“Illuminating the Perils of Pollution, Nature’s Way”

“Illuminating the Perils of Pollution, Nature’s Way,” by Erik Olsen, is a captivating article about a new method of detecting pollution in river soil. Edith Widder, a marine biologist, has found a way to analyze the levels of pollution in water bodies using her studies of bioluminescence in sea animals. Bioluminescence is an animal’s ability to make light, and Widder has discovered the bioluminescent sea animals contain a bacterium called Vibrio fischeri. When mixed with a sediment sample from a seabed, this bacterium causes the sediment to give off light. In turn, the chemicals found in polluted sediment kill the inserted bacteria. Therefore, it has been concluded that the quicker the luminosity of the sediment dims, the higher the concentration of toxic chemicals in that sediment.

Measuring the levels of pollution in water body sediments is very beneficial to society. This new approach is much less expensive than previous chemical concentration scanning methods, and the bacterium used during the process is easily accessible. Results are also acquired in shorter time when using this method. Vibrio fischeri will help scientists monitor where the highest levels of chemicals are found, which could lead to better ways of controlling pollution as a whole. Furthermore, less pollution in the water will save hundreds of species that are going extinct because they cannot survive in the toxic atmosphere.

This article was not only informative, but for the most part also very thorough. I am interested, however, in understanding from which species this bacterium is obtained, and how it is extracted. I hope to learn if the extraction process harms the species, and if so, do the benefits of this newly found chemical level measuring process outweigh the risks.

Erik, Olsen. "Illuminating the Perils of Pollution, Nature’s Way." Nytimes.com. New
York Times, 20 Dec. 2011. Web. 20 Dec. 2011. .

Two Earth-Size Planets Are Discovered

Overbye, Dennis. "Two Earth-Size Planets Are Discovered." New York Times. 20 Dec. 2011. Web. 20 Dec. 2011. .

This article discusses the discovery of two planets that are of similar size to Earth by the Kepler Spacecraft. These planets, although similar in size to Earth and Venus, are in a location too close to their star and are thus inhabitable. However the discovery of these planets, known as Kepler 20e and Kepler 20f, sets a precedent that the Kepler Spacecraft is able to discover planets that are similar size to Earth. These planets are found by watching the stars of these planets and detecting the blinks that the planets make as they pass in front of the star. Unfortunately, these planets are located within a zone that is far too hot to have human life with Kepler 20e roasting at a temperature of about 1400 degrees Fahrenheit and Kepler 20f at around 800 degrees. Kepler 20f is also about 8,200 miles in diameter, very similar to Earth’s diameter, and Kepler 20e is smaller and closer to Venus’ size. However these planets have encouraged astronomers and made them excited for the future. Geoffrey Marcy, a member of the Kepler team, said the discovery was, “a watershed moment in human history.” These discoveries are extremely hopeful for the future of the Kepler project to not only discover more planets like ours in size but to also find habitable planets in the “goldilocks” or the distance from the star where conditions are temperate enough for water and life. Clearly these discoveries are important to the typical person because it means that we are not far off from discovering habitable planets where we may live one day or we may discover other forms of life. No matter what these discoveries certainly have astronomers excited and hopeful for the future of these projects.

This article was concise and interesting. It clearly stated exactly what these discoveries mean and just how significant they are to the reader. Unfortunately the author did not appear to have much specifics on the topic and left the reader searching for more information on the topic. Perhaps after more information is found there will be a follow-up article where all the details of this fascinating topic are discovered. Either way this article was interesting and kept me interested throughout.

Key Genetic Mutations In Family of Blood Cancers

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/239474.php

Recently, a study was conducted by the scientists at the Washington University School of Medicine, uncovering critical information about genetic mutations in people with blood related cancers. The researchers were able to discover that people who have the mutation are more likely to develop blood related cancers such as leukemia. The study also provided a new pathway to better diagnose patients with the disorder and predict how they will be able to live with the disease.

The scientist discovered the mutated gene, U2AF1, in a 65 year old man who had myelodysplatic which progressed to leukemia. Dr. Matthew Walter described the mutated gene as unclear because the results are not straightforward on a diagnostic test. It is important to understand the genetic level and what contributes to this particular disease.

U2AF1 gene creates a protein that is involved with splicing RNA. Slicing is used to bring together sections of RNA that are needed to make protein. Even though the mutated gene makes the protein, the slicing process is changed which suggest that is the reason for the development of many cancers.

