By Jake Swan Some people love it. Some people hate it. Either way, last week everyone's clocks went back an hour for Daylight Savings Time. Daylight Savings Time was a concept made by George Hudson in 1895. This concept consisted of changing our clocks, moving them an hour forward March 13th and moving them back an hour November 6th. This concept was created in order to save more energy during World War I and would later be in effect during World War II. Later it was discovered that on the Winter and Summer solstices, the sun is supposed to be at its Zenith (directly overhead point) at noon and in order for this to happen the clocks have to be changed due to the Earth’s tilted axis. Daylight savings time was later accepted by the world and practiced throughout the US, as well as many parts of Asia, South America, and Oceania. In the United States, though, over the past couple years, states have been getting different opinions over this so-called practice. Usually, it was only Hawaii and Arizona who chose to not observe Daylight Savings time, but, as of the year of 2022, a total of 16 more states have decided to take action and get rid of this time change. Why are all these states getting rid of Daylight Savings Time? While there is no specific answer, many people say that getting rid of Daylight Savings time would lead to fewer car accidents, lower crime rates, and more time for exercising. Experts say that having those extra hours of daylight will allow more people to “work out” and shop more often during the day. Also, people say that if we have a year-round Daylight Savings Time, we could prevent around 37,000 deer deaths, 2,100 human injuries, and 1.2 billion in costs. Overall, it seems that everyone is split on whether they like Daylight Savings Time or not, but it seems like it will only be a matter of time before we make a lasting decision on this time change. The Sunshine Protection Act The Sunshine Protection Act was an act created in 2021 that would permanently establish a Daylight Savings Time in the United States. This would give us later sunrises and later sunsets during the 4 months when our country follows standard time. This act would give Americans more sunlight in the evening and less sunlight in the morning. Lately states have asked to get rid of this act and Congress has been stalling. Though because it was just put into act, it seems as though no actions will take place with the Sunshine Protection Act for now. Overall, it seems people are torn on the issue of Daylight Savings Time. Daylight Savings Time may go away, or it may stay, but either way, people will complain all the same. Hopefully we can find a resolution that everyone agrees with. I’ll stick by Daylight Savings time, though, because I love getting that extra sleep!
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By Lucas Fredette There are too many things to say about Elon Musk. Musk is the richest person on this planet, owns and created several enormous companies, and is very controversial. Musk recently purchased Twitter for $44 billion, and he believes it's worth it.
Twitter is one of the most influential social media platforms. Twitter is very known for its spread of information among any types of news. Political, Sports, celebrities, and more influential people have Twitter and are able to spread any type of information or opinion they please. Musk definitely has massive interest in this idea and sees money on the horizon. However, an enormous number of people have argued and talked about if Musk is the right person to run Twitter. Musk has fired about half of Twitter employees, including many executives, and made many changes that employees don't agree with. One new change is there will be no more “work wherever you want” rule. Musk is requiring 40 hours a week in the office from his Twitter employees. He has also made a new subscription for Twitter. Twitter is known for its blue checkmark of authenticity. Now you have to pay $8 a month for this checkmark. Elon is planning on this being the one of the main sources of income other than mostly advertisement. Clearly, Musk's takeover of Twitter is controversial and will be in the news for a long time. By Diego Campbell Located in northern Arizona, The Grand Canyon is a natural formation made up of layered bands of red rock and booms with Arizona's incredible desert beauty. The canyon walls reveal millions of years of geological history. The Grand Canyon is about 277 miles long, a mile deep, and 10 miles long across. Besides these facts, these are some of the reasons why it should be seen. The Grand Canyon's first recorded historical sighting was in 1540, when Francisco Vázquez de Coronado and a group of Spanish soldiers were looking for a “great river” to make water travel easier. They would find the Grand Canyon during their travels, and the Colorado River running through it a mile down. However, the river was more unmanageable than they thought, and it seemed to be the only source of water around. That being said, Coronado was smart enough to know not to take a drink from it. Coronado and his crew retreated into Texas, and the canyon was forgotten for centuries. The Grand Canyon‘s waters would