Sunday, February 7, 2010
#1 Recent Dream (freewrite, 10 minutes)
Recently, I had a dream about me moving to Alaska to work as a roughneck working on the Alaskan Pipeline. I had a job offer to work for this guy who would like me to work for him during the winter months of Alaska, as he needed an extra hand. I had no experience but he was willing to take me under his wing and teach me the ropes. Life in Alaska is pretty harsh during the wintertime. The terrain is unforgiving with temperature plummeting down to -40 below and whiteout dense enough to hinder you from seeing what is in front of you for several meters. You see nothing but snow and mountains everywhere. The air is so cold that if you sweat, you actually get hypothermia and possibly die. You learn a few things like never turn off your car in a temperature below -30 degrees. All these things sounds exciting to me so I accepted the job offer plus the money was very good but it is not without risk. The only downfall of this job is being away from my wife for weeks at a time but she still had to finish school at George Mason so it is going to be couple months before we see each other again. In fact, the money was so good we could not pass up this opportunity so she accepted the idea. What is 3 months when it actually flies by when you are in school? After working for him, it made me into a better person and respect what precious life has to offer. My wife had flown to see me during her school break and I showed her around the area and how to survive the Alaskan way of life. Instantly, she fell in love with Alaska as much as I did. Soon after she graduated, she decided to work as a Geologist up in Alaska and we started a whole new life there.
Science Article #10
Human Ancestors Were an Endangered Species
Gibbons, A. “Human Ancestors Were an Endangered Species”. ScienceNow Daily News. January 19, 2010. Retrieved February 7, 2010 From
http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2010/119/2
Can you imagine human beings ever been close to being endangered or even extinct? Driving down I-66 on the way to school with so many people on the road is enough to even disagree that humans were EVER that close but millions of years ago, evidences had shown this had happened. After several catastrophic events such as super volcano erupting in Indonesia that caused a devastating nuclear winter and migration of our ancestors out of Africa, the populations had dwindled down to between 15,000-26,000.
That is a real small number compared to current population of 6.8 billion people. It is hard to even think about this small number, but population geneticist has reasons to believe that these numbers are a close approximation with populations of our common ancestors. They used the differences of two genome to see how large of a population were at the time. To arrive with this number, they also examine the mutations in our DNA.
This study is important to know and see how our DNA and all of its mutations, faults and superiority had arrived to our present state. We are close enough to know and understand our genetics but there are still a few secrets that have yet to be unlocked. It is a never-ending quest to understand how and why our species have flourish to be where we are now.
Gibbons, A. “Human Ancestors Were an Endangered Species”. ScienceNow Daily News. January 19, 2010. Retrieved February 7, 2010 From
http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2010/119/2
Can you imagine human beings ever been close to being endangered or even extinct? Driving down I-66 on the way to school with so many people on the road is enough to even disagree that humans were EVER that close but millions of years ago, evidences had shown this had happened. After several catastrophic events such as super volcano erupting in Indonesia that caused a devastating nuclear winter and migration of our ancestors out of Africa, the populations had dwindled down to between 15,000-26,000.
That is a real small number compared to current population of 6.8 billion people. It is hard to even think about this small number, but population geneticist has reasons to believe that these numbers are a close approximation with populations of our common ancestors. They used the differences of two genome to see how large of a population were at the time. To arrive with this number, they also examine the mutations in our DNA.
This study is important to know and see how our DNA and all of its mutations, faults and superiority had arrived to our present state. We are close enough to know and understand our genetics but there are still a few secrets that have yet to be unlocked. It is a never-ending quest to understand how and why our species have flourish to be where we are now.
Science Article #9
Better to React Than to Act
Wogan, T. “Better to React Than to Act”. ScienceNOW Daily News. February 3, 2010. Retrieved February 7, 2010 From http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2010/203/1
Have you been in a life-threatening situation that enabled you to react much faster than you anticipated? I have and what a rush it was. Some people believe that acting out something rather than reacting to something would prove to be faster. That is not true according to this article. There is this study where it examines the brain’s ability to move our muscles much faster than we believe we can – base on our reaction to a given situation.
