Part II: Genetics and Cloning

Article: A while back on this blog, we did a current event on bringing animals back from extinction through playing with DNA. What about a different version of the same game: creating a new predator by mixing genes? Scientists have created a new top predator that is taking over the Northeast, a mix of a coyote and wolf, called an Eastern Coyote. From an evolution perspective, wolves and coyotes stopped mating around 2 million years ago. However, scientists created this hybrid in labs, mating female coyotes with male grey wolves. The result is an animal 40% bigger than a coyote with powerful wolf-like jaws, but more social than the loner coyote; it hunts in packs. Kids: what do you think about this? Click here for pictures of the hybrid. 

Plastic Waste

Article: In today's NYT op-ed, a U.S. marine captain and researcher wrote about the devastating impact of plastic on ocean life and the environment. Kids: name 5 things in your house made from plastic. Now think of what you do with those plastic things when you don't want them anymore (answer: throw them away or recycle them). Plastic is very hard to recycle--it melts quickly but is hard to clean and sanitize. And it makes its way into ocean trash very easily. Once in the ocean, it breaks down slowly over centuries and in the meantime, entangles and slowly kills millions of sea animals: fish think plastic is food when it is actually toxic for them and chokes them to death. Or they eat the plastic particles and then when we eat those fish, we carry those toxins. Fishermen use plastics in their floats, nets, lines and tubes. When this equipment is accidentally lost or lost in storms, it also contribute to harmful ocean waste. Kids: what can we do to stop this problem? If we use less plastic, what are replacements? (Use glass containers instead of plastic ones; use cloth shopping bags instead of plastic, etc.) What did people use before plastic?

Math and Science from Israel

Article: The Israeli team, for the first time ever, has won the International Math Competition, held this year in Bulgaria. The students were two Tel Aviv University students and 4 Technion students. Go Israel!

Article: Israeli scientists have created a brand new technology that closes open wounds quickly and temporarily to prevent them from further hurt or contamination until they can get to a hospital. TopClosure 3S Trauma Management System is for mass-casualty situations, like in war or natural disasters (Kids: what are some examples?) How wounds have traditionally been treated is that medics clean the wound and then suture it, applying a skin graft. TopClosure instead stretches the edges of the skin over the wound using adhesive plates on either side. This creates more tension, which is better for the wound. Later, the device can be "zipped" open to further treat the wound. (Kids: who can use TopClosure?) It is being most lauded for its simplicity. Click here for a video.

Just for fun: Fireworks Quiz and Video

See if your kids can answer these questions about fireworks:

• When were fireworks invented? (7th Century, over 1000 years ago)
• Where were fireworks invented? (China)
• Is there such thing as fireworks competitions? (Yes, international events in Montreal, Vietnam, and Philippines, to name a few)
• Where was the largest display of fireworks ever? (Dubai, New Year celebrations, 2014. It took 10 months to plan, and 6 minutes to unleash over 500,000 fireworks)
• Are fireworks good or bad for the environment? (Some say bad. The smoke and dust resulting from fireworks, when distributed into water, can be toxic to fish and other water life)

Now watch this Video of Chinese fireworks, considered the best in the world!

Obituary: David Azrieli, died at the age of 92

Article: David Azrieli,one of the greatest Israeli personalities, died recently. His famous Azrieli towers dominate the Tel Aviv skyline; he brought the indoor mall to Israel and even named them (kanyon). David was born in 1922 Poland as David Azrylewicz. He escaped into Russia during the Holocaust, survived getting shot, and made his way to Palestine with Moshe Dayan. He fought in the War of Independence then went to Canada in 1954 where he worked as a Hebrew teacher and real estate developer. He built a real estate empire in Canada, the US and Israel. He also became a philanthropist (Yad Vashem, Technion, Weizmann Institute), married and had four children. A tremendous Zionist and real estate visionary, he built in areas people thought him crazy (a mall in Jerusalem!) and never stopped defending the State of Israel and Jewish people.

  

When to Take Threats Seriously?

Article: There have been problems with some people using guns irresponsibly, mainly because guns are pretty easy to acquire in America (as opposed to other countries). In some (often public) high schools, some students even bring guns to school and sometimes try to shoot them there. Recently, a 15-year old student from Valencia, Santa Clarita County, CA, threatened on Instagram to bring his gun to school and use it. He also posted pictures of guns and made mean comments about girls, minorities, and others. Police took this very seriously, have arrested the boy and searched his home for weapons.