finally have riders when John Wesley Powell (scientist, explorer, and cartographer), went rafting with some friends and made it to the canyon. Powell dubbed the ravine “Grand,” and mapped it out. Luckily for the region, Powell and his friends wouldn’t be the only ones who fell in love with the Grand Canyon; presidents would like it, too. Powell's map would come in handy when President Benjamin Harrison officially protected the location as a forest reserve in 1893. It would be promoted into a national monument later, after President Theodore Roosevelt took a trip to the Canyon in 1903. The Grand Canyon got its final upgrade on February 26, 1919, when President Woodrow Wilson decided that National Park status was the best way to protect the landscape and its resources. Since then, park rangers and the support the government provides have protected this park for 103 years; a streak they aren’t looking to break anytime soon. While in the Grand Canyon National Park, there are plenty of things to do. Some of the activities include hiking, mule riding, scenic driving, rafting like the men of old, and even helicopter tours. There are a lot of ways to get around the Grand Canyon by earth, river, and sky. There are designated paths for feet and wheels, and multiple companies offer professional tours of the park. Not to mention that the Grand Canyon has beautiful views, and plenty of places to view them from. The Desert View Watchtower and Hopi Point are some of these strategic vantage points. The sight of the Grand Canyon in its entire, mountainous splendor is a sight many won’t forget for a long time. Personally, I’ve been to the Grand Canyon before, with my family and a panda. My Grandpa used to take my cousins and me on road trips, and one of the ones I remember really well is when I was about eight years old, where he took us to the Grand Canyon. The canyon was humongous, and it was crazy to think that, if we fell, we’d be falling for a mile. I had brought my own stuffed panda, Hobbes, on the trip with us, and I stuck him on a fence overlooking the canyon. I took his picture up there, and it is a beautiful photo that lives in my grandparents' house. It was fun looking out at the canyon, and the Colorado River far below us, and I wouldn’t mind going back anytime soon. The Grand Canyon is a beautiful mark on America's surface. Rich in history and natural wonders, this massive national park is worth the name and honor it has been given. There are so many different ways to see its beauty and travel through it. I hope you consider the Grand Canyon for your next road trip, and don’t worry: plush pandas aren’t required.
By Manny villa On the island of Hawaii lies the volcano Mauna Loa. Mauna Loa means “Long Mountain,'' and its name is self-explanatory. The volcano extends about 75 miles from the southern tip of the Island of Hawaii across the volcano's summit to the eastern coastline near Hilo. The volcano stands at 13,681 feet above sea level. Mauna Loa is the largest volcano on the planet; so, if it erupted it would be detrimental to the Hawaiian Islands and the people inhabiting them. Mauna Loa last erupted in April of 1984. This eruption was a significant event in Mauna Loa's history. As of November 9, 2022, there have been reports of 30 small (below M3.0) earthquakes 2–3 miles below the Mokuʻāweoweo Caldera and 4–5 miles beneath the upper-elevation northwest area of Mauna Loa. Concentrations of elements such as sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon dioxide are remaining stable at the summit.
The Mauna Loa summit is closed to visitors at the moment due to this seismic activity. However, the USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) is closely monitoring it and claims that it is not erupting. The seismic unrest of Mauna Loa began in September with increased earthquake rates below Mauna Loa summit going from 10–20 per day to 40–50 per day. HVO (Hawaiian Volcano Observatory) thinks that this unrest is most likely due to renewed magma 2–5 miles beneath Mauna Loa’s summit that is expanding the volcano's internal magma reservoir system. This expansion is likely causing the earthquakes. At the moment there is an advisory warning, and there are no observations that say an eruption will happen. But it is still a possibility. By Manny Villa The CST-100 Starliner is Boeing's attempt to make commercial space travel safe and effective. Its main goal is to bring crews and cargo to the International Space Station (ISS). Since the Starliner is able to dock and undock from the space station and come back down to earth, it is essentially a reusable spacecraft. Most spacecrafts are one time use and aren't very effective for continuous back and forth travel. Starliner is very unique in its design and capabilities. It has a fully autonomous navigation system called VESTA which stands for Vision-Based Electro-Optical Sensor Tracking Assembly. The cameras and sensors work together to guide Starliner to the ISS, but is also programmed to be able to dock to other destinations if needed. Starliner moves above earth at 17,500 mph and then slows down to just 0.002 meters per second so that when it docks to the ISS it does not slam into it.