Believe it or not, the reactive senses of our brain can outdo the decisive sense in a grave situation that only means life and death. Remember the cowboys in the Wild West and how they can be the fastest gunslingers? Well, the study shows that during gunfights, its better for them to react to others rather than leading. In fact, it is the person drawing the gun first usually the one gets shot because the other gunslinger is reacting to the other guy’s action and is considerably faster.
Truer words were never spoken, especially when it is the matter of life and death. This study is actually for understanding how our brains and our motor skills coordinate together in hopes of combating motor impairment from, say a stroke patient or even paralysis. Even though a world-renowned physicist, Bohr, already understood our reactive nature, it helps to understand it at a deeper level so we can help patients in need of regaining motor skills.
Wogan, T. “Better to React Than to Act”. ScienceNOW Daily News. February 3, 2010. Retrieved February 7, 2010 From http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2010/203/1
Have you been in a life-threatening situation that enabled you to react much faster than you anticipated? I have and what a rush it was. Some people believe that acting out something rather than reacting to something would prove to be faster. That is not true according to this article. There is this study where it examines the brain’s ability to move our muscles much faster than we believe we can – base on our reaction to a given situation.
Believe it or not, the reactive senses of our brain can outdo the decisive sense in a grave situation that only means life and death. Remember the cowboys in the Wild West and how they can be the fastest gunslingers? Well, the study shows that during gunfights, its better for them to react to others rather than leading. In fact, it is the person drawing the gun first usually the one gets shot because the other gunslinger is reacting to the other guy’s action and is considerably faster.
Truer words were never spoken, especially when it is the matter of life and death. This study is actually for understanding how our brains and our motor skills coordinate together in hopes of combating motor impairment from, say a stroke patient or even paralysis. Even though a world-renowned physicist, Bohr, already understood our reactive nature, it helps to understand it at a deeper level so we can help patients in need of regaining motor skills.
Science Article #8
Climate Scepticism ‘on the rise’, BBC polls shows
“Climate Scepticism ‘on the rise’, BBC polls shows”. BBC NEWS. February 5, 2010
Retrieved February 7, 2010 From
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8500443.stm
It is hard to believe after a snowstorm that we just recently experience that climate change is really happening. In fact, there has been a rise in climate change skepticism. According to BBC NEWS Poll, “the number of people in Britain who are skeptical about climate change is rising”. Like us, they have experience a really cold and snowy winter in the past month. In December, the entire country of England was blanket in snow causing severe delays in air traffic and shortage in salts for the roads all over the country. It is easy to see why this increase in skepticism is happening.
However, the poll indicates that the increased in skepticism is quite sudden. Back in November, there was approximately 1 out of 5 people believed that global warming is a farce or an exaggeration. Now, the poll indicates that 1 out of 3 people believed the same thing. This has shown an 8% increase in skepticism since November.
This growing skepticism is a cause of a concern. The reason for a concern is because people who are skeptical of climate change and that humankind is the catalyst is beginning to think it is an exaggerated threat. The experts are afraid that this skepticism will hinder people from actually doing something to curb the climate change such as using less water, recycle, or anything that is beneficial for the environment. If we can reverse this skepticism and prove that the climate change is actually happening, maybe we can do some good because we all need to pitch in ensure our way of life on earth continues.
“Climate Scepticism ‘on the rise’, BBC polls shows”. BBC NEWS. February 5, 2010
Retrieved February 7, 2010 From
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8500443.stm
It is hard to believe after a snowstorm that we just recently experience that climate change is really happening. In fact, there has been a rise in climate change skepticism. According to BBC NEWS Poll, “the number of people in Britain who are skeptical about climate change is rising”. Like us, they have experience a really cold and snowy winter in the past month. In December, the entire country of England was blanket in snow causing severe delays in air traffic and shortage in salts for the roads all over the country. It is easy to see why this increase in skepticism is happening.
However, the poll indicates that the increased in skepticism is quite sudden. Back in November, there was approximately 1 out of 5 people believed that global warming is a farce or an exaggeration. Now, the poll indicates that 1 out of 3 people believed the same thing. This has shown an 8% increase in skepticism since November.
