"Facial-Processing Area of Brain Keeps Growing Throughout Childhood"

Allison Barker

Current Event Review

AP Bio

1/9/17

Hamers, Laurel. "Facial-processing Area of Brain Keeps Growing throughout Childhood." Science News. N.p., 05 Jan. 2017. Web. 09 Jan. 2017. <https://www.sciencenews.org/article/facial-processing-area-brain-keeps-growing-throughout-childhood?tgt=nr>.

I read the article “Facial-Processing Area of Brain Keeps Growing Throughout Childhood” by Laurel Hamers. This article discussed new findings by a team of researchers that indicate that the part of the brain whose function is to recognize faces continues growing new tissue throughout childhood, which is contrary to what scientists previously believed. Brain development during childhood is widely believed to involve pruning back neural connections rather than growing new neural tissue, so this finding is revolutionary. Scientists such as Brad Duchaine, who was not a part of the study, are excited about the prospect of new growth techniques being discovered. Duchaine expressed his joy that “pruning isn’t the only game in town.” In order to gather this information, researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to find the areas of the brain’s visual cortex that work to identify faces and compared those to the areas of the visual cortex that identify images of places. The scientists compared the structures of these two brain areas in the brains of 22 children (aged 5 to 12) and 25 young adults (aged 22 to 28). The collateral sulcus, which identifies places, did not change much between childhood and adulthood, but the fusiform gyrus, which identifies faces, changed dramatically in this time period. The tissue in the fusiform gyrus of adults contains a different composition of cells and proteins and is much denser than that of children. Although scientists cannot determine from the MRI scans the types of cells and structures that result in the increased tissue observed in the fusiform gyrus of adults, but findings from previous studies suggest that the cause could be an increase in dendrites, which are the projections of nerve cells that communicate with other nerve cells. Dendrites might branch out more while the child is growing and make more connections. Another cause could be the oligodendrocytes, which are brain cells that produce the insulating myelin coating that surrounds nerve cells. One thing is for sure, though, according to neuroscientist Jesse Gomez, who led the study: The number of nerve cells is not increasing. This study cannot determine whether brain tissue increases only in the facial recognition area or in other visual areas of the brain, as well, because this study only compared the areas of the brain that recognize faces and places. However, this study does prove that the development of different types of visual processing occurs in different ways. One reason for the development of facial recognition tissue later in life may be the time it takes for humans to develop facial recognition skills. Gomez states, “Throughout development, our social circle grows. That might be one reason why the region continues to grow - that piece of hardware in the brain itself just takes time to develop.” The researchers will continue following their subjects in order to determine the cutoff age for tissue growth, and they hope to investigate the other specialized regions of the visual cortex in later studies in order to see whether similar tissue growth occurs in these areas.

The findings of the study discussed in this article have large implications for humanity. It is a goal of scientists to try to determine how the brain forms because knowing the makeup of the brain, and how it changes over time, could be key in curing many disorders. These findings could especially help in research regarding developmental disorders, as they discovered how a key region in the brain develops. Further, the method of growth for the tissue in the facial-processing region of the visual cortex could also occur in other regions of the visual cortex, so this discovery could advance understanding in research of many parts of the brain. It is imperative to continue learning how the brain works, and it is exciting that scientists have been able to determine a new growth process in the brain.

I found this article very interesting and easy to understand. I do not know much about neurobiology, so I was intimidated when I first saw the article, as I was not sure that I would understand anything. However, the language that the author used was very accessible, and she described the methods, results, and implications of the study very well. The only thing that I would change about this article is the discussion of “pruning.” Pruning is another method of brain tissue growth, and it is the method that scientists had assumed all brain tissue used to develop. Although this is mentioned a couple of times, pruning is never explained. I feel that a discussion of pruning would aid in the understanding of the reader and would allow for greater contrast in the new method of growth that has been discovered. Overall, though, I loved that this piece taught me a great deal about a subject that I was not familiar with.

