Is SpaceX too Powerful?

Elon Musk is a generational thinker, and SpaceX is changing how we think about space travel. Not only does SpaceX work with space travel, but they have also implemented a new satellite internet system known as Starlink. Starlink currently controls over 4,500 satellites which is more than half of the active satellites in space. SpaceX’s goal is to grow this network up to 42,000 satellites. Through these satellites, Starlink provides internet and phone access to many different countries. During Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Starlink has provided vital communications to the Ukrainian military, but they have also restricted access on several different occasions. 

	Starlink’s role in the Ukrainian conflict introduces the problematic idea that SpaceX could play a crucial role in global disputes going forward. Starlink’s control of a majority of satellites in space potentially allows them to tip the scale one way or the other. Over the past 18 months, at least nine countries including China and Taiwan have brought up significant concerns about Starlink’s influence with American officials. Even though SpaceX provides an innovative product, should a private company possess so much power?

How Schools Can Improve for the Upcoming Year

With the new school year approaching, I have been thinking about how I would like to improve my school experience as I enter my sophomore year. My high school is one of the top-rated high schools in the state, the teachers are excellent and I enjoy learning there. However, there are a few areas that I believe my school system could improve on. One problem is the excessive use of technology. Although there are benefits to using technology, like the numerous useful websites for learning, there are also lots of problems. Using technology makes it so many students rely on the internet to solve their problems and technology offers many distractions that can take away from students learning. Many of the students in my school are texting or scrolling through social media apps during class time without the teacher noticing. Technology can be very useful for learning, but schools should balance out time online with physical assignments that require technology to be set aside. Another problem in school is the rampant cheating. Although teachers try to take precautions, a good amount of students are still cheating and the teachers are either not monitoring it enough, or being too lenient with punishing students. This leads to many kids having an unfair advantage. I think the only way to deter this behavior is for teachers to enforce the repercussions. The final area I think there could be improvement is in the structure of the class time. While many teachers give really interesting lectures, it sometimes is hard to focus for an entire hour without much student engagement. Some teachers split instruction time with hands-on activities. It would be more engaging if all teachers varied their class structure. Overall I think my school is excellent, and I am excited for the new year!

The First Room-Temperature Ambient-Pressure Superconductor

The scientific community is buzzing with the news of the first room temperature superconductor. The initial discovery was written about in a paper authored by students from Korea University. At first many people did not believe their claim, but after professors from the University of Illinois verified it, many people are working on improving it and creating more effective versions. If the claims about LK99 are true, this may be one of the greatest technological advancements of the past few decades. If we are able to create usable room temperature superconductors, it could greatly improve the productivity of machines and electronics. Levitating trains, medical imagery, quantum computing would all take major leaps forward. Even though it will still be many years until room temperature superconductors are effective enough to share with the public, this discovery will alter the course of history.