This growing skepticism is a cause of a concern. The reason for a concern is because people who are skeptical of climate change and that humankind is the catalyst is beginning to think it is an exaggerated threat. The experts are afraid that this skepticism will hinder people from actually doing something to curb the climate change such as using less water, recycle, or anything that is beneficial for the environment. If we can reverse this skepticism and prove that the climate change is actually happening, maybe we can do some good because we all need to pitch in ensure our way of life on earth continues.
Science Article #7
Evolution Shrank Some Primates Brains
Ghose, Tia. “Evolution Shrank Some Primates Brains”. Wired Science. January 27, 2010. Retrieved February 7, 2010 From
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/01/evolution-shrank-some-primates-brains/
Nature has a funny way of running its course. Research as proven that evolution is responsible for how species came to be the way they are today. An interesting piece of study is realizing that primate brain did not grow but actually shrank in time. Apparently, there was no need for primates to have larger brains to survive.
According to Nick Mundy, an evolutionary geneticist, “it was assumed that brain sizes generally get bigger through primate evolution”. In fact, the primate brain size actually reduced in size. This includes the brains of Marmoset and Lemurs of Madagascar, which has shown a drastic reduction in size
It is not known why the brain of some primates actually shrank but there are some speculations. It may be from the scarcity of food that causes this reduction or a way to conserve the energy consumption as a means to survive by reducing its intelligence.
This study may open doors to explanations of our ancient ancestors and the bones that were discovered. The discoveries of some unique bones of our ancestors had perplexed some experts but understanding the reasons behind the uniqueness might come from looking into our closest cousins – primates. Some things are just hard to explain but each and any clue for understanding mankind is invaluable.
Ghose, Tia. “Evolution Shrank Some Primates Brains”. Wired Science. January 27, 2010. Retrieved February 7, 2010 From
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/01/evolution-shrank-some-primates-brains/
Nature has a funny way of running its course. Research as proven that evolution is responsible for how species came to be the way they are today. An interesting piece of study is realizing that primate brain did not grow but actually shrank in time. Apparently, there was no need for primates to have larger brains to survive.
According to Nick Mundy, an evolutionary geneticist, “it was assumed that brain sizes generally get bigger through primate evolution”. In fact, the primate brain size actually reduced in size. This includes the brains of Marmoset and Lemurs of Madagascar, which has shown a drastic reduction in size
It is not known why the brain of some primates actually shrank but there are some speculations. It may be from the scarcity of food that causes this reduction or a way to conserve the energy consumption as a means to survive by reducing its intelligence.
This study may open doors to explanations of our ancient ancestors and the bones that were discovered. The discoveries of some unique bones of our ancestors had perplexed some experts but understanding the reasons behind the uniqueness might come from looking into our closest cousins – primates. Some things are just hard to explain but each and any clue for understanding mankind is invaluable.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Science Article #6
Climate Change Causes Wolverine Decline in Canada
Walker, M. “Climate Change Causes Wolverine Decline in Canada”. BBC – Earth News.
Retrieved February 5, 2010 From
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8494000/8494397.stm
In the scientific community, there are evidences of climate change. The climate change does have an impact on the biodiversity of animals that lives and survives in cold environment. It has been said that the shrinking polar ice in the Arctic Circle is responsible for the decline of Polar bears. Unfortunately, Polar bears are not the only species that are being affected by this climate change. The Wolverine is showing a decline in its populations in various parts of the world.
The reasons for its declining population could be from the reduction of the snowpack as well as the lack of prey it feeds on. The climate change is responsible for less and less snowpack – layers of snow that accumulates over time in different regions or high altitude. The wolverine and other animals rely on snowpack for insulation, as funny as that sounds to build a shelter.
The lack of snowpack is also responsible for driving its prey such as rodents and hares away for the same reason – shelter. Without food and shelter, this would dramatically affect the population of the Wolverine. The cold and unforgiving terrain of the north does tend to kill off the weakest of the species such as elks, moose, and caribou and Wolverines feed of its carcass. The warmer weather would help those animals survive longer and the Wolverines would not have that much meat to store as energy.
