Time: School's Out

Time: School's Out

By Molly Ball and Katie Reilly

    President Trump has been pushing for schools to reopen. As seen in the photo, some schools have been testing pilot programs for what in-person learning could look like in the fall. Mandatory masks, hand-washing, temperature checks, and plastic shields around desks. Classes could also be staggered to avoid too many students on campus. An even bigger problem is transportation. With buses reduced to just a fraction of normal capacity, families with full-time working parents could have a difficult time getting their kids to school.

    The current federal guidelines suggest that schools reopen during Phase 2 with proper precautions in place. But people like President Trump say that is too restrictive, and schools should reopen faster. It is true that online learning can be problematic in the long run, with many students struggling or zoning out; besides, it just doesn't provide the same stimulus as in-person learning. Still, many parents would rather try their hand at homeschool than put their kids in danger. Learning "pods" with groups of children and tutors have been booming as working parents try to help their kids.

    While it is true that countries in Asia and Europe have successfully reopened, their governments have brought the virus under control. Cases have declined in those countries, and countries that reopened to fast, like Israel, saw a second shutdown. Experts say that if Trump wants schools open again, he has not done enough to control the virus. Until then, schools will just be another casualty of COVID-19.

TedEd: The imaginary king who changed the real world

A TedEd by Matteo Salvadore

In 1165, a strange letter circulated through Europe. It told of the biblical Tower of Babel and the Fountain of Youth. The letter was signed by a certain Prester John. Although we now know this was false, it impacted European history for centuries. It spurred on the Age of Exploration, caused intercontinental diplomacy and indirectly caused Civil War. When the letters first appeared, Europe was in the midst of the Crusades, a series of wars agains Muslims in an attempt to control Jerusalem, the Holy Land. The Church vilified all the other religions that populated the region, such as Judaism and Islam. During these wars, the Christian rulers needed allies, and were interested in the rumors of a powerful Christian king who had defeated the Muslims. This king was actually a Mongol army with a few converted Christians that had wreaked havoc. However, unreliable news transportation ended up with the tale being converted to a Christian army in the Middle East, with a letter by Prester John to back it up. Although obviously Christian propaganda, European leaders were guessing at his location, and began searching for his descendants along the Silk Road a century later. When the Mongol empire fell, Europe began to search along Africa about the time that Ethiopians began to travel to Rome. Because their location and timing matched Prester John, the Portuguese believed the Ethiopian king was Prester John and formed an alliance with them. Over time, however, it became clear that Ethiopia wasn't what they thought it was, and the alliance dissipated. On top of that, the Catholic Church declared the Ethiopian sect of Christianity heretical, which tossed Ethiopia into civil war. Eventually, the myth of Prester John faded into history books.

Air and Space: The shocking resurrection of the F-15

Air and Space: The shocking resurrection of the F-15

By Preston Lerner

    The original F-15 was built to be a multi-capability fighter that could famously fight its way both in and out of trouble. It began as a one seater developed for air-superiority after Russian aircraft began defeating the U.S. in dogfights during the Vietnam War. It later evolved into the F-15E, the two seater, two engine fighter, variations of which are sold to other countries long after the last Air Force purchase in 2004.

    Soon, it will be produced as the F-15EX with one of the best flight and mission control systems in the world. There has been much debate over the Air Force decision to procure these planes. Many people believe that the AF needs newer, fifth-generation air craft, which can avoid detection by radars. However, the F-15 won out, primarily due to its cost. It is much cheaper than F-35, a fifth-generation plane. On top of that, anti-radar planes also need a special coating, upping upkeep costs. Of course, it has an amazing flight record as well, topping out at Mach 2.5, carrying 18 and 12 of air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles, all with 100% mission completion. the Air Force has asked for money to buy 8 of the updated version in its latest budget request.

National Geographic: How devastating pandemics change us

National Geographic: How devastating pandemics change us

By Richard Conniff

    We have had many pandemics to teach us lessons on how to avoid them in the past. But every time, we forget when it is just out of sight.

    Vaccines were discovered in the 1700s to fight smallpox. The first vaccine was created from the pustules on infected people, then later perfect to cowpox viruses, which milk maids had found to protect against smallpox later on. It took a while for the idea to catch on, but eventually led to the eradication of smallpox.

    People once believed that bad smells and the four humors caused disease. But as people moved to the larger cities with every decreasing sanitary conditions, scientists began to learn that dirty streets and people transmitted infections, leading to cleaner cities.

    More recently, Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch, although bitter enemies, made huge breakthroughs by proving that tiny microbes cause disease, and that heat can be used to kill them. They also found that these bacteria can reproduce like normal organisms to spread. Koch, although largely unrecognized, showed that the bacteria form spores in the case where they cannot find new hosts, thereby preserving themselves until they can spread again.

    We have entered the frightening pandemic world of our ancestors. And the big takeaway is this. When this is all past, we cannot just forget. We must remember, learn. Because the next great pandemic is lurking out there somewhere.