It is said that 28,000 Americans above 60 years old are diagnosed with myelodyplastic syndrome. Though this blood cancer is hard to treat and said to be incurable, many researchers are still determined to find a cure.

Overall, the article was very interesting and provided the reader with many facts about this discovered gene mutation. It will be interesting to see what further studies will be done and if a cure will eventually be found.

Comment on Aidan's Review

            Aidan’s review of “The Race to Greener Bottles Could Be Long” was an interesting look at a new form of competition arising between Coke and Pepsi: who can make more environmentally-friendly bottles.  One well-presented aspect of the review was that it included how these bottles are going to be made green.  Both Coke and Pepsi plan on utilizing plastic made from plants and their by-products, as opposed to the petroleum based plastics that are currently used.  This would cut back on environmental impact as it would reduce the amount of greenhouse gases produced in plastic production.  Another interesting part of Aidan’s review was that it delved into how much the companies plan on switching over to the new bottle format.  Coke plans on rolling out the bottles in the next few years, while Pepsi will be testing the production of these bottles by producing 200,000 in the next year.  Hopefully, this will convince the companies that switching to plant bottles is both the environmentally responsible thing to do as well as the financially more beneficial thing to do.  A final well-presented aspect of Aidan’s review is that it addressed what plant products should be used for ht e production of plant based bottles.  Since producing too much of a plant would affect food prices and land usage, it is recommended that corn stalks, a waste product that is already produced in abundance, be used to produce these bottles.  If this is done, greener bottles can be produced without greatly harming the production of other plants.  An area in which Aidan could have improved his review is that he could have explained why the companies had decided to switch their bottle format.  While he does say the change is coming, there is little explanation about what prompted the change.  It would be interesting to understand what inspired these two companies to make such a big change.  Another thing Aidan could have included in his review is what harmful effects regular plastic bottles cause.  He stated that plastic bottles are known to harm people’s health, but never explained what these harms are, how the old bottles caused them, or how the new bottles would alleviate the problem.  However, besides these oversights, the review was very well-written and informative.  The most interesting part of this review was that competition between these two companies, Coke and Pepsi, is so strong that when one of them changes their bottle format the other feels pressured to do so as well.  Hopefully, more constructive competition such as this will make big corporations more and more eco-friendly as time progresses.

Comment on Amy Pepe's Article

Grace Devlin
AP Biology – Article Comment
12/19/11


This week, I read Amy Pepe’s review of “Use of Chimps Halted in New U.S. Funded Research.” Amy did a great job on her review, summarizing it and providing all the important details very clearly. One aspect of Amy’s article that was particularly commendable was her use of a quotation from Francis S. Collins of the National Institutes of Health. I also liked how Amy explained the implications of the suspension of research done on chimpanzees and how it has begun to cease anyway because of the high costs. Finally, I also liked how Amy included the one exception to this new declaration, which allows testing in the event of necessary research that could not be done without the use of chimpanzees. This tells us that there was probably some fight against the legislation that passed this new mandate because it will hinder progression on some scientific fronts.

In relation to this last point, it would have benefitted her review if Amy had included any information on opposition to this movement. This way, her report would cover all the bases and give the reader all sides of the story. Also, Amy failed to include any data as to what kind of testing was being done on the chimpanzees that will no longer occur. Whether this is was in the article or not, I don’t know, but, nonetheless, it would have been nice to include for the reader’s sake.

Overall, I found Amy’s review to be interesting because it addresses a very prevalent topic in our society: animal rights. Nowadays, we hear more and more about the ceasing of testing on animals because it is cruel and inhumane. The case of the chimpanzees falls right under this umbrella and it is good to know that people are starting to respect their right to live.

AP Biology Class (Odd Block) Celebrates College Acceptances

C. Barth and R. James made custom cupcakes to celebrate their classmates acceptance into college. Each cupcake had the initial of the college.

The Race to Greener Bottles Could Be Long

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Neuman, William. "The Race to Greener Bottles Could Be Long." The New York Times 16 Dec. 2011: A6. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/16/business/energy-environment/coca-cola-and-pepsico-race-for-greener-bottles.html?_r=1&ref=science>.

