S E C O N D A R Y 1 This material is a collective work, conceived, designed and created by the Editorial department at Santillana, under the supervision of Teresa Grence. WRITERS Mariano García Rosalie Wheeler EDITORS Ana Piqueres Dave Wile EDITORIAL MANAGERS Begoña Barroso Nuria Corredera PROJECT DIRECTOR Antonio Brandi BILINGUAL PROJECT DIRECTOR Margarita España Do not write in this material. Do all the activities in your notebook. INNOVATIONS IN SCIENCE IN THE 21st CENTURY SCIENTIFIC GLOSSARY Biology and Geology
Content s Innovations in Science in the 21st centur y 3 Giants that watch the sky 4 Rare minerals recently discovered 6 ARGO, climate research through the ocean 8 How can we improve air quality? 10 Fungi that eat plastic and make materials 12 Growing plants in space 14 A rare new species of jelly fish 16 Technology that saves endangered animals 18 Intelligent natural spaces 22 Scientific glossar y 25 2
Innovations in Science in the 21st centur y 3
Gi ant s t hat watch t he sky The Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) It is currently the largest and one of the most advanced infrared optical telescopes in the world . It is found in one of the best locations in the Northern Hemisphere, the Roque de los Muchachos Obser vator y (La Palma , Islas Canarias). Its primar y mirror consists of 36 hexagonal segments acting together as a single mirror with a diameter of 10.4 metres. Thanks to its large mirror and advanced engineering, the GTC is among the best performing telescopes for astronomical research . In its first twelve years of obser vation , the GTC has allowed us to see the cosmos as never before. There is almost no type of astronomical object that the GTC has not explored with its obser vations: extrasolar planets, evolved stars, black holes, primitive stars, magnetic fields in the centre of the galaxy, faint galaxies, dark matter, gravitational lenses, and highly energetic explosive events, among others. IAC Bulletin (Adapted) “The scientific results obtained with the GTC,” says Rafael Rebolo, current director of the IAC, “are exceptional, not only for the quantity of data obtained and scientific articles published, but also for their quality and impact. In its work carrying out frontier science, certain observations stand out, such as the detection of the galaxy UG00180, at a distance of 500 million light years, whose images are the deepest taken of any galaxy from the Earth.” He is the founder of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) and its first director. He promoted and developed the GTC project. Several institutions from Mexico and the University of Florida (USA) collaborate with this Spanish project. The IAC includes the Obser vator y on La Palma and the Teide Obser vator y on Tenerife. They contain the largest collection of optical and infrared facilities for astrophysics inside the European Union . Franc i s co Sánchez 1936. Toledo. Spain Astrophysicist The GTC had i t s fi rst l ight i n 2009 > Find out why its presence on the island of La Palma makes Roque de los Muchachos a very important place for astronomy. 4
> Radio telescopes are usually quite large, if not as large as the FAST. Do you know why? > What advantages do space telescopes have over land telescopes? And land telescopes over space telescopes? The Five-hundred-metre Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) Construction began in 2011 in the Chinese province of Guizhou . Its 4 450 panels form a circular structure of 500 metres in diameter, an area equivalent to that of 30 football fields. This makes it the world’s largest radio telescope. It is also the most powerful . Its main mission is to search for clues about the origin of the universe and to advance the search for extraterrestrial life. However, according to its creators, it will also provide astronomers with new information on distant galaxies; detect dark matter and energy ; and discover new pulsars, neutron stars that emit intense radiation . In addition , it will allow scientists to locate carbon molecules more accurately than before. National Geographic Spain (Adapted) NASA’s James Webb space telescope Webb, the largest and most complex space telescope ever built, is able to gather light that has been travelling for 13.5 billion years, almost since the beginning of the universe. In ef fect, Webb is a time machine, allowing us to obser ve the first galaxies to form after the Big Bang. Because it gathers infrared light, it sees right through the giant clouds of dust that block the view of most other telescopes. With its 6.5-metre-wide set of segmented mirrors, Webb is powerful enough to search for water vapour in the atmospheres of planets orbiting other stars. It is able to obser ve these exoplanets, in wavelengths of light at which they have never been seen before. It will provide new insights about their nature, and search for signs of habitability. Webb will help us understand how galaxies evolve over billions of years. NASA Bulletin (Adapted) The FAST be came ope rat ional i n 2016 James Webb wa s l aunched i n De c embe r 202 1 5