A Metal Ball the Size of Massachusetts That NASA Wants to Explore

Chang, Kenneth. "A Metal Ball the Size of Massachusetts That NASA Wants to Explore." The New York Times. The New York Times, 06 Jan. 2017. Web. 09 Jan. 2017. <http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/06/science/nasa-psyche-asteroid.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront>.

On Wednesday, NASA announced that they will be sending a spacecraft named Psyche to visit the asteroid named Psyche, one of the two new missions that will be launching into the solar system in the 2020s. The asteroid appears to be almost as wide as Massachusetts and has a larger density at about 200 to 450 pounds per cubic foot. The asteroid appears to emit large amounts of light, causing scientists to believe that it is made out of metal. As Dr. Elkins-Taton said, “Humankind has visited rocky worlds and icy worlds and worlds made of gas, but we have never seen a metal world.” Many scientists believe that Psyche is the nickel-iron core of a small planet that was destroyed in the universe’s early history. Analyze of Psyche may allow scientists to learn more about the Earth’s core. Psyche, the spacecraft, is planned to be launched in 2023 to reach Psyche, the asteroid, in 2030. The spacecraft will orbit the asteroid for 20 months. The other major mission set to begin in the 2020s is the spacecraft Lucy. Lucy is set to depart in 2021 and fly by six asteroids before completing her mission in 2033. Her targets are the Trojans, asteroids that have been captured by Jupiter’s gravity. Both of these spacecrafts are part of NASA’s Discovery Program. Lucy and Psyche are capped at a price of $450 million each.

Scientists believe that they projects, specifically Psyche, will help us to learn about the origins and the creation of Earth. As expert Harold F. Levison said, “We believe that’s telling something about how the solar system formed and evolved. The small bodies are really the fossils of planet formation.” With current knowledge about the origins of Earth remaining scarce, these missions could help scientists to understand the Earth’s history better. This knowledge could help aid scientists in their exploration into the Earth’s core and could help discover how much of the solar system was formed.

Overall, the article was very well-written, however, there were areas that could have been improved. I liked how the article identified why the Psyche asteroid is special and why we are exploring it. I also liked how the article included many quotes from experts who explained why these missions were so important. However, I wish the article had explained more what scientists could do with the knowledge of the Earth’s history. I would be interested to hear what would be done after these missions were completed. Also, I wish the article had talked about what specifically Psyche, the spacecraft, would done on the asteroid. This would have made the missions seem more important and realistic. Overall, however, I enjoyed the article and was able to learn a lot about NASA’s upcoming missions and their importance.

Year in Review: 'Three-parent Baby' Technique Raises Hope and Concern

Saey, Tina Hesman. "Year in Review: 'Three-parent Baby' Technique Raises Hope and Concern." Science News. N.p., 14 Dec. 2016. Web. 03 Jan. 2017.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/three-parent-baby-top-science-stories-2016

For this week’s current event I read an article by Tina Hesman Saey about the “three-parent baby” born this past April. This was the first birth to be recorded and was the result of a highly controversial and complex matter. The mother of this baby had a mitochondrial disease that would have been passed on to her child, as had happened with her previous two babies who passed away due to inherited mutations. In order to prevent this the article explains,“Fertility doctor John Zhang of the New Hope Fertility Center in New York City and colleagues performed what’s called a spindle transfer to put all the chromosomes from the mother’s egg into a donor egg that contained healthy mitochondria but had been emptied of its chromosomes. The egg was then fertilized with sperm and implanted in the mother.” The author then goes on to explain the controversy of this matter and how some view it as unethical and potentially dangerous as there is no way to predict the long term effects that may come as a result.

This issue is very relevant to society as it opens up discussion about the ethics of modifying human zygotes and the potential for genetic modification and further disease prevention. This area of science is expanding and with this trial shows either potential to continue with this sort of procedure or put an end to it all together. Genetics are an up and coming area of discovery and have unlocked endless potentials.  