 The Race to Greener Bottles Could Be Long

            Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have been competing with each other for decades. Most recently, they have been competing over who can become the most environmentally friendly. Both companies have recently started developing plastic bottles that can be made with plastic from plants, a green landmark that both companies would like to reach, but neither wants to send the production of the bottles into commercial scale until they have found a cost-effective way of doing it. Coke has stated that it will have bottles made from plants available in a few years, while Pepsi has said that it will test production of 200,000 bottles made from plant-only plastic next year. The plastics that make up the plant-based bottle are currently made from two components. 30% of the plastic is made from MEG, which comes from sugarcane in Brazil, while 70% is PTA, which is made from plant materials in the laboratory. Allen Hershkowitz, a senior scientist at the National Resources Defense Council, an environmental group, said that the production processes involved in creating plastics from plant sources generated smaller amounts of greenhouse gases when compared to plastics made from petroleum. He also said though, that if crops are grown specifically for these plastics, it will affect food prices and land conversion, so he recommended that plant waste products like corn stalks are used. Both Coke and Pepsi have claimed that they are simply trying to become more environmentally friendly, and are not racing for the marketing benefits of being the first with a green bottle.

            It is important that corporations with such influence as these two are focusing on helping the environment and becoming more green. Other companies will probably follow their lead and soon we will be living in a cleaner world. In addition to the environmental benefit, all of this research into bottles will likely lead to healthier bottles. With many plastic bottle having poor effects on the health of the drinker, maybe bottles made from a more natural material will have less harmful effects.

            I thought this article was very well written and easy to understand. It made the processes that the companies are researching clear, and put them into simple terms so that I could understand what was going on. I also like that the article included the opinions of a leader of an environmental group, since he would have the strongest opinion on the subject. This article was also an ideal length; it was not too long to lose my interest, but it was long enough to include all of the details necessary. Overall it was a good article, and it peaked my interest in seeing these bottles sometime in the future.

Use of Chimps Halted in New U.S.-Funded Research

Gorman, James. "Use of Chimps Halted in New U.S.-Funded Research." Nytimes.com. 15 Dec. 2011. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. .

Use of Chimps Halted in New U.S.-Funded Research

This article begins with the shocking news that recently, the National Institutes of Health decided to suspend any new grants for biomedical and behavioral research on chimpanzees. The director of the National Institutes of Health, Francis S. Collins, said, “the chimps, as the closest human relatives, deserve special consideration and respect.” The Institutes stated that they found most research on chimpanzees unnecessary. The report the N.I.H. gave said that not all research on chimps will end, due to the necessity of Hepatitis C preventative vaccine testing and also important immunology testing done on chimps involving monoclonal antibodies. Animal rights groups and activists are happy with this small step forward to end testing on chimpanzees. Hopefully after these efforts by the N.I.H. will influence the outcome of two other continuous efforts to stop research on chimps, the Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act of 2011, and the federal Fish and Wildlife Service to declare captive chimps endangered. If this were to happen, chimps would not be used for any experimentation. The use of chimps, according to the article, has been slowing due to how expensive it is. When the decision was made to halt the use of chimps in new U.S.-funded research, reports offered criteria in which it would be necessary to use chimps. One of these were in the case of biomedical experiments where there is no other options, chimps may be used (only in the case that if there was not testing no progress would be made).

This absolutely is relevant to humanity because animal testing has been such a major issue in society. Many groups have been fighting hard to stop it completely, but this movement by the N.I.H. is truly taking a step in the right direction for animal rights. Chimpanzees are so much like humans, and don’t deserve any harmful testing to be done upon them. Although they are close enough the humans that the results of the tests are very accurate, we must consider the lives of the animals at hand.

This article was most definitely well written and very informative. However, it was extremely wordy as well. At some points it was really hard to follow what the author was trying to say. I never have looked into the steps that major organizations are taking to support animal rights, and this article helped me understand some major movements, especially entailing the rights of chimpanzees. If this article were less wordy and easier to understand, it would have been much more interesting then it already was.

