This week we made rockets! I am in a group with Eddie and Lars. So far this project is really fun, and we haven’t even launched them yet. Whilst we were making them, we had to take notes on what we were doing, and in what order. Our notes are pretty all over the place, but here they are!

Two weeks ago, every class in middle school did a science project for our science fair, which we call the science expo. Our class, the 7th grade, was tasked with an “open ended science experiment.” At first it was difficult to think of an idea, and to actually get going with it, but once I started, it wasn’t too hard. For my experiment, I did what is in the lake near us, and our school lake, and what filter works best to filter that water. I ended up getting two controls, the larger lake, and the lake next to our school. I also had four filters. These filters included: Boiling the water, a tree branch filter, a Life Straw, and a ground/ earth/ natural filter. I will explain what these filters actually are in a second.

To test the water, we contacted different water testing places and ended up choosing Great Lakes Wateer Quality Lab, Inc. They were very helpful and we ended up getting our tests and results very quickly! The tests that they ran on our water samples were searching for Total Coliform, (T.C.) and, E. coli. The first filter is pretty self explanatory. You bring your water to a rolling boil and keep it there for one minute. This took all of the Total Coliform and E. coli out of it. The second filter is a living tree limb stuck into a tube with the bark pulled off. You then run the water through it. This also was successful. The third was a filter that we had in our house, and I’m not completely sure what’s in it, but I’m pretty sure that it uses layers of a paper like filter. This also took all of the bacteria out. The next, and final filter is a filter that contains: cotton, activated carbon, sand, pebbles, and, gravel. (In that order, bottom to top.) This filter was the worst, because it actually increased the amount of T.C. and E. coli by 175x. We think that the reason of this is that we took most of the ingredients from next to the big lake, and there are a lot of geese that like to hang out there. The problem is that both of these bacteria come from the feces of mammals.

1. What would have happened with the 2nd filter if I had gotten the materials from a different place instead of right by the water?
2. How would the results differ if I had tested all of the filters with the water from Cedar Lake?
3. What would have happened if the bacteria had been given more time to incubate?

Bipolar Disorder is a mental disease in which you have large mood swings. You can go from feeling overjoyed to wanting to go die in a hole in a matter of seconds. This happens all by itself, too. Some moods can last for hours, days, even months. Most often, people with Bipolar Disorder generally experience two large mood cycles a year. These cycles generally happen in the Spring or Fall. Large mood cycles can be caused by a number of things. The main reasons are:

• 1. Insufficient sleep
• 2. Altercations with loved ones
• 3. Alcohol and drug misuse
• 4. Certain antidepressants and other medications
• 5. A change in seasons
• 6. Pregnancy and other hormonal conditions
• 7. Grief over the death of a friend or family member.
• 8. Events such as starting a creative project, falling in love, going on vacation, listening to loud music, menstruation, and decreased physical exercise.

Faster cycles are more common for people whose symptoms started at a younger age. For people who have extremely fast cycles, there is the term “Ultra- Rapid Cycling”. This refers to people who have mood cycles in a month or under.

1. How common is Bipolar Disorder?
2. How many people have Bipolar Disorder in the U.S.
3. How many people have Bipolar Disorder in the world?

Apotemnophilia is a mental disease. Apotemnophilia is currently the rarest mental disease. Apotemnophilia is the overwhelming desire to have one or more healthy body parts amputated. This disorder is caused by a disfunction of the right parietal lobe. This leads to a distorted self image, and eventually, the want to amputate a body part. (especially a limb.) Apotemnophilia patients want to feel discomfort, and disabled. This is generally developed in adolescence and usually ends up with harmful, and very painful consequences, I would imagine.

I would insert a picture here, but I don’t know how to picture it without it being very gruesome.

Apotemnophilia may sometimes be associated with Somatoparaphrenia: When someone denies the ownership of a limb. Body Integrity Dysphoria is another, easier to pronounce way to say Apotemnophilia. Most people start wishing for amputation between the ages of eight and twelve. Most patients who are diagnosed are male, but there is no proof that sexuality or gender is critical. There is currently no fool proof treatment for this disease, however, there are reports that antidepressants and Cognitave Behavioral Therapy to help. There is also always the option to have a surgery to remove the unwanted body part, however, I feel like you would regret that later in your life. Apotemnophilia was interesting to research but I think that it would be rough to have.

1. How many people have Apotemnophilia worldwide?
2. How many people in the U.S. have Apotemnophilia?
3. How long does it generally take to get over Apotemnophilia without cutting off the body part?

This week in science we learned about the components in and connected to the brain. We were separated into groups and the different groups researched different parts. My group was assigned with the brain. We made salt dough and made a model of the brain. This task wasn’t as easy as it may seem however. After we made the salt dough, it had to rest overnight because class was over. When we came back it had partially dried up! So we added more of the liquids from the recipe but then it was too oily. Eventually we just gave up and used it as it was.

After the salt dough fiasco we made a Google Slide for information and a Kahoot to see if people were paying attention to the slide. Other groups did the Eyes, the Ears, and Neurons. Most groups did Kahoots, but one group did something better. They decided to play this game that we sometimes play in science class. The game is that you have a bunch of pieces of paper and the group asks a question, and you have to write your answer on one of the sheets of paper. If you get it right, you crush up the paper and throw it into a trash bin. There are two bins. One that counts as one point that is bigger, and a smaller one that counts for two. I think that this was overall a fun project, but it took a while and it was pretty hard.

This week we started a project to research drugs. I decided to research Kratom. Here’s some of the information I discovered: Kratom is used for energy-boosting, mood-boosting, pain relief, and opiate withdrawal. Kratom is a plant native to Thailand and parts of Southeast Asia. Kratom is a tropical plant that is part of the coffee family. Until recently, Kratom has been mostly exclusive to Asia, but since then it has spread across the U.S. and Europe. Kratom is illegal in many countries and although it is still legal in America, it was placed on the “Drugs and Chemical Concern” list by the U.S. Drug Association.

Kratom leaves can be chewed, dried up, and used in brews, or as pills. Kratom extract can be used for making a liquid, that is used for pain relief in your muscles, or as an appetite suppressor, cramp suppressor, and diarrhea suppressor. Kratom can also stop panic attacks. However, the effects may vary with the quantity taken. Kratom can be highly addictive if used too often. After you take Kratom, it usually takes about 10 minutes for the effects to start, and 90 minutes for them to wear off. I hope you learned at least a couple things!