Hybrids...What are hybrids? Hybrids are animals that share the DNA of two different but still similar looking animals close to the same species. These animals called hybrids might acquire different physical traits than their parents, most will not look like one or the other but instead more like a cross between both species. for example there is a liger which is a cross between a lion and a tiger, polar bear and a grizzly bear will make a pizzly or a grolar bear and there are so many more mixtures of animal’s.   

How? Hybrids are created when two territories belonging to two different species are combined or are exposed to one another. But the two species have to resemble each other in a way as their diet or there way of travel like on foot or flying, even swimming. Even though the parents can reproduce and continue their species, that is not the case for most hybrids. Because most are sterile, which means they can not produce any children or young. Only if there were enough of those same hybrids they could  be classified into their own species.

Migration patterns. Some hybrids might also acquire different migration patterns. Some bird hybrids that migrate will split in the middle of their parents migration-routes and go in the middle. Others will go out from one and come back from the others which means that it will be harder for them to recognize their surroundings. Because birds make their migration by remembering landforms which will make it harder for them to get were they are going in time.

Predators. In the case of some animal hybrids, there might be a non-advantageous part, as the parents physical traits might not work well together, In this case it will be with fish and how they might have disadvantages. Anders Nilsson recently came to this  finding. Nilsson is a biologist at Lund University in Sweden. In 2005, He and his team was studying two fish species named common bream and roach. Both fish live in a lake in Denmark. And migrate into streams during winter. Common bream; the bream appears diamond-shaped with a taller middle than its end. The roach is closer to a slim oval, and the hybrid is somewhere in between.
  
So in conclusion, hybrids are animals that share the DNA of two different animals which share physical traits of both parents. This trait might work as an advantage or a disadvantage in the field of getting away from predators, their mixed features might not work well together. Hybrids are created when the territories of two different animals are combined or exposed to one another but their hybrid children can not reproduce with other hybrids or other animals. They are just really amazing and extraordinary creatures.
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Story by Estrella Moreno-Maldon

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When someone mentions water pollution most automatically think about oil spills and trash islands, but what many people don’t know is that plastic straws can even more deadly. According to a study done by National Geographic Americans use over 500 million straws everyday, most of them ending up the ocean, and they don’t just harmlessly float around either. According to Ukonserve Blog millions of seabirds die from straws every year and 90% of them have eaten some type of plastic. In the North Pacific alone fish consume more than 12,000 to 24,000 tons of plastic alone. Sea turtles often mistake straws for food, making it the second most likely cause of death. Remember that cute little baby sea turtle from Moana, is the convenient, non-reusable straw more important then its life?

Even though these plastic straws seem so essential and irreplaceable in the modern world, there are shocking number of alternatives we can choose from. Metals and compostable straws are real and surprisingly cheap. An estimated price is around 5-6 dollars for a pack of four straws with a cleaner. This is a great deal considering how durable they are. A pack of compostable straws are a little more expensive, but they’ll also help the environment and maybe even your garden.

There are so many things we take for granted and don’t even think about the environmental effect they’ll have. Things like straws, grocery bags and even rappers can be detrimental to our environment and world. Even though we won’t fall the victim to these silent killers, doesn’t mean they should go unnoticed. We can’t continue to kill innocent animals and our environment for a convenient straw to sip an icy beverage through.       

Story by Fiona Austin

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Finland is the number one happiest country in the world, the US is number 18, and their education systems might have something to do with it.

Finland is a noticeably innovative country when it comes to its education system, and its innovation has shown results. Finland is consistently one of the highest performing countries on the PISA (Program for International Student Assessment,)one of the more important tools for measuring education systems around the world.

    Here are some things that Finland does better than the United States when it comes to education.

