Cancer, if any word could mean death- this would be it. As far as we know, it is a condition without cure, sure its treatable, but at what cost? Chemotherapy, radiation, they kill us, starve us, wear us thin.
But what if we could do the opposite? What if it was possible to eat to starve cancer? That may sound ridiculous, but in a few years we may be doing just that.
This is possible through what are called anti-angiogenic foods.
But to understand how these foods work you need to understand cancerous tumors.
The main power of a cancerous tumor is to recruit its own blood supply, once this is accomplished,the tumor has the ability to grow exponentially through recruiting more blood through this process, formerly know as angiogenisis.
Anti-Angiogenic foods, as you would expect, limit angiogenisis through natural inhibitors. These inhibitors hinder angiogenisis, and thus starving the tumor, and with it, cancer.
So yes, we can eat to starve cancer. Cool huh?
Friday, April 18, 2014
Exoneration, and The Innocence Project
In our world of law and justice, accusations are a fundamental thing. But have you ever been accused? For something you didn't do? Sometimes the truth is not always as it seems, police make mistakes, prompt false confessions, and prior to recent times relied almost exclusively on witnesses, and testimonies.
Would you be willing to rest a life sentence on the word of a single person? A person who might be biased, confused, or unstable? I sure wouldn't.
However, with new forensic technology, advances have been made. Advances, such as DNA profiling provide irrefutable evidence, that for better or worse, cannot tell a lie. Like I said, in modern times this is standard practice, but prior to its existence, countless innocents were falsely convicted. This has been proven by The innocence Project.
The Innocence project is an organization dedicated to the exoneration of falsely convicted persons. Now, using methods such as DNA profiling, it is possible to re-examine evidence to find out what really happened. So far, they have proven three hundred and sixteen people to be innocent of their crimes. Its truly an incredible thing, and through learning about it, I have found new meaning in the study of forensics.
So now that you know what it can do, how does DNA profiling actually work? Through learning about the process I can claim the following: DNA profiling works through electrolyte gel. A sample of DNA is collected from both the crime scene and the victim, and smeared in a strait line onto a specially prepared electrolyte sample in tow separate lines. A third control example is also smeared onto a third and separate line to see the maximum VTNR lengths. The strands are then allowed to grow, until each line has a full sized VTNR, or variable number tandem repeat. Basically this is just the pattern of lines that appears on the electrolyte gel.
The two patterns are then compared, if they match odds are the suspect is guilty, however if they don't... then they are in fact, innocent.
Would you be willing to rest a life sentence on the word of a single person? A person who might be biased, confused, or unstable? I sure wouldn't.
However, with new forensic technology, advances have been made. Advances, such as DNA profiling provide irrefutable evidence, that for better or worse, cannot tell a lie. Like I said, in modern times this is standard practice, but prior to its existence, countless innocents were falsely convicted. This has been proven by The innocence Project.
The Innocence project is an organization dedicated to the exoneration of falsely convicted persons. Now, using methods such as DNA profiling, it is possible to re-examine evidence to find out what really happened. So far, they have proven three hundred and sixteen people to be innocent of their crimes. Its truly an incredible thing, and through learning about it, I have found new meaning in the study of forensics.
So now that you know what it can do, how does DNA profiling actually work? Through learning about the process I can claim the following: DNA profiling works through electrolyte gel. A sample of DNA is collected from both the crime scene and the victim, and smeared in a strait line onto a specially prepared electrolyte sample in tow separate lines. A third control example is also smeared onto a third and separate line to see the maximum VTNR lengths. The strands are then allowed to grow, until each line has a full sized VTNR, or variable number tandem repeat. Basically this is just the pattern of lines that appears on the electrolyte gel.
The two patterns are then compared, if they match odds are the suspect is guilty, however if they don't... then they are in fact, innocent.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Laughter and the Immune System
Laughter, its a powerful thing, it can make you happy, less stressful, even more relaxed. But can it help you heal? From an injury? From sickness? For some time this has been a topic under scrutiny from several researchers in the medical field, these many sources were compiled into a single document- Laughter and the Immune System. That's what we'll be looking at today.
Laughter and the Immune System is in essence, a highly advanced, convoluted pile of scientific jargon. However I say this in the nicest way I can, It's very through. It takes all of these very different scientific reports and compiles them into one consecutive report, witch based on the sheer amount of data, and the complexity of it, is something very difficult to accomplish. It examines the effects of laughter, and humor on the salivary gland, N.K. cells, as well as cytotoxicity- these represent the immune system, as well as the body's ability for cancer prevention respectively. It pretty exciting to even think about, laughter as a cure for whatever ails you, unfortunately every scrap of evidence in the paper shows that that simply isn't the case.
