Chocolate component reverses memory loss in older people

A research carried out at Columbia University in New York and directed by professor Scott A. Small discovered that a component of chocolate called flavanol reverses memory loss in adults. In this research a group of people was given a drink containing lots of flavanols and by the end of three months they found out that their memory had improved. It’s the first time we know diet can help memory decline. 

Unfortunately, the problem of this study is that people must eat or drink big quantities of chocolate to get a beneficial effect.

From http://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/oct/27/chocolate-component-reverses-memory-loss-older-people-claims-study

Written by Alejandra Recimil and Antía Rodríguez (3rd ESO - 9th grade).

Alfred Nobel, the dynamite inventor

Alfred Nobel was a famous scientist, inventor and businessman and he was also the founder of the Nobel Prizes. He was born on October 21 (1833) in Stockholm, Sweden. His father was an engineer and inventor, and his mother came from a wealthy family. He had two older brothers and a younger one.

 

He lived in Stockholm until 1842. Then he moved to Russia with his family because his father had a successful business there. Alfred was interested in literature, chemistry and physics, but his father decided to send him to Paris to study and become a chemical engineer.

 

The Nobel family returned to Sweden in 1863, and Alfred concentrated on developing nitroglycerine as an explosive. Although his experiments resulted in accidents, he didn't give up. Alfred invented, thanks to his experiments, dynamite and he set up factories in 90 different places. He lived in Paris, but he travelled to his factories a lot. He worked in Stockholm, Hamburg, Paris, San Remo, etc. He also experimented in making synthetic rubber and leather and artificial silk.

 

He died in San Remo, Italy on December 10, 1896.

 

His last wish was to give prizes to those who have done their best for humanity. So the first Nobel prizes were in 1901.

 

Image from Wikipedia

 

 

From http://www.nobelprize.org/

 

Written by Nora, Olalla and María (3rd ESO - 9th grade).

 

 

Production of hydrogen fuel using sunlight

Michael Grätzel, a Swiss chemist, and his group developed a photovoltaic device using perovskites which are cheap and abundant materials. This device is used to break water into hydrogen and oxygen using sunlight. 

Grätzel's gadget improves the efficiency and price of previous aproaches using silicon. But more work is needed on the durability and stability of the solar cells.

 

 

 

From https://www.sciencenews.org/article/solar-cell-powers-water-hydrogen-conversion

 

Written by Marisol, Noa and Sofía (3rd ESO - 9th grade).

 

 

Sir Isaac Newton

Isaac Newton is a very famous physicist and mathematican. He was born on January 4th, 1643 in Lincolnshire, England. His mother is Hanna Ayscought and his father is Isaac Newton. They were peasants. Newton never knew his dad because he died before he was born. His mother remarried Barnabás Smith, and his stepfather didn`t want him so he returned with her grandmother until his death. Isaac Newton studied in King`s school, in Grantham, in 1660. Then he studied at Cambridge University. Newton developed the principles of modern physics. He was famous because of his idea of universal gravitation, the reflection telescopes and the theory of light. Isaac Newton died in 1727.

 

From wikipedia.org

 

 

www.biography.com 

http://www-old.newton.ac.uk/newton.html

 

Written by Laura Blanco and Tania Conde - 3rd ESO A (9th grade).
 

Fight against cancer

In the past, we only had a radiation treatment for cancer. This treatment is based on X-rays. It's not very good, speacially for children, because it can hurt other parts of the body.

 

Seventy years ago, Robert Wilson had the idea of using the proton therapy. Now this charged-particle therapy is very famous, because it mainly damages the tumor. It's used in Unites States in fourteen centers and in other countries such as Germany, Italy, China or Japan.

 

Image from symmetrymagazine.org

 

From http://symmetrymagazine.org/article/september-2014/accelerating-the-fight-against-cáncer

 

Written by Antón, Carlos and José (3rd ESO A - 9th grade)

Spacecraft investigates Mars' atmosphere

NASA's MAVEN spacecraft arrived in Mars at the end of September and now it's studying its atmosphere. The Red Planet's atmosphere was very thick in the past but now it's thin. This spacecraft will take science measurements. Indian's Mars Orbiter Mission, which arrived three days after MAVEN, will collaborate with NASA.

 

 

 

From http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/maven-spacecraft-mars-atmosphere/ 

(September 21st, 2014).

 Written by Carlos Santorum (3rd ESO A - 9th grade)