I thought the other of this article did an exceptional job. They clearly explained the matter in terms and language easily interpreted by their readers, and even more impressive, providing a diagram of the process the describe. It was very intriguing to see it laid out and be able to understand more deeply how the transfer of the mitochondria occurs. The author also cited numerous experts and professionals with a wide variety of perspectives. They addressed the controversy which surrounds these procedures and  got information for both sides of the argument. They als went into further depth regarding possible risks and how we have reached the ability to perform this. She gave history on these sorts of procedures, explained the trials on animals, acknowledged the failure of similar attempts, and even recognized the possible future in the UK of this subject. I thought this was a great article and was extremely successful in addressing all points of discussion alongside clear, thorough explanation.

Searching for the Human Factor in Deadly Avalanches

Yin, Steph. "Searching for the Human Factor in Deadly Avalanches." The New York Times. The New York Times, 29 Dec. 2016. Web. 02 Jan. 2017. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/29/science/avalanches-skiing-snowmobiles.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Ftrilobites&action=click&contentCollection=science&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=3&pgtype=collection 

Every year, there are many people who die in avalanches; about 30 Americans and 110 in Canada and Europe.  Dr. Hendrikx, at Montana State University, wanted to study human behavior to prevent future avalanche accidents because most avalanches are caused by skiers and snowmobilers.  Scientists know how weather and terrain contribute to avalanches, and forecasts are about 80% accurate.  Human activity, however, is very unpredictable.  Dr. Hendrikx said that "about 90% of avalanche victims trigger the avalanche themselves."  Although, apparently people in the backcountry understand avalanches, and the avalanches are not due to ignorance.  Dr. Hendrikx thinks that what leads to the avalanches is how people make decisions based on peer pressure.  To find out more about the behavior, Jerry Johnson and Hendrikx started a project where skiers and snowmobilers around the world record slope movements and answer questions.  Some of the results were older people, or people with children would make more conscious decisions.  The risk takers were all male groups, or people wanting to go on new slopes.  Also, people traveling in a group tend to make poorer choices than people skiing alone.  This could be because people want to show off, or people just want to follow to person with authority rather than thinking of the dangers.  On the other hand, though, about 99% of people are using the terrain appropriately and even though there has been an increase of engagement in backcountry sports, the accident rate has remained steady.  Dr. Hendirx believes that if he continues to study the decision making matrix, he will make a difference in the future.  

This research can have a huge affect on society.  Avalanches are a big problem around the world, and if more people continue to study the affects of group dynamics, the problem can be fixed, or at least greatly decreased.  I was drawn to this article and thought it was interesting, because I ski on mountains that have had avalanches.  I did not know that most victims of avalanches caused them themselves.  

The article was fairly straight forward and easy to read.  The author did a good job of describing why they were conducting the experiment and also explaining the results.  For example, the researchers said that people who travel in groups tend to make riskier decisions than people who travel alone.  However, if a group has good communication, and a pre-planned route, they will also tend to make safer decisions.  One improvement that the author could make is to describe how they got the results in more detail, and also, how they will continue to try and fix the problem of avalanches once they have all the results.

Weak Federal Powers Could Limit Trump’s Climate-Policy Rollback

Alexander Plaza

Gillis, Justin. "Weak Federal Powers Could Limit Trump’s Climate-Policy Rollback." The New York Times. The New York Times, 02 Jan. 2017. Web. 02 Jan. 2017.

http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/02/science/donald-trump-global-warming.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0

