Science Journal 5: Wrinkle Creams Be Warned!

Wrinkle Creams Be Warned!

Book:  La Machine a Rajeunir

        In French class, we are reading a book about a teenage boy who discovers that after coming back from their vacation, his parents are growing younger!  The parents, who are around 40 years old, soon realize that they feel healthier and look thinner and better than they did before.  Their happiness turns to horror as they realize that not only are they growing younger physically, but they are growing younger mentally as well.  They soon begin to forget who their son is, and who they are to each other.  Through a series of adventures, their son realizes that they had sat through an age reversing machine that had been marketed as a silly museum attraction.  The machine used microwaves to make his parents younger, and can do the opposite as well.  In the end, the son manages to figure everything out, and all is well.  This book is very basic, since we wouldn’t be capable of understand much more. 

        Because of the easy to follow nature of the book, the science in it is understandably shaky, and is classified as science fiction.  Though the science in this book doesn’t even come close to pseudoscience, and is used playfully, I found two interesting concepts in the book that I wanted to look into a little bit further:  microwaves and age reversing. 

        Microwaves are a form of electromagnetic radiation, like visible light.  They have a long wavelength, a low frequency, and are commonly used for communication devices and heating food items.  Microwaves are very functional, but can they change us physically like they did to the parents in the story?  Microwaves heat food by making the water and fat particles in the food to vibrate, causing friction.  Recently, we had a discussion in science class about cancer and its connection to cell phones.  Generally, cell phone companies recommend that users keep cellphones at least a few centimeters away from them while they are talking on them.  Cell phones use microwaves, which are known to cause cataracts if exposed to them for too long.

        The Food and Drug Administration has approved microwaves, and has placed certain safety standards on them that microwave oven manufacturers must meet in order to sell their product in the US.  On the FDA’s website, it states that the long term effects of low exposure to microwaves have not yet been determined, but that there is very good evidence to suggest that the amount of microwaves you are exposed to while using a microwave oven (a maximum of 5 milliwatts throughout its lifetime) is too low to do any immediate harm.  As a child, I had always been told by others older than me to not stand too close to a microwave, and to not look directly into them.  By doing this research I am able to clear up for myself some of the rumors and “mystery” surrounding microwaves.  Though these people had my best interests at heart, I no longer am unable to show them proof as to why looking at my food very often while it’s in the microwave (which, due to my low level of cooking skills I need to do to ensure the food is edible), will not cause my eyes to burn out.

Another aspect of the book I found interesting was the age reversal of the parents.  This brings up many questions for me.  Though I know this is not yet possible in real life, are ideas being tested?  Scientists writing for the Nature science blog have found an enzyme, telomerase, which strengthens the telomeres:  “junk” lines of DNA that are found on the ends of chromosomes.  By controlling the telomerase activity, scientists were able to prematurely age rats.  They were also able to reverse some of the effects of this aging by manipulating the telomerase again.  Though this research is very interesting, it will take a long time and a lot of hard work for scientists to be able to transfer this knowledge onto humans.  During the testing phases, who will scientists test on?  Will there be any long term effects of becoming younger?  Will people be able to choose when they want the process to stop?  What if this process is used for harm?  With age reversing, many questions also arise in regards to managing population.  People will live longer and have more time to reproduce, so the population of the world will drastically increase.  Also, managing people might be a problem.  It will be difficult for governments to set legislation is regards to new age laws.  For example, can a 40 year old who has become 15 legally drive?  It is very interesting to see how society reacts when new technology is invented.  We have been through problems like this before, and are currently going through them.  For example, the internet and computers aren’t very old yet, and many governments and companies are having privacy issues, and intellectual property issues.    

Bibliography:

http://www.fda.gov/Radiation-EmittingProducts/ResourcesforYouRadiationEmittingProducts/ucm252762.htm#4

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/05/18/microwave-hazards.aspx

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/11/29/age-reversing-drugs-on-the-horizon-not-so-fast/#.UNEpmG-CmP0

Science Journal 4: Taste the Rainbow

Taste the Rainbow

Link to Article:  http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/10/05/french-bees-produce-blue-honey/

       

        A very interesting news article I read recently stated that there are bees in France making blue honey.  Upon further investigation, I found that the bees not only made blue honey, but were producing red and green honey as well.  The bees are located in France, which is one of the world’s leading honey producers.  After a thorough investigation, it was determined that the bees were producing this eccentrically coloured honey because of the biogas plant located 4 km away.  This plant left residue from its M&M candy packaging, as well as from the M&M candies, in an open area around the factory.  Attracted by the sugary scent, the bees chose to pick up some of the waste from the biogas factory along with their usual nectar, causing the honey to turn blue.