Laughter, has absolutely no affect on a patients ability to fight, and in some cases, prevent an affliction.
Personally, despite this, I still believe that laughter is a major reprieve for any sick patient. Think about it, do you want to be miserable when you are sick? Of course not! Who would? Humor provides a reprieve from it, makes you forget the condition for a moment and lets you enjoy yourself. It relieves stress as well, witch I imagine could help prevent getting sick in the first place. In my own opinion, even if humor doesn't "actually" help, it never hurts.
Laughter and the Immune System is in essence, a highly advanced, convoluted pile of scientific jargon. However I say this in the nicest way I can, It's very through. It takes all of these very different scientific reports and compiles them into one consecutive report, witch based on the sheer amount of data, and the complexity of it, is something very difficult to accomplish. It examines the effects of laughter, and humor on the salivary gland, N.K. cells, as well as cytotoxicity- these represent the immune system, as well as the body's ability for cancer prevention respectively. It pretty exciting to even think about, laughter as a cure for whatever ails you, unfortunately every scrap of evidence in the paper shows that that simply isn't the case.
Laughter, has absolutely no affect on a patients ability to fight, and in some cases, prevent an affliction.
Personally, despite this, I still believe that laughter is a major reprieve for any sick patient. Think about it, do you want to be miserable when you are sick? Of course not! Who would? Humor provides a reprieve from it, makes you forget the condition for a moment and lets you enjoy yourself. It relieves stress as well, witch I imagine could help prevent getting sick in the first place. In my own opinion, even if humor doesn't "actually" help, it never hurts.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Chimp Project
Prior to this project I really knew nothing about chimpanzees, much less all the things that happen to them. Most of which we'll never see or hear of. Learning about Lucy was a rare and unique chance to ask, is this OK to do? Are these truly animals, or much much more? Finally with what we gathered from the experiment we can ask ourselves: what does it mean to be human? Then stop, then wonder...
Through this project we learned about the story of Lucy, a chimp socialized as a human from the moment of her birth in a traveling carnival. From the start of her life Lucy was treated as a Human, this started out as an experiment but in truth seemed to become much more... The two scientists conducting the experiment became Lucy's "Parents" treating her as their own child. This went on for many years, within their own apartment. Here, they taught her sign language to communicate, they potty trained her, and brought her into contact with other humans, one which would stay with her after the apartment & beyond.
After more than ten years, Lucy became too strong, too adult like to live in a apartment with her human parents. Finally the decision was made to release her into her natural habitat. This was done, Lucy spent a few nights out on a reservation, the maid, who had been with Lucy for many years, volunteered to stay with her in this period of adjustment, to leave after a few weeks had passed. Except Lucy didn't adjust, neither her nor the other chimps who arrived soon afterward ever did. Eventually she made the decision to move the chimps to a secluded Island. Here she stayed for many years, trying to show Lucy how to be a chimp, and to live on her own. It took years but eventually Lucy became the chimp she was always meant to be. At this point the maid bid her farewells and left.
She came back and visited twice, the second time Lucy's skeleton was found. She had been torn apart by poachers, preying on overeager prey. Her socialization as a human had gotten her killed.
Looking at the life of Lucy shows us many things, mainly what it means to be human. If any intelligent animal can communicate, and show emotion are any of us legitimately human? My answer is yes, and no. "Human" this seems now to me, to be a relative term. Like the way we call the color blue: "blue" and not "red", or vice-verca. If any intelligent animal can be shown how to be "human" does the word truly have any meaning? If so what separates us form animals? Myself, I can't answer this, but it truly does make you ask the question, why are we who we are?
This brings me to the question, was the experiment beneficial? Does what we learned make up for her terrible end? Can it? This just brings me back to the previous question, but never mind. Yes, I do believe the experiment was beneficial, was it justified though? Have we used any of what we learned from her?
My answer, based on what I know, has to be a no. How can we justify teaching something the means to bring itself to ruin? Lucy had no part in, no decision of, her fate. If the goal was to find out what it means to be human, then it painted us ,grievously, as animals. There I rest my case.
Through this project we learned about the story of Lucy, a chimp socialized as a human from the moment of her birth in a traveling carnival. From the start of her life Lucy was treated as a Human, this started out as an experiment but in truth seemed to become much more... The two scientists conducting the experiment became Lucy's "Parents" treating her as their own child. This went on for many years, within their own apartment. Here, they taught her sign language to communicate, they potty trained her, and brought her into contact with other humans, one which would stay with her after the apartment & beyond.
