In this magazine The universe’s gold rush
Intelligence’s connection with studen
A better tomorrow with NeuroCredit
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nt achievement
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Staff list
PRESIDENT & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Andrea Schlitt LEAD EDITOR Srijani Saha SECTION EDITORS Bhavna Sud Charlotte Chui Daria Syskine STAFF WRITERS Adithya Embar, Alice Lou, Andrea Perng, Bhakti Patwardhan, Bhavna Sud, Brenna Chen, Charlotte Chui, Daria Syskine, Ellie Chen, Janya Budaraju, Jasmine Lee, Jeffrey Gong, Jenny Chin, Keerat Singh, Pooja Vedam, Riya Chatterjee, Sangita Kunapuli, Saumya Tawakley, Surya Konkimalla DESIGN LEAD Ilena Peng ART LEAD Carolyn Duan TREASURER Nikhita Shanker
About us Res Novae is Monta Vista’s studentrun science and technology magazine. Every month, our dedicated writers publish stories about exciting topics in STEM, from cancer research to artificial intelligence. We answer questions like: “How have MVHS students contributed to cancer research?” and “Can intelligent robots cook my dinner for me?” Cover and illustrations by Carolyn Duan Page design by Ilena Peng Cover image credits: Dolores Huerta by Barbara Carrasco Portrait of a Lady in Pink by Fang Junbi Self Portrait by Sir Peter Francis Self Portrait by Paul Cezanne John F. Kennedy by Elaine de Kooning Robert De Niro by Elaine de Kooning Portrait of a Gentleman by Antonis Mor Untitled by The Anh Le Azzurrino Pesenti by Domenico Pesenti
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Genetic ab
not play a a role in st achieveme as we thin By Brenna Chen
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bility may as big tudent ent nk
In reality, intelligence does play a role in our ability in subjects, but it’s much smaller than we think. Junior Claire Ko explains why she believes intelligence does not play a role in performing well in certain subjects. “In some subjects, they have more practice and hold more importance on that subject,” Ko said. “If you like a subject, you’d probably excel in it too...I don’t feel like I naturally excel in a subject, it’s just because I work hard.” Junior Debbie Ho further supports this statement. “Claire’s a self-made women,” Ho said. But is this theory really true? Researchers at the University of Munich and the University of Bielefeld tested this hypothesis with a similar question: How much of a role do genetic traits play in students’ achievement? They observed the progress in the mathematical abilities of 3520 students from fifth to tenth grade and also asked the students to answer questions about their study habits and interest in math in an attempt to glean how much non-genetic factors affected their scores. The results demonstrated a very clear trend. In the early grades, a high-IQ student generally produced a high math score. However, in later grades, a different noticeable trend was visible and a rough categorization of the students into two groups could be made based on their scores and attitude towards math, shown in the figure below. On one end of the spectrum were students with fixed
mindsets, shown as low-growth students in the graph. They relied mostly on memorization, showed more of a concern for good grades than a genuine interest in math, and didn’t attempt to make deeper connections with other areas of math. In the long-term, regardless of IQ, these students didn’t show much improvement over time, although they may have retained competency and good grades in math. On the other hand, students who were categorized with a growth mindset (the high-growth on the graph) said they wanted to get better at math simply because they were interested in and enjoyed the subject, and ended up with significant improvement. So the overall conclusion: it’s not how “smart” students are but how motivated they are and how they study that determines their growth in math achievement. Pre-Calculus Honors teacher Sushma Bana shares similar sentiments to the conclusion of this experiment. “Since you have that interest [in a subject], you’re spending more time and because of that you become better at it; it’s an upward spiral; one thing feeds off another,” Bana said. “The things you struggle with have the opposite effect because you don’t like doing them, you’re not as focused, you’re just trying to get them done.”