A mineral found inside a diamond that reveals the Earth’s interior The tiny black specks can be obser ved in a diamond extracted in Orapa , a mine in Botswana . They are inclusions of a mineral found in Earth’s mantle, called davemaoite. In 2021, scientists found this mineral in nature for the first time (it had previously only been synthesised in laborator y experiments). Davemaoite is a calcium silicate containing radioactive uranium, thorium and potassium, which generate one third of the amount of heat in the Earth’s lower mantle. It therefore contributes to the circulation of heat between the mantle and the crust, which drives processes such as plate tectonics. The mineral cannot exist on the surface as it is only stable under conditions of high pressure and temperature, such as those found in the lower mantle, at depths greater than 660 km. But these particular specks were found inside a diamond that transported them intact from deep in the Earth . It is the structure of the diamond that keeps the inclusions at high pressure. Science News (Adapted) Rare mi neral s recently di scovered The strangest minerals on Earth Nevadaite, composed of vanadium and copper, is formed under ver y restricted conditions. Its cr ystals are microscopic. Only two specimens have been found: one in Nevada (USA) and one in Kyrgyzstan . It was approved by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) in 2002. Ichnusaite is created through a subterranean mixture of two radioactive elements: thorium and lead . Only one specimen has ever been found: in Sardinia (Italy) in 2013. El País (Adapted) > Research what features a mineral must have to be considered rare. > The article in El País speaks of another mineral, fingerite, discovered in 1940. Describe its features. > Search the internet for images of the mineral davemaoite. Describe what you see in them. 6
Kamchatka, the volcanic peninsula in Russia where dozens of new minerals have been found This place has about 160 volcanoes, of which 29 are active in an area of 472 300 km². The gases and minerals that are deep in the Earth are extracted by the activity of the volcanoes and mix with the water of the fumaroles at an extremely high temperature. This makes Kamchatka a natural source of new minerals. Chemical phenomena occur all the time in this region . “Almost like those that occur in laboratories, but in this case naturally,” adds Brugger. He is the Australian geophysicist who led the team that found a new mineral on Kamchatka in 2016: nataliyamalikite. At the end of 2020, researchers at the University of St. Petersburg, led by the geologist Filatov, discovered petrovite. The structure of this mineral can be copied and modified in the laborator y to improve the production of electric batteries. BBC World News (Adapted) > Find Kamchatka on a map. Is it close to the Pacific Ring of Fire? Explain whether its location is related to its activity. 7
ARGO, cl imate research t hrough t he ocean The ocean , along with the atmosphere, spreads the heat that reaches the equatorial and tropical zones all over the planet. Studying it is fundamental to understanding the climate and predicting its behaviour. To this end , the Argo international programme was conceived . Argo has deployed 4 000 buoys across the world ocean . They measure pressure, temperature, salinity and other factors. In less than 24 hours all the information is available, free of charge, to the entire public. How does the data collection work? The buoys, also called profiling f loats, are connected to a satellite on the surface when they are released . After this, they sink to a depth of 1 000 metres, where they remain drifting for 9 days. Then they dive to up to 2 000 metres (or more) and immediately begin to ascend toward the surface. As they ascend , they record a vertical profile of the ocean , taking precise measurements of temperature and salinity ever y 1.5 metres. So far, more than 2 million profiles have been made. Upon returning to the surface, the Argo buoys send the data from their 10-day trip to the nearest available satellite. Then they dive back beneath the surface for a new cycle. Argo and Investigación y Ciencia (Adapted) Argo and ocean warming The ocean is an ideal place to identify long-term warming trends in our climate system. The figure shows the average temperature anomalies in the global ocean measured by Argo. The temperatures of the top 600 metres f luctuate with short-term weather events, such as El Niño. The deeper waters, however, show a constant warming trend , which is indicative of a general warming of the Earth’s climate. ARGO ha s been ope rat i ng s i nc e 2000 8
