Dolphins Show Self-Recognition Earlier Than Children

Isabel Sondey

Ap Biology

Mr. Ippolito

January 19, 2018

Gorman, James. “Dolphins Show Self-Recognition Earlier Than Children.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 10 Jan. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/01/10/science/dolphins-self-recognition.html?rref=collection/sectioncollection/science&action=click&contentCollection=science&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=8&pgtype=sectionfront.

There are only a few animals who can recognize themselves in a mirror, including humans, chimpanzees, elephants, and magpies. Mirror self-recognition is often taken as a measure of a kind of intelligence and self-awareness, as the ability to recognize oneself as an individual takes a large amount of self awareness and identification. Many of the lower animals, such as many species of birds, perceive the image in mirrors as that of another animal. Some will even try to attack the mirror, as they view it ask a threat. Research conducted by Diana Reiss, a psychologist at Hunter College, and graduate student Rachel Morrison indicates that dolphins are able to recognize themselves in a mirror as early as at the age of seven months, which most humans cannot do until the age of 12 months of so and most chimpanzees cannot do until the age of two years. Dr. Reiss noted that the timing of this sort of self-awareness is of great relevance, as it is linked to many later life milestones. Dr. Reiss said dolphins “may put their eye right up against the mirror and look in silence. They may look at the insides of their mouths and wiggle their tongues.”

This study is particularly relevant to us as it provides us with some insight into how intelligent the species around us truly are. As humans, we perceive ourselves to be “supreme beings” of sorts, often overlooking the intelligence of other species. It is intriguing to think that other animals such as dolphins could actually possess a greater self-awareness than us humans. Additionally, this research provides us with critical insights into the “development of self-awareness” milestone. As explained by Emory University’s Frans de Waals, the student holds a great significance, as science needs to go beyond asking whether species display mirror self-recognition (MSR) to ask whether the emergence of MSR correlates, as it does in humans, with other milestones of development. Connecting the ability to the rest of development can help researchers begin to answer the question of what MSR means.” Further research may help us understand what this development of self-awareness really means in the case of animals, and whether it is related to other milestone developments as it is in humans.

Overall, the article was a particularly interesting one. The author broke down the research in a very clear, concise, and comprehensible manner. He also cited a professor at Emory University, Frans de Waals, saying that the study was a great one. This served to validate the research, as it showed that a respected professor and well-verse scientist gave his approval. However, there were a few aspects of the research that were left a little unclear. To begin with, the author did not thoroughly explain how many dolphins were tested or where they were tested. He writes, “Dr. Reiss first reported self-recognition in dolphins in 2001 with Lori Marino” and then goes on to explain the behavior of dolphins when they come in contact with mirrors, yet he fails to address any specifics of the data collection process. Inclusion of this information would greatly enhance the reader’s understanding of the research and it was certainly a huge mistake to exclude this. I’d recommend that the author include some more specifics of the research, including when it began, where it was conducted, how dolphins were selected for testing, and exactly how they were tested.

Brain Circuit That Drives Sleep-Wake States, Sleep-Preparation Behavior Is Identified

Julia Pabafikos

Mr. Ippolito

AP Biology Current Event

January 18, 2018

“Brain Circuit That Drives Sleep-Wake States, Sleep-Preparation Behavior Is Identified.” Stanford University Medical Center, 5 Sept. 2016, www.biologynews.net/archives/2016/09/05/brain_circuit_that_drives_sleepwake_states_sleeppreparation_behavior_is_identified.html.

A topic that seems to interest many researchers, parents and students worldwide is whether or not we are receiving the proper amount of sleep each night. Therefore, the article I decided to read was Brain Circuit That Drives Sleep-Wake States, Sleep-Preparation Behavior Is Identified studied in Stanford University. A reward system that is similar in all vertebrates and ultimately is able to connect most life on Earth is sleep,  controlled by a chemical called dopamine which plays a crucial role in firing up this circuitry. Neuroscientists know that a particular brain structure known as the ventral tegmental area which is the origin of numerous dopamine-secreting nerve fibers which run in discrete tracts to many different parts of the brain. In order to further this research, scientists decided to introduce a study where the investigators used male laboratory mice bioengineered in several respects to enable the use of advanced technologies which remotely excite, suppress and monitor activity in the dopamine-secreting nerve cells from the mice's VTA. The researchers also measured the mice's overall brain activity and muscle tone to determine the mice's relative stages of sleep or arousal.  Overall, activity in the dopamine-secreting nerve cells emanating from the VTA rose on waking and stayed elevated when mice were awake. However, this activity decreased when mice transitioned into sleep, remaining low throughout their sleep. Activating this nerve-cell population was enough to wake up the animals from a sound sleep and keep them awake for long periods. When instead the scientists suppressed activity in the same nerve-cell population during the typically active period of the mice's 24-hour cycle, the mice were put to sleep and remained asleep even through the presence of arousal triggers such as delicious high-fat chow or a female.

