Passport #9
Find an answer to a question I have always wondered
My initial Google search of “how do clouds float?” showed I am not the only one looking for an answer to this burning question. Some related searches are how do clouds stay in the sky, how do clouds float for kids, why do clouds float in the atmosphere, and what makes clouds float. There are so many ways to phrase the same question so many of us seem to have about clouds, a mundane aspect of our lives that we ignore on most days. What is their secret?
According to meteorologist Douglas Wesley’s article in the Scientific American magazine, clouds contain water droplets or ice crystals that are “too small to have an appreciable fall velocity.” As I scrolled down the page, I caught sight of sentences about speed in relation to mass and surface area, updrafts in the atmosphere, and the mass of a cloud compared to the mass of the air around it. As a pre-med student, you would think I would appreciate the detailed explanation Wesley is providing, but the scientific jargon was a snore and unnecessary. I was not looking to write a research paper, present my findings, or even bring it up in conversation. I just wanted a quick, simple 3-4 sentence explanation to satisfy my curiosity.
So I clicked back and went on www.weatherwizkids.com instead. The bright colors, simple headings, and Comic Sans font told me this website was the one for me. All the facts I would ever need to know about clouds were all in one place. What are clouds? How are clouds formed? Why are clouds white? Why do clouds turn gray? Why do clouds float? Boom. I’ve found my answer.
“A cloud is made up of liquid water droplets. A cloud forms when air is heated by the sun. As it rises, it slowly cools and when it reaches the saturation point, water condenses, forming a cloud. As long as the cloud and air that it’s made of is warmer than the outside air around it, it floats!” YES. This description was one that did not require a second reading or the opening of a new tab to look up terms. My prior knowledge of heat’s nature to rise was enough for me to understand the importance of that last sentence. That was the answer I had been searching for for 20 years. There was no need to look any further. Clouds float because the air and water that make up clouds are warmer than the surrounding air.
According to meteorologist Douglas Wesley’s article in the Scientific American magazine, clouds contain water droplets or ice crystals that are “too small to have an appreciable fall velocity.” As I scrolled down the page, I caught sight of sentences about speed in relation to mass and surface area, updrafts in the atmosphere, and the mass of a cloud compared to the mass of the air around it. As a pre-med student, you would think I would appreciate the detailed explanation Wesley is providing, but the scientific jargon was a snore and unnecessary. I was not looking to write a research paper, present my findings, or even bring it up in conversation. I just wanted a quick, simple 3-4 sentence explanation to satisfy my curiosity.
So I clicked back and went on www.weatherwizkids.com instead. The bright colors, simple headings, and Comic Sans font told me this website was the one for me. All the facts I would ever need to know about clouds were all in one place. What are clouds? How are clouds formed? Why are clouds white? Why do clouds turn gray? Why do clouds float? Boom. I’ve found my answer.
“A cloud is made up of liquid water droplets. A cloud forms when air is heated by the sun. As it rises, it slowly cools and when it reaches the saturation point, water condenses, forming a cloud. As long as the cloud and air that it’s made of is warmer than the outside air around it, it floats!” YES. This description was one that did not require a second reading or the opening of a new tab to look up terms. My prior knowledge of heat’s nature to rise was enough for me to understand the importance of that last sentence. That was the answer I had been searching for for 20 years. There was no need to look any further. Clouds float because the air and water that make up clouds are warmer than the surrounding air.
Passport #10
Document my spendings for a day and reflect on what they mean to me
I leave my house at 8:30 A.M. to stop by Starbucks before work at the Cancer Center. I sip on my tall $2.86 latte as I wait for Commuter North.
By 12:30 P.M. I am starving, so I head to the hospital café to buy lunch. I decide on a grilled chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles, and a small cup of chicken tortilla soup, which comes to $4.85.
When I get off work at 4:00 P.M. from my second lab in the Biomedical Sciences Research Building, I find my mouth parched, but water seems so unappealing. It is one of those times when water just is not enough to quench a thirst, so I head to CVS to purchase a $1.00 Gatorade.
By 5:30 P.M. I am starving again. I know no productivity is going to resurface until my hunger is satiated, so I walk to Five Guys Burgers and Fries with my friend, K., from the Fishbowl. A little hamburger with lettuce, tomatoes, grilled mushrooms, green peppers, and BBQ sauce and an order of Cajun style fries amounts to $7.72.
As I walk home at 11:30 P.M., I am not sure if my fatigue or hunger is stronger. I solve my dilemma by purchasing a Turkey Tom sandwich from Jimmy Johns for $4.87 to eat before going to bed.
