Timothy Cushman
AP Biology
Current Event #6
October 29, 2017
“As Winter Sets In, Tiny Shrews Shrink Their Skulls and Brains”
As winter approaches many animals choose to migrate to warmer climates or hibernate throughout the winter. Studies have found a new method used, by the red-toothed shrews, to survive the winter. The shrews shrink their skulls, brains, and other organs during the winter. A study was done with red-toothed shrews to test how their mass changes during different seasons. In the study, researchers trapped the shrews in Germany from the summer of 2014 - fall of 2015. They put a microchip into the animals and measured twelve of them on three occasions. Through the study, they found that when watching the body mass over the summer, winter, and spring there was an 18 percent overall decrease in the body mass of the shrews as the temperature got colder. The brain and skull alone experiencing a 20 percent decrease. When the temperature started to warm up again, the shrews’ masses increased to what they had been before. The researches do not know why the shrews bodies shrink in the winter but they know that “brain tissue is energetically very expensive, so reducing overall brain size might decrease energy demands and thus food requirements.” Therefore by reducing the body size and needing less energy allows the shrews to survive off of the little food they can find in the winter. Scientists do not know what the effects of the shrinking are on the shrews brain but are planning further research.
This article is very important to the medical field. Knowing that an animal has the ability to regrow very complex organs may lead to easier treatments in humans in the future. If we figure out how the red-toothed shrews regrow their brain we may be able to make “advances for the study of degenerative bone diseases.” Also, knowing that other organs in the body decrease may allow us to better replicate organs like kidneys. This article is an important step is helping advance the treatments of bone and other growth diseases.
Overall, I feel that the author, Douglas Quenqua, wrote a wonderful article. It was laid out in a way that was easy to follow. Quenqua included definitions of many key terms allowing the reader to better understand the topic. Quotes from the researchers were added which not only brought specific idea, they added credibility to the article showing that it was backed up with evidence. Despite being an overall great article, there are a few aspects that could be improved. Firstly, the author included very little data. He included percentages of body mass, but the reader is left wondering more about the size of the animals. By adding data it adds credibility to the article and allows the reader to better grasp the size of the animal and how much mass is really being lost. Another improvement to the article would be to include more information about the previous studies that were mentioned. The author mentions some study but never goes into details about what they found and how they gathered their data. It left the reader wondering about what conditions were tested and how they were tested. The addition of these two pieces of information would bring the article together and allow for a fuller understanding of red-toothed shrews’ ability to shrink their bodies.
Cory Ramundo
ReplyDeleteMr. Ippilito
AP Biology
29 October 2017
Quenqua, Douglas. “As Winter Sets In, Tiny Shrews Shrink Their Skulls and Brains.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 23 Oct. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/10/23/science/shrews-shrink-heads-brains.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=8&pgtype=sectionfront.
This week I read Timothy Cushman’s review on the article, “As Winter Sets In, Tiny Shrews Shrink Their Skulls and Brains.” Timothy does many good things in his review such as presenting the information in a clear, organized manner. He starts off by stating what most organisms do, and then showed what was claimed to be unique about the shrew. This was then backed with the experiment, which gave proof to the original claim. Tim did a great job of presenting the information, which allowed for me to grasp a better understanding. Tim also does a great job of showing the importance of this discovery on science. He states that, “Knowing that an animal has the ability to regrow very complex organs may lead to easier treatments in humans in the future. If we figure out how the red-toothed shrews regrow their brain we may be able to make “advances for the study of degenerative bone diseases.” By adding this part in it shows significance and makes me become more interested in the study. Lastly, Timothy does a wonderful job at summarizing the results. Instead of saying what their conclusion was, he says how the conclusion was reached by stating, “ phrases that do not give insight into the actual process, Timothy states, “Through the study, they found that when watching the body mass over the summer, winter, and spring there was an 18 percent overall decrease in the body mass of the shrews as the temperature got colder. The brain and skull alone experiencing a 20 percent decrease. When the temperature started to warm up again, the shrews’ masses increased to what they had been before.” This allows for the reader to understand how the conclusion was reached without leaving them with unanswered questions.
Although Timothy does many good things in his review, there are a couple areas that could use improvement. First of all, Timothy does not do a great job of explaining how the lab was set up and gives little to no insight to the procedure. He merely states, “They put a microchip into the animals and measured twelve of them on three occasions.” Going into more depth would have been beneficial for his review and given the reader a better understanding. Astly he does not give many quotes from the article in his review. Giving quotes is always a good idea, because it builds credibility for you as a write and creates a stronger trust between the reader and writer. Tim missed out on this opportunity by not including many quotes.
