Rachel Carson's Unintended Consequences

Malaria's deadly impact in Africa has many people wondering whether DDT would be worth using to prevent the death of so many Africans due to malaria. The battle continues even now in 2011 when Dr. Myers Lugemwa argues that in northern Uganda DDT is the only practical solution. “We used DDT in that area and after just a few weeks we realized the reduction in malaria cases. Overall in Apac, the malaria instances reduced by 40 percent. In the neighboring district, it reduced by 50 percent.” Clearly, DDT has the potential to reduce the lives malaria takes. It is approximated that nearly 1 million people die from malaria in African countries. The banning of DDT has allowed for this number to continue rising. Without the efficacy of DDT and it's low cost, the impact malaria has on Africans will continue. The question remains, what is worse: DDT or malaria?


http://thejournal.eu/2011/04/debate-rages-over-ddt-use-in-uganda/

Silent Spring: Why is it Important?

Other than ridding the world of a very powerful pesticide known as DDT, why was Silent Spring so
important? Rachel Carson not only showed how technological practices could harm the world, but she also sparked an interest in conservation. The discoveries of how DDT contaminated the food chain, caused genetic damage, cancer, and even wiped out populations of species, sparked the interest of the American people to be cautious to new products and to be more concerned with the environment. Hence, for the first time in American history, the importance to regulate industrial activities in order to protect the environment became a priority. This led to environmentalism in America.

Living or Nonliving?

Living or Nonliving?

For something to be considered living, it must have characteristics of the following: 1) it must be made of cells, 2) it must obtain and use energy, 3) it must grow and develop, 4) it must reproduce, 5) respond to it’s environment, 6) adapt to it’s environment . The organism being considered must display all of the above characteristics to be considered living.

Blood Types and Diets

Blood Types and Diets

The grouping of the A, B, AB, and O blood types allows scientists to study and minimize the reaction to lectins.  Each blood group gets a recommended diet based on their specific reactions to lectins. For example, blood group O is said to be the hunters. They should have a diet higher in protein when compared to the other blood groups. Type A is known as the cultivator, and they should consume a diet high in vegetables and free of red meat.  Type B is considered to be the nomad of the groups. Type B people have a strong immune system and flexible digestive system. They can thrive on dairy products, where as the other blood groups cannot. Type AB is known as the enigma. Their diet should consist of a balance between blood types A and B. Critics critique this theory due to lack of research and clinical trials.

Mitochondrial Eve

http://www.actionbioscience.org/evolution/ingman.html
Mithochondrial eve can be considered the mother of all. Recently, it has been observed, that mithochondrial DNA is the same as the mother's mitochondrial DNA. Therefore theoretically, everyone can be traced back to one common ancestor known as mitochondrial eve.

Swedish people generally have a pale complexion, blonde hair, blue or green eyes.
A southern chinese person normally has a rounder face than that of a northerner, a smaller build, and a more almond shaped eye.
Many Greeks have an olive complexion, light brown eyes, and dark hair.
Ethiopians have black skin, curly hair, and a narrow thin nose.
Indians have black straight hair, usually tall and thin, dark skin,

Extremophiles

Extremophiles are organisms that are able to live under extreme conditions such as salinity, temperature, pressure, pH, etc. Hyperthermophiles interest me the most. Hyperthermophile is a classification of extremophiles that can thrive in an extremely hot environment. The optimal temperature for existence of hyperthermophiles is above 176 degrees Fahrenheit. Hyperthermophiles were first discovered at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming by Dr. Thomas Brock in 1969. Since then over 70 species have been located. An example of a hyperthermophile is Aquifex aeolicus, which is a bacteria. Most of the species found are of the domain Archaea. However, few are bacteria.

The Seed:Alfred

Feb 21, 2011
Alfred has produced a bud!!