remember I used to come home and Katherine would see me and she would run up with her arms wide open, screaming ‘Mama mama.’ But then, she would stop mid-run and turn her back to me and go ‘Humph’ with that angry little face of hers. Because that was her way of showing me that she was upset. And I was heartbroken, because it was kinda like: Oh no!

There are only a couple more hours before I had to leave again! And every week, when I returned, it just grew harder,” said Jenkins.

Members of the Lady Cans, an all girls robotics team proudly pose for a picture with their award winning robot at the Alamo Regional competition in San Antonio, TX. Photo By: FRC Team 2881

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Members of the Lady Cans prepare their robot for the Lone Star Regional Robotics Competition in Houston, TX. Photo By: FRC Team 2881

Her story, like many others, shows the struggle for women to pursue their job. Women that did choose to simultaneously grow their family while keeping their career were often disgraced upon.

The children of these women often went weeks without seeing their mother. This perception of difference between males and females continues to be the underlying reason that there are still standing stereotypes about working women, according to Jenkins.

“I think again today, there are just so many more tools like even if you decided you were okay with the heavy travel, it’s easier to stay in touch with your family. I think technology has made there’d be less trouble and has made the travel more tolerable because it’s easier to stay connected with your kids,” said Jenkins.

With so many ways to stay connected with the family, through social media and easy access to other forms of communication, more women would be able to simultaneously run a business and a family.

“In the past when clients walk in, they have mistaken me for the executive assistant or the secretary.

But it’s like: No I am the executive,” said Jenkins.

Besides the struggle of raising a family, women are also discouraged, due to the stereotypes that they face.

Jenkins’ anecdote shows us about how people often perceive women differently and are surprised that they are leaders in science.

“You know men and women, sometimes approach things differently. When you walk into the room, they all of a sudden feel like they have to change their behavior because you’re there. It frustrates

me, because for example, if a male were aggressive, people think he’s strong and if a female were aggressive, people think she is stuckup or something,” said Jenkins.

If a man and a woman were to do the exact same things for a day, the woman would be critiqued more for actions that the man did.

This perceived difference is a dealbreaker for many women entering male-dominated fields, according to Jenkins.

With half the world comprising of females, it is only logical that half of the STEM field is comprised of females as well. Women have always had the ability and willpower to change the world. It is time they implemented their skill into society. z

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New Jobs, New Tech, New Problems Photography and article by: Liam Childs

These days, science is becoming a part of many jobs. What problems are there?

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, over half of all jobs today require technological or scientific literacy.

This statistic will increase in the future, and so will the requirement for quality science education.

Science education is one of the most problematic areas of education today, despite its growing importance.

According to three Austin teachers involved with science education, despite the great importance of science education, the education process suffers from politicization and busywork. These problems are important because science education is important.

“It’s the fundamentals of everything. I’ve always been curious. Like asking why and how.

And I feel like physics is at the very root of that no matter what it is you’re studying. Everything eventually comes down to the

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the physical laws of the universe” says Alison Earnhart, SciTech and Astronomy teacher at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy.

Another person who is invested in science education is Katie Kizziar, Associate Director of Research & Innovation at the Thinkery, a children’s science museum in Austin, Texas. “If technology and science are going to be more and more a part of our daily lives moving forward then we’re going to be making decisions about things related to science and technology, so we should be more literate about that in our everyday lives,” she says.

Most science teachers agree that science is important to learn.

However, there are still problems.

Teaching is, at a basic level, a bureaucracy, and “there’s just a huge amount of red tape in the world of education and a lot of

“If technology and science are going to be more and more a part of our daily lives moving forward, we should be more literate about that in our everyday lives.” requirements and distractions that take up a lot of my time and a lot of my energy that have nothing to do with what I’m actually doing with my students in the classroom” says Earnhart.

Alison Earnhart in her engineering and Astronomy classroom at the Liberal Arts and Science Acadamy.

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This is a common problem among all teachers, not just science teachers. In a similar vein, grading

Katie Kizzair.

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“there’s just a huge amount of red tape in the world of education and a lot of requirements and and distractions, that take up a lot of my time and a lot of my energy, that have nothing to do with what i’m actually doing with my students in the classroom”

is a task that consumes much of teachers’ time.

Peggy Tavakkol, a biology teacher at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy, says that the worst part of her job is “Grading.