        This article caught my eye because it makes us think about a lot of things we might be taking for granted, the first of which is bees, and the honey we get from bees.  There are over 20 000 species of bees, but not all of them produce honey.  The most popular bee, the European Honey Bee, is one of the few species of bees that are capable of creating honey.  Bees are essential to the pollination of plants and flowers, which is the process of fertilizing plants using seeds.  When a bee lands on a plant, they extract nectar and pollen.  They do so using their proboscis, a long tube-like tongue that sucks up the nectar and puts it in their stomachs.  During its time in the stomach, the nectar mixes with different proteins and enzymes, and starts to become comparable to the honey we use.  The nectar is then placed in honeycombs, small hexagonal pockets that, together, make up a large portion of the beehive.   Not only do bees extract nectar from plants, they extract pollen from plants as well.  This pollen gets spread out as the bee goes from flower to flower, greatly assisting the plant community.  Not all the pollen on a bee falls off on the flowers it lands on.  Some of this pollen is stored in the beehive, along with the nectar that they have collected.  The nectar, along with some pollen, and other flower juices, become mixed together, and are stored for long periods of time by the bees.  

        The tediousness of the honey-making process amazes me, and also slightly alarms me as well.  These bees work extremely hard, and must go very far for long amounts of time in order to produce even a small amount of honey.  In the article I had read, it was mentioned that France is experiencing a honey shortage because of the harsh winter they recently had. As well, there is a world-wide phenomenon occurring involving the drastic decrease of the bee population.  Scientists are confounded as to why the amount of bees is declining at such an alarming rate.  This flamboyantly coloured honey is not helping the bee shortage situation.  The owner of the bee farm says that even though the honey tastes good, it is so visually affected that it will be unsellable.

        Some of the effects of this event as well as the disappearance of bees might be that the price of honey will go up a lot because there might not be a lot of honey available.  This is similar to what is happening with our other resources.  Things such as natural gas and oil will only get more expensive as they continue to run out.  Though honey, unlike gas, isn’t very “necessary” for society to function, there will still be major negative results of a honey shortage.  Millions of people use honey as a substitute for sugar, as a flavoring, and as a form of natural medication. 

        Another reason I find this article so interesting is because of the fact that humans have caused a change in nature.  Because of the (unintentionally) irresponsible actions of the biogas company, the bees and the bee farmer nearby have experienced a lot of loss, and have been greatly affected.  This brings up a lot of interesting legal and ethical questions.  Will the bee farmer ask for monetary compensation because he lost so much honey?  Will the biogas company refuse to pay because the bees were on their property?  So far, the two businesses are being friendly and cooperative by trying to find a way to prevent the bees from gaining access to the residue, which is very encouraging.  This shows that though money is important, people are willing to sacrifice a little money in exchange for community respect and responsibility. 

This situation also brings up a lot of questions in the science area.  Are the bees affected by this residue?  Are there any effects from eating the coloured honey?  Can this method be used to intentionally produce coloured honey?  Can it also be used in other organisms whose products we use?  For example, could we influence the colour of milk in the same way? 

        While reading articles, it is very important to keep in mind the credibility of the source.  The website I read this article from was www.time.com.  The ending of the website is “.com”, showing that this is a public address. Time is a respected news source, and I am able to find this same article on many other well-respected news websites (such as nytimes), showing that the facts in this article are accepted, and are most probably true.  Most of the advertisements on the website are for other articles on the website itself.  The article quotes the people that it talks about, and gives their full information, showing that these people do exist and would show up if someone were to perform an in depth search.  The author of the article, Juju Kim, seems to be a student studying journalism at university.  Though this article isn’t written by a professional, it is written by someone who is studying journalism, which adds to its credibility.  Overall, I feel that the source for this article is reliable.   

Bibliography:

http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/how-do-bees-make-honey.html

Science Journal 3: Twin Town

Twin Town

In this episode of the National Geographic, a team of scientists and doctors explore the unique situation in the town of Kodhini, India, where the amount of twins born per year is almost 6 times the average rate.  The documentary starts off by stating that Kodhini is an average community in terms of population and lifestyle.  However, though there are only 2000 families in the village, there are over 250 pairs of twins.  The twins are all quite young, showing that this unique characteristic of the village is quite young, a fact which is supported by the elders of the village.  Out of the 250+ pairs of twins, 60 were born in the last 5 years.  Many families have more than one pair of twins. 

