“Egyptian Archaeologists Find Goldsmith’s 3,500-Year-Old Tomb.”

Sarah Goodell

Mr. Ippolito

AP Bio: Current Event Review

10 September, 2017

Current Event #1

Youssef, Nour. “Egyptian Archaeologists Find Goldsmith’s 3,500-Year-Old Tomb.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 10 Sept. 2017

www.nytimes.com/2017/09/10/world/middleeast/egypt-archaeology-tomb-goldsmith.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront.

This week, I read an article from New York Times author Nour Youssef titled “Egyptian Archaeologists Find Goldsmith’s 3,500-Year-Old Tomb.” In this piece, Youssef informed his audience about an Egyptian goldsmith, whose name was Amenemhat, and who lived in the province of Luxor during the 18th Dynasty of Egypt. After five months of digging, the team of archaeologists were able to uncover Amenemhat’s tomb in Draa Abul-Naga, located on the left bank of the Nile River. Youssef described this area as “a necropolis for noblemen and rulers near the Valley of the Kings.” Archaeologists were also able to identify that this jeweler dedicated his work to Amon-Re and was buried near smaller statues of his wife and a statue of one of his sons. Also in Amenemhat’s chamber was pottery, funerary masks, figurines to serve the dead in the afterlife, and three other mummies with exposed skulls. Despite archaeologists thinking of this discovery as a mediocre find, they are confident and “very happy” that it will allow them to bring more tourism to Egypt in a time of need.

Youssef’s article is relevant to society in that he discusses a topic which proves that there is always more to discover and to learn about, especially from our past. Ancient Egypt is a society and culture that is transcendent and so much new information can be obtained from even the smallest discovery. Although this archaeological find is considered “modest,” as Youssef stated in his article, “...officials announced the find with fanfare” because Egypt is “a country that has been trying to revive its tourism industry, which has been decimated by political strife and terrorist attacks after the 2011 uprising.” As Khaled el-Enany mentioned at a news conference, this find “‘is exactly what Egypt needs’” at this point in time. Archaeologists at the site also believed that this was a successful discovery because there will most likely be other related items buried nearby.

In his article, Youssef provided his readers with exceptional detail and description on what was actually contained inside this burial chamber, but I believe he could have discussed more about this particular jeweler and his family. He also could have talked about the time period in which they lived, allowing his audience to understand the context of the situation. Despite leaving a few more specific questions unanswered about why this man was buried and what the archaeologists were searching for, Youssef did a great job including quotes from credible and reliable sources, such as Khaled el-Enany and Mostafa Waziri, who were both at the dig site at certain points. He also included an abundance of helpful and genuine photographs taken directly at the site and in the laboratory that further backed up his claims and his evidence. A final improvement Youssef could make is by fixing the one grammar mistake he had in this article, when he wrote, “It also included a burial shaft that had three mummies with skulls were exposed, and sarcophagi.” Overall, his article was well-written and very descriptive with few errors or areas for improvement.

Learning Takes Brain Acrobatics

Clio Dakolias
AP Biology

Current Event #1

September 12, 2017

“Learning Takes Brain Acrobatics”

Sanders, Laura. “Learning Takes Brain Acrobatics.” Science News, 12 Sept. 2017, www.sciencenews.org/article/brain-flexibility-learning?mode.

Everyone is constantly learning, taking in new information, whether they are actively trying to or not. While neuroscientists still do not have an exact idea of how the brain learns, they are beginning to understand how the brain takes information and grasps onto it. The article “Learning Takes Brain Acrobatics” by Laura Sanders discusses a new promising line of work which has great potential to help scientists fully understand how learning occurs. Previously, scientists believed only one region of the brain was responsible for learning, but now it is known that it takes many regions of the brain working together to retain information. A neuroscientist at the University of Pennsylvania, Danielle Bassett, is pushing boundaries to define the new field of network neuroscience. Brains that learn best have flexible networks, and researchers are now rushing to test this information and how brain flexibility can be increased to improve learning. Even when learning something simple, many parts of the brain are put to use. In many complex situations, learning calls up many brain areas, integrating information from multiple sources. Some good learners are have weaker neural connections in other areas, such as self-control or decision making. Studies have been done to capture brains in the process of learning, in an attempt to understand brain flexibility and neural connections. It has been discovered that brain flexibility, while important, can be bad if found in excess. High brain flexibility is has been linked to schizophrenia, and scientists are learning the balance and the right amount of flexibility to increase learning ability.

