Click to read about Avogadro’s number, solar cars, enhanced dogs, Back to the Future day, and more.
Solar cars, like the one above, raced in a rigorous course in hopes of winning the top title in a global solar car competition. Read more about it below. Creative commons photo from PrinceArutha.
Lauren Yang | News Editor
All around the world, people celebrated Back to the Future Day by considering how the movie’s prediction on the future compared to what it’s like today. Creative Commons image from THEGALATF.
1. Back to the Future Day
Marty McFly and Doc Brown, characters from the 1989 movie “Back to the Future II”, travel forward in time to Oct 21, 2015, to help their future children. The film predicted many things about 2015; some were correct, some were far from reality. While we don’t quite have flying cars or hoverboards yet, the movie strikes some future commodities in the bullseye. Video glasses (think Oculus Rift), thumbprints as keys (iPhone Touch ID, anyone?), and cars using alternative fuel (electric cars) are all innovations that did indeed occur. Although the actual scientific significance of “Back to the Future” day is small, it’s interesting and fun to see how the producers of this movie were not far from the mark in their futuristic predictions.
Amedeo Avogadro, the creator of Avogadro’s number, is shown above. Avogadro’s number is essential in chemistry, which is why chemists have created an unofficial holiday based off of his work. Creative Commons image from Quibik.
2. Who remembers Avogadro’s Number and what is Mole Day?
Is his number 653-813-8471? Nope, that’s my number! Avogadro’s number is 6.0221415 × 1023 and is a key constant in chemistry because it is used to convert moles of a substance to number of atoms/molecules in that substance and vice versa. To honor Avogadro’s number, chemists and chemistry teachers across the world have dubbed Oct. 23 as “Mole Day”. Check out Mole Day’s official website here.
Above is the “Tokai Challenger”, a solar car that built by the Japan Tokai University that took first place at a similar solar car competition. Creative Commons image from Elekhh.
3. NASCAR better watch out for solar cars
The Word Solar Challenge, which occurred from Oct. 18-25, is a 1,877 mile race that challenges teams around the world to create the fastest and most durable solar car. This year, 42 solar cars constructed by students ranging from Stanford University to the Dokuz Eylül University in Turkey chased the sun in hopes of snagging the #1 title. The 2015 winner is team Nuon from the Netherlands. The top placing American team was the University of Michigan, which took 4th place. Read the official competition page to learn more.
Scientists from the International Space Station have already begun experimenting with the technology utilized by astronauts in the movie “The Martian”. Creative Commons image from SalopianJames.
4. NASA’s technology and the gadgets from “The Martian” draw parallels
In sci-fi adventure movie “The Martian”, astronauts travel to Mars and inhabit the red planet. Although much of the technology utilized by the astronauts in the movie may seem futuristic, NASA has already developed some of it. Real astronauts at the International Space Station are already experimented with space plant farms, water recovery, oxygen generation, and the Mars space suit. Read more about it here.
Above is Wendy the Whippet, one of the naturally strongest dogs in the world. Although not genetically modified, Wendy resembles the dogs that have been modified. Creative Commons image from Charles Williams.
5. Scientists edit genes in dogs
Scientists in China edited the genes in beagles by deleting a gene called myostatin that doubles the muscular mass of the dog. This breakthrough has numerous applications since it can be used to enhance the police dog force or create a new novelty pet industry. However, many have disapproved of this practice for its moral and ethical issues. Read more about this here.
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