What If Blog #2

What if the Earth had rings like Saturn? The earth's sky would be a spectacular view. The rings would be huge just like Saturn's. I watched a video by Roy Prol, an animator that showed what Earth would look like if it indeed had rings. The animation took into consideration several calculations in order to provide a realistic animation. In the video, several locations scattered throughout the globe were shown with different views of the rings. Each location's view was considered by its latitude, southern or northern hemisphere, and location. The video stated that the rings' sizes were calculated by the Roche limit. What is the Roche limit? It was named after a French astronomer, Edouard Roche. He was the first to calculate the limit in 1848. The Roche limit is also called the Roche radius. It is a limit in which a celestial body (such as Earth) will disintegrate or decay due to a second celestial body's tidal forces that exceed the first body's self gravitation. Each planet or celestial body is held together by its own gravitational pull. A tidal force is another effect that gravity has. It produces waves of force and attraction that influence two celestial bodies upon contact with one another. The rings that orbit a planet remain inside the Roche limit. Because the Roche limit is so strong, comets that come into contact with this theoretical barrier simply break apart. What if the Earth had rings? Well, maybe the Earth would have its own defense from invaders such as comets. Maybe Earth would have its own defense. The rings orbit due to the strong gravitational force that lies between them and the planet. If Earth had rings, then maybe any meteors that come into contact with the rings would become part of the rings' orbit. This would prevent any meteoroids, meteors that have broken through Earth's atmosphere, to cause destruction to our planet like they did in the age of the dinosaurs. 

Annotated Bibliography #1

Ashley Livingston


Wendy Sumner-Winter

English 1020

15 February 2010





Annotated Bibliography



Uta, Francke. Fetal Research and Applications : A Conference Summary. Washington, D.C.: National Academy, 1994. Net Library. OCLC. Web. 15 Jan. 2010. .



This book is from 1994. It gives some good background information about how in vitro fertilization. On page 61, it says that IVF was not being funded by the government. As a result of lack of funds and ways to test this arising technology, the tests began on cows. This method is used in artificial cattle breeding. The study of oocytes in humans and how they develop would eliminate the use of fertility drugs in women. The book suggests that other areas of study surrounding in vitro fertilization and other technologies invest in more research related to infertility. The book explains on page 5 that the research must begin with the study of the two main components of conception: the sperm and the egg. The book reveals a discovery that had raised certain questions about why sperm was not combining with the egg. It continues on about funding this type of work. At the time the book was written, the government still did not want to fund research on human oocytes. However, the United Kingdom does fund these types of technology. The research would be made from aborted female fetuses, because they have a lot of oocytes.

This book is helpful to my research, because it helps me document the background of in vitro. I can learned the history and understanding that had been discovered. It will help my paper as well as the reader to develop the evolution of this research.

Uta, Francke. Fetal Research and Applications : A Conference Summary. Washington, D.C.: National Academy, 1994. Print.

Hot Zone Reflection Essay

Ashley Livingston




Wendy Sumner-Winter



English 1020



10 February 2010







Hot Zone Reflection





The Hot Zone written by Richard Preston is a well written nonfiction book. The book was really interesting. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this novel.

It is very different from other books that I have read. I really liked how the author was involved in his writing. He shared a history with the origins of the ferocious virus. The author did a wonderful job of keeping the reader informed. He incorporated definitions like “rongeur…..The word is French and means ‘gnawer.’ It is used for opening skulls” (66) very smoothly into the context, as if it was simply part of the story instead of for understanding. He also gives the reader extra features- a glossary of terms and a character list. There are a lot of names that are mentioned in the book, and the character list helped me as a reader to keep track of each person.

The book is about a filovirus and its sister strains. The virus is identified as “Ebola.” Ebola originated in Africa. The Ebola virus is “a Level 4 hot agent [that] is a lethal virus for which there is no vaccine and no cure” (47). Ebola is so powerful that if it gets out-of-control it would be “an unstoppable tidal wave” (49).

The author develops this story and presents the book’s subject matter in the way same order that the virus was being discovered. He reviews each episode of the virus in chronological order. He questions at the end the same thoughts that other scientists had questioned at the beginning of Ebola’s emergence. I liked how he emphasizes the same questions. It reveals that they might never be answered.

This book kept my focus because of the great detail throughout the book. If a new scene made an appearance the details were very vivid. The author did a great job in the way he used the details to reinforce the dangers of the hot agent, Ebola. In the chapter, “Ebola River,” the virus’s effects on the human body are described. One of the effects is “the tongue’s skin may be torn off during rushes of black vomit” (80).

The characters in the book were presented in great detail as well. I liked how the author did this because it allowed me to really “see” or imagine each character. I was able to picture characters, like the “beautiful, long blond hair[ed], eighteen year old” Nicole Berke that did not make a huge appearance. The author used people of authority in the book to show that the virus must be dealt with by experts. It helped to highlight the urgency of this filovirus.

The operation at the monkey house was intense. It generated feelings of suspense while the team of officials dealt with the sick monkeys. The author also incorporated (throughout the text) a little bit of the character’s memory from each event from the interviews he had with these people. It helps reveal the characters and what they thought.

During the planning of the “monkey house operation,” there was a particular meeting where the officials and experts tried to settle a game plan. Two characters, C.J. Peters and Joe McCormick, had a history of conflict. The tension and the animosity between them were demonstrated in the text. Their dialogue outlined their different personalities. The author also incorporated the two characters background into the story. I was able to see each character’s opinion about the other one.

The book was very orderly and presented with vivid, specific details. The author’s involvement with the story showed his interest in Ebola. He presented the book so that the reader could see the problem and maintain the same interest that he has with Ebola and the other Level 4 hot agents. The text is not an ordinary book. It is very different. The story told a bigger story. It allowed me to wonder and question things about Ebola. Overall, it was a great book, and it inspired me to become a better writer.