화학, 앗 시리즈로 만나기

Chemical Chaos (Paperback, New ed) ㅣ Horrible Science 3
Nick Arnold, Tony De Saulles 지음 / Scholastic / 2008년 2월

화학이라는 것은 때때로는 정말 위험하기도 하다. 어떠한 실험을 할 때에, 정확한 측정량을 맞추어 원하는 결과를 유추해내는 결과는 마음에 들지만, 가끔은 정말 위험한 실험을 해야 할 때도 있다. 혼란스러운 화학, 그 역사부터 화학에서 쓰이는 각종 물질들까지를 섭렵한다. 

There are a lot of chemicals in our life. The water, oil, gas, foods... they can called chemicals, all of them. I can tell you that  the clothes you wearing are composed with polymer. So, when did the chemistry started? The first chemistry was not called chemistry. It was alchemy. They had awsome dreams. Their purpose was to make gold from stones and make things that melt anything.(They didn't think about the container to keep them.) 

There are a lot of gases that we can use. Chlorine, ozone, methane... yes, they smells awful, too. However, the chlorine, ozone, methane are useful things for our life. Chlirine can react with many materials. Ozone is the substitute of ozone layer. Methane can be used as the new energy for our future. 

화학에서 가장 흥미를 느낀 부분은, 아마도 모든 물질이 실제로 분해해보면, 같은 구성 물질의 존재 비율이 다를 뿐이라는 사실이다. 얼마 전, 나사에서 비소를 이용하는 박테리아를 발표했는데, 실제로 이 두 물질은 같은 족 원소이기 때문에 성분이 비슷하지만, 비소는 반응성이 더 커서 우리 몸에서 어떤 반응이 일어날지 예측할 수 없기 때문에 독이 되는 것이다. 성분 물질의 특성만 보면 아무것도 아닐 것처럼 보이는데, 막상 그 이름을 들어보면 무서운 독도 화학의 재미인 듯하다.

뇌, 위대한 패러다임

Bulging Brains (Paperback, New ed) ㅣ Horrible Science 2
닉 아놀드 지음, 토니 드 솔스 그림 / Scholastic / 2008년 4월

우리 몸에서 가장 중심이 되는 부분을 뇌라고 할 수 있을 것이다. 뇌는, 인간 진화의 산물 중 가장 위대한 것 중 하나였다. 인간 진화의 산물을 예로 들면, 이족 보행, 커다란 두뇌, 입체적인 시각 등이 있다. 뇌란, 몸 전체의 체적량 대비 크기가 두뇌의 상대적인 크기라고 한다. 인간은, 모든 동물중에서 가장 커다란 두뇌를 가지고 있다. 이 뛰어난 능력을 가진 덩어리를 분석해본다. 

The bulging brains are the bundle of nerves, the brain in the cover said. Yes, there are thousands billions of brain cells called neuron. We lost 1.1 millions of brain cells a year, but don't worry. They are just really small part of our body. 

Brain use the most calories in our body. We can prove it because our head is the hottest part of our body, So, why brain have to use a lot of energy? Because this works are really hard. You should know that the transmission of impulse require energy. I told you, there are billions of brain cells. Maybe exercising needs much energy, but when you solve math problem, I know that you are using much more energy by your brain than exercising hard. 

There are several parts at brain. The cerebrum is the biggest part of our brain. It does a lot of things. When you think of something hard or strange, than this biggest part works fast. Yes, cerebrum save memories and high thinking action. The cerebellum is the hind brain. It regulate balance of our body. The midbrain, the interbrain, the afterbrain... they are all important part of body that controls our body.

사라진 잉카, 황금기를 잃다

The Incredible Incas (Paperback, New ed) ㅣ Horrible Histories 21
테리 디어리 지음, Martin Brown 그림 / Scholastic / 2008년 6월

잉카 문명은, 아즈텍 문명 등과 함께 위대했던 황금 문명으로 유명하다. 잉카하면 떠오르는 장소가 바로 엘도라도로, 온 몸을 황금으로 치장하고 다니는 이 나라를 찾아서 서양 사람들은 여행을 떠났다. 엘도라도를 향해 떠난 사람은 전멸했지만, 적어도 잉카를 발견한 사람은 성공했다. 