The article I reviewed is "Weak Federal Powers Could Limit Trump’s Climate-Policy Rollback”, by Justin Gillis. In the article, Gillis explains that there may not be as bad news for the environment as most thought when Trump took the election. Gillis explains that the transition to renewable energy is becoming increasingly apparent and will continue to happen, regardless of Trump. For example, Gillis cites that the federal government recently auctioned off a piece of land in the ocean offshore of New York for a wind farm. The tract of land sold for $42 million. The author points out that this is twice the amount of money that the government got from an oil lease in the Gulf of Mexico. He also points out that wind-farm technician is projected to be the fastest growing occupation in America over the next decade. Gillis goes on to say that the federal government really has little say over American energy policy so Trump may not be able to rollback policy. Trump would have to fight state rights and a growing business that is creating jobs for Americans. The most damage that can be done by Trump is in the international effort against climate change. David G. Victor, a professor at the University of California at San Diego and a close observer of global climate politics, pointed out that the Paris agreement signed by the nations of the world only a year ago to tackle global warming is still very fragile. The obama administration pledged to take money from taxes to aid other countries devastated by climate change to adjust. Trump is likely to abandon this pledge but Dr. Victor notes, “That’s a big part of the glue that held the Paris deal together”. Gillis explains that the real problem is what Trump will not do. The transition to renewable energy is too slow and the Paris Agreement is not ambitious enough. A president who will push strong for renewable energy and reform is needed to aid the transition. Gillis argues, that president is not Donald Trump.

Gillis makes some very good points in his article. Climate change is affecting everyone and the actions taken today by Trump will affect generations after. The actions Trump take may not necessarily affect anybody directly now, but like Gillis explained, the world needs to take action collectively and quickly. Trump’s decisions can drastically slow progress that has been made on a global scale. 2016 has been the hottest year topping 2015 and then 2014. Seas will keep rising and heat waves will become more intense, not to mention the many other negative affects on wildlife if climate change continues to be affected by humans.

I thought that this article was very well written and informative. I felt that Gillis was very logical and always provided relevant examples like the example of the tract being sold off the shore of New York. I think that the author should have added more expert opinion on the subject, for example the opinion of a environmental scientist. Other than that, I enjoyed this article and was very interested.

Polar Bears’ Path to Decline Runs Through Alaskan Village

Goode, Erica. "Polar Bears’ Path to Decline Runs Through Alaskan Village." The New York Times. The New York Times, 18 Dec. 2016. Web. 22 Dec. 2016.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/18/science/polar-bears-global-warming.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=6&pgtype=sectionfront

The article I chose to review was about how as the ice is thinning and melting in different places in the world, polar bears are suffering. The article looked especially at Kaktovik, Alaska, where polar bears are starting to appear in the cities. Few scientists dispute that in the long run polar bears are in major trouble because of global warming and experts have even predicted that the number of polar bears will decrease with continued sea ice loss. A 2015 assessment for the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List projected a reduction of over 30 percent in the number of polar bears by 2050, however, polar bears continue to remain listed as only “vulnerable,” rather than be moved up to a more endangered category. The main indicator that the loss of sea ice is hurting the polar bear is that instead of staying on the the ice year-round they are coming onto land longer, for example, this year they arrived in August and stayed into November, which is an average of 56 days compared with an average of 20 days two decades ago. A man from Kaktovik stated, “They never used to come into town, or maybe occasionally, like once a year or so,” Mr. Thompson said. “Now they’re in town every night.” Other subtle indicators that scientists have found that shows the species is at an increasing risk are the changes in the bears’ physical condition, body size, reproduction and survival rates. The reason for this increasing risk is that before, the sea ice gave the polar bears ready access to seals, the staple of their high-fat diet. But as the climate has warmed, the spring thaw comes earlier and the fall freezes later. The edge of the pack ice is now over deep water, where seals are few and far between and the distance to land is a long swim, even for a polar bear. James Wilder, an expert who recently completed a study of polar bear attacks on humans stated, “When polar bears are fat and happy and in good condition, they’re not that big of a threat. But when they get skinny and nutritionally stressed, you’ve got to watch out.” Some researchers think that finding a different food source other than seals might resolve this problem of polar bears coming into town. Some scientists have suggested that the bears might learn to survive on other types of food ,snow geese, or that they might learn to catch seals in the water, without relying on the ice as a platform. However, most researchers think this is unlikely. Such changes usually evolve over thousands of year, but the loss of sea ice is taking place over a very rapid time frame so there may not be a lot of time in polar bear generations to evolve in some behaviors that could give them some advantage.

