week 9

Space is not only an endless place, but a place for endless imagination.  No one knows how big space is and what it holds, however one can only picture what it holds.  When I think about space and how far it goes, it really stumps me and astonishes me.  Who knows big space really is and what if it never stops?! That is truly a question to think about.

All of this study of space started thousands of years ago, with astronomers looking at stars and the moon with only their eyes.  Then in the 17^th century the first telescope was created and at that point changed the revolution of science in space.  Much later in the 20^th century, came the Space Race, where Russia launched the first artificial satellite, Sputnik, in 1957.  This Space Race sparked a huge competition between the US and Russia.  The US then followed by being the first to put a man on the moon in 1969.

With all of the stuff we know about how planets, solar system, universe, and galaxy, there is still a lot more that we have no idea about.  Who knows how many more galaxies there are and if there are other forms of life.  To me, this is scary because it is something completely out of our control, and only time will lead us to know if it ever happens.  And the amount of time it takes could be millions of years.  Space, truly means its definition, “a continuous area that is unoccupied”.

Works Cited

Aliens. N.d. Photograph. GoogleWeb. 30 Nov 2013. <http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130521224914/alienfilm/images/7/77/ThreeGreys.jpg>.

Sputnik. N.d. Photograph. GoogleWeb. 30 Nov 2013. <http://bashapedia.pbworks.com/f/1294614551/Sputnik-2l.jpg>.

"The First Telescopes." Tools of Cosmology . N.p.. Web. 30 Nov 2013. <http://www.aip.org/history/cosmology/tools/tools-first-telescopes.htm>.

"Timeline of Space Exploration." TheSpaceRace.com. N.p.. Web. 30 Nov 2013. <http://www.thespacerace.com/timeline/>.

Universe. N.d. Photograph. GoogleWeb. 30 Nov 2013. <http://art.ngfiles.com/images/71/gucken_sunrise-in-space.jpg>.

Week 8

The discussion of Nanotechnology is really a subject field that amazes me the more and more I learn about it.  After watching the lecture from Dr. Gimzewski, I was able to learn how big or small “Nano” really is.  Some everyday things you see every day are the tiniest when it comes to Nanometers.  The size of a water droplet is 10^-1 nanometer, the size of a period dot is 10⁶ nanometer, and a tennis ball is 10⁸ nanometers wide.  This is really amazing to be because these are numbers in the millions, that are barely larger than your hand or visible to the eye.

After reading about Nanotechnology in the medical field, I gained an understanding that this is a new and better advancement in the medical area.  The ability to have Nano scale size in medicine makes it more reasonable to manipulate cells, viruses or DNA.  It is in discussion that hopefully in the future, we can take microscopic tools and stretch out someone’s DNA and manipulate it in ways hopefully to change one’s genetic make up.

Another article provides uses for NanoTech in the food industry.  A few uses are sensors for picking up bacteria, enhanced food storage, and tracking of where products are sent.  All of these uses and many more are key in keeping food fresh, increasing taste, and allowing for the health to be increased for consumers.

 

I really believe NanoTechnology is going to be a huge part of the future and is something that would a good field to get into the study of.

Works Cited

"Top 10 Uses of NanoTechnology in Food." Environmental Leader . N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov 2013. <http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/02/24/top-10-uses-of-nanotechnology-in-food/>.

Nanotech in Food. N.d. Photograph. n.p. Web. 25 Nov 2013. <http://nanobiotechnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/nanotechnology_food.jpg>.

Nanotech Jim. N.d. video. YouTubeWeb. 25 Nov 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7jM6-iqzzE

"Nanotechnology in Medicine." MNT. N.p.. Web. 25 Nov 2013. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/244972.php>.