Starliner also has a special docking system that allows for easy docking and departure. Three latches close onto the ISS, then shock absorbers distribute leftover energy from the process. After this Starliner’s nose is positioned and ready for the final step. Six hooks close down to make Starliner part of the ISS. Starliner first launched on May 19, 2022. A day later it docked with the ISS. It was a historic moment for the project. However, with all Starliner’s out of this world technology things can go wrong. Tests revealed that 13 “Isolation Valves” were stuck which resulted in a launch being postponed. Another issue happened on its second launch, two thrusters shutdown likely due to an incursion of debris as stated by Mark Nappi, Starliner Vice President and Program Manager at Boeing. Other issues, even as small as an error in the softwares clock, caused a docking mission to be called off. As of October 26, 2022, Boeing has announced that the project has reached almost $900 million in costs. Although the Starliner program seems to be going through rough trials, Boeing and NASA are staying confident and are working hard to get Starliner to be 100% safe and effective for humans to travel to space in. Starliner's first astronaut mission is said to be done in early 2023. By Jack Moncure The Baja 1000 is the hardest off-road race in the world. This race is uncontested as the most grueling challenge in motorsports across the globe. This race is extremely long, usually between 800 and 1200 miles, across vast stretches of inaccessible Mexican desert, horrible terrain, horrible weather conditions, and its non-stop unlike other rallies (like Paris-Dakar). Everyone can agree on the significance of this race. Next to the World Cup, it’s the "Superbowl" of Baja. This race it's just as much about beating the next guy as it is beating the desert. Most people don't make it to the finish line much less win; so, in a race as extreme as this, it’s hard to predict the unpredictable. Here's the preview to the top competitors. Fourth pick for the 2022 Baja 1000 is Robby Gordon. Robby is a proven legendary driver in Baja. This is coupled with his unique trophy truck that he's been designing and modifying for years with a 9,500 RPM NASCAR V8. Fans love Robby for his “all out” driving style and crazy sounding engine. Robby could easily prevail in this race; so, watch out for him Third pick for the Baja 1000 is Andy McMillin's cousin, Luke McMillin ’s brother, Dan McMillin. Many things may happen during this race, but one thing is for sure, at least one member from the McMillin racing family will end up on that podium. Dan may not be as in the spotlight as his brother Luke, but he is definitely a formidable competitor in Baja, placing third at the Baja 400. Dan is rolling with the same team and innovative truck as Luke; so, watch out for him. A close second and definitely a top contender for the overall win is Bryce Menzies and Andy McMillin. (Andy and Luke happen to be cousins). The truck is another innovative AWD trophy truck, coupled with Bryce being a renowned winning driver. Andy is a known fast driver as well. This team is a definite threat to the competition. Top pick for the 2022 Baja 1000 is Luke McMillin and Rob Maccacheron. The duo will be driving Lukes new innovative Mason AWD trophy truck. This team is lethal. Luke is a proven driver with a great team behind him and a great truck. Rob is the G.O.A.T. of off-road racing, known as one of if not the best off-road driver ever. They seem unstoppable. All this is great, but what's even better is that these two have proven to work well together in the past, winning last year's Baja 1000. Look out for these guys at the top of the finishing sheet. This year's Baja 1000 course is unreleased, but no doubt it will be extreme. The course is supposed to be a loop race with extremely grueling terrain, it will go all the way up towards the border and out to San Felipe. Given these challenging circumstances, any one of these drivers (or others unlisted) could take it all. In Baja you're threading the needle between speed, breaking the car, and mental tenacity, and one mistake can end it all.
By John Arnold On April 24, 1990, NASA launched its revolutionary Hubble Space Telescope which allowed astronomers to view the formations of stars and planets as well as the power of cosmic impacts. It was a creation that would forever change the study of astronomy and, to this day, still remains one of the greatest scientific inventions in the history of mankind. Five years later in 1995, the Hubble relayed an image to NASA that would shock the world: a cosmic landscape deep in space that would later be named the “Pillars of Creation.” Now, twenty seven years later, the pillars have once again been spotted. The newest image of the pillars is courtesy of the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to the Hubble. The Webb is designed to see infrared light and electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths longer than visible light. It is said to be able to capture colors that no human eye has ever seen making it a significant upgrade from the Hubble. After 20 years and roughly $10 billion, the Webb finished construction and was launched into space on Christmas day of 2021. Nearly one year later in 2022, the Webb rediscovered the famous “Pillars of Creation” and, with its upgraded design, was able to give NASA a much clearer and detailed image than the one they received in 1995. The new image has already allowed scientists and astronomers to gain a deeper study of space and expand their knowledge about the mysteries beyond our world. Of course, the rediscovery of the Pillars is not the only reason for the Webb's tremendous success. Over the course of the past few months, it has amazed astronomers with views of stars and galaxies at the edge of time, ominous pictures of planets in our solar system, and even possible evidence of alien life. The Webb Telescope also discovered the Eagle Nebula which is 6,500 light years away from Earth but can be seen on clear nights in July and August. An image of the Eagle Nebula was taken by the Webb Telescope’s Near Infrared Camera. Astronomers are able to use the image to survey the Eagle Nebula’s stars and their types. This will allow them to improve their theories about stars and their formations. Inventions such as the James Webb Space Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope are so important because they help us to learn more about the universe that surrounds our planet. These creations teach us the wonders of space and may even be able to answer the question: are we the only form of life in the galaxy?
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