> Find out how many types of buoys there are, their size and their economic cost. > What information of interest does the 9-day drift at 1 000 m below the surface provide? > Why is the ocean an ideal place to observe climate change? Explain why the increase in the temperature of the deep ocean, rather than the layers closer to the surface, is more significant in terms of estimating global warming. Spanish participation in Argo Spain’s participation in Argo began in 2002. In 2006 the European Union started the development of the Euro-Argo project, which currently contributes to the maintenance of one third of the network. Since 2017, Spain has been a full member of the project. At the beginning of 2022, it has 24 active buoys and has recorded 13 349 profiles. This represents 0.6 % of the global coverage and 10 % of the Mediterranean Sea . Spai n ha s been a membe r of Eu ro -Argo s i nc e 2017 9
How can we improve ai r qual it y? > Explain what the main chemical pollutants in the atmosphere are. > Do you think it is important to do research to improve air quality? Why? Why air pollution kills us According to recent estimates by the WHO, air pollution in cities and rural areas around the world causes seven million premature deaths each year. To bring it closer to home, that means more than 400 000 premature deaths a year in Europe. These deaths are due to exposure to an invisible enemy : small particles that are 2.5 microns or less in diameter. They cause cardiovascular and respirator y diseases, and cancer. A complex mixture of solid particles, liquid droplets and chemical gases form from industrial emissions, the burning of solid fuels, traf fic and many other sources. […] Improving air quality requires action by cities; our mayors; and , of course, by national and international agencies in sectors such as transport, energy, construction and agriculture. El País (Adapted) Ma r í a Nei ra González 1962. Asturias. Spain Doctor. Director of Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, WHO 201 5 Technological solutions to reduce environmental pollution in large cities Start-Stop technology. It aims to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the atmosphere and to save fuel when the vehicle has stopped momentarily, for example at traf fic lights or in traf fic jams. In such situations, the system enters standby mode and shuts down the engine. By simply pressing down the clutch pedal , the engine is activated again . Hand Tree. It is an air -purifying bracelet that works like a plant. It takes in carbon dioxide and converts it into oxygen . According to its young creator, Alexandr Kostin , the bracelet is able to purify the air and remove, among other pollutants, dust and smoke. EcoGranic. This is a pavement that ef fectively eliminates nitrogen oxides, the pollutants that produce the “ berets” that cover some cities. This technology is already used in dozens of cities in Spain . 10
> Visit the Breathelife website and search for air pollution data from your city or Autonomous Community. Get into groups and think up a solution to improve the air quality of your environment. 2019 The BioSolar leaf that does the work of 100 trees Scientists at Imperial College, London , are collaborating with start-up Arborea on the BioSolar leaf — large panels covered with tiny plants that occupy the surface area of a single tree. The plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen at a rate equivalent to 100 trees. The cultivation system also generates organic biomass from which Arborea extracts food additives for plant-based food products. Roofs that reduce smog In the United States, manufacturing conglomerate 3M has designed pollution-reducing granules to cover roof tiles. The product is activated by the Sun’s UV rays, generating elements that bind with the chemicals in polluted air and transform them into water -soluble ions that eventually wash away in the rain . Tests by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laborator y found that an average-sized roof coated in granules removes as much pollution from the air as three trees would . Airlite, the paint that purifies the air like a vertical garden One hundred square metres of wall is equal to the same area of forest. It destroys 88.8 % of atmospheric pollution , neutralises odours and removes virtually all bacteria . It also eliminates and prevents the growth of mould and fungi . It does not contain solvents, or petroleum products, which cause the emissions that pollute the air. It produces zero emissions and actively cleans up pollution . In Rome, the largest graf fiti mural in Europe is painted using Airlite. Tree walls in the middle of the city German start-up Green City Solutions’ mossy living walls, built over wooden benches, are the world’s first intelligent biotech air filter. The ability of certain moss cultures to filter pollutants from the air make them ideal natural air purifiers. The mosses are connected with fully automated water and nutrient provision based on unique Internet of Things technology. UN Environmental programme (Adapted) Four innovations to clean the air in our cities 11