Questions for Kids: Do you think the police did the right thing? If someone writes something online, when should police get involved? If you were to create the law on this, what would it be and how would you determine when to use the law?

Detroit Water Problem

Article: Apparently in the city of Detroit, there is a tradition not to pay your water bill. If you can't afford to pay all your bills that month, the water bill is the one to skip because they probably won't notice you haven't paid your bill for almost a year. But lately, the water department has gotten upset that thousands of people stopped paying their water bill and owe the them cumulatively millions of dollars. And so the water department finally began turning off people's water. People in Detroit are furious that they have no water and the UN has even castigated Detroit for depriving people of this basic human right. In response, Detroit has worked out a new payment plan that keeps people's water on and helps them pay their bills. Kids: who is in the wrong here? Make arguments pretending you are either the city or people who's water has been turned off.

Star Fish Dying En Masse

Article: Massive amounts of star fish are being found dead off the West Coast and no one knows why. It seems there is a disease spreading among them, causing them to catch the disease and die in as short as 24 hours. Sea cucumbers are also suffering from this. Scientists are scrambling to find out why. 12 different star fish species are at risk. In some areas, the star fish are going extinct overnight. The disease appears to be very lethal. Starfish may seem not very important, but they're actually a critical species in many marine environments. Most live near the shore, but some live at the bottom of sea. Few things eat them, so they are a top predator, eating mussels, barnacles and sea snails.

Not Letting BDS Win

Article: An Israeli hip hop opera company, The City, was supposed to perform in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. But anti-Israel protesters succeeded in getting the venue owner to cancel the performances. The Israeli performers were very upset. They didn't think it was fair that they be targeted just because they are Isrealis. The show is totally not political. So they decided to still perform. They went to a local meadow and performed their show to an audience of 20 people. See a Video about the show. Kids: what do you think about this--about the show being cancelled; about how the Israeli performers responded.

Hand of God Protecting Israel

Article: We read of miracles in the Bible/Torah and today we are actually seeing miracles happen, God intervening to help Israel against Hamas, who is set to destroy Israel. All of the praying we have been doing all summer and all the mitzvot have had a direct impact and are not only bringing the Jewish people together but are causing miracles. In Judaism, we believe that people must not rely on miracles, they must act on their own. These are two great examples of both at work:

(1) Israel, with American aid, invented Iron Dome, which shoots rockets into the air to stop rockets from Gaza. Last week, as testified by an Iron Dome operator, a rocket was heading straight for Tel Aviv. Two iron dome rockets were sent to stop it, one after another, and neither one worked for a reason no one understands. The Hamas rocket was headed straight for the Azrieli tours, the Israeli pentagon or the main train station. Any of these locations would have been catastrophe. With seconds left before the rocket hit, IDF soldiers called emergency services and told them to prepare for the worst. And then, 4 seconds before hitting, a mighty wind came from nowhere and pushed the Hamas rocket into the sea.

(2) IDF soldiers were undergoing a pre-dawn raid in Gaza. They were doing it secretly, at night. It took longer than expected and dawn was breaking. If they were exposed, they would likely be killed by Hamas. Suddenly, a thick mist covered them and shielded them onto the raid was over and they were safe. Just like the cloud that protected the Jews in the desert.

In a powerful quote, a journalist asked one of the terrorists from Gaza why they couldn't aim their rockets to do more damage in Israel. The terrorist replied, We do aim them, but their God changes their path in mid-air.” 

Today is Tisha B'Av

Today is Tisha B'Av a traditional day of mourning for the Jewish people and a collective fast day. On this one day, both the First and Second Temple in Jerusalem were destroyed, 500 years apart, on this day, Jews were ordered expelled from Spain in 1492, and other tragedies in Jewish history. It is also said that the Messiah/mashiach will be born on Tisha B'Av.
Here is a video about this day. Ask kids what they are thinking and praying for today. What do they think the Beit Hamikdash/New Temple in Jerusalem will look like when it is rebuilt?

UCLA Pipe Bursts Causing Major Damage

Article: This weekend, a major water pipe burst under UCLA's Pauley Pavilion, spewing 20 millions gallons of water. (Kids: why is this terrible at his particular time -- the Drought!) Just as bad, Pauley Pavilion just finished a major $136 million renovation 2 years ago. Because of the water pipe burst, 400 cars were submerged and had to be towed out; the entire floor of Pauley Pavilion must be replaced. People had to be rescued. The entire area was submerged for hours. Click here for pictures of the damage. It will take till October to repair all of the damage.