There are millions of children and adults throughout the world with learning disabilities. The new branch of network neuroscience proves the relevance in that it can help change the lives of many by helping them retain information. This type of science could also help scientists understand why people learn in different ways, as some are visual learners, some auditory, some kinesthetic, and so on. Understanding why people learn in different ways could help teachers tailor classes so as to help everyone learn in their own way of retaining information. With all the schooling occurring throughout the world, it is unfair to imagine not being able to learn because of their brain, which is impossible to control. The article helps us to understand that if there is any possible way we could improve the education of millions, it would be an atrocity not to further push boundaries in neuroscience.

I chose to read this article due to its importance and relevance in society, and I was not let down. The author did an excellent job explaining a topic that I had almost no knowledge of, and after reading it I understand it very well. Sanders did an excellent job on selecting information pertaining to the topic, including diagrams, statistics, and quotations from experts, all of which helped the reader to better understand the topic. The article was a little repetitive, making it slightly difficult to follow, as well as keep the focus of the reader. I would suggest the author cut down on the repeated facts, and give background on previous ways our brains were believed to learn in order to put the study in context and show how important it is. All in all, the article was very well written and concise.

Brain Cancer Could be Treated with Zika Virus

Isabella Dibbini

AP Biology

Current Event #1

September 12, 2017

“Brain Cancer Could be Treated With Zika Virus”

Cohut, Maria. “Brain Cancer Could Be Treated with Zika Virus.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 5 Sept. 2017, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319272.php. Accessed 10 Sept. 2017.

Zika is a virus transported by way of mosquitos, that is particularly common in South America. It mainly affects pregnant women, who often give birth to babies with severe birth defects. Because the Zika virus tends to both target and destroy neural progenitor cells, babies born from mothers with this disease, are often born with microcephaly. However, recent studies have shown that the Zika virus may be a possible cure to brain cancer. This article discusses how this virus tends to target and kill brain cancer cells. As of now the results are looking good, however, more research and experiments need to be done in order to have safe and effective treatment. Studies conducted by Drs. Michael Diamond and Milan Chheda, from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, and Dr. Jeremy Rich, from the University of California School of Medicine in San Diego, have worked to uncover the true potential of this virus. Zhe Zhu is a postdoctoral fellow who hypothesized that the Zika virus could target and kill cancerous cells. To test this hypothesis, the team conducted experiments using glioblastoma specimens that they obtained from tumors that had been surgically removed. The results were as they expected; the virus had targeted and killed glioblastoma stem cells, rather than any other types of brain cells. Based on these results Dr. Diamond states, “It efficiently infected and killed the cancer stem cells but did not infect well the differentiated tumor cells or the neighboring healthy cells.” Therefore, cancer patients would not have to worry about this virus destroying healthy cells, but simply hope that it could kill their cancer cells. In addition, a second experiment was performed on mice, which were injected with a modified strain of the Zika virus. The results from this experiment showed that the virus reduced the speed of the tumor growth, allowing the animals’ life expectancy to increase. To better understand this virus, the team examined the West Nile virus, which belongs to the same genus. Similar to the Zika virus, the West Nile virus also has the ability to kill cancer stem cells but, unlike the Zika virus, it also kills healthy neurons. However, in order to finalize these findings, more experiments must be conducted, and a better understanding of the virus’s mechanism is necessary.

More than seven million people die each year from cancer. For decades, scientists have studied different types of cancers, as they search for possible cures. This is a life threatening disease, and more people are diagnosed with it everyday. Finding a treatment for one type of cancer could be just the beginning. If the Zika virus is able to target cancerous cells, it will be able to save numerous patients, thus prolonging their lives. Finding the cure to brain cancer may also allow other scientists to study these finalized reports, allowing them to obtain new information. Researchers may be able to then use this information, to help them in the process of developing treatments for other types of cancers.

Throughout this article, the author makes statements and supports them with concrete evidence. For instance, after she states that the Zika virus may be a cure for brain cancer, she discusses the experiments performed by Drs. Michael Diamond and Milan Chheda in the lab. The results that these doctors obtained supports the idea of the possible treatment for cancer. Also, the structure of this article is well planned out. The author starts out by describing the Zika virus, and then introduces the idea that it can possibly be a treatment for brain cancer. Then, evidence is provided, supporting her claim, as she provides information on the labs that were completed to test this hypothesis. It was interesting to see at the end of the article, that the author incorporated additional plans on how scientists would further this study. She discussed how, to better understand Zika, they must gain a greater understanding of the virus’s mechanism. While this article was well written, there are a few things that the author could have done, to make her story more compelling. Most of this article talks about the fact that the Zika virus can ultimately, kill cancer stem cells. However, the author did not put forth any information regarding negative effects of using this as a cure. One suggestion that can be done to improve this article would be to further explain the effect of Zika on the brain. The authors discuss that it may kill cancer cells, but does not explain how this is possible. Overall, this article was interesting and very well written.

