Short Story Research - Rafael Rosas

Resource List:
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/gardening/some-vegetables-require-less-water-others
http://waterquality.montana.edu/docs/irrigation/cropselection.shtml
http://inspectapedia.com/septic/Toilets_Waterless.htm
http://www.kidsastronomy.com/mercury.htm
http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/ice/ice_mercury.html
http://www.rwjf.org/en/culture-of-health/2013/12/the_five_deadliesto.html
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/health_advice/facts/virusbacteria.htm
http://www.space.com/18644-mercury-atmosphere.html
https://www.boundless.com/biology/textbooks/boundless-biology-textbook/the-respiratory-s
ystem-39/transport-of-gases-in-human-bodily-fluids-222/transport-of-oxygen-in-the-blood-841
-12086/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemoglobin
http://cseligman.com/text/ssevolve/atmosphereevol.htm
http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/why_mercury/q1.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water

Golden Facts Collection

Veggies Tab
"Somevegetables,suchasbeans,areadaptedtodroughtconditionsataverybasic,cellularlevel,"explainedJim

Myers,professorofhorticultureatOregonStateUniversity."Teparybeansgrowsuccessfullyindesertand

neardesertconditions.TheyarenativetotheAmericanSouthwestandhavebeenastaplefoodcroptherefor
hundreds,orprobablythousands,ofyears.IhavegrownthemsuccessfullyinOregon."
Beansinthecowpeagroup,suchasthefamiliarblackeyedpea,alsohavethischaracteristic.Theblackeyedpea
needslittlewaterandgrowspoorlyifwateredtoomuch."However,"Myerssaid,"thecowpeabeansneedheatto
mature,andourcoolnightscanlimitgrowthandreduceseedset.Thesameistrueforokra."
Somecommonbeans,likesnapbeansandpolebeans,requireashortgrowingseasonandcansetacroponsmall
amountsofmoisture.
Tomatoes,squashandmelonsestablishdeeprootsystemsquicklyandcandrawmoisturefromthedeepersoillong
afterthesurfacehasbecomedryinmidsummer,Myerssaid."There'salsoazucchinivariety(DarkStar)bredforits
abilitytogrowunderdrylandconditionswithrootsthatseekoutthewatertable."

Drought Plants

Rate of Maturation
Millet's quick development and maturation allow it to utilize moisture STORED in the upper
part of the soil profile before evaporation and drought take their tole, thus making it a
relatively drought resistant crop. Similar to millet, beans also mature fairly early. Because of
their quick maturation, navy beans blossom over a short period of time, meaning a brief heat
wave or dry spell during blossoming could adversely affect the yield. Pinto beans, soybeans,
and buckwheat blossom over a prolonged period of time; thus, the critical period for
pollination and filling is spread over a greater time period, giving some degree of drought
resistance.

Recovery from Drought Stress

Sorghum has the capacity to recover from drought stress and RESUME growth. Despite
reduced yields, the plants can often make a surprising recovery. Sorghum exposed to severe
moisture shortages and high temperature over a prolonged period of time is not likely to
recover enough to produce economic yields, even though the plant does not die. Corn, oats
and flax show varying degrees of drought resistance. Moisture at pollination time is critical
for corn.

Root Depth
While sunflowers are considered drought resistant, soybeans are able to withstand higher
moisture tensions. Sunflowers apparently have an extensive root system that is AVAILABLe
to explore the root zone more completely and extract more of the available water from it.
Wheat appears to be able to produce quite well under limited moisture conditions, probably
because it develops roots to a depth of 5'.