The Incas started with many races. They harmonized and the race from Uari dominated them. There is a funny story about this. Manco Capac, the first leader of Inca had a son named Sinchi Roca. Roca's mother made him to decorate with gold mail. So, when people gathered around the cave where Roca hided, Roca's mother called him and he came out glittering with shiny golds. So, he could became the second leader to camouflge into Sun's son. 

Let's talk about the culture of Incas. They adored llama as their nobles. They gave them red clothes on them, and decorated them with golds. They gave chicha beer and cola leaves to them. These were the perfect treat on them. However, they are just white lama. The red lamas sacrificed for every festivals. If I was born in white lama in Inca, I would be happy although I am a animal. 

They were destroyed by the man, Francisco Pizarro. Pizarro went to Inca and killed the emperor of Inca, and it disappeared. Incas were increible, but the gold civilization just disappeared from the world.

우리 몸 탐구하기

Blood, Bones and Body Bits (Paperback) ㅣ Horrible Science 20
토니 드 솔스, 닉 아놀드 지음 / Scholastic / 2008년 2월

끔찍한 과학, 제 2편. 1편에서는 다양한 종류의 동물에 대한 탐구를 했었고, 이번에는 우리 인체에 대한 다양한 탐구를 할 차례이다. 그림체가 약간 보기엔 좋지 않았지만, 인체에 대해서는 재미있게 설명해주는 것 같다. 

This book is sometimes really horrible. There is a monster just look like the man that Frankenstein made. Well, I think the doctors had to be terrible because they had to know more about their body part. So, this book was quite hard to read with draws. 

There are many body parts that protect us or keep us working. The skin protect us, and can feel many things from outside. There are billions of dead cells that we give out. If we didn't have skin, than if there was anything and we touch that, our body will tear. 

There are many visceras that works our body. And the heart can be the most important thing. It moves really powerfully, so it can press the oxygen to all of our body. There is a special result that the heart can move itself when it is out of someone's body. This is called heart's automatic movement. This is because of the east tuber. 

The lungs? It is the organ that exchange oxygen and CO2. There is a story about a woman who hiccuped just for two years. She became thin and had to stop working. She tried every method to stop this, but when two years later, it stopped. She couldn't breathe well because there was a snapped nerve. 

The body stories were really funny, but I hope the horrible draws can be changed.

Viking stories

Horrible Histories: Vicious Vikings (Paperback) ㅣ Horrible Histories 24
테리 디어리 지음, Martin Brown 그림 / Scholastic / 2007년 5월

바이킹에 대한 소문은 무척 무성하다. 음식을 좋아하는 사람이라면 바이킹에 얽힌 뷔페의 유래도 알 것이고, 날렵한 배를 가진 그들의 노략질이 유럽 역사에 얼마나 큰 영향을 끼쳤는지도 알것이다. 스칸디나비아의 추운 지역에서 온 이 강인한 전사들의 이야기, 바이킹이 전개된다. 

Vikings were great. You would think of pirates wearing horned helmets and using big axe. Yes, they are all true, but you should know that they were not only dangerous pirates or brave fighters. They were good crafts and sailors, too. 

The vikings explored a lot of places. They were already went to the Canada, and there are even stories that they found America faster than Christopher Columbus. This is why we can call them brave explorers. Where the good weapons that they use come from? It comes from the crafts who can make weapons well. So, we can understand that they had great technology. 

However, the laws or stories prove they were quite cruel. When they had problems, than they would give their life. When they killed women, than they just had to give a fine to government. In fact, I didn't know that there were government that bave laws and solve problems. Many people think they were outlaws. 

The vicious vikings were called stupid, brave, cruel... yes, they have a lot of stories. Maybe the bloody Scandanivians had to to that because of their weather, I think.