I found this documentary to be very interesting because I am an only child, and I have seen very few twins in my lifetime.  As well, I am from India, which helps me relate well to the people being featured in the documentary.  One of the major topics discussed in this documentary was the superstition being used to explain the occurrence of so many twins.  Many of the villagers believe that this phenomenon is very lucky, and that this means their prayers are being heard and they are being blessed.  However, there are also many doctors in this documentary that believe the reason behind the large amount of twins is scientific.  This brings up the class we had about scientific literacy.  Because of the lack of education in some parts of rural India, many people rely on superstition to find reasons for things they cannot explain.  Usually, there is a scientific explanation for things.  However, this situation is interesting because there is not enough evidence to give either side a strong advantage.  Doctors are at a loss to explain why and how there are so many twins in Kodhini.  Because this situation is local, scientists think that there is something in the environment that has caused so many twins to be born.  Researchers have tested possible factors, such as the air, water, and crops, with no success. 

This documentary encouraged me to look into how twins were formed.  Twins are formed in 2 possible ways.  The first is when one egg becomes fertilized, and then splits into two.  The second way to have twins is for two eggs to be fertilized separately, but at the same time.  Twins produced from the first process of forming twins are known as identical twins, since they usually look very alike.  Twins that come from the second process are known as fraternal twins, and might have more diverse features.  It is more common for older mothers to have twins, however, the mothers in Kodhini are young compared to most mothers.  Females with a family history of fraternal twins are more genetically likely to have fraternal twins as well. 

During the show, doctors state that the twin tidal wave first started around 65 years ago.  This might mean that new technology might be the cause for so many twins to be born in that area.  For example, a factory might be using some sort of chemical that only became widely used after a certain type of technology was invented.  This might account for the fact that the mothers in Kodhini do not match the typical traits of other mothers with twins worldwide.  As well, the localness of this twin phenomenon is supported by this theory because the chemical might have spread to only one area.  If this is the case, it brings up the question of whether or not this chemical is safe, and if it has any long term effects. 

Once the cause for the abnormal amount of twins has been identified, scientists can use it for many positive efforts.  If the cause is genetic, then they will have gone one step further in the vast field of human genetics.  If the cause is from external factors, such as the environment, then scientists can use this information in order to help parents who might want (or not want) to have twins.

While watching this documentary, I had to ensure its credibility.  It was created by National Geographic, which is a trusted source of scientific news.  The researchers, scientists, doctors, and other professionals it employs are extremely competent, and are trusted worldwide by their colleagues.  National Geographic has released many informational series for kids and adults, is widely accepted by the public, and is even in partnerships with certain government agencies.  These facts lead me to believe that the information presented in this documentary is legitimate, and that National Geographic is a trusted source of information.

Bibliography: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Twins_identical_and_fraternal

Science Journal 2: Drowning in Health?

Drowning in Health?  

      A few days ago, the class held a discussion on whether or not drinking too much water was bad for you.  This discussion made an impact on me since I have always been told that I do not drink enough water.  As well, I have been in countless situations where someone complains of a headache or pain, and they are recommended to drink water.  Coming from India, where it is extremely hot, water has always been the “go-to” solution within my family and friends when our bodies are in discomfort.  Water is vital to the existence of life.  For thousands of years certain civilizations have prospered because of the abundance of water near them.  Even now, many towns and cities are positioned along with bodies of water.  It is this huge importance that water has in our lives that causes my interest on the topic of the possibility of drowning yourself by drinking too much water. 

        Water is a major component of our bodies.  Around 60% of our body is comprised of water!  However, our bodies use water for more than building ourselves up.  When cells convert chemical energy from the vitamins and nutrients in food to other forms of energy, a lot of waste is produced.  In order to get rid of this waste, the human body must have enough water within it to dissolve the toxins and dispose of them.  As well, the body takes out certain toxins within foods, and uses water to dispose of them.  Some of the ways we can see these toxins leaving our bodies are through urine and sweat.  If there isn’t enough water in our bodies, then these toxins will not be able to exit our bodies, and can harm us.  Having stated the necessity for water, there are serious consequences for drinking too much water. 

        Our cells let objects pass through their semipermeable membranes in a process called osmosis.  Because of diffusion, which is when particles move to form an even concentration, solvents in our cells will flow from an area with a less concentrated solution to an area with a higher concentration.  When excess water enters our bodies, the concentration of sodium within our tissues drastically decreases.  The process of osmosis will occur, and the solvent (in this case, water) will flow from the tissues and into the cells in an attempt to diffuse the concentration of sodium within the cell and its surroundings.  The extreme dilution of sodium within one’s body is called hyponatremia, and can have serious effects on humans.  

Some of the effects of hyponatremia include irregular heartbeats, seizures, and death.