Future Toilets

CAMPING&EMERGENCYUSETOILETS
forcamping,orforemergencyhomeuse
wediscussavarietyoftemporary,portableandcampingtoilets.Campingtoiletstypically
storewastewaterinareservoirforlaterdumpingintoanapproveddumpingstationor
septicsystem.Simplecampingandemergencytoiletstypicallyuseaplasticbagto
containsolidwasteforlaterpackoutanddisposal.
CHEMICALTOILETS
:useachemicallytreatedreservoirlocateddirectlybelowthetoilet
seat.Thechemicalsreduceodorsandperformpartial(incomplete)disinfectionofthe
waste.WhileRVchemicaltoiletsmaystorelargequantitiesofwastewater,portable

chemicaltoiletshavelimitedstoragecapacityandmustbeemptiedmanuallyorpumped
andperiodicallycleanedbyasepticcompany.

Similartosimplechemicaltoiletsbutmoresophisticatedindesignarerecirculating
toiletswhichseparatethewastefromthechemicalandthenrecirculatethefluidthrough
thetoilettank.Chemicaltreatmentsstabilizethewastebothforsafety(avoidinga
methanegasexplosion),sanitation,andodorcontrol.Theremaybeconcernswith
overuseofstabilizingchemicaltreatmentsifyouareemptyinglargerRVchemicaltoilets
intoaprivateseptictank.
COMPOSTINGTOILETS
:maybeusedwherethewatersupplyislimitedornot
AVAILABLE
atall,orwhereabuildingownerforotherreasonswishestoconserve
wateruse.Otherwastewatertreatmentwillstillberequiredforhandlinggraywaterfrom
sinksandshowers.Compostingtoilets,properlymaintainedandused,canproduce
treatedwastethatcanbeusedasfertilizer.
DISABLEDorELDERLYUSETOILETS
discussesUseofChemicalorComposting
Toiletsbytheelderly,
DISABLED
,sick,orinjured
DISASTERZONETOILETGUIDE
DISINFECTIONSEPTICSYSTEMS
:usechlorinationorultravioletlight(UV)todisinfect
wastewatereffluentbeforeitisdischargedtotheenvironment.
DRIPDISPERSALSEPTICEFFLUENTSYSTEMS
(Jantrania/Grosswastewater
systemtypeIIIoriftreatedto
LEVEL
2orbettereffluent,Jantrania/Grosswastewater
systemtypeVII).Dripdispersalsystemsmayincludepressuredosingorsystemsthat
disposeofeffluentusingonlygravity.
GREYWATERTOILETS&SEPTICS
aka
GREYWATERSYSTEMS
:refertosystems
whichreducetheliquideffluent
LOAD
onasepticsystembyseparatinggreywater(or
graywater)fromsinksandshowersfromblackwater(blackwater)fromtoilets.Whenwe
inspectahomewhichusesaseparatedrywelltohandlegreywaterwepresumethatthe
ownersdiscoveredthattheirsepticsystem,oratleastitsleachfield,wasoflimited
capacityorlife.
HOLDINGTANKSEPTICSYSTEMS
:useasealedtanktoholdhouseholdwasteand
wastewateruntilthetankcanbepumpedoutbyasepticpumpingcompany.Most
jurisdictionsdonotpermitsepticholdingtanksasapermanentwastewaterhandling
methodforfulltimeoccupiedresidences,butholdingtanksmaybepermittedduringnew
homeconstructionandinother
SPECIAL
cases.

InNewYorkStatewe'veseenholdingtanksystemsinuseonsmalllotproperties
locatedalongtheHudsonRiver.Generallysuchsystemswillnotbeacceptableforfull
timeoccupiedresidencesasevenalargetankofseveralthousandgallonswillrequire
frequentandcostlypumpinganddisposal.
INCINERATORTOILETSYSTEMS
:incineratortoiletsuseelectricityorgastoburnthe
wasteplacedintothesesystems.Likechemicaltoiletsandholdingtankstheyhave
limitedcapacity,areusedwherewaterisnotavailableormustbeconserved,andthey
donot
ADDRESS
thehandlingofremaininggraywaterfromsinksandshowers.