Although we are often exhausted it is challenging to finally find the ability to let ourselves fall asleep.  Some 25 to 30 percent of American adults are affected by sleep disturbances of one type or another, according to the National Institutes of Health. Insomnia has become a multibillion-dollar market for pharmaceutical companies due to its treatment with drugs such as benzodiazepines that nonspecifically shut down the entire brain. This research strives to find the possibility of developing therapies that, by narrowly targeting this newly identified circuit, could induce higher-quality sleep. Another part of the experiment was putting the mice in an unfamiliar cage and recorded that they ordinarily explored their new surroundings energetically. "But the new study shows that at least one complex behavior is induced not by stimulating, but by inhibiting. Interestingly, this behavior -- nest building -- is essential to a mouse's preparation for sleep.” said De Lecea, the senior author or the study. Humans have a similar stimulation, for example, if we're disrupting this preparation by texting or playing video games it charges up our emotions and gets our VTA dopaminergic circuitry going therefore making it harder to fall asleep.

This article was both very informative and easy to understand due to its relevance did an amazing job stating the background information in order to attract his reader. The research team was able gave great examples that connected their research to people worldwide and ultimately proposed an alternative cure to insomnia. However, I believe that the research team should include even more specifics about their research and experiments in order for the audience to further understand how tedious and how crucial this research is to society. Additionally, I would recommend that they use more quotes from scientists/researchers working on this experiment in order to give a preview of what they plan to do in the future. I think that by adding quotes the article would be able to not only add some length but also further the point of this innovative research.

Light Pollution May Promote the Spread of West Nile Virus

Robby Schetlick

Ippolito

AP Biology CE 14

January 18 2018

Citation:  Elizabeth Pennisi Jan. 9, 2018, 4:55 PM, et al. “Light Pollution May Promote the Spread of West Nile Virus.” Science | AAAS, Sciencemag.org, 9 Jan. 2018, www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/01/light-pollution-may-promote-spread-west-nile-virus.

In this article by Sciencemag.org, Elizabeth Pennisi discusses new biology research into the effects of light pollution on surrounding ecosystems. Specifically, new research into how light pollution is likely affecting the spread of the West Nile Virus. Meredith Kernbach, an eco immunologist at the University of South Florida in Tampa, performed an experiment with 50 birds to measure the effects of the light pollution claiming that“ ...birds play such a key role in West Nile epidemiology…” because they indirectly spread the disease when mosquitoes drink their blood. Half of the birds were kept in dim lit cages, while the others were in total darkness. All birds were infected with the disease. While both groups had nearly half of the sparrows die and become infectious after 2 days, the birds exposed to light did not show any worse symptoms. However, they did remain infectious for 4 days, twice as long as the dark group! This is dangerous because it could result. Kernbach concludes that as a result “we expect to have greater [disease] transmission in urban areas.” Initial testing revealed that the exact cause of the effects of light was not linked to stress hormones, but instead to melatonin which can have an effect on immune responses.

The article is important to our society because it is an example of how advancements in human technology can directly affect and cause large changes to our environment. This is especially dangerous if we are not careful as Clinton Francis, an ecologist at the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, claims. “The ways that we influence sensory environments”—whether it’s with sound or light”—can have all sorts of unintended consequences…” If an important invention like artificial lighting can indirectly increase the risk of disease in urban areas, it opens up limitless possibilities of how every little change to human lifestyle could affect our world for better or worse. It will be our responsibility from this point onwards to make sure we fully research and understand the environmental impacts of changes in our lifestyles so that we don’t accidentally harm or ruin our environment.

