Interesting Bits of Research

Since I am a science major, I am enthralled every time I find a cool science video. The other day, while I was on StumbleUpon, I found a website that broadcasts TED lectures. The lectures cover a wide array of topics, so I unfortunately was only able to make time for the science lectures. I found a lecture by a mycologist to be so inspiring that I am currently contemplating specializing in the field after I graduate. Paul Stamets has revolutionized several fields of science, including virology, immunology, environmental preservation, pest control, and alternative fuels using several species of mushroom. If you watch the video, he will provide you with a better explanation than I have. Just think about this while you're watching: what if we began building cities around nature as opposed to moving nature out of our way? How would our lives be different? Do you think society would be better, and do you think that human lives would be improved?

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1UdABa/www.ted.com/talks/paul_stamets_on_6_ways_mushrooms_can_save_the_world.html

Take the time to watch the whole video. Yes, I know it's a long one, but you'll be amazed at the progress we've made in the field. Learning these things literally changes my perspective on the world as a whole. Natural life is a beautiful thing, because it is so much more efficient than our finest technology. The human world would become thousands of times better if it embraced the natural means of life as opposed to altering and controlling them. If you have another 15 minutes or so to spare, you should also watch this video on the science of suspended animation. This topic may ring a bell if you have ever read the Count of Monte Cristo. It will blow your mind away.

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/8ZR9do/www.ted.com/talks/mark_roth_suspended_animation.html

What is life?

Well, life is what you make it. As a biologist (or a scientifically-minded person for lack of proper terminology), I believe that there are certain criteria that life falls into. For example, a tree is alive. As conscious beings, we cannot communicate with a tree, nor can we sympathize with its style of life since it is a stationary object. However, trees have just as many chemical processes occurring within their trunks, branches, stems and leaves as humans do in their entire bodies. They require an intricate balance of chemical support, water, and sunlight. They are also able to reproduce with or without a mate (depending on the species of tree and the environmental stressors at the time of reproduction). When all of these processes stop, the tree begins to decay. This indicates that all of the processes in the aforementioned have ceased; the tree has reached a state of equilibrium. In terms of life, equilibrium equals death. When the chemical membranes of any organism reach a state in which there is no longer a gradient of any kind, or any chemical exchange occurring, the organism is no longer viable. Life ceases, and the chemical byproducts of the extinguished reaction then return to the place from which they came: the earth. On a much smaller level, viruses and prions are debatably alive. It is difficult for us as humans to decide whether these minute, yet complex things are actually alive or not. From our own experience, life entails consciousness. These terms, however, cannot be applied to this biological debate. For example: a person can be brain dead but can still be considered technically alive due to the fact that their body has not yet reached equilibrium. These people are (probably) not aware of the world around them, and would die without constant medical attention, but they are still alive while unconscious. The world of microorganisms is an unconscious one, driven by active and passive chemical processes that drive them to eat, rest, reproduce, attack other microorganisms and defend themselves from attack. Chances are bacterium, protozoans, fungi, viruses, and prions are not conscious. This lack consciousness, intelligence, and mammalian "feeling" does not exclude them from being classified as alive. The main exception to this argument is prions, since their existence is in the form of a functional protein; a chemical molecule with no appendages, no membranes, no organelles, and no DNA or RNA. They are driven by the simplest intermolecular forces that allow molecules to join together and change the shape, and thus the functionality, of any other molecule they come in contact with. How they reproduce is a mystery to me (due to the fact that I have not reached the level of biochemistry yet). All that I am certain of is that prions are molecules that replicate themselves. There are thousands of other examples of this in the biological world. Enzymes have the capacity to do this. So do some forms of mRNA. This lack of exclusivity leads me to believe that prions are not alive, although they may share some of the quintessential properties of life that other living things may exhibit.

Diets for your blood type

If you have type O blood (such as myself), you are allowed to eat:

• High protein foods (chicken, seafood, red meat, liver)
• salts
• many types of fruits
• some dairy products (not in excess)
• most vegetables (except for wheat, corn, kidney beans, navy beans, lentils, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and mustard greens)
• grains, beans, and legumes should be limited in this diet

If your blood type is type A, you should be a vegetarian! Eat foods such as:

• vegetables (and vegetable oils)
• fruit
• tofu (and other soy products)
• legumes
• grains
• beans
• seafood
• red meats, wheat, dairy products, kidney beans, and lima beans should be avoided

If your blood type is type B, you get to eat a little bit of everything. Heres the list:

• meats (no chicken)
• dairy
• grains
• beans 
• fruits
• legumes
• vegetables
• foods to be avoided are corn, lentil, peanuts, sesame seeds, buckwheat, and wheat. 

If you have AB blood, the following diet should be considered in moderation:

• meat
• dairy
• tofu (and other soy products)
• beans
• seafood
• legumes
• grains
• vegetables
• fruit
• avoid red meat, kidney beans, lima beans, seeds, corn, and buckwheat.

Who is Mitochondrial Eve?