Myfavoriteofthistypewasthe"Destroylet"incineratortoiletwhichwaselectric/propane
fueledandwhichisnolongeronthemarket.Eachflushresultedinamorethan
10minuteburncyclewhichproducedaprettysmellyexhaust.
MARINETOILETS
OUTHOUSES&LATRINES
Outhouses,orlatrinesorsimpletrenchsystems,usefulin
remoteandimpoverishedareastoimprovesanitationandthusthequalityofdrinking
waterandotherspecial,extremelylowcostwastehandling,wastewatertreatment
systemsareignoredbymostmoderntextsononsitewastewatertreatment,excepting
perhapsmilitarymanualswhich
ADDRESS
fieldtoiletsandsanitationformilitary
operations.Thistopicneedsconsiderablymoreattentionasastepinassistingrural,
poorareasindevelopingnations.

Mercury

The Planet
The planet Mercury is the closest of the planets to the Sun. Because this planet lies
so close to the Sun, and as a result somewhat near to Earth, it is visible to
observers on Earth in the late evening or early morning sky. Because of this,
Mercury has become a part of the mythology and legend of almost every culture
throughout the
HISTORY
of the Earth.
This planet is often called a morning star. This is because Mercury shines brightly in
the early morning just before the sun rises. It has also been called an evening star
for the same reason. Mercury is often visible for a brief period of time just after the
Sun sets.

Mercury is Heavy
Because of its proximity to the Sun, Mercury's evolution took a slightly different
course than that of the other planets. As the Sun formed, it pushed much of the
lighter gas and dust out of the inner Solar System, leaving behind only heavier
elements. As a result, Mercury is made out of a large percentage of heavier
elements, mainly iron. It is essentially a large metal ball of iron with a very thin
silicate crust. Mercury's core makes up about 75% of the planet. Its thin mantle, or
crust, is only about 300 to 400 miles thick (500 to 600 km). Next to Earth, Mercury
is the second most dense planet in our Solar System.

Mercury Has Wrinkles

As Mercury's iron core cooled it contracted, or shrunk. This caused its rocky crust to
become wrinkled. Scientists call these wrinkles Lobate Scarps. This scarps can be
hundreds of miles long and even up to a mile high. Mercury's core has not cooled
completely, however. Researcher recently F
OUND
evidence that Mercury has a
molten core.

Mercury is Scarred
The surface of the planet Mercury is covered with craters. These craters have been
created by eons of accidental encounters with asteroids and comets. All celestial
bodies within the Solar System are
SUBJECT
to these bombardments. However,
many of the planets have the ability to heal themselves through natural geological
processes.
Because Mercury's crust is so thick and hard, no volcanic
ACTIVITY
can make its
way through to the surface of the planet. Since this surface volcanic activity cannot
happen, Mercury will forever retain its scars.

Mercury Has No Atmosphere

The planet Mercury is too small and has too little gravity to hold onto an
atmosphere. Any gases released from the planet quickly escape into space. Also,
Mercury is so close to the Sun that any atmosphere is quickly blown away by the
Sun's solar winds. That means that there is almost no air on Mercury.

Temperature Extremes
Mercury is just a little bit
LARGER
than Earth's moon. The surface of Mercury that
faces the Sun can reach about 800 degrees Fahrenheit. On the other hand, the
temperature on the nighttime side can plummet to almost -300 degrees Fahrenheit.
This is because Mercury has little to no atmosphere to help regulate temperature.

Time on Mercury
Because of its close location to the Sun, the planet Mercury has become tidally
locked to the Sun, or nearly so. The tidal forces of the Sun have over eons of time
slowed down the rotation of Mercury to
MATCH
its revolution around the Sun. The
result is that Mercury rotates very slowly. One day on Mercury is about 58-1/2
Earth days long. But while Mercury's days are very long, its revolution around the
Sun is rather fast. Mercury can complete one orbit around the Sun in only 88 Earth
days. That's just about 3 months here on Earth. This is why Mercury's name is so
appropriate. In mythology, Mercury was a speedy messenger, just like the planet's
speedy revolution around the Sun.