After more than ten years, Lucy became too strong, too adult like to live in a apartment with her human parents. Finally the decision was made to release her into her natural habitat. This was done, Lucy spent a few nights out on a reservation, the maid, who had been with Lucy for many years, volunteered to stay with her in this period of adjustment, to leave after a few weeks had passed. Except Lucy didn't adjust, neither her nor the other chimps who arrived soon afterward ever did. Eventually she made the decision to move the chimps to a secluded Island. Here she stayed for many years, trying to show Lucy how to be a chimp, and to live on her own. It took years but eventually Lucy became the chimp she was always meant to be. At this point the maid bid her farewells and left.
She came back and visited twice, the second time Lucy's skeleton was found. She had been torn apart by poachers, preying on overeager prey. Her socialization as a human had gotten her killed.
Looking at the life of Lucy shows us many things, mainly what it means to be human. If any intelligent animal can communicate, and show emotion are any of us legitimately human? My answer is yes, and no. "Human" this seems now to me, to be a relative term. Like the way we call the color blue: "blue" and not "red", or vice-verca. If any intelligent animal can be shown how to be "human" does the word truly have any meaning? If so what separates us form animals? Myself, I can't answer this, but it truly does make you ask the question, why are we who we are?
This brings me to the question, was the experiment beneficial? Does what we learned make up for her terrible end? Can it? This just brings me back to the previous question, but never mind. Yes, I do believe the experiment was beneficial, was it justified though? Have we used any of what we learned from her?
My answer, based on what I know, has to be a no. How can we justify teaching something the means to bring itself to ruin? Lucy had no part in, no decision of, her fate. If the goal was to find out what it means to be human, then it painted us ,grievously, as animals. There I rest my case.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Thinking like a Mountian
For a man living in the 1950's Aldo Leopold had a surprisingly open, accepting and ecological sustainable view to humanity. Despite the rational way he writes many of his peers would have dismissed his findings and views of them as hippie-like, irrational., and not seeing the whole picture; yet despite this the opposite is true. Today we know the truth of his views as he saw it then, humans cause problems not solutions.
In his own time he understood how an ecosystem works, he understood that if you take any element out, no matter how harmful or minute it may seem, it has a very important role to play in its interaction with other species. His example of the wolves being eliminated and the deer overpopulating is a classic predator prey example, but isn't the only situation where this is applicable. With symbiotic relationships both sides are vital, and when one is eliminated the the other fails too.
In closing, Leopold understood the bigger picture and was able to look beyond just the needs and desires of humanity, and into the lives that it affects, the ones that aren't spent walking on two legs.
In his own time he understood how an ecosystem works, he understood that if you take any element out, no matter how harmful or minute it may seem, it has a very important role to play in its interaction with other species. His example of the wolves being eliminated and the deer overpopulating is a classic predator prey example, but isn't the only situation where this is applicable. With symbiotic relationships both sides are vital, and when one is eliminated the the other fails too.
In closing, Leopold understood the bigger picture and was able to look beyond just the needs and desires of humanity, and into the lives that it affects, the ones that aren't spent walking on two legs.
TED Talk on Sustainability
It's said that every 7 days we create a city the size of Seattle. I don't mean anything like the quality of Seattle, what I'm talking about is mostly slums, in developing countries. Very in-sustainable communities built with no existing infrastructure. Whole cities- lacking proper water, sewage, or typically any form of electricity or reliable means of getting food. Weather we realize it or not we, western civilization, is also like this somewhat. Sure we have reliable means of covering our basic needs, but for how long??? If the way we live right now was even remotely sustainable, we would need 10 Earths to make it so. Eventually we WILL NOT be able to continue living the way we do and inevitably "UN-develop" ourselves into poverty.
This is why we need to be creating solutions for all of these eventual problems we'll face sooner rather than later. If we create larger cities we need better ways to travel within them, without holdup. We need sustainable reliable means of getting food. We need to learn to sustain the environment so we can continue to learn and innovate from it. Because without it, we have no means to learn something NEW.
Myself, I believe this is a very important issue, and think about it, does anyone actually like pollution? Traffic?
I sure don't.
Through sustainable and smart practices, these issues are preventable, but without these methods, well, the outcome wouldn't be nice, that's for sure.
This is why we need to be creating solutions for all of these eventual problems we'll face sooner rather than later. If we create larger cities we need better ways to travel within them, without holdup. We need sustainable reliable means of getting food. We need to learn to sustain the environment so we can continue to learn and innovate from it. Because without it, we have no means to learn something NEW.
Myself, I believe this is a very important issue, and think about it, does anyone actually like pollution? Traffic?
I sure don't.
Through sustainable and smart practices, these issues are preventable, but without these methods, well, the outcome wouldn't be nice, that's for sure.
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