1. Better standardized tests

Finnish students take only one standardized test in their entire primary and secondary schooling. In contrast, the US, directed by No Child Left Behind and Common Core instruction, requires students from third to eighth to take annual standardized tests to track performance.
    The Finnish test is called National Matriculation Examination and it is taken at the end of high school. This test is graded by teachers, not computers and it isn’t cautious of more complex concepts.
       2.  College tuition is completely free
    In Finland, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees are completely free. Students feel free to pursue higher education goals without worrying about loads of student debt that many Americans face. And the same deal goes for foreign students. Tuition is 100% free for any student accepted into a college or graduate program in Finland.
    This greatly contrasts with the US. In 2017, the average student loan debt was 37,000.
       3.  More time for play
    Finnish students spend very little time on homework. In a 2014 study on 15-year-olds around the world by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said that on average, Finnish students spend about 2.8 hours on homework a week. This is a very small amount of time compared to the 6.1 hours Americans spend on homework per week.
    Fins put a lot of value on free time and play. By law, teachers must give 15 minutes of free time for every 45 minutes of work or lecture time, wherein the US, kids and teens typically get less than half an hour of free time a day.
      4.  Teaching is one of the more respected professions
    Teachers in Finland aren’t underpaid like the ones in the US. Actually, they’re valued a lot. In Finland, the average teaching salary is about 70,000 per year.  This is insanely high compared to the 35,000 that US teachers earn each year.
Teaching is such an important occupation because Finland puts a lot of dependence on their children as the foundation for the development of the future.

To become a teacher in Finland, the candidate must have at least a masters degree and complete the equivalent of a residency program in US medical schools. As a result, teachers strive to make the best learning environment possible
   
As you can see, maybe the US could learn a few things from Finland with our annual standardized tests, overly expensive college tuition, small amount of free time, and our under-appreciated, underpaid teachers.
 
Story by Ava Macie 

Works Cited
Taylor, Adam. “26 Amazing Facts About Finland's Unorthodox Education System.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 14 Dec. 2011, www.businessinsider.com/finland-education-school-2011-12#in-an-international-standardized-measurement-in-2001-finnish-children-came-top-or-very-close-to-the-top-for-science-reading-and-mathematics-25.
Tung, Stephen. “How the Finnish School System Outshines U.S. Education.” Stanford University, 20 Jan. 2012, news.stanford.edu/news/2012/january/finnish-schools-reform-012012.html.
Weller, Chris. “8 Reasons Finland's Education System Puts the US Model to Shame.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 6 Dec. 2017, www.businessinsider.com/finland-education-beats-us-2017-5.

Everybody in America has seen a skyscraper; it’s an inevitable thing in this day and age. But have you ever seen one made entirely of wood? Japan plans on it.

We’ve all at least heard of pagodas in history books. These, so far, were the tallest wooden towers in Japan. But, slated to be finished in 2041, is a huge tower made by Sumitomo Forestry, in Tokyo. It is going to be made of 90% wooden materials, the other 10% being miscellaneous materials like steel and glass. If built, it would stand 1,148 feet tall. But why is this such a big deal?

There are many wooden skyscrapers- or “plyscrapers” if you prefer- around the world. The current record holder stands tall in Canada, piercing the sky at 164 feet tall. It’s called the Brock Commons Tallwood house, and it houses students in Vancouver. It is currently the world’s tallest mass timber structure, meaning it is composed primarily of wood. Before that was the Treet in Central Bergen, Norway. It is 160 feet tall. It took the record from the 104 foot tall Forte residential area in Melbourne, Australia. There is another proposed wooden tower: the Oakwood Tower, to be built in London. It would stand 1,000 feet tall, and only be shadowed in London by the famous Shard skyscraper.

I’m sure there’s a question nagging at your mind: won’t it burn down really easily? The answer may surprise you: no. As a rule, you need weak, thin wood for kindling. All of these towers have been built of thick, sturdy timber, which tends not to burn easily. On top of that, much of the wood is layered into a sturdier design, rather like weaving. It is then covered in strong, fire-resistant glue. In short, these things aren’t burning down. Let’s just hope they don’t fall, because that would be one big “timber”! I’m sure these towers will be a great contribution to the urban “jungle”.

Story by Jonas Suskey

Sources
CNN World News
The University of British Columbia
Architel.tv