Week 14

The changing cast

The heavens and earth have created a tremendous and inspiring diversity of species that we live amongst.  This diversity is a testament to the abundance of our earth, which continually creates life through the interaction of the elements. We have just the right amount of earth, water, fire, air, and ether, or space, for this play to take place. We can look millions of light years off into the horizon and not find another place so rich in life. Unfortunately, this abundance, and I don't think it too far off to say miracle, is being eroded away. The statistics are alarming, or worse, too disturbing to comprehend. Although species will always come and go, humans are destroying the diversity that we have inherited. In Berkeley there used to be grizzly bears, bald eagles, and black bears just to name a few of the more famous species. Towering old growth redwoods were used by Spanish sailors to find the golden gate as they pierced through the fog. Despite the widespread loss of life, fortunately in the bay area we still have some life around us. Although, it's always a relative story. Can you imagine how abundant the bay area used to be 200 years ago? And of course we should not forget the horrific human loss. Many people used to call this there home. Despite all of this destruction, nature is at least resilient. I see hawks making use of the "open" land next to freeways, and I see many little birds, raccoons, and even skunks near my home. As I was driving, a rare bald eagle flew over head about two weeks ago, and there's still some nice young redwoods to roam.


Chocolate- it's in the cupboard . . . 

unless my wife ate it all. My favorite right now is a dark chocolate with almonds and sea salt. It's tasty. As for its health benefits of course it has them. But the thing is we can't truly label something healthy or unhealthy. Rather we say healthy for whom? Substances have qualities that interact with our own qualities and it's only after that equation has been carefully added can we really say that a particular thing was healthy in any given moment. What's healthy today, may not be tomorrow, or even tonight. Sure, food (Michael Pollen's definition) is a relatively mild category of substances, so its affects generally add up slowly over time. But the principle still applies. What's healthy for me may not be for you. What's good for thee may not be for thou. What's good now, later may be foul. That is why it's a noble quest to learn when and when not to approach any given food item, especially if it is suspicious in any manner. We must listen, because a voice may be begging us, no matter how muffled from beneath the last gastronomical encounter, that we not make a mistake again. If we don't choose wisely then we may suffer some health consequence at some later and unfortunate time. May they be mild ones.

On knowing
The question how do we know what we know was posed in class.
There are many fine lines to walk with this question. For instance it is good to take a general position of "not knowing" because it allows for further knowing to occur. On the other hand, there is a strength from knowing, but hopefully it is not a false strength due to not really knowing. I like the Chinese saying that was given:

"When I hear, I forget
When I see, I remember
When I do, I understand"

This speaks to levels of knowing and these nuances mean a lot when we live and work in the world.
That which is experienced on a deeper level with many of our sense faculties, and not just one marks a clear difference. Is the knowing mental, physical, so called spiritual, or otherwise? Also, "When I do, I understand" also involves not a passive observer but an experiential participant. Here, not only has seeing or hearing occurred, but also good digestion has also occurred. Bon appetite.

Week 13

Supplements

The question of whether to supplement or not is an interesting discussion because it is so controversial. Firstly, supplements cover a vast array of substances and each one has its own qualities, effects, and science behind it. Antioxidants are one such supplement group that is said to protect against that detrimental influences of the environment and the foods that we consume. Antioxidants are also available in the foods we eat, especially a diet rich in colorful fruits, berries and vegetables along with tea and chocolate. If one has a balanced diet that is supporting their needs one may not need to supplement their diet with a concentrated product. On the other hand, we live in a world that is unlike that of any that our ancestors had to live within. Our environment is full of some 80, 000 synthetic chemicals as well as the smoke from billions of smoke stacks coming from automobiles and factories that fuel our modern way of life. This extra pollution is one of the more pervasive arguments for the use of antioxidant supplements.


Ways to maintain health in a polluted environment

We live in a polluted environment. There are 80, 000 and counting chemicals in our environment that were not present there 70 years ago. As we speak, a great deal of highly toxic visible and invisible pollution is seeping and diffusing into the environment from a great many sources, not to mention from the damaged nuclear reactors in Japan. How do we deal with this reality? How do we stay healthy? First, we need not panic, but we need to be firm with the position that this risky and destructive, and in many ways senseless, use of harmful chemicals need not continue in the ways it has. We can all act in ways that minimizes these risks and we can work to keep these toxins from our homes and work space. Secondly, we must simply do everything that we are supposed to do whether there are pollutants or not. We need to exercise well, eat well, and live in accordance with the time and seasons. Along with this, we can reduce our intake of animal products, which contain higher concentrations of chemicals, and we can use herbs and vegetables that detoxify the body in a gentle fashion. Lastly, we can use qi gong, tai ji, and other practices along with meditation to create a more healthy internal environment.