The article is of a high quality because it is compact, efficient, and an interesting read. It makes up for its length with photos and effective information transmission of the reader. The article could be improved by tightening it up through eliminating irrelevant parts. For example, in the beginning of the article, scientists involved with the study are quoted on their opinions about the research study. Although this may be helpful to improve the credibility of the study, given that they are uninvolved with the study whatsoever it feels out of place for the article. Adding more detail about the research into the exact effects of the light pollution on melatonin would also improve the reading experience.

In the Arctic, More Rain May Mean Fewer Musk Oxen.”

Luke Redman

Mr.Ippolito

AP Biology

Current Event #14

Zimmer, Carl. “In the Arctic, More Rain May Mean Fewer Musk Oxen.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 18 Jan. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/01/18/science/musk-oxen-climate-change.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront.

This week, I read Carl Simmer’s article for the New York Times, “In the Arctic, More Rain May Mean Fewer Musk Oxen.” The article is about the recent findings on musk ox, which is described to be a “a buffalo decked out in a hairy fur coat.” While not much research on musk oxen has been published, a new study came to disturbing results. Joel Berger, a wildlife biologist at Colorado State University and a senior scientist at the Wildlife Conservation Society, came to the worrying conclusion that musk oxen are very susceptible to rapid climate change in the Arctic. Berger explains in his research that due to climate change, the rainfall in the Arctic has increased over the past few years, and are negatively affecting the oxen. “In a warming landscape, pregnant female musk oxen may struggle to find enough food for their unborn calves, the researchers found. Their undersized offspring may die young or fail to produce many calves of their own. In places, musk oxen may disappear altogether.” This is the first study to say that increasing rainfalls are leading to the decreasing health of land mammals in the Arctic, and shows no signs of slowing down. This study, however, is one of many to show the growing effects of climate change on the ecosystems of the world, with the ice caps melting and completely destroying habitats of endangered animals. This article helps the public realize that our actions are leading to dire consequences in the world around us, and that change is needed in order to keep our planet the same.

The article itself was very interesting to read and furthers my knowledge of the effects of climate change on the world. Berger does a great job of including his sources, transitioning from mentioning the paper to explaining the effects of climate change in other areas, and providing accurate information. However, I would have liked to see more of his own opinion in the paper, which would make for a more interesting read. Overall, the article was extremely well-written and I learned something new about climate change and musk ox.

Fresh Approach to TB Vaccine

Nina Veru

AP Bio, C-odd

Current Event 14

1/18/18

“Fresh Approach to TB Vaccine Offers Better Protection.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180117114910.htm.

In this article, a new vaccine had been tested in the Rhesus Monkey, a specie very similar to humans.  This vaccine was first found to be useful in the treatment of HIV, but researchers have recently discovered that it can also help with the treatment of tuberculosis (TB).  In this study, the vaccine protected 41% of the monkey’s and reduced the disease in 68% of the infected monkey’s.  Researchers compared the results with monkey’s treated by current vaccinations.  The results proved that “there was no measurable protection” using the current treatments.  

TB is caused by mycobacterium, which spreads through the air.  TB results in a violent cough in which the patient can even spit up blood.  It is important to note that some people do not exhibit symptoms, in fact only 5-10% of people show symptoms.  Although a vaccine already exists, it only protects children.  

The principle leader of this study is Dr. Louis Picker who is an associate director of the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute.  Picker claims that, “1.7 million people dying globally from TB each year and the rise of strains that are resistant to drug treatment, we need a better way to prevent this disease."  Finding a better treatment for TB is crucial since many individuals die from this disease, especially in third world countries.  Picker also states that the monkey’s are more susceptible to TB than humans.  Therefore the scientists predict that humans will respond better to the vaccine.  

What is unique about Picker and his colleagues is that they have a different approach to treating the virus opposed to other researchers.  The team uses a weak form of the Herpes virus called cytomegalovirus (CMV), which infects people without causing the disease itself.  Picker weaves small bits of the TB causing pathogen into the CMV, which then “maintains a high state of immunity against the pathogen in vaccinated monkeys.”  Picker, along with his team, will continue to better their techniques and will work with Vir Biotechnology Incorporation of San Francisco.  Picker will test the vaccine on humans in the year 2020.  