Without a doubt. Our homework.

It’s teacher homework.”

Much like student’s homework, it is expected that teachers do it at home. “I’m not legally supposed to be grading things during the school day. I have to take home everything to grade” says Earnhart.

Grading can take up most of a teacher’s time as any teacher will tell you after just a few months on the job. On the subject, Earnhart says “I put in literally tons and tons of hours, dozens of hours a week that I’m not getting paid for and I’m expected to do that work. So teaching is one of those jobs where if you allow it to it can consume your life because you can stay here for many hours every day after school. You could do lesson prep all weekend long and all of a sudden you don’t have a life outside of teaching. So it’s very important to keep that life work balance with a job like this.”

Although grading will always be a part of teaching, there are suggestions of how to make it better. For example, Earnhart says “I think if every teacher had a teaching assistant or secretarial aid, who could do a lot of the

paperwork and other prep work and leave the teaching to the teacher, that would would make your job a whole lot more fun and easier to do.”

However, grading is not the only problem that teachers face these days. Another is the influence of politics.

Tavakkol says “It’s too politicized And I think that’s really unfortunate because. That stops research from moving forward.

And I think in the current political climate it will be even more so and so it’s it’s really unfortunate but I don’t think it should be that.”

Tavakkol says, “A good example of this is the textbook that we adopt. Every year the textbook is dissected and intelligent design is something that certain groups want to put that into the book. And it’s not science right; It’s like belief.

Which is fine, But it’s not in the realm of science, so it shouldn’t be in there. So I think that how do we get around it? Honestly like it’s up to the citizens to be aware of who we’re electing and that they are scientifically knowledgeable people.”

Some of this politicizing comes from the government, but most of it comes from homes.

Tavakkol says that “If people just took the time to really understand what it was that they were so fearful of, then they would have a

different perspective. But I think the current way that reporting is is just these like and this is kind of with everything but there’s always this like sound bites are coming out and it really doesn’t do justice to the issue. Critical Thinking. That’s it.”

Science is always on the rise and so are the problems that come with it. People will try and solve these problems forever and people will teach forever. These problems have no set ending but people will still try. z

Each student produces hours of grading for one teacher.

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highschool. Helping students with Math and Reading.

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Rendering of a nebula in space. Each bright light could be star or a galaxy. The blue cloud surrounding the bright dots is the nebula itself, made up of cosmic dust and gas. Here stars can be formed from the nebula over time.

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MOXIE VENT

Non-Condenseables.

Intake Mars Atmosphere.

How MOXIE makes oxygen out of the Martian Atmosphere

CO2 Acquistion & Compression

Compostion Measurement

Solid Oxide Electrolysis

O2 purity and Rate

O2 Production

Electronics C&DH, Housekeeping, Power Distribution, Process Monitoring and Control.

RCE

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RPAM

Exhaust O2 CO + CO2

How NASA plans to add oxygen to Mars during their Mars 2020 rover mission, using an expirmental device.

By Christopher Mejia-Gutierrez

MOXIE is an experimental device needed for Mars exploration by humans. It turns carbon dioxide into oxygen, which can be converted into fuel or kept for breathing space. Real versions of MOXIE will need to be a lot bigger for use by humans.

The mission to Mars in 2020 will take a lot of data and samples, along with MOXIE. By doing so, scientists could learn how to fix any flaws and learn more about the Martian atmosphere.

Reason For Name: “It helps humans explore Mars by making OXygen. It works “In situ” (in place) on the Red Planet, and is an Experiment.”- From the Offical Website for MOXIE

Test Model The Model itself is a merely a prototype. Real ones uesd on future Mars Colonies will need to be 100 times bigger

Breathes like a tree Like a tree’s photosynthesis cycle, MOXIE takes in CO2 and breathes out oxygen.

Oxygen for Mars The Martian Atmosphere is made up of about 96% CO2, With only .13% being oxygen. While Earth has 21% oxygen in its atomsphere.

Help for future explorers The oxygen made could be used as feul in liquid form, along with breathing.

Oxygen made on Mars The liquid oxygen made from MOXIE could be used directly on Mars as fuel.

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LABAH

By Bailee Phillips

A Local Company

Normally, when people hear the words blood and guts, they might think of the last horror movie that they saw, but in an animal hospital, a chance of looking at the inner workings of animals means a chance at helping them get better.