Week Twelve

The Genius of Nature

The biological intricacies through which we are created are complex and fascinating. The intelligence that exists within our cells and within our DNA is so profound and learning of it always reminds me that the "mind," as in the thinker, pales in comparison to the genius of nature. The link below provides a clear  written and visual description of the processes of mitosis and meiosis, which are two essential functions that  have created biological life as we know it.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/baby/divide.html


Citric Acid Cycle

This is a good tool to learn about the citric acid cycle. I like that it combines voice and animation.
It does require some preexisting knowledge however.  What would we do without the web?

Week 11

Revolution 9.0 

We have all witnessed the massive destruction that the 2011 earthquake and tsunami has created in Japan. It is a tragic reminder of our vulnerability as people living within a much greater and stronger system than we ourselves can create. Our hearts go out to all those who are suffering and we wish everyone well as they pick up the pieces of their lives. In this moment we should take heed and not be so blind to think that a similar fate could not visit us one day. We are also well aware that following these natural events a number of the nuclear reactors that lie directly on the coast of Japan sustained significant damage. Due to some of the very hazardous materials that create nuclear power people all over the world have raised concern and are debating the merits of nuclear power as this story continues to unfold.

I have also followed this story and of course there are at least two sides to it. My understanding is that one narrative is completely alarmed by the hazards and health effects of nuclear power. Another narrative speaks about the relative safety of this technology and gives such events a pass because of the "necessity" of nuclear power in society. What is indisputable is that nuclear power can, as it is now and has done before, greatly threaten the health of the environment and people. It is also clear that industry and regulators are in a relationship that weakens our ability to oversee this technology. What is key in this debate is the assumption that nuclear power is a necessary technology. The question is necessary for what? It may be true, or it may not, that nuclear power is necessary for more and more people to continue the lifestyles that the wealthy enjoy today. We have lights, we have large homes, and we have every piece of technology that we can afford. Along with this wealth comes a huge amount of waste. Our homes and technologies squander the precious power that we have through their inefficiency. Can anyone justify nuclear power until we have exhausted renewable and created greater energy efficiency? Can a 9.0 earthquake, a 30 foot tsunami, and a partial nuclear meltdown stimulate us enough to do this? This disaster is on top of the chronic environmental problems that we already face. Creating better efficiency and moving us to conserve what we have would do us a tremendous service. This is the sane approach. Even in the best case scenario of nuclear power we still have to deal with the wastes that these plants produce. Is not in our interest, is it not in our curiosity, is not in our spirit to create the cleanest, most efficient, and most advanced technology ever created? We hail our selves as a  competitive and cutting edge society, yet our technologies do not often reflect this spirit. If we do not make our voices heard then industries and government will continue us down these miserable and thwarted paths. It is a tragedy that one person will die or get sick from human error in Japan, but it is even more tragic that the world may watch it happen again.

Animations
If you study chemistry make sure you check out this very informative and user friendly version of the periodic table. It's a great tool!

http://ull.chemistry.uakron.edu/genobc/periodic/

Feb 24

Semiconductor of the Week

Lead is a heavy metal with an atomic number of 82. Due to its density and malleability, lead is has a variety of uses ranging from bullets, to construction, to radiation shields. However, what it is most know for is its toxicity. Heavy metals such as lead are toxic to the nervous system and can cause brain and mental disorders. These problems are compounded when they involve children. Lead toxicity is thought to contribute to violent behavior, which is especially ironic due to its use in bullets. Lead can also be a detriment to the blood, kidneys, heart, reproductive system, and intestines. One of the common causes of exposure to lead is through old house paint. This exposure is common in poor neighborhoods, where people are unable to maintain their houses.  Other exposures include, occupational, air, water, and food. Lead is so toxic in fact that there is no known amount that is safe for the human body. Despite its toxicity people can't seem to stay away from it and it's use and poisonous effects have been seen for thousands of years across many cultures.

The mind is a tool: Use it.