I believe this article contains very important information because as previously mentioned about 1.7 million people die of TB annually, especially in third world countries.  It is important that scientists develop new vaccines and treatments so that people can survive this disease.  I especially liked learning about how this vaccine originated from an HIV vaccine.  Although the article was written well, I wish the author of the article had incorporated a different viewpoint on the vaccine or discussed if there are different treatments being tested.  In addition, the author could have elaborated more on current treatments.           

What Makes This Flu Season So Bad

Abbey Thomas

Mr. Ippolito

AP Biology

19 January 2017

“What Makes This Flu Season So Bad.” National Geographic, National Geographic Society, 17 Jan.

2018,news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/01/flu-influenza-h3n2-virus-outbreak-vaccine-spd/.

For current event number 14, I reviewed “What Makes This Flu Season So Bad” by Sarah Gibbens. The article discusses how the 2017/2018 flu season has been particularly harmful because of an ineffective flu vaccine and a dangerous strand. The Center for Disease Control has reported that, “Out of every 100,000 hospitalizations in the U.S., 22.7 were for the flu in the first week in January” (CDC). These numbers are close to the data from a particularly severe flu season that occured in 2015, which had 29.9 out of 100,000 hospitalizations being flu related. The director of the National Institute of Health’s Institute of Allergies and Infectious Disease Anthony Fauci says that there are three reasons that this flu  season has been particularly bad. Firstly, the main strain of influenza that is affecting people in the U.K., U.S.A, and Australia is the H3N2 strain, which is often “associated with complications” (Fauci). Secondly, H3N2 is an uncommon strain, and so people do not have a lot of exposure to the strand, and so there is no immunity built up. Lastly, the flu vaccine this year has only been 30% effective against this strand, the low effectiveness is due to a mutation in the virus that the vaccine was was incubating with.

Since this flu season has already been a severe one, it is important for people to understand how the flu works and what precautions can be taken to avoid getting sick. Even though the flu vaccine can only be 60% effective due to the flu’s rapid mutations, “that makes it at least 60 percent more effective than not getting a vaccine at all, it still means the rapidly mutating virus has a fighting chance,” (Gibbens). This article also included the future of the flu vaccine and research. Biotechnical company, Vaccitech, is looking to create a “Holy Grail” vaccine that will stop the need to remake a vaccine in each year. The CEO of Vaccitech, Tom Evens, hopes that his approach to targeting the part of the flu that does not change, the vaccine will be universal and more effective. A discovery like this will change the way the flu, and possibly other viruses, are treated in the future.

Overall Gibbens’ articles was very informative on the flu and the future of the flu. One thing she did very well was include quotes and research from very credible sources like the CDC, NIH, and the WHO, these sources increased the validity of her article. Another thing she did well was include the future of flu research. Although Gibbens’ article was very well done, one thing she could have included is more information on why the flu vaccine is not as effective, and how it can be made to be more effective before the “Holy Grail” vaccine is researched and approved. Even though the author could have included more details, her article was very informative on the flu.

The Swiss Consider the Lobster. It Feels Pain, They Decide

Ellie Parson

Mr. Ippolito

AP Biology

Current Event 13

Citations:

WEINTRAUB, Karen. “The Swiss Consider the Lobster. It Feels Pain, They Decide.” The New York Times , 12 Jan. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/01/12/science/lobster-pain-swiss.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront.

Review:

