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Finding Something Requires Losing Something

Finding Something Requires Losing Something

 

 

Are you afraid of losing things?

 

Before you answer this seemingly straightforward question, I think you should think carefully about what losing really means.

 

No one is completely calm when he or she loses something valuable. Sometimes this loss…like losing a loved one…can be devastating.

 

On the other hand, we should keep in mind that those who are likely to succeed are ones who can overcome their loss and become stronger. This is because the key to success may be learning from the loss.

 

For example, in John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath, Joad’s family is driven from their land by drought and the dust bowl. They move west to find a better life, and as a result, they lose their familiar homeland. That is, they lose their home only to take the risk of finding a better one. Later they find no jobs and a hard life and therefore begin to lose hope and confidence. However, they are determined to work harder because they want new opportunities and a better life. As a result, the more they lose, the harder they try and more they find.

 

As another example, Rosa Parks was arrested and jailed in 1955 because she refused to give up her seat to a white person. This event inspired Martin Luther King to become one of the most powerful figures in the civil rights movement, eventually leading to the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. What did King lose? He lost his freedom, peace, and time. And he lost the most important thing to any person…his life……a hero killed by a madman. However, he found his life’s purpose and helped the oppressed find freedom.

 

On a personal note, I have faced two main paths in my academic career: to take Gao Kao and go to a Chinese college or take the SAT and go to an American college. The choice was very hard for me. Going to a Chinese college means staying close to my family and friends. Going to an American college means more diversity and new experiences and opportunities. No one knows what the future holds, and so I don’t know which path is the right one. However, I have chosen the American path because I am one adventurous woman! J This also means that I would lose the Chinese path. So, does this loss mean I would gain something in America? Well, I think that depends on how hard I work and challenge myself. I am ready!

 

There is a saying that water continues to exist even after turning into vapor. This tells us that, each time we lose something, we have a new opportunity to reach our ultimate goals.

 

Finding something requires losing something.

 

J.Du

The Effect of Various Liquid Mediums on the Transport of Photonic Energy and its Impact on the Quantum Efficiency of Photovoltaic Cells

Summary
Photons from sunlight with energy slightly higher than that of the band gap of silicon create electric current within a photovoltaic (PV) cell. However, many photons from sunlight have either insufficient or excess energy. This study was conducted to find the effect of different photon transmission mediums on the temperature and voltage output of photovoltaic cells. Two different photovoltaic cells were tested under a 20-watt halogen lamp with 6 transmission mediums: 5% NaCl solution, 5% sugar solution, deionized (DI) water, canola oil, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), and the control (air). It was hypothesized that the mediums with higher specific heats would result in relatively lower temperature increases, maintain higher voltages and have increased efficiencies compared to the mediums with lower specific heats. The voltage drop for EVOO, canola oil and air were higher than that of the aqueous solutions such as 5% sugar solution, 5% NaCl, or DI water. The results show an estimated increase of 5-6% in the performance of conventional photovoltaic cells by simply placing a layer of aqueous solution above the PV cell.

Syamantak Payra and Susan Long

A Novel Method for Producing Silver Nanoparticles

Abstract:
We created silver nanoparticles using silver nitrate and sodium alginate
through a method of mixing and heating the two solutions. The nanoparticles
were confirmed by spectrographs and electron micrograph investigations. They
proved to be very effective inhibiting the growth of E.Coli when embedded in
agar.

Nicholas Deraney, Chloe Davis, Erik Hobbs
Chris Pollard, Charlie Hobbs, Erik Hamnquist, Dan Michaud, Jacob Valluzzi

Click here for PDF file: 2012[5]

The Case of Arisu

Students’ Attitudes Toward Tap Water: The Case of Seoul City’s Arisu

by

H.S. Yoo

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed vast numbers of people paying closer attention to various health issues. Young consumers are beginning to shun fast-food products in favor of healthy alternatives such as organic food and MSG-free products. This trend may also apply to drinking water. Producers of bottled water tempt consumers through attractive advertising and promotional campaigns, and as a result, bottled water has become the product of choice among consumers across the world. However, tap water can be just as pure and safe as any bottled water, and it is generally free. Therefore, consumers’ preference for bottled water may be a poor choice. In addition, adults’ drinking habits may be different from those of young individuals. However, previous studies have focused mainly on adult consumers of drinking water. In this regard, this study examines students’ attitudes toward tap water and investigates whether there is any gender difference in these attitudes by considering the case of Arisu, a brand of tap water supplied by the Seoul metropolitan government of Korea. According to the results, there was no significant gender difference in attitudes toward Arisu. In addition, both male and female respondents preferred bottled water to tap water. Further, both male and female respondents identified the smell of tap water was the most important factor influencing their decision to avoid tap water. The results have important practical implications for the Seoul metropolitan government as well as for other local governments wishing to promote their tap water.

Keywords: Seoul, Korea, Tap Water, Arisu, Student, Attitudes

Research Apprenticeship in Biological Sciences (RABS)

The Cornell University Research Apprenticeship in the Biological Sciences (RABS) offers serious, research-oriented students the rare opportunity to join a top-notch laboratory at one of the world’s leading research institutions.

Cornell biomedical scientists strive for excellence and use their knowledge to solve global problems and benefit society. During this innovative, intensive, and highly selective program, you will become part of the renowned biomedical research community at Cornell’s Ithaca campus, studying under the guidance of distinguished Cornell faculty members as you pursue research in an area of your choosing.

You’ll develop your research skills, becoming familiar with the lab procedures, protocols, techniques, and equipment used in cutting-edge facilities. All the while, you’ll work closely with some of Cornell’s leading professors, post-doctoral fellows, and graduate and undergraduate researchers.

If you are selected as a research apprentice, you will:

  • immerse yourself in an investigative project, spending forty hours or more a week as an integral part of a research team;
  • learn about library and Internet research tools from experts in Cornell’s Mann Library, which houses a remarkable collection of life sciences materials;
  • prepare a written report on your work, suitable for publication;
  • give an oral presentation on your research, to your lab colleagues and Summer College peers;
  • earn six college credits (roughly equivalent to two three-credit university courses) and a Cornell transcript; and
  • have the opportunity to use your summer performance and the relationship you build with your mentor to get a college recommendation letter that can really have an impact.

https://www.sce.cornell.edu/sc/programs/index.php?v=170&s=Overview