AL's+Week+of+February+12

__2/12/08__ - There are[| three different generations] of particles in particle physics. The higher the generation, the higher the mass and the higher generation particles tend to decay into lower generation ones.



Scientists are currently looking for an [|ultimate theory of everything], essentially one theory that can explain physics. Albert Einstein tried and failed, but one man named James Maxwell has been able to unify electricity and magnetism. At high energies, we can see that electromagnetism and weak force are just aspects of the same force.

Science currently has good physics theories for quantum mechanics, relativity, and gravity. However, these theories don't work well with each other, partially because of the limitations of living in a three-dimensional world. [|String theory] proposes that there are other, smaller dimensions where particles are strings and membranes.

Later today I went to the Notre Dame lab. At the lab I made a new sample of silicon with APTES monolayer and DNA. However, in my last DNA sample, I found no DNA when I looked at the sample under the AFM. This time I made the deposition time of the DNA plasmid 45 minutes instead of 15 minutes in the hopes of seeing more plasmids on the surface.

__2/13/08__ - Half day, and we had a class discussion.

__2/14/08__ - We got out of school early, so no Science Research class. However, I did go to the lab this day.

__2/15/08__ - Class discussion on CERN.