Amping Up Brain Function: Transcranial Stimulation Shows Promise in Speeding up Learning

      As busy and overachieving Bronxville students, we would all love to hear that there is a miraculous way we can speed up our studying. Well, much to everyone’s excitement, a possible solution is in the works. Andy McKinley and colleagues at the Air Force Research Laboratory recently reported their findings of a mild electrical current that could cut training timing for pilots in half. The current stimulation, TDCS, is delivered through EEG (electroencephalographic) electrodes place on the scalp. Mckliney says that it is incomparable to any other cognitive boosts, like caffeine or other stimulants. TDCS not only accelerated leaning, but also increased pilot’s accuracy time. The question now is whether these findings will hold up over time or will stay in the “dustbin” of pseudoscience. Electrical stimulation has a long history extending back to the 19^th century when “electrotherapy” was used to treat a wide range of conditions. Skeptics are questioning whether just like then the placebo effect is working in this case with TDCS. Subjects say that feel a slight tingling, but afterwards they definitely do feel more alert and researchers are now working diligently to find out why that is. By magnifying magnetic fields (brain waves), they have concluded that TDCS increases cerebral cortex excitability, thereby heightening arousal and increasing responses to sensory input. All of this accelerates information processing in cortical circuits. Interestingly, MRI brain scans have revealed that the fiber bundles in the brain were found to be more robust and organized days after TDCS. An expert on brain imaging, Robert Turner speculated that this change could be from an increase in insulation in the fibers that would speed transmission of information through the fibers. Matthis Wikowski, another leading neurobiologist, described the findings as “incredible.” He looks to do further research and is convinced that these new studies can accelerate many kinds of learning. He sees it being used to speed up a patient’s rehabilitation after an injury, since they would be able to learn to use prosthetic limbs faster. By using electricity to energize neural circuits, resarchers are hopeful that they have found a harmless and drug-free way to double the speed of learning.

 

     This study is important to humanity because it could potentially revolutionize the way we learn. Americans are always looking for the fastest and most effective ways to study and better themselves. Right now, most people just satisfy themselves with a cup of coffee as a cognitive stimulator, but this TDCS opens up a whole new dimension of possibility. TDCS were initially developed to help train pilots to guide unmanned attack drones, but I think the idea of using it to help patients recover from injuries is genius. The possibilities are really endless and I think as students of science, we should be excited at this fascinating discovery.

I thought that this article was very well written and extremely interesting. It was thorough in its discussions not only about how TDCS works, but also what other leading scientists think about it and its potential implications for the future.  

     This article could have only be improved if they kept some of the nomenclature under control. It was heavy on very complicated medical terms, that left me a little confused. It would have been better if they kept it in simple, laymen’s terms that were easy to grasp. Overall I thought this was a fascinating article and I am excited to see what happens with this new stimulant.

Fields , Douglas. “Amping Up Brain Function: Transcranial Stimulation Shows promise in Speeding up Learning.” Scientific American. Nov. 25 2011. Dec 14 2011.

New Device Uses Gold Nanoparticles to Test for Lung Cancer

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117112829.htm

The article, “New Device Uses Gold Nanoparticles to Test for Lung Cancer,” on ScienceDaily.com was very well written, and very interesting. Researchers at the University of Colorado Cancer Center are making great strides toward diagnosing lung cancer in patients much quicker than most hospitals can now. They are currently creating a new device along with Nobel-Prize-winning Technion University in Haifa, Israel that uses gold nanoparticles to trap and define the molecules in exhaled breath in order to see if cancerous cells are present within the lung. The article stated, “By comparing these molecular signatures to control groups, the device can tell not only if a lung is cancerous, but if the cancer is small-cell or non-small-cell, and adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma.” Here, it is shown that this device will not only be able to distinguish whether a person has lung cancer, but also it will be able to distinguish what type of cancer someone has. In order to work, a patient only needs to breath into a type of bag that will use gold nanoparticles to identify molecules that are native to cancerous cells. Previously, doctors needed to administer expensive and often incorrect CT scans to test for lung cancer. The article stated, “For example, the National Lung Screening Trial recently reported that one of the major challenges in its more than 53,000-person study of low-dose chest CT scans to detect lung cancer was the trial's nearly 95 percent rate of false positives -- CT scans found nodules that turned out not to be cancerous.” If this device is to be patented, it could help many doctors around the world in the fight against cancer.

This new technology has an extremely important place in the world today. Not only would it help hospitals diagnose lung cancer, it would also help countless patients in learning that they had cancer much sooner than previously possible. This is because with the CT scans that are used today, they are not administered very frequently because they are quite costly. If this technology is made available for most doctors, it would allow them to test for cancer with the use of one breath.