Any changes in its means of survival will change the Wolverines way of life and eventually stop procreating. It is an evolved animal to be a lean, mean, survival machine of the winter wonderland and without snow it takes away its sole purpose.
Walker, M. “Climate Change Causes Wolverine Decline in Canada”. BBC – Earth News.
Retrieved February 5, 2010 From
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8494000/8494397.stm
In the scientific community, there are evidences of climate change. The climate change does have an impact on the biodiversity of animals that lives and survives in cold environment. It has been said that the shrinking polar ice in the Arctic Circle is responsible for the decline of Polar bears. Unfortunately, Polar bears are not the only species that are being affected by this climate change. The Wolverine is showing a decline in its populations in various parts of the world.
The reasons for its declining population could be from the reduction of the snowpack as well as the lack of prey it feeds on. The climate change is responsible for less and less snowpack – layers of snow that accumulates over time in different regions or high altitude. The wolverine and other animals rely on snowpack for insulation, as funny as that sounds to build a shelter.
The lack of snowpack is also responsible for driving its prey such as rodents and hares away for the same reason – shelter. Without food and shelter, this would dramatically affect the population of the Wolverine. The cold and unforgiving terrain of the north does tend to kill off the weakest of the species such as elks, moose, and caribou and Wolverines feed of its carcass. The warmer weather would help those animals survive longer and the Wolverines would not have that much meat to store as energy.
Any changes in its means of survival will change the Wolverines way of life and eventually stop procreating. It is an evolved animal to be a lean, mean, survival machine of the winter wonderland and without snow it takes away its sole purpose.
Science Article #5
Can Thin Mountain Air Make You Slim
Couzin-Frankel, J. “Can Thin Mountain Air Make You Slim?” ScienceNOW Daily news.
Retrieved February 5, 2010 From, http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2010/204/2
There is a new weight loss plan and it is unconventional. Apparently, being at high altitude where the air is thinner, it helps shed pounds off you. There were 20 obese men staying for week high up in the mountains of Germany at an environmental research station. During the course of the week, they were to eat as much as they wanted and do nothing strenuous as if they were still at home. Each one of those men were monitored by a pedometer for heart rate and gave blood to see any changes in hormones that affected their appetite and obesity.
The results were good. The altitude had caused these men to lose an average of 1.5kg from their weight of 105kg, which is equivalent to 231 pounds. The reason behind this weight reduction is the thin air. The thinner the air, the harder it is to breath, therefore the heartbeat faster. When the heart beats faster, it burns more energy or metabolism. However, the reduction in weight for 20 men remained uncertain.
Another Contributing factor is the loss of appetite, which is common in higher altitudes. The study is just the beginning but it might even explain that residents living in higher altitude are the least obese than others at near sea level. It is an unconventional way to lose weight but it is definitely worth researching a bit further.
Couzin-Frankel, J. “Can Thin Mountain Air Make You Slim?” ScienceNOW Daily news.
Retrieved February 5, 2010 From, http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2010/204/2
There is a new weight loss plan and it is unconventional. Apparently, being at high altitude where the air is thinner, it helps shed pounds off you. There were 20 obese men staying for week high up in the mountains of Germany at an environmental research station. During the course of the week, they were to eat as much as they wanted and do nothing strenuous as if they were still at home. Each one of those men were monitored by a pedometer for heart rate and gave blood to see any changes in hormones that affected their appetite and obesity.
The results were good. The altitude had caused these men to lose an average of 1.5kg from their weight of 105kg, which is equivalent to 231 pounds. The reason behind this weight reduction is the thin air. The thinner the air, the harder it is to breath, therefore the heartbeat faster. When the heart beats faster, it burns more energy or metabolism. However, the reduction in weight for 20 men remained uncertain.
Another Contributing factor is the loss of appetite, which is common in higher altitudes. The study is just the beginning but it might even explain that residents living in higher altitude are the least obese than others at near sea level. It is an unconventional way to lose weight but it is definitely worth researching a bit further.
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