     This class discussion interested me because I could relate to it from my personal experiences.  I had always wondered if constantly drinking water when your body experiences pain would have any negative consequences.  This also ties in to the discussion the class had earlier about scientific literacy.  People might unknowingly cause harm when advising others to drink more water.  It is important for us to be able to take suggestions, opinions, and facts that have been given to us and look at them with a critical and scientific perspective.  People often twist things in order to get what they want, or give detrimental advice with good intentions because of the scientific illiteracy of others.  By being aware and taking the effort to double check facts and figures, we can prevent being cheated, and find easier and more efficient ways of doing things.  This knowledge will now help me out when (inevitably) I am in a situation where water is being recommended to make someone feels better.  Instead of blindly following suggestions, I can now provide proof to support my argument that drinking too much water can possibly have negative consequences. 

        When learning about hyponatremia, I made sure to check the credibility of all of my sources.  The class discussion we had was a trusted source of information, since the information came from a certified educator.  When doing some more research on the topic of hyponatremia, I ensured that I checked more than one source, and I looked up the author of each website that I used to gather information.  The majority of websites I used ended in a “.gov” ending, showing that it is a government website and can be trusted.  The About.com article I used was written by Annie Helmenstein, who possesses a Ph. D in biomedical sciences.  This high level of education means that she knows a lot about biomedical science, and shows that the information she has put into the article about hyponatremia is most likely credible.  

Bibliography: 

http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/blwaterintox.htm

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000394.htm

Science Journal 1: DNA information Storage

  DNA Information Storage

Link to Article: http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/134672-harvard-cracks-dna-storage-crams-700-terabytes-of-data-into-a-single-gram

        In short, this article discussed how a team of two scientists at Harvard, George Church and Sri Kosuri, have successfully been able to store 5.5 petabits of information onto a single gram of DNA.  The article then goes on to provide several comparisons in order to gain a better view of just how big of an achievement this is.  To attain the same level of storage, one must use 233 harddrives with 3 TB of storage, which, at a weighty 150 kilograms, would make DNA storage look atomic!  DNA storage is quite useful because it is very dense and long lasting.  Also, the whole process of putting information onto DNA takes less than a day, which is useful for huge corporations, such as Microsoft, who have thousands of bytes of information that they need to store in databses.  Upon first discovering this article, I looked at it to find any signs of bias.  Though bias may be unintentional, it can also be quite detrimental to the reader since it gives them an impression of an idea that might not be true.  The website I found this article had a “.com” ending, making me slightly suspicious of the trueness of its content.  However, upon further investigation, I found that the author of the article had done many things to increase the credibility of the article such as quoting the researchers in many places and providing a link to the full research paper.  I think that the article was slightly biased in that in mainly provided advantages of DNA storage.  This might be due to the fact that the name of the website is “extremescience”, so they would try to make the science seem more “extreme.”  I found another copy of this article on a Harvard website, with the ending “.edu”.  This article was slightly more detailed than the first; however it too promoted the achievements of the scientists. This is probably because the website is affiliated with Harvard, and so are the scientists.  

        One of the things that I really enjoyed about the article was that it provided many points of comparison in order to help readers gain a better understanding of the magnitude of the researchers’ achievement.  To many people, the words “5.5 petabytes” don’t mean a lot.  I myself had to use Google to see exactly how a petabyte compares to the other units of information.  Being an IBT student, information storage comes up a lot in my everyday life, and so this article had a really big impact on me.  It amazes me to think of how far scientists have come in the field of information storage.  I remember using floppy disks to store information, and having those slowly change to CDs and then to USBs.   Around 21 Exabytes (1 million petabytes) of information goes through the internet daily, and with the improvement of DNA storage, people could store massive archives of information.  Every piece of media, books, movies, music, etc., can be stored for later usage and, at the current rate, probably not take up more than a small room.  This article was quite easy to understand, but it required me to do some more research in regards to how DNA is organized.  This DNA storage looks to be one of the early attempts at mass information storage, and I am eager to see the advancements that will be soon made. 

        This new capacity of information storage can be both negative and positive. Though it will reduce the amount of resources used, it will also decrease the amount of privacy people have and increase the amount of information that passes in front of us each day.  Retrieving footage from video cameras used to be an issue since companies would get rid of tapes due to storage issues.  Now, people can store thousands of hours of video on a single gram of DNA.  This might result in every street corner being monitored, causing some people to feel that their privacy has been violated.  Another issue with DNA storage is that it might cause an increase in information.  Though information isn’t bad, being bombarded by stories, ads, and interesting articles cause attention spans to shorten.  People might develop issues with focus, though focus is what the scientists at Harvard needed in order to achieve DNA information storage.  The problem of information storage reminds me about the problem of electricity storage.  Many types of energy sources provide a lot of electricity which goes to waste since there is no way of storing so much power.  Like information, we might be able to find the solution to electricity storage in something basic and fundamental, such as DNA.