Despite this, Timothy still did a very good job. The most interesting thing for me was how research on a shrew could lead to huge advancements in the medical field. Timothy even says that it could create potential breakthroughs in finding a cure to degenerative bone diseases. The fact that information yielded from a shrew could save lives and cure a disease is extremely interesting. This makes me appreciate little things in life as they could lead way for huge advancements as seen with shrews.
Olivia Doyle
ReplyDeleteAP Biology
Mr. Ippolito
6 November 2017
“As Winter Sets In, Tiny Shrews Shrink Their Skulls and Brains”
Quenqua, Douglas. “As Winter Sets In, Tiny Shrews Shrink Their Skulls and Brains.” The New
York Times, The New York Times, 23 Oct. 2017.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/23/science/shrews-shrink-heads-brains.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=8&pgtype=sectionfront
This week, I read my classmate Tim’s article on the hibernation habits of shrews. The article discussed how shrews shrink their brain and skull by about 20% during the winter. Tim gave a solid summary of the article, and included quotes from the researchers in order to explain how the brain tissue of the animal can shrink. He analyzed how researchers studied this behavior, as well as the results of the experiment, which was important for the reader's understanding. In his analysis of the author’s article, he offered excellent improvements to the article, including the addition of more data and an explanation of previous experiments. Lastly, Tim made an interesting point: he said that, “knowing that other organs in the body decrease may allow us to better replicate organs like kidneys”, which displayed Tim’s understanding of the real-world connection to this article.
Although Tim’s article was very well-written, there are some areas which he could have improved on. For one, he should I have explained why shrews shrink their brain and skull, as outlined in the article, which said that they do this as a form of survival because they are unable to migrate long distances in the winter and cannot enter an energy-saving state like bears can. This would have been an important fact to include as it informs the reader of the cause of this habit. Additionally, I think Tim should have offered more connections to the real-world from this discovery, expanding on his idea that this knowledge may lead to easier treatments in humans in the future.
Overall, I found Tim’s review of the article very interesting and informative. I never knew that shrews had this ability, and am now interested to examine other animals’ hibernation habits. I also am eager to find out how shrews are able to shrink their brain and skull, and what the effects are of the shrinking on the shrews’ brain.
Current Event #7: “As Winter Sets in, Tiny Shrews Shrink Their Skulls and Brains”
ReplyDeleteIsabel Sondey
Quenqua, Douglas. “As Winter Sets In, Tiny Shrews Shrink Their Skulls and Brains.” The New
York Times, The New York Times, 23 Oct. 2017,
www.nytimes.com/2017/10/23/science/shrews-shrink-heads-brains.html?rref=collectio
%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank
module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=8&pgtype=sectionfront.
Overall, Tim’s review of the article was a very strong one. The structure he adopts in his review enables the reader to follow his writing and remain engaged. He begins with a very basic introduction of the migration patterns of animals, transitioning into an overview of the recent research conducted on red-toothed shrews concerning their ability to survive harsh winters, finally leading into a more detailed explanation of these findings and their implications. Tim is also able to successfully convey the importance of his selected article in the context of each of our lives. He goes into depth explaining how the research provides us with valuable insights into the field of medicine, as knowledge of how certain species are able to regenerate particular organs could potentially advance human treatments for bone and growth disorders. Additionally, Tim effectively incorporates a few meaningful statistic in his review. He includes just two statistics on the percent decrease in the body mass of shrews as temperature decreases, which enhances his argument while keeping it concise, understandable, and appealing.
There are a few areas in which Tim can improve his review, including the depth to which he reaches discusses the article. He is effective in simplifying the contents of the article so that the research is understandable to an audience with no background knowledge on the matter, although there were some areas that were perhaps over-distilled. He discusses a few statistics on the changing body mass of shrews as temperature decreases, but does not provide much information on the study beyond this. Inclusion of some more information directly relating to the study, perhaps on exactly how, where, and by who the study was conducted, would provide the audience with a more thorough understanding of the article. Tim also includes only two quotes from the text, and the addition of a few more could enhance his comment. In his review of the article, he mentions that the author cited several researchers which builds credibility and strength of the argument, so he could have included a few direct quotes from researchers to strengthen his claims.
