I tweet, therefore I am - Emphasis

I tweet, therefore I am I tweet, therefore I am Thinking about jumping onto this bandwagon. But where will it all end? So might read my inaugural tweet by definition: an answer to the question what are you doing? in 140 characters or fewer on the micro-blogging site Twitter. And bandwagon begets bandwagon: those not tweeting are bleating about tweeting. The public is being divided into for and against camps; and perhaps the real question posed is: is there anything left now that is considered not appropriate to write about? Twitter has seen some incredible successes in its young life. It is a popular medium for celebrities, who get to by-pass the media and connect directly with their fans. Barack Obamas presidential campaign succeeded in large part because he embraced such types of social media. He updated subscribers via the site, keeping them up-to-date on his public appearances and decisions. No doubt this was key in working himself and his message into the nations psyche, while reinforcing his image as a modern man of the people. The potential of Twitter from a marketing point of view is evidently enormous. And so it is working its way into schools and university curriculums. A recent book, by money-making strategist Joel Comm, teaches the ways of Twitter Power How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time. Supporters predict a day when users will be able to search the consciousness of the planet in real-time. With a mere 140 characters to work with, Twitterers have no choice but to be succinct; and we Emphasisers are all in favour of keeping it short and simple. Whats missing is content control. Granted, escape from Big Brother (in all its forms) is generally welcome. And of course people have the right to express themselves creatively. But were considering writing instructions for this exciting new toy. The Daily Mail is using the service to send out nuggets of news to those for whom newspapers are just too darn heavy. The BBC experimented with including Twitter updates in its coverage of the Mumbai terror attacks back in November 2008, in an apparent desire to be first with the news. This rather clumsy attempt to cover a fast-moving story with equally fast-moving technology caused a considerable backlash on their website, amid accusations of inaccuracy and lazy journalism. Sky news rather glibly (and arguably massively inappropriately) sent tweets out from the courtroom where Joseph Fritzl stood trial for his horrendous crimes against his own daughter. Of course, skill in writing has little or nothing to do with Twitter, barring perhaps the occasional impressive haiku. What does is the attitude that whether youve just survived a plane crash (see the Guardians article) or youve just sat down with a cup of Bovril, the immediate prevailing thought is to publish oneself. Faced with this unrelenting, unverified barrage of thought bubbles, will we all have to become active editors of our own (and everyone elses) lives? Or will we just be tweeting while Rome burns?

Ideas for Plant and Soil Chemistry Science Projects

Ideas for Plant and Soil Chemistry Science Projects Plant and Soil Chemistry Project Ideas Science fair projects that involve plants or soil chemistry are very popular with students. Its fun to work with living things and the environment that supports them. These projects are great from an educational standpoint because they integrate concepts from different areas of science and the scientific method. However, it isnt always easy to decide what to do with the plants and soil! These science fair project ideas can help you define your project. Some involve botany and chemistry, others have an environmental science slant, and then others are soil chemistry. Botany and Chemistry Components How do different fertilizers affect the way plants grow? There are lots of different types of fertilizers, containing varying amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, in addition to other ingredients. You can test different fertilizers and see how they affect the height of a plant, the number or size of its leaves, the number of flowers, time until blooming, branching of stems, root development, or other factors.Does using colored mulch have an effect on a plant? You can look at its height, fruitfulness, number of flowers, overall plant size, the rate of growth, or other factors.Is a seed affected by its size? Do different size seeds have different germination rates or percentages? Does seed size affect the growth rate or final size of a plant? Environmental Science Aspects How do different factors affect seed germination? Factors that you could test include the intensity, duration, or type of light, the temperature, the amount of water, the presence/absence of certain chemicals, or the presence/absence of soil. You can look at the percentage of seeds that germinate or the rate at which seeds germinate.How are plants affected by the distance between them? Look into the concept of allelopathy. Sweet potatoes are plants that release chemicals (allelochemicals) that can inhibit the growth of plants near them. How close can another plant grow to a sweet potato plant? What effects does an allelochemical have on a plant?How does cold storage affect the germination of seeds? Factors you can control include the type of seeds, the length of storage, the temperature of storage, and other variables, such as light and humidity.What conditions affect the ripening of fruit? Look at ethylene and enclosing a piece of fruit in a sealed bag, temperature, light, or nearne ss to other pieces or fruit. Soil Chemistry Considerations How are different soils affected by erosion? You can make your own wind or water and evaluate the effects on soil. If you have access to a very cold freezer, you can look at the effects of freeze and thaw cycles.How does the pH of soil relate to the pH of the water around the soil? You can make your own pH paper, test the pH of the soil, add water, then test the pH of the water. Are the two values the same? If not, is there a relationship between them?How close does a plant have to be to a pesticide for it to work? How do environmental factors (i.e., light, rain, wind, etc.) influence the effectiveness of a pesticide? How much can you dilute a pesticide while retaining its effectiveness? How effective are natural pest deterrents?What is the effect of a chemical on a plant? You can look at natural pollutants (e.g., motor oil, runoff from a busy street) or unusual substances (e.g., orange juice, baking soda). Factors that you can measure include the rate of plant growth, leaf size, lif e/death of the plant, the color of the plant, and ability to flower/bear fruit.