Choice Reading #2

Captive Breeding Could Transform the Saltwater Aquarium Trade and Save Coral Reefs http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110920121612.htm Science Daily Marine biologists at The University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute are creating new methods to more efficiently breed saltwater aquarium fish. These fish include raising seahorses, plankton and invertebrates in captivity in order to preserve the biologically rich ecosystems of the world's coral reefs. The author sides with the researchers of The University of Texas in saying that capturing and selling has got to go. The author explains that 80% of traded animal deaths are due to cyanide solution capturing, the traditional method. This method involves divers pumping cyanide solution into coral and putting the animals to sleep. This method causes many deaths from travel and the animals that cannot get away from the poison. This is unacceptable to the scientists at UT, they are creating breeding tanks and utilizing tanks already created by Seaworld and others. Through these methods they have successfully breaded over 9 species, some of which were giving researchers trouble. This new method will hopefully releive the stress on the saltwater environment, and create happier, healthier animals for shops to sell. The research that is being done is a great asset to the saltwater environment. Many could read this article and leave it to the biologists to care or to get involved. I feel that this would be a mistake, and one of the best things we can do is understand the impact that saltwater species have on our place in the ecosystem. One aspect I considered while reading the article was a question, "what would happen if all the seahorses or plankton died out?". The food chain would be abruptly changed. The plankton provide a huge amount of foot in the ecosystem and without them the whales would die out and the filter feeders and so on. We must do whatever we can to stop the death of food chain members which includes the saltwater fish. The market will never die out, we need the fish to eat, and if we must commercially sell them then we should at least do what we can to capture and raise the fish safely.

Choice Reading #1

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2011-09/laser-mere-strength-laser-pointer-can-detect-ieds-distance Title: laser mere strength laser pointer can detect ieds distance In this article, the author, Clay Dillow, describes the ongoing work of an MSU professor named Marcos Dantus. The work being done by Marcos is described as the building of a "laser pointer" that can detect IEDs. This would be extremely useful in the military branches to save our soilders some 60% of deaths according to the Mr. Dillow. Unseen IEDs are bombs that can be mines or any explosives that lay in the field for defense. Though the author doesn't specifically say, one problem with IEDs is that after wars, IEDs are usually not retrieved by the defending forces, and therefore they lay and wait until someone runs over it and dies unnecessarily. It is highly possible that the researchers who are doing this work are trying to reduce these deaths by trying to find undetonated IEDs. The research being done pertains to a laser that can detect up to one billionth of a molecule released into the air from explosives. Marcos seems very sure according to Mr. Dillow, and thinks that his laser is unlike the many they have seen. Marcos claims that this will save lives, and detect explosives from a safe distance even if they are buried underground. Mr. Dillow is quite capable in grabing the readers attention and getting straight to the point. I'd assume he has much more information on this subject and from the interviews with Marcos he has gotten quite up to date on IEDs. The reader doesn't need all this information and this is a great example of a well written short article.

mr hollands opus

Reading review- Mr Hollands opus In this article the author appears to be a music teacher somewhere in the elementary level. They also appear to have experience in ranged fields of education due to the description of standardized testing from other areas of education. The author focuses on music education and the standard assumptions we make about music teachers. The assumptions include either inspirational music teachers who start a lifelong journey of music or teachers who seem distant and leave as soon as the bell rings. This article is meant to continue a team bound theme in education. Teachers often want to go their own way or think that they can do it better or different than classic methods have been performed. Doing things differently however can lead to different conclusions, not always favorable and doing things the same way gives teachers back-up. The author is clearly portraying there are some areas of the school system that are not appealing to music teachers such as the classic handwritten bubble tests for music class, but she continues to use them because it's all part of a bigger plan past her one music class.