Tim’s review of the article was both interesting and informative. Prior to reading his review on the article, I knew very little about the techniques of various animal species to adapt to varying temperatures, yet was drawn to the title that referenced the animal being able to shrink and grow its brain. This article was able to expand my knowledge of this while concurrently teaching me about research that could expand treatment techniques for people suffering from bone and growth disorders. Knowledge of exactly how the shrews are able to shrink and grow their brains will undoubtedly prove to have an effect on the field of medicine, and will be used to understand how, if possible, humans can do the same thing.
Clio Dakolias
ReplyDeleteAP Bio- Codd
Current Event 7
November 6, 2017
Quenqua, Douglas. “As Winter Sets In, Tiny Shrews Shrink Their Skulls and Brains.” The New
York Times, The New York Times, 23 Oct. 2017,
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/23/science/shrews-shrink-heads-brains.html?rref=collectio%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science%C2%AEion=rankmodule=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=8&pgtype=sectionfront.
This week, for Current Event 7, I decided to read Tim’s review of the article “As Winter Sets In, Tiny Shrews Shrink Their Skulls and Brains,” by Douglas Quenqua. Tim did a great job of explaining the topic his article centered on in a simple way that made it very easy to follow. This makes it clear that his knowledge of his chosen article is very large and he did his research. By explaining the complex in which the shrews are able to shrink their brains to limit body size/energy used in such an understandable way-complete with comparisons to make certain terms clear- he manages to make a review of a not well known topic interesting to read. While he did not incorporate many quotes, the quotes that were used were very helpful, and explained the brain shrinking in a very understandable way. Finally, Tim’s critique paragraph was excellent, clearly dictating what the author did well and what could be improved. His opinions on the article are interesting to read, as he argues them in a way that is clear to follow and that makes perfect sense.
While Tim’s response was overall an excellent one, there were a few points which he could improve on. First, while the quotations used were helpful to the reader, they could have been incorporated in different places, as Tim put them in somewhat distracting places. The quotations he used were also not credited to a person, so it is unclear how credible they really are. Also, he could have used a few more quotations to further his argument and depiction of his knowledge. Tim also could have given some background on preexisting knowledge of shrew brain and skull shrinking, so readers could understand if this is a completely new discovery or if it is based on prior ones.
I knew next to nothing about shrews and their skulls and their potential positive impact prior to reading Tim’s review of this article, and I was amazed that the something many of us are scared of could make a huge impact on the lives of so many, with proper research. If scientists can work out how they regrow complex organs, it can lead to advancements in bone treatments and other growth diseases.
Kunzang Namgyal
ReplyDeleteMr. Ippolito
AP Biology- EF even
7 November 2017
“As Winter Sets In, Tiny Shrews Shrink Their Skulls and Brains”
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/23/science/shrews-shrink-heads-brains.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=8&pgtype=sectionfront
This week I decided to read Timothy’s current event on the New York Times article, “As Winter Sets In, Tiny Shrews Shrink Their Skulls and Brains”. Timothy does an excellent job of explaining that the shrews decrease their brain and body mass during the winter to conserve energy which "allows the shrews to survive off of the little food they can find in the winter”. This makes sense as food is less readily available for animals once it gets colder and the soil becomes harder and covered with snow. He also gives the readers important statistics, "there was an 18 percent overall decrease in the body mass of the shrews as the temperature got colder. The brain and skull alone experiencing a 20 percent decrease.” The reader understands that a decrease of 18 percent of an organism’s body mass is a significant change and it is vital to note that the brain and skull had a 20 percent decrease alone, because this means that the brain was using up the most energy. Timothy ties this discovery in shrews to possible human development, "Knowing that an animal has the ability to regrow very complex organs may lead to easier treatments in humans in the future”. This means that understanding these shrews could lead to advancing treatments for bone and other growth diseases.
I do wish that Timothy had quoted more from his article or that he had quoted some experts in this area of study and gave their opinions on the new findings. Also, Timothy could have further detailed how researchers planned on incorporating this study into human medicine.
Overall, this current event was well-written and informative. I did not know it was possible for animals (other than humans) to lose body mass. I wonder how long the process is for the shrews and how exactly they lose the mass.