I was tempted by a sign that said "test your brain" on the Lumosity website. Upon arrival I did a short quiz regarding daily and weekly habits that relate to brain health. I then proceeded to do some brain exercises, which I thoroughly enjoyed. My favorite was a bird watching game where you had to look out into a nature scene and watch for a bird and a letter that would flash rapidly on the page. Then you would have to recall the letter and select the area of the screen that the bird appeared. It's a healthy competition that works to strengthen and sharpen the mind. While the computer allows for these fancy and alluring games, these types of games and exercises are all around us. In older traditions, meditation, mantra, and memorization would be used to sharpen one's abilities. In fact, the oral tradition demanded that traditions of all sorts be embedded into the very fabrics of our brains and beings. Traditions that use this sort of mental and sensual attention are being replaced by google and wikipedia and the like. As much of a benefit these tools are, there can be no replacing the work and gratification that comes from owning a particular set of knowledge. Whether it be from the ancients or modern science we can clearly gather that the brain is malleable and all of our activities and thoughts have an influence on its shaping.

So in order to shape my brain I went on to do the element quiz, which I thought was a good way to learn the symbols for the elements. The quiz was well designed and offered useful information when the answer was given correctly. For instance now when I say "nice mags!" I now know to what I am referring. Smart and cool.

My time on the computer increased as I became more and more addicted to playing on line games. As the elements disappeared with two clicks of the mouse  I was then on to playing the "balance equation" game. This proved to be my biggest challenge, as I had not yet achieved a firm grasp of the rules of the equations. Yet, bye and bye, and bye, and bye I got the hang of it. I fully endorse this web site, but watch the clock when your staying at a screen. Life is going on outside . .  .

Green Chemistry

This map is intended to illustrate some of the aspects and implications of green chemistry. Green chemistry is based on a number of principles that generally work to guide chemistry in the direction of efficiency, zero waste, environmental sustainability, and safety. The influence that chemistry has on the environment and society is vast. We can see chemistry at work in industry, in the formation of our technologies, and throughout our homes and gardens. The implication of this is that how we use chemistry is crucial for the long term health of our environment and ourselves.
The roots of green chemistry go back thousands of years to alchemy. In this tradition, substances are explored for their effects and properties. Then transformational processes, usually involving high heat, are used to modify these properties and to produce different effects. The twentieth century brought an entirely new level of chemistry to the world, that has revolutionized industry, culture, and our lives. Part of the consequence of this is 80,000 chemical compounds on the market today and around 600 added per year. These chemicals serve many purposes, but have generally been created without enough investigation and concern regarding how they effect environmental/human health. Because of the nature of chemistry and the law of conservation of atoms these chemicals endure and spread causing many dangerous and unintentional consequences. Green chemistry addresses these issues by working to make chemistry safe and aligned with the laws of ecology, which is based in the understanding that we live within an interconnected system. The map I created shows the connection between some of these interconnected elements and connects chemistry to social and health issues we face today. Simply by focusing our attention on the ingredients and processes involved in chemistry we can eradicate some of the ugliest aspects of our world, such as contamination, toxic disease, and environmental degradation. In fact, green chemistry can go even further in actually remedying some of the environmental problems that we face. Green chemistry begins with the understanding that our health and the health of the environment are one in the same.

Feb 17

Alkali of the week

Strontium (Sr)


Strontium is an Alkali earth metal with an atomic number of 38. It is naturally found in the minerals celestine and strontianite. It is a highly reactive metal in both water and air, which makes it useful in pyrotechnics. One of Strontium's isotopes, strontium 90, is one of the constituents of radioactive fallout, but like other radioactive materials, which have very long half lives, strontium's half life is only 28.90 years. Besides pyrotechnics, strontium is also used in alloys, in the glass of color televisions to prevent radiation exposure, in toothpaste, in the study of neurotransmitter release, and as a pharmaceutical medicine for osteoporosis.


What is a mole?


I thought this article from Buck and Herbert could have been written more clearly, but perhaps it is I who lacks clarity. The mole and Avogadro's number is a sort of mental tongue twister. For instance the sentence, "The mole is the amount of substance of a system which contains as many elementary entities as there are atoms in 0.012 kilograms of carbon 12," is clear enough, but the word "system" and phrase "elementary entities" definitely made me reread it (a mole number of times). I prefer this approach: "What is that number of molecules that weighs in grams what the molecule weighs in relative atomic weight units?"  What is also puzzling is that the equal volume of differing gases will have the same number of molecules. Why is that? Don't the molecules take up different amounts of space? I guess I will read the article one mole time. 


Avogadro's hypothesis


I thought this was a good introduction into hypothesis and theory using the great Avogadro as and his counterparts as examples. The article shows the journey that ideas take from hypothesis to theories and how they are tested. Despite the "objectivity" of science, politics and ego still does have its say (at least for a while), and we can see this in the crushing and rising of people and their ideas throughout scientific history. As for my understanding of Avogadro's hypothesis I did indeed pass the test.