On April 2, 2014, I spent $21.30, all on food. My purchases were representative of a typical day in terms of content, but not quantity. At college, most of the money I spend goes towards food, however, on this particular day, I spent more money than I usually do (and would have liked to) because I had to out of necessity. I had not been to the grocery store since the week of February 17th. I was clean out of fruits, vegetables, meat, bread, milk, eggs, juice, and snacks. The only food I had left was uncooked pasta and that got boring after eating it for 4 days straight, so I had been eating out for every meal, the cost adding up very quickly.
For this portrait, I only included expenditures that I paid for with my debit card, which represents the money that I earn through my jobs as a research assistant and study group facilitator. These purchases are more painful and meaningful, though that does not always stop me as demonstrated by April 2nd’s purchases which were typical for over a month. Other costs, such as rent and utility bills, are paid for with my credit card, which represents my parents’ money. When I swipe my debit card, I give away my own hard-earned money rather than my parents’ hard-earned money (not that I appreciate theirs any less), so it is a lot more personal.
By 12:30 P.M. I am starving, so I head to the hospital café to buy lunch. I decide on a grilled chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles, and a small cup of chicken tortilla soup, which comes to $4.85.
When I get off work at 4:00 P.M. from my second lab in the Biomedical Sciences Research Building, I find my mouth parched, but water seems so unappealing. It is one of those times when water just is not enough to quench a thirst, so I head to CVS to purchase a $1.00 Gatorade.
By 5:30 P.M. I am starving again. I know no productivity is going to resurface until my hunger is satiated, so I walk to Five Guys Burgers and Fries with my friend, K., from the Fishbowl. A little hamburger with lettuce, tomatoes, grilled mushrooms, green peppers, and BBQ sauce and an order of Cajun style fries amounts to $7.72.
As I walk home at 11:30 P.M., I am not sure if my fatigue or hunger is stronger. I solve my dilemma by purchasing a Turkey Tom sandwich from Jimmy Johns for $4.87 to eat before going to bed.
On April 2, 2014, I spent $21.30, all on food. My purchases were representative of a typical day in terms of content, but not quantity. At college, most of the money I spend goes towards food, however, on this particular day, I spent more money than I usually do (and would have liked to) because I had to out of necessity. I had not been to the grocery store since the week of February 17th. I was clean out of fruits, vegetables, meat, bread, milk, eggs, juice, and snacks. The only food I had left was uncooked pasta and that got boring after eating it for 4 days straight, so I had been eating out for every meal, the cost adding up very quickly.
For this portrait, I only included expenditures that I paid for with my debit card, which represents the money that I earn through my jobs as a research assistant and study group facilitator. These purchases are more painful and meaningful, though that does not always stop me as demonstrated by April 2nd’s purchases which were typical for over a month. Other costs, such as rent and utility bills, are paid for with my credit card, which represents my parents’ money. When I swipe my debit card, I give away my own hard-earned money rather than my parents’ hard-earned money (not that I appreciate theirs any less), so it is a lot more personal.
Passport #11
Research an event that occurred on your date of birth
On October 8, 1993, Darcy Burk, mother of 5-year-old, Austin Messner, in Moraine, Ohio accused MTV’s Beavis and Butt-head for inspiring her son to set his bed on fire with a cigarette lighter. The fire killed his 2-year-old sister and the family’s mobile home. The show features two 14-year-old boys who comment on music videos and spend time destroying things. Austin had watched an episode in which they said fire is fun and cool. After this incident, the show actually gained popularity.
Like Darcy, many parents lodged complaints against the “dense, low-achieving characters [that] were engaging in behavior that many parents found objectionable, such as sniffing paint thinner and hurting animals.” Carole Robinson, senior vice president at that time, did not believe the television series was responsible for the death, but said MTV decided to not rerun any episodes that are associated with arson and to delete any references to fire in future airings. MTV also called for stricter control over scripts and storylines.
Beavis and Butt-head’s airtime at 7:00 P.M. was terminated. It only aired at 11:00 P.M. to suit its audience, teenagers and young adults, better. It included the disclaimer: “Beavis and Butt-head are not role models. They’re not even human, they’re cartoons. Some of the things they do could cause a person to get hurt, expelled, arrested… possibly deported. To put it another way, don’t try this at home.”
Like Darcy, many parents lodged complaints against the “dense, low-achieving characters [that] were engaging in behavior that many parents found objectionable, such as sniffing paint thinner and hurting animals.” Carole Robinson, senior vice president at that time, did not believe the television series was responsible for the death, but said MTV decided to not rerun any episodes that are associated with arson and to delete any references to fire in future airings. MTV also called for stricter control over scripts and storylines.
Beavis and Butt-head’s airtime at 7:00 P.M. was terminated. It only aired at 11:00 P.M. to suit its audience, teenagers and young adults, better. It included the disclaimer: “Beavis and Butt-head are not role models. They’re not even human, they’re cartoons. Some of the things they do could cause a person to get hurt, expelled, arrested… possibly deported. To put it another way, don’t try this at home.”