Sphero EDU work

Sphero EDU work

                                         
For DTE this term we have started programming through basic javascript and block code with Sphero's edu app. The Sphero's are round circular balls that we enjoy playing with quite a lot. What you can do with them is definitely limited but there is still much creativity available such as using block or line code with variables to create a hot potato game with an object that would usually just be used for rolling around the place. Our assessment for this topic was to create additions to a game we have created through the basic block and javascript tutorials or make our own game.

My first plan was to do the Hot Potato game and change it to have periodic things that make it harder to catch or throw. I experimented around on javascript with the options available as well as on block code but unfortunately, I could not find a fun and interactive way to make multiple challenging "events" happen. Once I failed to implement my first idea I switched ideas around and instead tried to make a game like hot potatoe exept sometimes you would have to roll or answer a question instead of throwing it. This idea required quite a few variables making it much more of a challenge. However, I encountered a problem with getting the sphero to properly sense when it is being thrown. You do have an option that allows it to do this however I could not get it accurate enough to work at least 70% of the time.

I eventually had to scrap the rolling idea and instead make it either ask a question or be thrown. I had the timer variable set up and working and a system that would randomly select either a throw or a question. However, I was running out of time with about only 1 hour left and because of this, I could not finish this game I was planning. The things I still had to do but could not finish included setting up variables that chose random questions and (if possible) one that would get rid of a question from being able to be asked after being asked once. When a question would be chosen you would have x seconds depending on the round to answer it. There, of course, was no way for me to get the Sphero to recognize if you had gotten it right or wrong so it would be down to if the opponent listened well enough since the Sphero would answer itself after time ran out.

This period of time playing around and programming the Sphero have definitely been fun and interesting. I have experience with programming in Warcraft 3 which uses a unique code called JASS as well as gui for some stuff. Javascript I had not really experience with until now, it has definitely been good so far and I have started to learn some of the basics of this javascript. My only regret is not figuring out what I would do with the sphero and trying to think too outside the box. I should have done something smaller in scale yet I did not want to do something so "easy" yet I found out later on that these out of the box ideas were mostly impossible. The sphero is definitely a great thing for beginners in coding and can be a lot of fun.

Immigrating from Britain to New Zealand (story)

Immigrating from Britain to New Zealand

For Social Studies we have been looking at immigration. Specifically immigration from Britain to New Zealand. For part of our work, we have had to create a story of someone during these times immigrating to New Zealand. I personally wasn't too inspired with this story so it could have been much better but enjoy.


Journal Log 56, 20 weeks since I lost her

Once again I walk to this empty, tiny house, with just me left in it. I barely have any money to scrape by and at this rate, I’m going to die from working at that factory. It was fine when my family was still alive… but…. I need to start a new life but how to? I guess the only thing I can think of is to head to a new country. Spain? No. France? No. I don’t think I can go to any European country, they are all basically the same. Perhaps New Zealand. They advertise it as a fresh start and from what I’ve heard from the posters and photos… Yes, New Zealand sounds perfect. You can live your own free life, plenty of food and many safe jobs, it’s perfect. I can take a loan from someone and then board the ship and escape this cursed country. A new life… I wonder how it would go.
1 week later
“500, that’s my final offer.” “Fine 500 it is.” I shake hands with the loaner as he hands over the $500. He expects me to give him $2000 overtime by the end of this year, yet unknown to him is that I don’t plan to return. With this money, I can get into the rich section of the boat and have a pleasant trip to NZ. Do I feel bad? No. “If you don’t bring this money back you know the consequences!” His warning suddenly jolts me back to reality as his dark green eyes seem like they peer into my soul. No one has ever crossed these people before…. Well someone might off but now they would be in prison. The police aren’t exactly the most uncorrupt people.

“%^#&!” It’s almost time for the boat to leave. If I don’t get to it now………. I sprint out of the building but all I see is tons of traffic. There's not enough time to drive in this traffic so I sprint to the harbour desperately trying to reach the boat before it leaves. After 10 minutes of running, I see it, it’s like seeing heaven. “Leaving in 1 minute get your tickets and get onboard now!” I start sprinting but he seems to not notice me. He begins to pull the plank connecting the ship to the harbour. “Wait, please!” He turns around to notice me.

Part 2 the trip

It’s been 1 week since that exhilarating day and…. I must say it’s great here. My life is so much better on this boat, no job and no terrible household. The food is great, yesterday I got to try some seasoned lamb for the first time in my life. The constant rocking is a bit of a downside but thanks heavens I’m not in steerage. The conditions down there are dreadful. But it would be worth it. We are getting a new life soon, a new start, I can only imagine.