I thought that this article was quite well written. The author explained what this new technology was and how it could influence future medicine. Throughout the article I was astonished at the thought of such a groundbreaking new technology, and I hope that this can be produced on a large scale for those who could use it as soon as possible. One thing that the author could have done better would be to go into greater depth on how exactly the gold nanoparticles are able to distinguish molecules that are native to cancerous cells using this device. Overall though, I look forward to hearing more about this technology in the future.

"New Device Uses Gold Nanoparticles to Test for Lung Cancer." Science Daily: News & Articles in Science, Health, Environment & Technology. Web.

He's No Rat, He's My Brother

Sanders, Laura. "He's No Rat, He's My Brother." Science News. N.p., n.d. Web. 12
Dec. 2011.
He%E2%80%99s_no_rat%2C_he%E2%80%99s_my_brother>.

At the University of Chicago, scientists have discovered that rats have the urge to help out another rat in distress. This urge, scientists suggest, is driven by empathy like humans. The scientists wanted to test this theory since rats are very social animals. The team working on the experiment put on lab rat in a clear, small cage while another rate was put outside of the cage. The small cage had a door but could only be opened from the outside. At first, the rat would circle the cage and then bite or dig at it. After several days, the rat learned how to open the cage and then freed the rat inside the small cage. Scientists are very confident in this theory regarding that the rat’s behavior was “intentional.” The scientists then did a controlled experiment with a rat being place outside of an empty cage and found that the rat took no interest to it. In addition, scientist put stuffed animals into the cage but found that the rats took no interest to them either. To further this study, researchers designed another experience in which a rat was forced to choose between liberating a trapped rat and opening a cage filled with chocolate. The results were astounding – the rats were equally likely to free the rat as they were to eat the chocolate. But not only that, a majority of the rats who chose the chocolate left some for the rat in distress.

This study is a huge breakthrough in animal behavior. We figure that humans help another distressed human out of empathy and now we know that rats feel empathetic too. Also, this may explain why rats can reproduce and survive better than any other land mammal on Earth. This study shows that humans aren’t the only ones who feel sorry for another living being.

I found this article to be interesting and informative. I always knew that rats were smart and durable animals but I never knew that their behavior is sometimes based off of emotion. However, I thought the scientists made too big of an assumption that the rats left some chocolate for the trapped rat. The free rat could’ve been full and decided not to eat the left over chocolate.

The Certainty Of Memory Has Its Day In Court

The statement of an eyewitness holds a significant amount of weight in a courtroom, and is viewed by many lawyers as essential to getting a conviction. This assumption is based on our idea of memory, which we believe works like a video camera, recording exactly what happens around us. However, this article refutes this idea and establishes that memory is less of an absolute record of the past than a “rough sketch” that is frequently modified. Based on a series of studies, scientists advise that the court system should be amended so that witness testimony should be viewed as less concrete, and more as “trace evidence,” vulnerable to contamination in the same ways that other more scientific evidence can be. With this splotchy outline of a recollection, we often embellish or entirely create fictitious accounts. However, on the witness stand, when a witness is under oath, they believe these fictitious events are real. Dr. Tversky of Stanford University has conducted some of the most influential studies in the field of memory. In one of the most well known, she asked a group of people to watch a recording of men in either black or white jerseys passing a basketball. They were instructed to count how many passes the players in white made. During the film, a woman in a gorilla suit walked through the middle of the court. Half of the observers did not notice the woman, illustrating how distraction can cause the mind to miss things. Dr. Tversky repeated this test with an audio version, were participants in the test were instructed to listen to a woman’s voice in a recording of a conversation that lasted 69 seconds. For 19 of these seconds, a third voice repeated, “I’m a gorilla” over and over again, but almost none of the participants heard it. Scientists believe that memory’s function is not to record the past but to come up with a “script” for something that might occur. This idea is supported by the fact that thinking about something that might occur or a recall of an actually fictitious event all occurs in the memory section of the brain. 75% of DNA exonerations have occurred in cases where witnesses got it wrong.

This study is important to humanity because it affects the future of our legal system. Currently, eyewitness accounts are playing a key role in many court cases. However, scientific studies about memory and countless stories of witnesses getting it wrong make it necessary for us to re-evaluate our legal system. We need to educate jurors about the flexibility of memory to ensure that the justice system is as fair as possible. Additionally, we need to amend the system to reduce the power of a witness statement.