This is the case in local clinic, Lake Austin Boulevard Animal Hospital (LABAH). Dr. Robert Spitz started the hospital in 1989, in an attempt to make a clinic that not only followed the normal procedures of any other animal hospital, yet still make their purpose to be all about animal advocacy and having a feeling of family when any animal or human comes into the hospital.

LABAH is a family-owned company that does not partake in any morally unsound practices with animals, such as cropping, tail docking, or declawing. Because of this, staff decided that LABAH was the place for them.

“I like working for small companies and they’re a really small family owned practice which is cool. They won’t do anything for convenience or cosmetics,” says Kaeli Holmes, office manager.

Along with not participating in

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unethical procedures, the clinic is also very rescue based and encourages pet rescues to reduce the amount of euthanizations in shelters. All the staff members are fervent about this, but one staff member in particular, Camille Philips, the technician manager, says the clinic is “more about the animals than any other place I’ve ever worked. More than any place I’ve ever worked, it’s advocacy for the animals, which is what I’m passionate about.”

Something to think about when dealing with problems in an animal hospital is that the animals always come first, but their owners are important as well.

As Dr. Elizabeth Ashbaugh says, “Animals come with humans, and our job is to serve humans as well. To help them in happy times, when we’ve got puppies and other happy things, but also in sad times.”

The whole point of LABAH is to create an atmosphere full of people who all care deeply about their cause, with helping animals get better using safe techniques.

Having not only pets but owners who are easy to be around makes the job much more worthwhile for the staff, and it’s always the special cases that mold the connection between doctor and patient.

“Animals come with humans, and our job is to serve humans as well.”

-Dr. Ashbaugh

Kaeli Holmes’s dog, Arlo, stands outside of Lake Austin Boulevard Animal Hospital, next to a giant dog statue that sits in the front yard

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25

A dog stands on a beach looking off into the ocean.

A Great Staff “Thanksgiving time I saw a wild turkey who had been attacked by a dog, and he was a pet turkey, and he had a bunch of wounds, and we treated him, and got him feeling better, and to this day I still get birthday cards, they send me birthday cards from the turkey,” says Dr. Ashbaugh.

Part of the reason it seems that so many patients and pet owners have flocked to LABAH is because they are drawn not only to the place itself, but the staff.

“And what I like about the hospital was the staff, really, really cares a lot about animals, and they actually really, really, care about humans,” says Dr. Ashbaugh.

Like every job, there are points when one does not want to keep going, and most of the time when working

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in the veterinary field, this is because animals have passed. At LABAH, it seems to be a little less difficult.

“It’s honestly what makes working there so easy, cause I mean like I know when patients do pass away that we’ve like done everything we possibly can, and they’ve lived like a super awesome like humane life, it makes that part of it a lot easier.”

Holmes says.

Animal clinics are there for the purpose of helping animals get better, but small, local companies show that it’s not just about the getting better, but about doing it in a way that makes the animals feel comforted and loved. z

“It’s honestly what makes working there so easy, cause I mean like I know when patients do pass away that we’ve like done everything we possibly can...”

-Kaeli Holmes

Dr. Ashbaugh is one of the vets that works at LABAH. She completed a residency program in emergency and critical care medicine, which is one of her favorite areas.

Kaeli Holmes is the Office Manager at Lake Austin Boulevard Animal Hospital, with her dog Arlo, who she brings to work with her all the time.

Camille Philips is Technician Manager at Lake Austin Boulevard Animal Hospital. She has been working with animals for fifteen years.

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Alfred Werner For his discovery of heavy hydrogen.

For studying osmotic pressure in solutions and rules of chemical dynamics.

1934

1901

Harold Clayton Urey

Jacobus Henricus van ‘t Hoff

For his breakthrough in inorganic chemistry.

1913

1901 1922

For his identification of many non-radioactive isotopes.

1911

For her discovery and study of radium and polonium.

Francis W. Aston

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Marie Curie

William Francis Giauque For his research and discovery of quasicrystals.

2011

Dan Shechtman

Chemistry Through Time Many of history’s most influential discoveries have been honored with the Nobel Prize in chemistry.

By: Liam Childs

For his research into the behavior of many substances at near to absolute zero.

1949

2016

2016

For producing molecular machines, immensely small machines such as elevators, robots, motors, etc.