Mercury Ice
There are only two significant sources for ice on Mercury: meteorite bombardment and
planetary outgassing. Meteorites, especially in the past, potentially carried large amounts of
water to Mercury's surface. Outgassing of water from the planet's interior could also provide a
non-negligible flux of water to the surface, although this is speculative. The permanently
shadowed regions near Mercury's poles should act as "cold-traps" so that any water which
found its way to these regions would freeze on the surface and remain. (The possibility that

the ice is relatively uncontaminated may indicate that each

DEPOSIT
was laid down in one or
a small number of rapid events (6), such as a large comet impact.) Meteorites which
impacted near the poles and water which outgassed in that region could have been easily
trapped. Water originating away from the poles would behave as individual, randomly moving
molecules, some of which could migrate to the poles and become trapped there (6). There are
mechanisms for potential loss of ice, however. These include photodissociation, solar wind
sputtering, and micrometeoroid gardening. The effects of these processes are not
well-understood.

How can this discovery be tested?

Direct observations of Mercury from Earth are difficult because Mercury is so close to the
Sun. The only effective way to study the polar
REGIONS
beyond radar observations is to
send a space probe equipped with an imager and spectrometry instruments. Missions to
Mercury are difficult because the planet is deep in the Sun's gravitational well. The only
mission to visit Mercury was
Mariner 10
(shown at right) which had three flybys in 1974 and
1975. Each of these flybys occurred when the same portion of the planet was lit by the Sun,
so only about half the planet was imaged. By their very nature, the interiors of shadowed
craters are too dark to image, so these pictures do not shed any light on whether or not ice
EXISTS
inside these craters. A mission to Mercury called
MESSENGER
launched in 2004
went into orbit around Mercury in 2011.
Pandemics
AplaguesodevastatingthatsimplysayingThePlaguewillimmediatelypullittothefrontof
yourmind,inthemiddleofthe14thcenturyfrom1347to1351theBlackDeathremadethe
landscapeofEuropeandtheworld.Inatimewhentheglobalpopulationwasanestimated450
million,atleast75millionarebelievedtohaveperishedthroughoutthepandemic,withsome
estimatesashighas200million.AsmuchashalfofEuropemayhavediedinaspanofonly
fouryears.Theplaguesnamecomesfromtheblackskinspotsonthesailorswhotravelledthe
SilkRoadanddockedinaSicilianport,bringingwiththemfromtheirAsianvoyagethe
devastatingdisease,nowknowntobebubonicplague.

Bacteria

Whatarebacteria?
Bacteriaareorganismsmadeupofjustonecell.Theyarecapableofmultiplyingbythemselves,astheyhavethe
powertodivide.Theirshapesvary,anddoctorsusethesecharacteristicstoseparatethemintogroups.
Bacteriaexisteverywhere,insideandonourbodies.Mostofthemarecompletelyharmlessandsomeofthemare
veryuseful.

Butsomebacteriacancausediseases,eitherbecausetheyendupinthewrongplaceinthebodyorsimplybecause
theyare'designed'toinvadeus.

Howareinfectionswithvirusesandbacteriaspread?
Viralandbacterialinfectionsarebothspreadinbasicallythesameways.

Apersonwitha
cold
canspreadtheinfectionby
coughing
and/orsneezing.

Bacteriaorvirusescanbepassedonbytouchingorshakinghandswithanotherperson.

Touchingfoodwithdirtyhandswillalsoallowvirusesorbacteriafromtheintestinetospread.

Bodyfluids,suchasblood,salivaandsemen,cancontaintheinfectingorganismsandtransmissionof
suchfluids,forexamplebyinjectionorsexualcontact,isimportant,particularlyforviralinfectionslike
hepatitis
or
AIDS
.