Karen Weintraub, an author for the New York Times, wrote the article “The Swiss Consider the Lobster. It Feels Pain, They Decide” about the possibility of lobsters feeling pain when killed in the traditional cooking practice of placing them in a boiling pot of water. She begins by addressing current debates in Switzerland over the new laws ensuring ethical ways of killing lobsters as to avoid hurting them. Instead, other moral, quicker methods of killing the lobsters so they suffer the least possible amount should be considered, such as stunning. Stunning the lobsters is a way of killing a lobster instantly with electricity. Weintraub first brings in the opinion of a professor of animal behavior from Queen’s University, Robert Elwood, who is also responsible for the experiments that have moved the Swiss government’s decision. Although he claims there is “no absolute proof” (Elwood,1) Elwood’s experiments have only supported that lobsters are able to feel pain. Opposing this opinion, Dr. Joseph Ayers believes that “producing such a law is just a bunch of people anthropomorphizing lobsters”(Ayers, 1). Ayers states that lobsters “simply don’t have the hardware”(Ayers, 1) for feeling pain as humans do. As lobster’s brains do not contain specific parts associated with pain, and their predators swallow them whole, there is no need for the animals to evolve nerves for pain. Michael Tlusty, a biologist who specializes in lobsters at the University of Massachusetts, stands in the middle of the issue. He acknowledges that lobster’s brains aren’t developed for pain, but then questions if that is even an accurate fact to be trusted. Crustaceans have a completely different build than human beings, and it is hard to say whether they could feel pain without more research. As lobsters are able to lose limbs with ease, they do “continue to twitch after they’ve have their limbs ripped off” (Weintraub, 1). Weintraub moves from the opinions of different scientists on the issue, and focuses closely on why Dr. Elwood decided to research into lobster’s ability for feeling pain- a famous chef asked him about it. Elwood immediately conducted studies on crustaceans and “has shown that crustaceans guard wounded limbs and avoid areas where they’re been shocked” (Weintraub, 1), and is certain that they must feel something that keeps them so alert. Weintraub ends her article contrasting the different ways the scientists recommend killing lobsters. To avoid hurting lobsters further, Elwood suggests quicker, more ethical ways to kill lobsters before they are cooked over boiling the alive in a pot, which may take a minute to kill them. Dr. Ayers, on the other hand, insists the best way to kill a lobster is by boiling water in a pot. Dr. Tlusy prefers placing the lobsters on ice first to slow them down.

While reading this article, it became apparent how different scientific concerns of countries are around the world. While Switzerland is focused on the right way to morally kill a lobster before eating it, countries like the United States of America are divided on much larger topics such as climate change. However, as very small, seemingly simple organisms such as lobsters appear hold the ability to suffer, the worlds of science and morals have to combine. Including scientific studies from Elwood into politics is an example of society making laws in response to scientific research. It is interesting to see how a question like “Do lobsters feel pain?” can introduce new policies into a nation. The idea of morally killing animals can also be related to a recent trend in society, veganism and vegetarianism. Many people have recently changed their eating habits based on the ways animals are being treated before their meat ends up on a plate as to avoid supporting the abuse of animals. Killing lobsters in a way that could cause them pain may be able to help readers understand why some vegans and vegetarians avoid eating meat and seafood- because they view it as immoral. The idea of torturing an animal before eating it is mortifying to many.

Weintraub's article was very well written, included many opinions from multiple scientists, and succeeded into making her readers reflect on the morals of killing certain animals if they feel pain. Throughout her article, she focused on the claims of three experts, all of which were different from each other to introduce the diversity of opinions on the topic. She also included quotes from the scientists perfectly matching the theme of her article. Weintraub not only addressed the problem at hand, but wrote about solutions of humanely killing lobsters, such as the Crustastun. However, Weintraub failed to explain in detail any of the studies conducted by Dr. Elwood. Weintraub also did not include any background as to why Switzerland was considering changing the law outside from Dr. Elwood’s studies. It would have been interesting to read about Dr. Elwood’s experiments and the critical thinking behind the change in law. If she did include more information about the studies, it would add more depth to the article and allow students to draw their own conclusions based on the data aquired.

Where Did Animals With Tail Weapons Go? Here's a Back Story.

Kunzang Namgyal

Mr.Ippolito

AP Biology- EF Even

17 January 2018

St, Nicholas. “Where Did Animals With Tail Weapons Go? Here's a Back Story.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 16 Jan. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/01/16/science/tails-weapons-dinosaurs.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront.