This information about how global warming has become very dangerous for polar bears is very important as it shows and educates the world of the terrible consequences of our actions. I knew that global warming was making the ice melt and thus hurting polar bears, however, I had no idea that it was also hurting humans. This article opened my eyes to this increasing problem. Polar bears have no food, thus they come to where they smell food, towns. This has caused some problems to the people living in these towns as polar bears are hungry. On the whole, this article demonstrates how careful we have to be in our actions so that they don’t come back to hurt us.

Overall this article was well written and interesting. The author had a thorough explanation and details of the consequences of the loss of ice. In addition, a great asset to her article were the numerous quotes and reference to various scientists and researchers she put in. These gave the readers more detailed and informative opinions and showed how this problem concerns many. However, one weakness of the article is that it failed to take this problem out of the small town of Alaska. Since she failed to do this I find it is easier for readers to think of the problem as less important than others. To make this article better I would added a paragraph that talks about other towns, possibly all over the world. On the whole, this article taught me about something I had no idea about and helped me gain a new perspective on the consequences of our actions.

Scientists Say the Clock of Aging May Be Reversible

Wade, Nicholas. "Scientists Say the Clock of Aging May Be Reversible." The New York Times. The New York Times, 15 Dec. 2016. Web. 17 Dec. 2016. <http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/15/science/scientists-say-they-can-reset-clock-of-aging-for-mice-at-least.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=6&pgtype=sectionfront>.

This article explains that scientists at the Salk Institute in California are trying to actually reverse aging by reprogramming a genome, and have actually had success in increasing the age spans of mice by 30%. Although this technique cannot be applied to people because of the genetic engineering technology it uses, this achievement can help scientists better understand why and how aging occurs in humans and how we may be able to reverse or slow this process. Before this discovery, most studies looked at how cells are automatically set back to age 0 at conception (despite the age of the sperm and egg cells), and the genes that are able to reprogram the cell to set it back to age 0. They tried to apply these genes to somite cells in animals, but this was wildly unsuccessful. This new study used these genes to “rejuvenate” the cells rather than reprogram them. The results show that mice who have undergone this procedure, which includes adding extra copies of the “clock resetting” gene to the mice’s cells, which were then only activated if the mice received a certain activating drug in their water, had fewer signs of aging, are generally healthier, and lived 30% longer than mice without the treatment. According to the scientists, this worked because of epigenome, “the system of proteins that clads the cell’s DNA and controls which genes are active and which are suppressed.” Epigenome plays a large role in cell division and is also involved throughout life in maintaining each cell and letting it switch genes on and off as required. According to one of the scientists, he “sees the epigenome as being like a manuscript that is continually edited. ‘At the end of life there are many marks and it is difficult for the cell to read them,’ he said.” According to the researchers, adding the clock-resetting genes was like erasing the marks on the epigenome.

This article is extremely relevant to society because it provides insight about how to slow down or potentially stop aging in humans. People are constantly looking for a “sorcerer's stone” or “fountain of youth,” and the fact that scientists may be on the path to discovering that is exciting and also a bit scary. This issue raises ethical dilemmas about the use of technology to extend one’s life and who these resources should be made available to if they are fully developed. It is probable that this technology would be expensive, and therefore only available to the rich and powerful, which may be an overall drain on society.

Although this article was well written, it was a bit hard to understand and didn’t explain the study very fully. It also did not give any indication about if or when this technology may be able to be used on humans. Finally, it did not identify the factors that would prevent the process currently being used on mice from being used on humans.