English 5 - CBTIS 107 Tuxtepec, Oax. México

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. And I'm Bob Doughty. The work and theories of Sigmund Freud continue to influence many areas of modern culture. Today, we explore Freud's influence on the treatment of mental disorders through psychotherapy. Sigmund Freud was born May sixth, eighteen fifty-six, in Moravia, in what is now the Czech Republic. He lived most of his life in Vienna, Austria. Early in his adulthood, Freud studied medicine. By the end of the nineteenth century, he was developing some exciting new ideas about the human mind. But his first scientific publications dealt with sea animals, including the sexuality of eels. Freud was one of the first scientists to make serious research of the mind. The mind is the collection of activities based in the brain that involve how we act, think, feel and reason. Visita: http://sites.google.com/site/rdenrique/

Welcome to THIS IS AMERICA in VOA Special English. Today on our program, we visit the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, D.C. to hear how American dollars are made. In two thousand nine, the Bureau produced about twenty-six million bills a day. Producing money requires both artistic and technological skills. Dollar bills are made so that they are interesting to look at but very hard to copy. In total, there are sixty-five separate steps required to make a dollar bill. Guided tours of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing are a popular activity for visitors to Washington, D.C. These trips are a good way to learn new and interesting facts about the history of money and its complex production methods. It is also exciting to stand in a room with millions of dollars flying through machines. "All right, ladies and gentlemen, once again welcome to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. And this is where the color of money begins. The money making process begins when a yearly order sent by the Federal Reserve Board. That order will then be divided in half. Half will be done here in Washington, D.C. and the other half will be done in Fort Worth, Texas.” Visita: http://sites.google.com/site/rdenrique/

EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. Today, we tell about one of the greatest thinkers in the world, Leonardo da Vinci. He began his career as an artist. But his interest in the world around him drove him to study music, math, science, engineering and building design. Many of his ideas and inventions were centuries ahead of his time. We start with one of Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous drawings, called “Vitruvian Man.” This work is a good example of his ever questioning mind, and his effort to bring together art, math and science. Visita: http://sites.google.com/site/rdenrique/

Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. Computer technology has become a major part of people's lives. This technology has its own special words. One example is the word mouse. A computer mouse is not a small animal that lives in buildings and open fields. It is a small device that you move around on a flat surface in front of a computer. The mouse moves the pointer, or cursor, on the computer screen. Computer expert Douglas Engelbart developed the idea for the mouse in the early nineteen-sixties. The first computer mouse was a carved block of wood with two metal wheels. It was called a mouse because it had a tail at one end. The tail was the wire that connected it to the computer. Using a computer takes some training. People who are experts are sometimes called hackers. A hacker is usually a person who writes software programs in a special computer language. But the word hacker is also used to describe a person who tries to steal information from computer systems. Visita: http://sites.google.com/site/rdenrique/

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English. Today, we will tell about the two thousand nine Nobel Prizes for discoveries in science. We also will tell about progress against acquired immune deficiency syndrome, better known as AIDS. The Nobel Prizes for Chemistry, Physics and Physiology or Medicine are to be presented in Sweden this week. The winners were chosen by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. They will receive their prizes at ceremonies in Stockholm on December tenth. The winners in each area of science will share a prize valued at one million four hundred thousand dollars. Visita: http://sites.google.com/site/rdenrique/

EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. This week, we tell about one of the most recognizable objects in science fiction — the laser. And we tell how the laser has made its mark in the fifty years since its invention. Three professional research groups have been leading a year-long celebration of the laser’s fiftieth anniversary. It is called LaserFest. The American Physical Society, the Optical Society (OSA), and SPIE, a group that supports the study of light, all have been involved. One goal is to honor the early developers of lasers who were both scientists and business leaders. Another goal is to show the public that lasers are a great example of how scientific research can result in technology that improves economies everywhere. And LaserFest is also meant to inspire young people to take up careers in optical science and engineering. Laser is short for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. The idea behind lasers is complex. Just how complex? Consider that it took the mind of Albert Einstein to discover the physics behind the laser. Visita: http://sites.google.com/site/rdenrique/

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English. Many jobs must be done with two people. One person takes the lead. The other helps. It is this cooperation that brings success. So it is with the human body. Much of our good health depends on the cooperation between substances. When they work together, chemical reactions take place smoothly. Body systems are kept in balance. Some of the most important helpers in the job of good health are the substances we call vitamins. FAITH LAPIDUS: The word “vitamin” dates back to Polish scientist Casimir Funk in 1912. He was studying a substance in the hull that covers rice. This substance was believed to cure a disorder called beriberi. Visita: http://sites.google.com/site/rdenrique/

EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. This year marks the sixtieth anniversary of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation’s “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list. This list includes a picture and description of people suspected of crimes so that the public can help provide information leading to their arrest. The idea was that if the public knew what a criminal looked like, it would be harder for that person to hide. Since its beginnings sixty years ago, four hundred ninety-four criminals have been placed on the “Top Ten List.” Four hundred and sixty-three of these criminals have been found. Today we tell about this special list. And we visit a museum in Washington that helps people learn more about crimes and investigations. Visita: http://sites.google.com/site/rdenrique/

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. Today we remember Hurricane Katrina and tell about the science of severe ocean storms. Many Americans are observing the fifth anniversary of one of the nation’s worst natural disasters. Hurricane Katrina reached the state of Louisiana on the morning of August twenty-ninth, two thousand five. It was the costliest hurricane in American history, and one of the deadliest. Radio and television programs, concerts and films are recalling the storm and its effects on the nation. Literary readings and religious observances also are marking the event. Hurricane Katrina struck hardest in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Death and destruction from the hurricane and its effects extended along the Gulf Coast. More than one thousand eight hundred people were killed. Visita: http://sites.google.com/site/rdenrique/

This is the VOA Special English Education Report. Americans have never had national education standards. Goals for what public schools should teach are set by state and local school boards. Their members are often elected. But some Americans say the lack of national standards is wrong in a competitive global economy. Visita http://sites.google.com/site/rdenrique/