Ava Austi

AP Biology

Current Event #1

September 11, 2017

“Irma Live Updates: Now a Tropical Storm, System Heads North”

Times, The New York. “Irma Live Updates: Now a Tropical Storm, System Heads North.”The New York Times, The New York Times, 11 Sept. 2017.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/11/us/hurricane-irma-florida.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=span-ab-top-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

In the article, “Irma Live Updates: Now a Tropical Storm, System Heads North” from The New York Times, it discusses the effects of hurricane Irma, the current status of the cities who were hit, and lastly, the steps for what to do to recover from the damage. The author broke up the article into five different sections. The first part addressed all problems associated with the hurricane. Even as Irma was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm, millions remained without power, while the police and the National Guard carried out search-and-rescue operations across the state. Many areas faced fuel shortages, as well as downed power lines and standing water. Fallen trees, ripped from their roots by surging waters and whipping winds that reached 130 miles per hour, blocked roadways — further hampering the recovery. After introducing a summary about the hurricane, the author provided a list of updates for the readers. For example, one states “At least four deaths were reported in Florida after the storm’s arrival on Sunday. It has left at least 27 people dead across the Caribbean.” After the author provides the reader with the latest updates, the article discuss how Jacksonville Florida is inundated, while Tampa is ‘looking good.’ Mayor Charlie Latham of Jacksonville Beach, appearing on CNN, said that about 90 percent of people in the city had lost power. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said of the surge and flooding there. In Tampa, Mayor Bob Buckhorn, who on Sunday warned residents that the city was about to get “punched in the face,” said on Monday that the city had been spared the storm’s worst. Then, the article discussed how Governor Rick Scott headed to the Florida Keys on Monday to survey the extent of damage there and in other parts of South Florida. Governor Rick Scott told Fox News that he is very concerned about The Keys and that they are doing everything they can to get food and water throughout the state. The article then specifically discusses the condition of Miami, Florida. About 70 percent of the city remained without electricity, and roads were not only impassable but traffic lights were not working, city officials said. The hefty article concludes with a connection to 9/11. On the 16th anniversary of 9/11, before the California Task Force 1 left Orlando, they bowed their heads to remind themselves of those who were killed, recognize those who survived in honor of the sacrifices of the first responders and those recovery workers who were there for so many days. The vast amount of devastation from hurricane Irma reminded the group of the 9/11 tragedy.

Without a doubt, hurricane Irma has had a huge effect on our society. Sadly, thousands on thousands of homes and cities have been destroyed from the vastness of Irma. The hurricane not only leaves cities and homes destroyed, but also has left people dead. More than 3 million homes and businesses across Florida lost power. Residents have reported shortages of food, water and medicine, and many have complained of looting. Damage from the hurricane is estimated to range from anywhere between $15 billion and $50 billion. Damage alone in the Caribbean could bring that number to $65 billion. We have lost a significant amount of humans. It has tremendously hurt cities that will need to be taken care of and restored. There is no argument against those who say hurricane Irma has greatly affected our society.

I thought this article was very interesting but at the same time, very straightforward. I did not only chose this article because it is all over the news, but because my own home in Miami Florida has been damaged from the hurricane. Luckily, the damage is not as severe as other homes, but we are left with no power and the landscaping surrounding the building needs to be completely restored. On the other hand, I thought the structure of the article was great; it allowed me to remain focus and grasp every aspect of the article. Although the article did many things well, I wish the author included more about the costs of the damage overall and in different cities. Overall, I believe the author did a excellent job of addressing the tragic hurricane, Irma.

"Bonobos may be better representation of last common ancestor with humans than chimps"

Sophia Dibbini
April 30, 2017
Mr. Ippolito

George Washington University. "Bonobos may be better representation of last common ancestor with humans than chimps: Study examined muscles of bonobos and found they are more closely related to humans than common chimpanzees." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 29 April 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170429095021.htm>.

I read the article “Bonobos may be better representation of last common ancestor with humans than chimps” by ScienceDaily and it talks about a new study examining the muscular system of bonobos that provides first hand evidence that the rare great ape species may be more closely linked, anatomically, to human ancestors than common chimpanzees. Previous research suggested this theory at the molecular level, but this is the first study to compare in detail the anatomy of the three species. Scientists believe that modern human and common chimpanzee/bonobo lineages split about 8 million years ago with the two great ape species splitting about 2 million years ago. As common chimpanzees and bonobos evolved after their split, they developed different traits and physical characteristics, even though they remained geographically relatively close, with their main division being the Congo River. Because of this, researchers have been curious as to what those differences are and how they compare to humans. By studying the muscles of bonobos (which indicates how they physically function), the team was able to discover that they are more closely related to human anatomy than common chimpanzees, in the sense that their muscles have changed less than they have in common chimpanzees.