This week I decided to read the article, “Where Did Animals With Tail Weapons Go? Here's a Back Story,” by New York Times writer, Nicholas St. Fleur. This article focused on animals with fearsome tail weapons and the lack of these animals today. In previous eras, there were large animals that could wreak havoc with their huge, spiky tails. There were dinosaurs such as the ankylosaurus which sported a clubbed tail, the stegosaurus which had tails covered in spear-like spikes, and the sauropods which could fling fused clumps of bones from their tails at their predators. Since those older eras, the earth has not been inhabited by many animals with formidable tails. Today there is only one species that has a bony tail, the lizard known as Smaug has a smaller bony, spiky tail. Other animals that share this bony defense are the porcupine with its quills and the pangolin with its scales. However, we do not see many animals with the same traits as the dinosaurs listed earlier. Scientists questioned where these animals went and discovered three major commonalities between all mammals, reptiles, and nonavian dinosaurs that had tail weapons. All animals with a formidable tail had been large, herbivorous, and were protected by an armored body. Victoria Arbour, a paleontologist at the University of Toronto and the Royal Ontario Museum explains that “That’s a really rare combination no matter what time period you’re looking at.” This helps the reader understand why these animals are so uncommon today.

This article is relevant to us in a few ways. First, it gives us a more in depth look into the Earth’s past and evolution, for some reason only animals that fit those particular three categories evolved to have tail weapons. This article could also provide evidence that some of the current animals on the Earth will eventually evolve to have tail weapons, as “the authors [of the study] hypothesized that developing bony clubs like the ankylosaurus and the glyptodon was a gradual, evolutionary process.”

I chose to read this article because I was interested with learning how huge animals with tail weapons evolved into the animals we see today. The article did not go into depth on the evolution of these animals after the species had developed tail weapons, therefore I believe the title of the article was quite misleading, as it did not answer the question posed in the title, “Where Did Animals With Tail Weapons Go? Here's a Back Story.” I also wish that the author had explained the advantage or disadvantages of tail weapons, as it would have given the readers more background information. I do believe that Fleur did an adequate job of helping the readers visualize the animals he was referring to by describing their size, appearance, and diet, as well as giving examples of some dinosaurs. I found it very interesting that all animals with tail weapons were herbivores. I wonder if in later eras, animals will again develop tail weapons.

Why So Cold? Climate Change May Be Part of the Answer

Jack Kochansky

AP Biology EF Even

Mr. Ippolito

8 January 2018

Why So Cold? Climate Change May Be Part of the Answer

By Henry Fountain

Fountain, Henry. “Why So Cold? Climate Change May Be Part of the Answer.” The New York

Times, The New York Times, 3 Jan. 2018,

www.nytimes.com/2018/01/03/climate/cold-climate-change.html?rref=collection

%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=str

eam&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfr

ont.

Last week, much of the US faced a serious cold snap, accompanied in many places with large amounts of snowfall, even in the South, where they are completely unprepared for such eventualities.  Amid all of the signs, many people have been wondering if and how this has to do with climate change.  Researchers such as Marlene Kretschmer of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany point out that “There’s a lot of agreement that the Arctic plays a role, it’s just not known exactly how much.”  Because there are many factors that go into impacting weather and the climate, scientists are very careful to look at every piece of evidence and avoid jumping to conclusions.  Other experts like Rick Thoman are also careful to emphasize that even though the scientific community is fairly confident that the Arctic has to do with our recent cold snaps, “. . . the exact connection on the climate scale is an area of active research.”  However, there is a common perspective that with a warmer Arctic as a result of climate change, there is a weaker jet stream in the Western Hemisphere because of a smaller temperature difference between lower and higher altitudes.  Rather than being a clear-cut, direct west-east wind pattern as it usually is, Dr. Timo Vihma of the Finnish Meteorological Institute, high-pressure systems can make the jet stream “more like a big snake around the Northern Hemisphere.”  The result is the big, stagnant, freezing, swirling storms that we had last week.  Normally, the temperature difference between Arctic air and more southern air keeps the two separated, but with global warming, that difference is no longer so big in the winter, and the icy polar winds can escape.  And that is what we have been dealing with throughout the last week.

This unusual weather event has had several serious impacts on cities up and down the East Coast this week, even shutting down some Southern areas completely.  This was the first time in years that places like Florida or South Carolina got significant snow, and they are completely unprepared.  The result is that they are simply stuck, unable to move the snow, and so entire cities of millions of people are all but shut down.  The truth is that “global warming” can have so many more implications than just warming; it leads to all sorts of more extreme weather events.  What is altogether more concerning is that the President of the United States, Donald Trump, clearly does not understand this fact and said in a tweet on December 28, “Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming.”  Unfortunately, the President has a lot of influence over the opinions of his ultra-conservative base, so that much of that group of people now doubts that man-made climate change is real.  Weather events like this one show that climate change is manifesting itself in many different ways, but it will certainly lead to more extreme weather events that our infrastructure will need to work to respond to.  Climate change will also have a serious negative impact on many ecosystems throughout the world, and this unusually cold period of time certainly did some damage to plants and animals in the South that can survive only in warm climates.  Human systems, plants, and animals will all need to adapt to these new changes, and if we do not do anything to slow climate change, the implications on world biodiversity will be devastating.  By understanding the nature of unusual weather events like this one and their connection with global warming, we can more effectively respond to these arising problems and solve them.