I thought this article was extremely well written and was both informative and interesting. It provided ample detail about case studies, which allowed the reader to understand how the scientists have arrived at such a conclusion. However, to improve upon this article, I would have paid more attention to the effects of these discoveries on court cases. For example, I would have liked to have heard of a specific case where a victim got it wrong, and where DNA exonerations have righted the wrong.

Beil, Laura. "The Certainty of Memory Has Its Day in Court." New York Times. 28 Nov.

2011. Web. 11 Dec. 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/29/health/the-certainty-of-memory-has-its-day-in-court.html.

Outrage Grows Over Air Pollution and China's Response

     Beijing scrubbed itself clean of pollution for the 2008 Summer Olympics. However, the constant working of factories and exhaust from automobiles has led over seven hundred flights to and from Beijing being cancelled due to the smog. Stores have sold out of face masks for citizens to wear on the streets, and people worry that the air quality will not be fixed in the near future. The citizens have begun to question whether or not they can still trust the government with their health and safety, after such a crisis. Furthermore, the airport announced the cancellations of the flights as a result of the weather, and made no mention of the pollution. There has been great unrest among many citizens who feel that their government doesn’t care about whether they live or die. The fine particles that make up much of the pollution in the city are called PM 2.5 as they are at most 2.5 microns in diameter. The publishing’s of the Chinese government only take into account particles that are at least 10 microns in diameter. The United States Embassy has set up a Twitter feed which speaks of the air quality in Beijing, and the reports of the Embassy are very different from those of the government. A Chinese Foreign Ministry official asked the American diplomats to stop the Twitter feed, saying that it could lead to many social consequences. Finally, this Tuesday, China Daily published an article stating that the lung cancer rate in Beijing had increased by 60 percent over the last decade, although the smoking rate has not changed.

 

     This was a shocking article to read. Pollution has been a very relevant topic worldwide for decades, but the current situation in Beijing really displays the worst of it. Often we think about how pollution will affect us in the future, but here in New York we have yet to face a situation as serious as the on in Beijing, and I cannot even imagine needing a mask to walk in the streets. This article also reminds us what can happen when we don’t stress the dangers of pollution, and how that is an extremely prominent issue in today’s world.

This article was very well written. However, there are a few things that could have been done differently. For example, the article was very repetitive, and repeated the same facts in several different places. Furthermore, it did not really describe how Beijing came to be so polluted, and instead offered several vague reasons with little specificity. Other than these minor details, this was an excellent article that was very informative.

Wong, Edward. "Outrage Grows Over Air Pollution and China's Response." The New York TImes 6 Dec. 2011. Web. 7 Dec. 2011.

The Biology of Evil: Is Bad Brain Wiring Behind Psychopaths?

http://www.montrealgazette.com/technology/biology+evil+wiring+behind+psychopaths/5813740/story.html

“The Biology of Evil” by Douglas Quan is an extremely interesting article that debates whether there is reason to believe that some criminals may not be intrinsically evil. There is a growing body of research that shows that psychopaths’ aberrant behavior may be linked to faulty wiring in their brain. A study led by researchers at the University of Wisconsin tackled this debacle. The researchers scanned the brains of inmates from a local prison, focusing on two key areas: the amygdala, which helps to detect fear and mediate anxiety, and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for more complex social emotions such as guilt, empathy and regret. One set of data showed that the white fibres connecting these two areas of the brain were weaker in the brains of psychopaths compared to other offenders. Also, another set of data showed that electro-chemcial signals emitted by these two areas were less coordinated in the brains of psychopaths. Mike Koenigs, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University, adds, “What the science suggests is this is a brain-based disorder and that the neural dysfunction may undermine the ability of these individuals to control their social behavior and regulate their emotions.”

This article has much significance to life and our society because these scientific discoveries may lead the justice system to deal with psychopaths differently in their sentences. These discoveries may have an impact on the way psychopaths are viewed by the public, leading us to think that psychopaths are innocent people who suffer from a mental illness. As Koenigs said, “We’re not talking about turning them into Mother Teresa, but with cognitive behavioral therapy and drug therapy, it is possible they could become a little more responsible.” On the other hand, the scientific findings at the University of Wisconsin may have a strong negative impact on society, for now psychopaths may be viewed as helpless victims of a terrible mental illness and not properly treated for their violent actions.