Willard Frank Libby

1960

For his development of carbon-14 dating, which is used in many fields.

Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Sir J. Fraser Stoddart and Bernard L. Feringa

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A Dark

Rendering of spiral galaxy M81. The black hole in the middle is 70 million times more massive than our sun.

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Cosmos

Deep in within the Cosmos lies a powerful force.

S

By Christopher Mejia-Gutierrez

pace has sights and wonders that range from spectacular clouds of dust to burning fireballs of plasma. However, out of these stellar fascinations, the most mysterious celestial body, poses more questions than answers, the black hole.

to the stars. One of the main focuses is black holes. Livermore works with other scientists at the University of Texas to discover distant galaxies and find out more about the universe’s past. Looking at distant galaxies provides a look into the

“The main A near endless void filled with way we that bright lights and dark corners, filled with stars and planets. Within know black the void and dark corners lies a powerful force to be reckoned holes can with, the black hole. Consuming everything in their path, black holes form is by a are one of the most destructive forces in the universe. massive star Every galaxy is shaped and morphed by a black hole located at collapsing at the center, while some roam free outside of galaxies. When scientists the end of its like Rachel Livermore Ph.D., look life.”

past, allowing her to see the universe billions of years ago.

“The main way we that know black holes can form is by a massive star collapsing at the end of its life,” said Rachel Livermore.

Little is known about black holes, but what is known are the stepping stones to the truth behind them.

What happens at the center of one?

What happens to the matter that enters? These questions are some of the “Holy Grail” of science. Finding the answers to these questions will change all of science and understanding of the universe.

The term black hole, when used in astronomy, refers to a region in space where matter is viciously pulled into the center of an invisible mass, nothing can escape. Where consumed matter goes and what is inside, is unknown.

Super massive black hole tears apart a star.

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Black hole spewing out jets of matter Depending on the mass of a supermassive star, the black hole could bigger than usually and could have a long or short lifespan. Small black holes exist, how they exist is unknown. While medium sizes

“There are really massive black holes out there, millions or billions of times more massive than our sun.”

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have yet to be proven fully.

“There are really massive black holes out there, millions or billions of times more massive than our sun.,” said Livermore. The biggest of black holes are the strangest, scientists have only theories as to how they were this big.

The two main theories are, multiple smaller black holes combine to form bigger ones or that at the beginning of the universe stars could come in even bigger sizes, bigger than any known one today, then collapsed into a supermassive black hole.

As stated before, black holes are invisible, however, looking for one can be easy. When a black hole consumes matter an accretion disk is formed around it.

“An accretion disk is swirling disk of matter that can surround a star like a white dwarf, a neutron star, or a black hole. These disks form when rotating matter settles onto the compact star. As matter settles inward in the

disk, radiation, and sometimes magnetic jets that are produced blast back into space.,” said Craig Wheeler, Ph.D., an author, and astronomer who focuses on supernovae and accretion disks of black holes.

Finding accretion disks with a black center is how black holes are found.“Black holes will have accretion disks whenever there is a source of matter flowing down toward the black hole in the grip of its gravity. The source could be a companion star or just matter floating in space near the black hole.”, Wheeler.

Galaxies are not accretion disks but do get influenced by the supermassive black hole at the center.

“The supermassive black holes are the only ones that really influence galaxies in any meaningful way, and those tend to live right at the center. Most galaxies are what we call disk galaxies, so they’re mostly flat, with a bulge at the center, a bit like a fried egg, We’ve noticed that the size of the bulge is very closely linked with the mass of

the black hole at the center, so it seems as though the black hole is affecting the galaxy’s shape. ,” said Livermore.

The black hole at the center of the milky way galaxy is the closest specimen that scientists can view.

This black hole is above average size and is thought to have merged with a different galaxy’s black hole, combining the two galaxies into the Milky Way. “If you look right in the center of our galaxy, the Milky Way, you can see individual stars right there in

the center that is clearly orbiting something invisible. Some of these stars are moving really, really fast, and you can tell from their orbits that the invisible thing they’re orbiting is millions of times the mass of the sun. This is as close as we can get to seeing a black hole directly since they’re invisible. ,” said Livermore.

When technology advances far enough, humans could possibly find the answers to questions and secrets behind black holes.z

Artist rendering of a black hole “eating” a star

All four photos come from NASA’s image gallary, and are used under the comercial use guide lines.

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