Rick Riordan - The Lightning Thief

Percy Jackson is going on a field trip with his friend Grover. They are at a museum on a tour with Mr. Brunner. Percy pushed (or used water to pull) a girl into a fountain. Percy's math teacher, Mrs. Dodds, asks Percy to follow her. They go into a Greek and Roman section of the museum that is deserted, and Mrs. Dodds transforms into a shriveled monster with bat wings and leaps at Percy. Mr. Brunner then throws a pen at percy, which he grabs, and it turns into a sword. Percy slices Mrs. Dodd's arm off and she turns to dust. Percy was then alone in the room, left to wonder if what he had seen was real. I believe that this book is odd, over-exaggerated, and easy to read. It is also the perfect book for me to read for the last few weeks of school.

Jack Horner - How to Build a Dinosaur

Jack believes that religion and science do not conflict as much as many would think. Science, he says, can be proven wrong, whereas spiritualism cannot be proven wrong. On a different note, Horner goes on to say that embryos of all four-legged creatures, also called quadrupeds, are very similar. All have a spine, which can grow into a tail. they all have eyes that can develop differently. Therefore, Jack Horner believes it is possible to achieve reverse evolution. Overall, this book has been very fascinating and has brought up many valid and thought-provoking points. I have enjoyed this book, but hope to read a more exciting and fantastical book for the remainder of the school year.

Pages 200-220(END)

Jack Horner - How to Build a Dinosaur

The structure of a tail is actually much more complex than the structure of a limb or even that of a wing. This is due to the tail having 2 more major components than the tail, the central nervous system and the notochord. The notochord and central nevous system allow the tail to be used to balance a creature and to allow it more movement. Tails contain vertebrae just like a spine, and vertebrae are derived from somites. To me, the tail allowing creatures to balance is interesting, because without it, a T. Rex would just be a clumsy giant, unable to run as fast and often tripping.

Pages 180-200

Jack Horner - How to Build a Dinosaur

The digits (fingers and/or toes)of humans are seemingly derived from those of early fish and tetrapods. Though, these creatures most likely could not walk on land, only on the ocean floor and in shallow water. Digits could, in theory, be modified during their initial growth, as evidence shows that this is what happens during evolution. Therefore, (once again theoretically,) it should be possible to modify digits of creatures, giving them the characteristics of their ancestors. In other words, reverse evolution. All of this does (mostly) make sense to me, and seems reasonably fool-proof, though it has not yet been performed.

Pages 160-180

Jack Horner - How to Build a Dinosaur

Mice and insects are used in scientific experiments because their body systems are so similar to humans. Also, i believe another reason small animals are used for testing is because they will process anything introduced into their body much more quickly, due to faster heart rate and smaller size. Smaller sizes of chemicals would need to be used too, so money and materials can be conserved. Since DNA is so similar in every organism, and is made up of proteins, which can alter external as well as internal physical features, by modifying DNA devolution, or reverse-evolution, is theoretically possible. I believe that it is thought provoking, having DNA similar to a fly's yet being completely different in almost every other way.
Pages 140-160

Jack Horner - How to Build a Dinosaur

Similarities in the vertebrae, pelvis, hind limb, and pectoral arch show that birds may very likely have descended from dinosaurs. Many fossils have been discovered with a "wishbone" and evidence of feathers, showing a link between dinosaurs and birds (even though these dinosaurs most likely could not fly). The best example of a bird-dinosaur hybrid was found in China, incredibly preserved with it's last meal still in it's stomach, and feathers still intact!

Pages 120-140

Jack Horner - How to Build a Dinosaur

Molecules can become fossils just as bones can, Peggy Ostrom, a biochemist at Michigan State University. Biochemicals within bones can be extracted and then crystallized. This is called mass spectrometry, and has been used to determine many things, like that horses are exactly the same as they were 42,000 years ago. This process does seem useful, but i believe it is also one-sided and can only tell whether genes of animals now are the same as genes of animals long ago or not.

Pages 100-120
(This entry was to be written on Sunday, but was not)