Amanda Shkreli
ReplyDeleteAP Biology
Current Event Review #8
November 17th, 2017
“As Winter Sets In, Tiny Shrews Shrink Their Skulls and Brains”
“As Winter Sets In, Tiny Shrews Shrink Their Skulls and Brains”
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/23/science/shrews-shrink-heads-brains.html?rref=collection 2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=8&pgtype=sectionfront
Timothy Cushman’s review of “As Winter Sets In, Tiny Shrews Shrink Their Skulls and Brains,” summarizes how scientists have discovered a new method that red toothed shrews use to survive the winter. In this review, Cushman includes three aspects that make his review well written. Firstly, he explains exactly what the shrews do to survive the winter in such a way that the reader would understand. He states, “The shrews shrink their skulls, brains, and other organs during the winter” (Cushman, 1). By including this statement, Cushman clearly explains what the animal achieves and sets it up so that he can include the details of the studies in the following sentence. Since he does not overcomplicate the information, the reader is guaranteed to perceive the findings. Secondly, Cushman goes into detail about the studies conducted. He explains that the studies were designed to test how the red-toothed shrews body mass changes throughout the different seasons. Researches captured the shrews from the summer of 2014 to the fall of 2015, placing microchips in the animals so that they would be able to measure them. After measuring them on three occasions, scientists discovered that when watching the body mass over the summer, winter, and spring there was an 18 percent overall decrease in the body mass of the shrews as the temperature got colder. When the temperature increased once again, the shrews’ masses increased to what they had been before. By including this information, Cushman supports his claim using the evidence found from the study, proving to the reader that his argument is correct. Lastly, Cushman explains why scientists believe that this phenomenon occurs. Scientists have concluded that brain tissue is energetically very expensive, so reducing the overall brain size most likely decreases energy demands and food requirements, helping them survive in harsh winters. Though scientists aren’t certain that this is the case, Cushman includes this information because it offers some sort of explanation as to how his happens.
Though Cushman’s review is well written, there are certain areas where there is room for improvement. In the first paragraph, he fails to define what a red-toothed shrew is. In order to provide more context for the reader, Cushman could easily fix this error by explaining what red-toothed shrews are, where they originate from, and what locations their species inhabits. Another area where there is room for improvement is also in the first paragraph. Though the first study appears to have sufficient evidence, in order to strengthen his argument, Cushman should include other studies that test this phenomenon to prove that he is correct. He could easily fix this issue by researching the topic and looking for further studies.
After reading this review, I’ve learned that red-toothed shrews shrink their brain and organs in order to save energy and survive cold temperatures. The reason why I chose to read this article is because scientific breakthroughs regarding animals really interest me. As a result of this new information, I understand that animals have the ability to adapt to their surrounding conditions.
Charlie Gay
ReplyDeleteAP Biology
Mr. Ippollito
11/16/17
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/23/science/shrews-shrink-heads-brains.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=8&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0
Quenqua, Douglas. “As Winter Sets In, Tiny Shrews Shrink Their Skulls and Brains.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 23 Oct. 2017.
Current Events 8
I really enjoyed Tim Cushman’s review on the article “As Winter Sets In, Tiny Shrews Shrink Their Skulls and Brains.” Tim’s review was very well-written and informative. One thing that Tim did well in his review is that he included stats. For example, he wrote, “here was an 18 percent overall decrease in the body mass of the shrews as the temperature got colder.” By providing stats he is allowing the reader to form their own opinions on the information. Another thing that Tim did very well is that he included a quote from the article. He included a quote about brain tissue, which is a great topic to include a quote for. A difficult topic is best explained by an expert, which is why it was very well done by Tim to include a quote. Lastly, I also really liked Tim’s bigger idea paragraph. I really liked his idea that this knowledge of Shrew’s shrinking their heads could some how connect to humans and treating humans.
One thing that Tim could have done better is that he could have explained what a “shrew” was before starting to review the article. I, for one, was not aware what a shrew was before reading and had to look it up to continue reading Tim’s article. Another thing that Tim could do better is he could have included the source and credentials of the person who he got his quote from. Without the credentials of the person the reader’s can not form their own opinions about how true the quote is.
I chose to read Tim’s review because I have read one of Tim’s reviews before and really enjoyed reading it. Tim always picks out interesting articles and writes a very informative review. I learned a lot from his article. For example, I did not know what a Shrew was or that some animals have the ability to shrink their skulls and brains during the winter months. I found this amazing and mind blowing. We can continue this research as a world by finding out how shrews are able to regrow their brains. As Tim wrote in his article, this could be a breakthrough discovery for how we treat human brains.