I found this article to be very interesting, especially because it dealt with the East Coast’s recent cold snap, the effects of which all of us have felt.  It chose an interesting and relevant topic that is likely to attract a reasonable audience for its attempt to explain this unusually cold and icy weather.  Fountain also did a good job quoting several experts about the likely causes of this cold streak, reflecting their uncertainty and avoiding any misrepresentations of the findings so far.  However, there were also a few things that he could have done to make his article even better.  For example, the article was pretty short, so it was not able to go into much detail about the way that this current “bomb cyclone” works or its larger implications.  It would have been a little better if Fountain had not spent quite so much time talking about uncertainty in such a short article and had elaborated more on the other ideas.  Overall, though, the article was informative without being too long, and it was relevant, especially to us in the northeast who have felt the wrath of mother nature with the cold throughout the past few days.

“The Ocean Floor Is Sinking Due To Additional Water Weight From Melting Glaciers.”

Susie Goodell

Mr. Ippolito

AP Biology

1/10/18

Times, Tech. “The Ocean Floor Is Sinking Due To Additional Water Weight From Melting Glaciers.” Tech Times, 8 Jan. 2018, www.techtimes.com/articles/218284/20180108/the-ocean-floor-is-sinking-due-to-additional-water-weight-from-melting-glaciers.htm.

Current Event 13

For this current event, I chose to read the article “The Ocean Floor Is Sinking Due To Additional Water
Weight From Melting Glaciers” by Allan Adamson from Tech Times. It has been proved that part of the
rising ocean levels is due to the melting ice and glaciers, however, a new discovery has been made; due to
the large amount of water being added to the ocean from the melting ice, the ocean floor has begun to sink.
This enormous new weight also caused the seabed to warp and deform, which can “disguise the actual rise
of sea levels in some parts of our planet and even cover up the actual extent of sea level rise.” After
realizing this, scientists began to use the elastic sea level mathematical equation to get more accurate
measurements of the ocean floor and visualize the changes it has gone through in the past twenty years.
They calculated that “between 1993 and 2014, the rise in the total ocean load caused the seabed to sink by
about 2.5 mm, or about 0.13 mm per year. Sagging of the ocean floor in some regions, however, is
significantly greater with as much as 1 mm per year in the Arctic Ocean and 0.4 mm in the South Pacific.”
These estimates are more accurate than ones previously made because they take the sinking ocean floor
into consideration.

This discovery makes scientists aware of the deformities on the seafloor and allows them to gain
more accurate measurements of sea level rise. The study that occurred after the discovery was the first
ever to take into account the additional water from the melting ice. As stated by Thomas Frederikse, a
researcher on the study, “We have had tide gauge sea level rise measurements for more than a century.”
The procedure used in this study took into account the sinking of the ocean floor, an important piece of
information that allows for more accurate results. As a result, this study paves the way for future studies.
The results of this study could prove that assessments of changes in sea levels done by satellites are not as
accurate as they do not take into account the sinking ocean floor. They also don’t use the barystatic sea
level rise, the actual increasing volume of the ocean, in the measurements, so these assessments may be
underestimating the extent to which seas are rising.

Overall, this article was very well done. It was well-written and didn’t include extravagant science
terms that would confuse readers who are unfamiliar with this topic. The author organized the information
clearly and effectively. The results of the study were provided, which showed readers why it is important
to take the melting ice and warped seafloor into consideration when studying rising ocean levels.
However, I wish that the author had included more information about how the discovery of the
deformation of the seafloor affected the experiment and how the equation was used to measure the change
in the ocean floor. I also would have liked more details about the procedure of the experiment. Although,
the article was still very informative and enjoyable.