The Solution So rather than think of that poor test score as a result of genetic unluckiness, it’s more productive to think of it as a skill that could be improved. Also, focusing on subjects you genuinely enjoy rather than cramming your schedules with AP and Honors classes would be useful as well, as there is definitely a correlation between enjoyment of a subject and your ability in it. Bana explains that what makes a student successful in math class is a combination of factors, including enjoyment. “It’s kind of a mixture of aptitude and attitude and environment [that make a math student successful],” Bana said. “Some people enjoy math more, some people don’t, some people have [talent] but they don’t use their potential because they’re not enjoying it as much.” Bana also hints that a true solution may require a dramatic change in the school system, as the current school system only allows specific types of people to flourish in this environment, while forcing others to conform to this system and preventing the realization of their true potential. “Kids who know how to set up an equation and memorize will [succeed in math class]...but that doesn’t mean they really excel at math. They figure out a way to go through the tests and get a good grade but their logic may not be that strong,” Bana said. “[On the other hand, some kids have] the logical thinking but they’re not able to transfer that into their grades, because our system is geared towards a particular type of learner.” So, what’s really at fault: our attitudes or our environment? All of these factors play a role, but the real change must start with ourselves. Keep the words of Eva Krapohl, a doctorate student in psychology and neuroscience at King’s College London, in mind: “Heritability describes what is; it does not predict what could be.” So although we may not be equally competent in different subjects to begin with, it’s ultimately our motivation, study habits and environment that shape us. Rather than being shaped at our birth, we continually make ourselves into what we strive to be.
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The universe’s gold rush: cosmic event is attracting from space agencies arou By Saumya Tawakley What do cell phones, wedding rings and pharaohs’ treasures all have in common? At first, it may not be easy to see a clear difference, considering they all relate to such vastly different topics. But in reality, all three of these items are made of heavy metals, which are the precious metals found on Earth. These include silver, gold and platinum, to name just a few. So all the atoms in the cell phone you may hold every day, or all the atoms in those precious wedding rings on people’s hands, were made from heavy metals. But delving even deeper, where do these heavy metals come from? They definitely aren’t man-made, but how have they come to exist on Earth? This question has now been confirmed, after the collision of two neutron stars was detected in a galaxy 130 million light years away from Earth.
How It Was Detected According to Richard D. Spencer, a reference librarian at NASA Headquarters, the detection of these two stars’ collision has been the first time anything like this has been seen. Two degenerate stars, stars made up of noninteracting particles with pressure, in the galaxy NGC 4993 had been orbiting each other for billions of years, coming closer together as they circled one another. When they finally collided in October at a fraction of light’s speed, their impact sent 200 millions suns’ worth of energy into the universe in the form of gravitational waves, waves carrying energy through a gravitational field (Visual 1) These gravitational waves swept across the universe, causing gravitational wave detectors in the United States’ LIGO observatory and Europe’s Virgo observatory to sense the major event. Spencer credits the discovery to advancements in technology, allowing scientists to observe the revolutionary event. “This is an absolutely new discovery resulting from the breakthrough technology of LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory),” Spencer said. “Initially, LIGO produced no results. But, after receiving several upgrades, the new “Advanced LIGO” went live in
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September 2015 and almost immediately (within minutes!) saw the waves produced by colliding black holes.” The collision produced a pool of debris which expanded from the impact site and slowly cooled. What’s contained in this debris is the answer to our question of where heavy metals come from.
Heavy Metals on Earth Not only does the debris contain radioactive waste products, but it also contains heavy metals such as gold and platinum. The debris forms a kind of cloud which expands, becoming the size of the solar system in about a day. The heavy metals are initially formed by the merger releasing neutrons into surrounding space. These neutrons then mix in with other atoms, reacting to form the heavy metals. This heavy metal filled debris is shot into space. Over eons of time, the debris can come together and form new stars or settle around other planets, such as Earth. Chemistry teacher Kavita Gupta believes this discovery is a major breakthrough in both the fields of chemistry and astronomy. “This kind of event is really the evidence for what we’ve so long believed and that is why everybody is so excited,” Gupta said. “I hope our students can see the connection between chemistry and astronomy and space science and these are not different things. They are all interconnected. What we know in one comes from the evidence of another.” Gupta’s explanation for how this event is evidence of a long believed theory is exactly what has attracted attention from space scientists all around the world. What has so long been believed has finally been proved: the origins of heavy metals on Earth.