The first female Homo Sapiens Sapiens to ever successfully reproduce with another male of the same species is widely known as Mitochondrial Eve. The reason that scientists have dubbed her to be the mother of our species is that she contained a traceable lineage of DNA that the cells in her body could not create on their own. A mitochondrion is a eukaryotic cellular organelle that manufactures its own DNA and replicates on its own within the limits of the cell wall. Researchers hypothesize that, at one point in time, this organelle was an entity independent of plant and animal cells. It was probably incorporated into cells through an endosymbiotic relationship that lasted millions of years. Once they became stable in an environment that was self-preserving, they benefited their new hosts by providing them with energy in the form of ATP and NADPH. Since this organelle reproduces on its own, there is no connection between human reproduction and mitochondrial reproduction. Scientists can then reach a deduction that leads us ever closer to the actual mother of humanity. Eve, the familiar term coined in the Old Testament when Adam is told by YHWH to name his counterpart, is added to the term to make it more understandable to many people who have a hard time reasoning that anything beyond the limits of the bible is true or even plausible. It also makes it sound somewhat catchy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjdZ5GmU61o 

How did she give rise to different types of people?
Throughout the course of human history, the environment has shaped us to adapt to the many different types of climates that this planet has to offer. For example: Africans have a much higher melanin concentration in their epithelial layers due to their constant exposure to the hot equatorial sun in Africa. Conversely, people who live in Scandinavia have pale skin, light hair colors (mostly blonde, some brown), and are among the tallest people in the world. Greeks have an olive skin complexion that meets between Africans and Scandinavians, coupled with dark curly hair and striking eyes (usually golden brown or green). Asians can have a variety of appearances, but the most common or most widely known is a yellow skinned complexion with narrow eyes, short stature, limber joints, and higher average intelligence. Brazilians have a similar complexion to Greeks, but their body plans tend to resemble a combination of spaniards and native americans. 

The life of my seed

Day one
Our seeds were handed out in the middle of class. I planted mine rougly one inch from the surface of the soil and covered it tightly. Later on I watered it with a little more than a tablespoon of water.

Day two
I realized that the seed would rot if I allowed the water to stagnate at the bottom of the cup. I poked several holes in the bottom of the cup so the excess water could drain.

Day three
The cup got some sun. I didn't do much to it.

Day four
Same as day three.

Day five
I added a little water to the cup. Haven't seen any real signs of life. I am almost tempted to break the soil just to see if the seed has begun rooting at this point.

Day six
My seed and I are having relationship issues. This whole "growing" thing doesn't seem to be happening as predicted.

Day seven
I wrote this blog about my love/hate relationship with my sunflower.

Day eight
Nothing special... again. I think it's dead.

Day nine
The soil is too dry. Maybe I poked too many holes in the cup...?

Extremophiles

Todays topic revolves around organisms that survive in environments that are too extreme for many people to comprehend. Imagine living in a highly toxic deepwater environment with over 200 tons of pressure bearing down on every square inch of your body (as we discussed in class). Better still: imagine living thousands of feet underground, away from the warmth of the sun and without food, clean water, or a comfortable place to sleep. Deep in the caverns of the world's most spectacular cave, Lechugilla, lives a bacteria that lives off of rocks. The previous statement seems somewhat ambiguous, but I hope you're taking it as literally as I have implied it; several species of these chemolithoautotrophic archaebacteria have evolved in the depths of the fifth deepest cave in the world. This cave isn't the only unique example of extremophile evolution. In fact, there are several other caves in the world which exhibit the spectacular evolutionary feat of life without the presence of sunlight.

Inductive and Deductive Logic

All thought processes can be broken down into two subunits; both of which are based upon the order and heirarchy of thought involved in constructing a logical decision. The term heirarchy implies that each thought not only has its own importance, but that its importance ultimately dictates its position in the logical cascade. Thus, two patterns of logic emerge. Deductive logic involves arranging thoughts in a manner that utilizes general knowledge in making specific conclusions. Think of it in this manner: the end result has to be deduced, meaning that some greater, overarching thought must be concentrated in order to form a more finite cognitive product. For example, you are using inductive logic to understand what my definition of deductive logic truly means. The large, overarching thought is simply "logic." The understanding of logic has thus been broken down from one generalization into two specified categories. Then, one of the categories (in this instance, deduction) has been further concentrated down into its roots and defining terminology to better your personal understanding of this abstract phenomenon. Inductive logic, on the other hand, works in the exact opposite manner. The fact that the logical progression is reversed causes the argument/logic to lose most of its integrity. A fine example comes from the database of common knowledge, otherwise known as Wikipedia. Consider the following: I always hang pictures on nails. Therefore: All pictures hang from nails. This progression is obviously flawed since it is based on a precondensed* experience that graduates to an overarching logical pattern. In this scenario, the only experience that I have is with the pictures that I have hung on a wall using a nail. I have barred all other methods of posting pictures, including facebook, on a stand, or with a screw. Thus, the overarching logic becomes just as limited as its preceeding basis. Bias would be the appropriate term to assign to this fallacy. In other instances, however, inducive logic can be considered useful. I guess you'll just have to apply this single experience to understand the big picture for yourself!


*reference the use of the word condense in my earlier statements to understand its implicit meaning here