Nanotech in Medicine . N.d. Photograph. n.p. Web. 25 Nov 2013. <http://www.edinformatics.com/nanotechnology/nanomedicine.htm>.

week 7

The mind is something that can be observed by others, but only controlled by one person.  But really how much of our own mind are we controlling?  The mind has its own state of being and what we control is really only that of simple movements.  If someone throws a ball at you, your mind will take the instant reaction of responding to that ball and this is an event where you don’t have much control over what your mind does.  The mind also has the ability to create desires.  If I were to suddenly crave donuts, my mind would be creating an urge, something that I cannot control, but only strive to resist.

Have you ever wondered how you have the ability to remember events from times long ago?   Scientists are finding that the hippocampus, within the brains gray matter, is a possible source of a memory box.  Another mystery of the mind is our internal clock, that tells us when to eat or when to sleep.  This is believed to be apart of a hormone called melatonin.

In a previous class I have taken, scientists take a patient and blind fold them.  They put them into a room with obstacles and tell them to walk.  As they walk through the room, their mind is somehow giving them a sense of awareness for surrounding obstacles, allowing them to navigate safely through the room without running into any of the objects. 

Works Cited

"Blind people better at finding their way." Neurophilosophy . N.p.. Web. 17 Nov 2013. <http://scienceblogs.com/neurophilosophy/2008/11/25/blind-people-are-better-at-finding-their-way/>.

Consciousness . N.d. Photograph. n.p. Web. 17 Nov 2013. <http://www.truthinsideofyou.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/higher-consciousness_jussi-lof-samuli-kivinummi_900x502-2.jpg>.

Mind Maze. N.d. Photograph. n.p. Web. 17 Nov 2013. <http://www.alt-market.com/images/stories/mind maze.jpg>.

NeuroScience . N.d. Photograph. n.p. Web. 17 Nov 2013. <http://www.neurosci.ucla.edu/MPj04387460000[1].jpg>.

"Top 10 Mysteries of the Mind." LiveScience. N.p.. Web. 17 Nov 2013. <http://www.livescience.com/11337-top-10-mysteries-mind.html>.

week 6

In my opinion, I feel that biotechnology and bioengineering is an unnecessary process in most cases.  I don’t believe that we should test mutations on animals, however in some instances, it is the necessary thing to do so we do not take human lives.  One unnecessary point we learned about in lecture is the man who implanted an ear into his arm.  It is understandable that we have the ability to do that; I just do not understand why anyone would want to or why it is necessary.

As discussed in a few videos, some use animal body parts and turn those into a way of art.  An example of this is Zaretsky making artwork from chicken feet and squid, and putting it together in an artistic way.  I feel there is a difference in biotechnology with a purpose, as in scientific ways, and biotechnology in an artistic way.  In scientific ways, there is a search for ways to improve life, but in an artsy way, it is based upon entertainment for ones self. 

  

A Vadodara-team of Scientists used stem cell research to take adipose tissue and turn it into insulin for diabetic patients.  This is just one great way that biotech is useful in a productive way.  What biotechnology really is is an alteration in DNA cells.  Even the smallest changes can be a major difference in a cell.  So adding different cells to the body, will create an alteration, hopefully helping a patient in a positive way. 

Bibliography 

Bioart. N.d. video. YoutubeWeb. 10 Nov 2013. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL9DBF43664EAC8BC7&v=MdSt-Hjyi2I

Biotech Art. N.d. Photograph. n.p. Web. 10 Nov 2013. <http://arts.ccpblogs.com/files/2008/07/brandejs_245_320-425.jpg>.

Cut Rat . N.d. Photograph. n.p. Web. 10 Nov 2013. <http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Cut_Rat.jpg>.

Stem Cell . N.d. Photograph. n.p. Web. 8 Nov 2013. <http://montanabiotech.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/biotech-pipette.jpg>.

"Vadodara doctors, scientists get department of biotechnology funds for stem cell research." The Times of India . N.p.. Web. 9 Nov 2013. <http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-11-09/vadodara/43853933_1_stem-cells-shinya-yamanaka-john-gurdon>.