Next Steps The spectacular merger of these two neutron stars most likely created a black hole. This was detected by NASA’s Fermi Ray Gamma Telescope which picked up
: A great g attention und the world gamma ray bursts, signaling the probable birth of a black hole. (Visual 2) “Black holes are the glamour boys of astrophysics – they’re the ones Hollywood makes movies about and the ones that almost every kid who writes to me finds so fascinating.” Spencer said. “And yet, neutron stars produce much of the heavier elements in the Universe and the discovery of gravitational waves produces (as most good science does) more questions than it answers.” This event is sparking a new interest in space enthusiasts around the world, and people are hopeful of new technological advancements which could possibly allow us to observe similar cosmic events more often. Spencer agrees with this idea of technological advancement in the near future opening new opportunities for discoveries. “Albert Einstein believed that science could never detect and measure gravitational waves. And yet, we now have several detectors online and more arriving soon. And eventually, the European Space Agency lead LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) will put a wave detector in space,” Spencer said. “This is an absolutely revolutionary field of astronomy and the scientists in the field are ecstatic.”
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Black holes are the glamour boys of astrophysics – they’re the ones Hollywood makes movies about and the ones that almost every kid who writes to me finds so fascinating. And yet, neutron stars produce much of the heavier elements in the Universe. NASA REFERENCE LIBRARIAN RICHARD D. SPENCER
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Welcome back to NeuroCredit, the easyto-use, fun service that teaches us all how to become better citizens! By Jeffrey Gong
Today’s words of wisdom from our Great Leader: Sloth brings nothing but degeneration and death. Only through work do we truly live! Please place your fingerprint on your phone to allow us to verify your identity. One moment please… User identified. Name: Zhao Donghai. Occupation: Ecological engineer. Loading…
The results of your latest voluntary Mental Check-in have been processed! Open report? >Yes Your updated NeuroCredit score is 4975(-13 from
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last check-in on 4/8/2117). Trait Scores: Loyalty: 88(+8) Industry: 98(-1) Morality: 99(+1) Honesty: 100(+0) Teamwork:58(-1) Patriotism: 88(-1) Other Factors: Friends: 1210(-20) Finances: 1300(+0) Daily Login Bonus: 1934(+1) Your global ranking is 12398th. Earn 15 more points to reach level 30! At level 30, you can earn: 2000 Patriot Cash Priority Boarding on Mass Transit 1 free house upgrade Go to: Advanced Breakdown? Advice? Compare with Friends? Or Quit? >Advice 1.Your industry score is suffering! Yesterday, you were only productive for 87% of your designated working hours. Try and work harder to bring up your industry score! 2.Your teamwork score is suffering! Yesterday, you refused to help your colleague Yuan Shibo with her work. Try to cooperate more with your fellow citizens! 3.Your patriotism score is suffering! You have recently made purchases from foreign companies. Show your love for the motherland by buying from local businesses! 4.Your friends score is suffering! In particular, your friend Zhang Liaoning’s NeuroCredit score(2342) is bringing down your own! Encourage him to bring his score up! Go to: Synopsis? Advanced Breakdown? Compare with Friends? Or Quit?