13 Scientific glossar y
A Adaptations. Adaptations let living things to inhabit different environments. These may consist of structural modifications, changes in physiological processes or even variation in behavioural patterns. Air. Gas mixture laying in the troposphere, mainly consisting of nitrogen and oxygen . Algae. Group of unicellular or pluricellular protoctist whose cells do not form tissues. They perform photosynthesis. Angiosperms. Group of plants with flowers, vascular tissues and seeds inside fruits. For example, the apple tree or the poppy. From the Greek angeion: receptacle and sperma: seed . Annelid. Group of invertebrate with an elongated and soft body, divided in segments or rings. For example, the earthworm. From the latin annellus: little ring. Anther. Part of the stamen which contains the pollen grains. Anura. Group of amphibians, with no tail . Their back legs are long and adapted for jumping. They are the frogs and toads. From the Greek an: without and oura: tail . Aquifer. Underground water reser ves. Arthropods. Group of invertebrate covered by an exoskeleton with a segmented body and articulated appendages. For example, the beetle or ant. From the Greek arthron: articulated and podo: foot. Articulated appendix. Paired structures presented in arthropods made by articulated elements like the legs, the wings or the antennas. Asteroid. Small , metallic and rocky body in space with a irregular shape. Atmosphere. Layer of gases that surround a planet. The Earth atmosphere is formed by air. From the Greek atmós: steam and sphâira: sphere. Atrium. Sponge or poriferous internal cavity. Autotrophic. Organism that produces organic substances by itself, using an energy source like solar light, and inorganic substances like water and mineral salts. From the Greek auto: by itself and trophós: to eat. 24
B Bacillus. Rod-shape bacterium. Big bang. Scientific theor y that proposes an explanation of the origin of the Universe and its expansion from a big explosion 14 billion years ago. Bilateral . Type of symmetr y presented in animals that divides the body in two identical sides. Binar y fission. An asexually type of reproduction in which a cell is divided in two daughter cells, identical to the mother cell . This is common in bacteria and some protozoa . Biocenosis. Also known as community. It consists of all the populations of living things in an ecosystem. From the Greek bios: life and koinós: common . Biodiversity. All the living things that live in a specific place. The variety of species is consequence of evolution and adaptation presented by living things. Biofuel . An efficient and less polluting fuel extracted from vegetables. Biosphere. It is made up of all the living things on Earth . From the Greek bios: life and sphâira: sphere. Biotope. All the non-biological components of an ecosystem like rocks, water and air and all the physical variables that can be measured: temperature, light, humidity, etc. From the Greek bios: life and tópos: place. Bitominous coal . Sedimentar y rock formed from the remains of living things buried millions of years ago. It is a fossil fuel predecessor of the anthracite, coal that has the highest energy content. Bivalves. Group of invertebrate with a shell consisting in two hinged valves connected by a ligament. For example, clams, mussels and cockleshell . From the latin bi: two and valva: door. Budding. An asexually type of reproduction that produces a protusion or bud capable of developing into a new organism. Bulbs. These are underground stems inside fleshy leaves. The leaves store nutrients. Each bulb can produce a new plant. For example, the onion . > W rite a short text in which you include three terms defined in these two pages. > G ive an example of a natural adaptation in animals, and another in plants. > L ooking at the definition of arthropods, would you know the meaning of apod? > H ow many animal groups are in these two pages? Classify them into vertebrates and invertebrates. 25
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