Mr. Quan’s article “The Biology of Evil” is well constructed and well written. Quan used quotes from the likes of Mike Koenigs at appropriate times in the article, and the quotes were appropriate in length. Quan’s article was also well constructed in that he uses examples of cases, such as the case of Brina Dugan, to exemplify how these scientific findings can be used by defense lawyers for their clients.

I believe that while these findings are apparent, psychopaths should not be treated differently for their actions, and it is unjust for defense lawyers to use this data to try to persuade judges that their clients are incapable of making the right decisions. The punishment fits the crime, and these horrific, violent people can not complain and try to argue that they do not know how to make the right decision.

"Outrage Grows Over Air Pollution and China's Response"

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/07/world/asia/beijing-journal-anger-grows-over-air-pollution-in-china.html?ref=science

For this Current Event, I reviewed a fascinating article penned by Edward Wong of the New York Times. Titled “Outrage Grows Over Air Pollution and China’s Response,” the article covers recent controversy regarding the astounding amount of air pollution in China today, especially in Beijing. Beijing has been for many years entrenched in a thick layer of brown smog. Smog is a mixture of pollutants, principally ground-level ozone, produced by chemical reactions in the air involving smog-forming chemicals. A major portion of smog-formers come from burning of petroleum-based fuels such as gasoline. In the last few days, especially, the smog has reached new levels, and has had drastic effects on Beijing. For instance, from this past Sunday to Tuesday, the government canceled over 700 inbound and outbound flights to and from Capital International Airport, and long stretches of highway have been shut down due to low visibility. Yet the government has insisted the delayed flights were due to “the weather condition.” The Chinese government has been whitewashing air quality reports for years. For instance, an air quality gauge on top of the U.S. embassy in Beijing gives hourly updates via Twitter, and since Sunday, that quality has reached the gauge’s potential on the negative side, the so-called “crazy bad” reading. Yet, over the last 10 years (and the last few days), Beijing officials have listed air quality as good or excellent over 80% of the time, because they only report on larger air particles, about size PM 10. The majority of pollution is actually derived from pH 2.5 particles, which the government refuses to account for, which skews their air quality evaluations drastically. The Chinese people are now beginning to fight back. As Yu Ping, who has started a public campaign to demand more accurate measurements, stated, “The government is just so bureaucratic that they don’t seem to care whether we common people live or die. And it is up to us, the common people, to prod them and pressure them.” Pan Shiyi, a real estate agent, has asked his seven million microblog followers to vote on whether the authorities should use a stricter standard to assess air quality, and is pushing for immediate disclosure of data. He has given hope to a community that has had its lung cancer rate raised by 60% in the last decade, despite a constant smoking rate.

This article’s contents could have massive implications for humanity. China’s revival of trade relations with the West during Nixon’s presidency jumpstarted its archaic economy, and it has for years now been one of the fastest growing economies in the world. But the nation still seems to be in the pre-Progressive Era stage that industrializing nations usually experience, and has created some serious issues, like this environmental one. If pollution continues unchecked, China’s population might disintegrate due to illness, and it will be impossible to perform even the most menial outdoor activities. (Recent reports have shown that almost any type of outdoor activity in Beijing’s environment will take serious tolls on an individual). It will stop any enterprising companies from doing business there, and their own infrastructure and economic systems will probably collapse. In short, if such an environment remains, all China has built up over the last several decades will collapse to the ground, and the U.S. will no longer have to worry about them as a world threat.

Overall, this article was well written. It combined a lot of different details and information researched by two men named Li Bibo and Edy Yin. From there, it extrapolated a strong quantitative analysis of smog and of its effects. The scientific explanation of how the government was creating such favorable evaluations (by ignoring certain types of particles) was especially interesting. But it did not just depend on hard facts and numbers; it also appealed to the reader’s emotions. It was littered with quotes from local Beijing citizens, and added nice personal touches to their caricatures. For instance, the author noted how Yu Ping was the father of a 7-year-old, and almost nothing plucks the heartstrings more than a suffering child. It was able to portray the “good guys” (the Chinese citizens and the U.S. embassy) and the “bad guys” (the Chinese Communist Party) nicely, and was fairly successful in implanting a viewpoint in the reader’s head. The photo used captured the terrible reality of living in smog. All the figures are dark, walking down a gloomy street, and it simply embodies the current disaster in Beijing quite well. Also, the article finished with a bang, as it described the astonishing increased rate of lung cancer due to this smog.