>Quit Zhao Donghai sighed as he took off his NeuroCredit headset and placed it on his desk, a grimace on his Asiatic features. He had hoped to reach Level 30 today. Zhao had even done his mind scan several hours earlier than he needed to in order to reach it. And he could have, too-- if Zhang hadn’t dragged him down. Damn Zhang! Zhao knew very well why the other man’s score was so low. He was always forgetting to get his mind scanned, and Zhang’s, as well as Zhao’s, scores were being penalized for it. Disconnecting the headset from his smartphone, Zhao pocketed the smartphone and stood to leave. He would have to talk to Liaoning about this tomorrow. Zhao stepped out of his office at the headquarters of the Greener Future Desert Reclamation Company, where he worked. He surveyed the scene; most of his co-workers had already left, it being late at night on a Saturday. Someone had left on the television, which was tuned to a news channel. An advertisement was playing, with the voice of the cute NeuroCredit avatar advising, “Remember, our thoughts are just as important as our actions in shaping the future! Show your character and devotion to the motherland through daily NeuroCredit scans and redeem amazing prizes!” Zhao turned off the television and went towards the
exit. He saw, somewhat to his surprise, that the light in Zhang Liaoning’s office was on. Walking over to Zhang’s office, he saw that the door was slightly ajar. “Hey, Liaoning!” Zhao pushed the door open. Zhang, sitting at his desk, jumped and dropped something to the ground. “Ah, Zhao! You startled me!” Zhang said, a little annoyed as he scrambled to pick up the small black box he had dropped. Zhao frowned as he saw the box had been connected to Zhang’s smartphone with a thin wire. “What’s that?” Zhang looked up quickly as he stashed the device into his pocket. “Nothing. What did you want me for?” Zhao scowled. “Your NeuroCredit score. It’s falling, Liaoning, and you’re probably dragging the whole office down with you. Are you remembering to get your mind scanned every day?” Zhang blinked several times. “Ah…. yes, yes, sorry about that. I’m handling it.” “Are you sure?” Zhang’s cheeks reddened. “I’m handling it.” After several more moments, Zhao turned to leave. “Good to hear. See you tomorrow.” He walked away without bothering to hear Zhang’s answer. When he got home, he had to convince her wife throw away that foreign-made necklace he got her… That would score him points in patriotism for sure. A donation or two to the army probably wouldn’t hurt either. Welcome back to NeuroCredit, the easy-to-use, fun service that teaches us all how to become better citizens!
Today’s words of wisdom from our Great Leader: There is no greater joy than relentless sacrifice for the betterment of the Motherland! Please place your fingerprint on your phone to allow us to verify your identity. One moment please… User identified. Name: Zhao Donghai. Occupation: Ecological engineer. Loading… Would you like to conduct a scan? Or review a past scan? >Conduct a Scan Please wait… Initializing… The scan has begun. Please think of everything you can remember happening between your last scan and right now. Be thorough and detailed, and the process will be expedited. Zhao thought hard. He had worked two hours overtime yesterday to get his industry score back up, the program had to be able to see that in his mind, right? He had studied the Leader’s speeches, bought from local businesses… And Zhang had even brought
his NeuroCredit score up! Thinking of Zhang, though, what was he doing with that strange box, anyway? The scan has concluded. Thank you for your participation in the NeuroCredit program! Only with our minds and hearts together can we build a better tomorrow! The next morning, Zhao went to work in a very good mood. He had successfully earned Level 30 in the NeuroCredit program, and he made sure to thoroughly enjoy his new priority seat in the subway. Not only was he now Level 30, he was well on his way to Level 31, thanks to an unexpected but welcome massive boost to his Loyalty score. Intending to congratulate Zhang on bringing his NeuroCredit score up, Zhao stopped by the other man’s office and looked inside, expecting to see his coworker already there. Zhang usually arrived earlier than Zhao, as he lived closer. Instead, he saw that the office was empty-- not only of Zhang, but of Zhang’s belongings. His computer, family photos, files-- everything had been cleared out. “I never would’ve guessed.” Zhao turned to see his boss, standing with a look of disgust. What happened to Liaoning?” Zhao asked. Zhao’s boss shook her head. “The police arrested him this morning. Apparently he had hacked up his NeuroCredit score. Can you imagine that!” Zhao blinked in surprise. “What a degenerate!” Zhao’s boss continued. “What a lazy immoral pig, pretending to be a good citizen while the rest of us work hard for our NeuroCredit scores. He must have been dreaming about those damn foreigners, who never work and get fed anyway. Don’t you agree?” Zhao smiled. “Of course. People like that are nothing but trash.” Zhao felt no sympathy for Zhang. He had his NeuroCredit score to think about, after all.
Loyalty Morality Patriotism Honesty
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Awws and Coos: Baby talk and Looking Back: A semester of its role in language learning Friday Wellness days By Bhakti Patwardhan
By Bhavna Sud
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Facing a Crossroads: Tule elk in Point Reyes National Seashore Park By Daria Syskine