This article will greatly affect society because it shuts down a common belief many people in society have about us being the closest related to chimpanzees. Also, the scientists note that having a clear understanding of what makes humans different from our closest living relatives might lead to new breakthroughs or understandings of human health. Overall, this finding will greatly affect what teachers teach and school and what scientists will study when studying animal anatomy.

This article provided many good background details about the belief that humans are most closely related to chimpanzees and then transitioned into counterarguing that belief very well. Also, I liked how the author discussed how this discovery will impact the beliefs of scientists and what they plan to study in the future. However, I did not like how the author did not explain what scientists plan to do with this information and how this will exactly affect each experiment. Also, it would have been better if the author gave more statistics, comparing the anatomy from a chimpanzee to a bonobo and not just from the human point of view. Overall, the article provided a lot of good information and details supporting this finding and I look forward to hearing more about this discovery in the near future.

If Mars Is Colonized, We May Not Need To Ship In The Bricks

St, Nicholas. "If Mars Is Colonized, We May Not Need to Ship In the Bricks." The New York Times. The New York Times, 28 Apr. 2017. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/28/science/mars-soil-bricks.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront


A study shows that the material needed to build a civilization on Mars may already exist in the soil.  Qiao, a materials scientist and engineer states that the moon does not have these resources in the soil that Mars has.  Qiao and other scientists experimented by using a substance that is like the material on Mars chemically and physically, but is made from Earth.  The researchers found that they could form the dirt into bricks with the correct pressure.  They called the substance Martian soil stimulant.  This could work on Mars without heat or water and would be very strong.  The scientists wondered, though, how the bricks were staying together without a bonding agent.  They suspect "that the iron oxide, which gives the soil its red color, acts like a glue to hold the particles together."  More research will be done to experiment what the bricks do in climate like Mars's and if there is possibly more material that can be used to build a civilization on Mars.

This article affects society as scientists have always wondered whether there could be civilization on Mars.  Finding material that could be used to build a civilization that already exists in Mars's soil is one step closer to having life there.  Although since no one has ever even been to Mars, I'm not sure how long it will be until there is a civilization there.

The author had many strengths.  The article was concise and had many quotes and statistics to back up the argument.  The only thing that the article needed improvement on was explaining when they thought the civilization was going to happen.  Overall, the article was very well done.

“No Bones About It: Scientists Recover Ancient DNA From Cave Dirt.”

Kolata, Gina. "No Bones About It: Scientists Recover Ancient DNA From Cave Dirt." The New York Times. The New York Times, 27 Apr. 2017. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/27/science/ancient-human-dna-cave-dirt.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fscience&action=click&contentCollection=science&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=5&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0

I read the article “No Bones About It: Scientists Recover Ancient DNA From Cave Dirt” by Gina Kolata. I thought that the article was very interesting and I was able to learn a lot. The article talks about a study done in Eurasia which involved searching for ancient DNA in caves where humans were known to have lived. Until recently the only way to study the genes of ancient humans was to recover DNA from fossil bones. But these bones are scarce and hard to find, which limited research. Although DNA sticks to minerals and decayed plants in soil, scientists did not know whether it would ever be possible to fish out gene fragments that were tens of thousands of years old and buried deep among other genetic debris.

Dr. Meyer and his colleagues would first determine “which DNA in the cave sediment was prehistoric by looking for telltale signs of degradation at the ends of the molecules.” After identifying which ones were prehistoric they would pluck the DNA by using molecular hooks to snare genes in mitochondria. They would then use the new robotic system to analyze the samples quickly. The old way would take several days to analyze only a fraction as many samples, and the scientists would have to pipet by hand. From using this new system they recovered between 5,000 and 2.8 million DNA fragments. This allows the researchers to begin searching for bones where the dirt indicated habitation by ancient humans.

This article is relevant in society today because the author is able to shed light on how the technology is advancing. This new “robotic system” will help researchers and scientists track the geographic distribution and migration patterns of ancient humans faster. The next step is to look for evidence of ancient human DNA in open air sites, instead of looking for bones in caves. Overall the article was well written but it was a little hard to follow. I wish that the author directly stated what the new study was compared to the old way of searching for DNA.