Acquired Traits Can Be Inherited Via Small RNAs

Scientists at the Columbia University Medical Center have found direct evidence that acquired traits can be inherited without any DNA involvement. The scientists involved experimented on roundworm’s ability to become resistant to certain viruses and how, if at all, the resistivity was passed on to future generations. Lead author of this experiment Oded Rechavi mentions, “the immunity was transferred in the form of small viral-silencing agents called viRNAs, working independently of the organism's genome.” The controversial results sparked other teams of scientists to perform their own controlled experiments, and similar results were found. Doctor Oliver Hobart, a professor at Columbia University experimented and observed the effect of high fat diets on rats and their offspring. The study showed the parent rats became increasingly obese, and the offspring were more susceptible to obesity, further supporting Dr. Rechavi’s conclusions. Dr. Hobart further explains that RNA interference, or RNAi, might be involved in the inheritance of acquired traits. RNAi works by “shutting down” certain genes that may allow the organism to better fight off viruses and genomic parasites. The basis behind these new studies, then, is that the genes inhibited by RNAi will either stay dysfunctional in the offspring genomes, or will be able to recognize similar environments where the parent had genes turned off by RNAi.

The findings of these researchers have huge implications on the future study of genetics and medicine. While Darwin’s theory of evolution is the currently accepted model, Jean Larmarck’s forgotten theory of evolution is now resurfacing. Larmarck’s theory stated that species evolve only when they adapt to their environment and that these traits are then passed down to the offspring, contrasting Darwin’s idea that the random mutations cause evolution. Dr. Rechavi noted that there may be possible therapeutic implications from these discoveries, though this may be a long way off. The possibilities, however, could be a significantly increased resistance to diseases in humans, which would pass down through the generations indefinitely.

Overall I found this article to be interesting and informative. The author did a good job explaining the thought process of the scientists and included many quotes, but did not explain the more complicated procedures and inferences made the scientists well at all. As well, the author did not provide much insight into what the future plans and implications of these new studies could hold.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205102713.htm

Comment on Tyler's Review

Tyler’s review of the article “It Could Be Old Age, or It Could Be Low B12” was very informative and addressed a new discovery in the medical field, that Alzheimer diagnoses could in fact be a vitamin B12 deficiency instead.  One well-presented aspect of the review is that Tyler lists what the specific symptoms of B12 deficiency are, namely weakness, fatigue, mood disorders, and memory loss.  These symptoms are present in Alzheimer’s patients, but would also be present in someone suffering from B12 deficiency.  Another well-presented aspect of Tyler’s review is that he states what foods should be eaten to avoid B12 deficiency.  While supplements exist for all ages, B12 is acquired naturally through consumption of meats and dairy products.  Therefore, most people naturally acquire necessary levels of B12 except for those people who can’t or won’t eat animal products.  Finally, Tyler also states which people are most at risk for B12 deficiency.  Heavy alcohol drinkers, people who have had stomach surgery, and patients prescribed certain medications are all at risk of having low B12 levels.  Also, as people get older they naturally absorb less B12, which is why this is an especially prevalent problem among the elderly. 

            An area in which Tyler could have improved his review would be including why B12 deficiency was misdiagnosed for so long.  It was unclear whether this is a long-standing problem, and therefore many misdiagnosed Alzheimer’s patients can now be helped, or if the problem is, so far, restricted to the one woman mentioned in the article.  Another area in which Tyler’s review could be improved is when he mentions that B12 deficiency can also cause easily diagnosed anemia.  He never states at what levels B12 is simply low and at what levels someone becomes anemic.  Also, it is confusing as to how low B12’s symptoms would differ from anemia if anemia is just very low B12 levels.  Mainly, it made it confusing why anemia and low B12 are not the same illness if the symptoms of both are caused by the same vitamin deficiency.

            The part of this article that was most interesting is the possibility that many Alzheimer’s cases could actually be misdiagnosed B12 deficiencies.  If this is true, then it means that many people will be able to improve and over time regain their ability to remember things.  This could be very good news to some Alzheimer’s patients and their families.  Hopefully, this article is correct and soon many misdiagnosed peoples’ lives will improve as a result of this discovery.