It’s now been about 2 months in. I’m dreadfully thirsty as much of our water has gone stale, the crew hurriedly attempt to boil the seawater to make it drinkable but I fear the worst. Being in first class as given me almost top priority but still seeing the horrors of people thrown overbored because of sickness or that water. It’s ironic how we are surrounded by water yet our most scarce resource is water. But I’m hopeful like always, we are almost there and the crew is stabilizing the conditions onboard.
Part 3

These violent storms shake me to the bones, I thought New Zealand would be a land of beauty yet all I see are rocks and storms. *Apparently we have been blown off course. The ships wood groans under pressure as it hits a rock*. What the hell was that? “Get out, go go go!” “What the hell are those? Open fire!” I hear the sound of muskets firing as people run off the deck either jumping onto land and running or desperately swimming away. I have to get out of here now! I open the door but all I see is bloodstained wood with some… brown coloured men? I’ve heard of these people called the Maori, but it was said they were in a way tame from their previous savage life by the British, yet here I stand with the Maori and British going after each other's throats. The captain of the ship scrambles up onto the deck desperately trying to hold off the advancing attack, yet to no avail as a spear strikes him in the thigh. Several people are being dragged away screaming I attempt to jump down but only get caught in a net used for fishing. Is this really how I go out?

I look up to see the last defender get thrown off the deck with a spear in his chest. The Maori warrior then eyes down me looking to see if I am alive when he realizes that I am he cuts the net and jumps down only to drag me away. I guess I did get a new life, instead of a poor factory worker I am now a Maori sacrifice. At least that seems like the type of thing they would do.


While many settlers did get to their destination (cities) there where quite a few cases of shipwrecks and Maori attacks. This unlucky ship suffered the same fate.

Fission vs Fusion. What is the difference?

Fission vs Fusion. What is the difference?

Nuclear fission and fusion are two different types of extremely powerful ways to produce energy using atoms. They both use different ways to create this energy and are in fact are almost if not 100% different from each other. In this blog post, I will talk about the differences between these two energy producers.

Fusion

Fusions meaning is two things coming together and combining, this is exactly what nuclear fusion is, two Isotopes combining (an Isotope is an atom that has a normal amount of protons but a different amount of neutrons.) Generally, the Isotopes are small, imbalanced, at an unstable temperature and in an extreme condition/being pressured. Fun fact about nuclear fusion is that it powers our sun. Our sun requires energy and gases to stay alive and burning and this energy comes from nuclear fusion. Many of the explosions on the sun are from the nuclear fusion reaction.

In the sun atoms of Tritium and Deuterium (they are both isotopes of Hydrogens, Hydrogen 3 being Tritium and Deuterium being Hydrogen 2.) When these two Hydrogen Isotopes combine they form a Helium nucleus. This process creates an extreme amount of energy (the amount of energy produced depends on the isotopes used but generally fusion produces more energy than fission.) The two Isotopes will form a more stable element (in this case Helium.) However, the stable element will not be able to contain all of the energy from the previous two isotopes combined. Because of this quite a lot of the energy in the previous two isotopes will be left behind then that leftover energy will be used for civilization. While the sun uses almost only Hydrogen to create Helium these are not the only elements used in nuclear Fusion.

The problem with Fusion currently is that scientists haven't found a way to control the energy that has been let use from the reaction. Because of this, they are yet to create a fusion reactor that can reach the full potential of fusion energy. The benefits of Fusion reaction are quite great, it produces little radiation compared to fission and generally much more energy.

Fission

The word Fission means "a splitting or breaking up into parts". Like it sounds it is the exact opposite of fusion. Fusion is two isotopes combining whereas Fission is when a big atom breaks apart.  An atom about to do fission is also quite unstable with it having an unormal amount of neutrons and a normal amount of protons.

The Atom when under this extreme pressure and conditions will break apart after being hit by a stray neutron. This reaction generates the energy used in a fission reactor. However, this reaction causes other chain reactions by sending out a Neutron which then smashes into other atoms making this reaction happen once again. In a Fission reactor, they use special rods to separate all of the Atoms and stopping a massive amount of Atoms all doing a fission reaction at once. If this happened all the energy released as well as nuclear waste would explode causing the generator to have a meltdown. That is a basic overview of what causes a generator to explode.

As well as energy and a Neutron nuclear fission will release two wasteful nuclear atoms. These atoms are generally useless and just take up space and damage people due to radiation. However, sometimes the waste produced has a bit of use. For example, long-lasting nuclear atoms generally emit a lot less radiation, these types of nuclear atoms can be used in reinforcing bullets and armour. The reason why this is safe and possible is that nuclear atoms have a half-life. This means that by the time the atom reaches halfway into its life it will off lost 50% of its energy due to Atom decay. For example, carbon-14 has a half-life of 5,730. The good thing about long halve lives is that the longer their half-life is the less radiation they give out every second making long-lasting atomic atoms safer to be around than small life ones. However, of course, an extended period of time around these will cause reactions.

Nuclear Power 

All of this ties into the average citizen through nuclear power. Nuclear power is made through the energy produced by these reactions in a generator (or nuclear atoms decaying). Once that process is done the nuclear power is then distributed to the everyday citizens to power stuff such as your lights, chargers, devices connected by a cable and many other different things. Currently, nuclear fission is the most used way to create nuclear energy due to the fact that nuclear fusion is yet to be perfected.

Conclusion

As you can see these two different methods of energy production are indeed very different. Fusion definitely seems like the preferred way to create energy (once we finally accomplish using it in a generator safely). The reason for that is that Fission generally creates less energy and more nuclear waste due to it splitting into two nuclear atoms with generally no use.