"..the antimicrobial pesticide (triclosan) has been proven to be no more effective at killing germs than regular soap and water..." What is your view?
Sure, but it takes the good bacteria with the "bad." More effective is not necessarily a good thing. I prefer to let my immune system have its natural exposures and stick to regular soap and water. Antibacterial hand washes smell gross and create superbacteria out of the .1% that the antibacterial/antimicrobial soap does not kill.
Monday, August 10, 2015
Biochemistry Week Fourteen: Living Diviersity
“..the human species is living as if it had more than one planet to occupy…”
What is your own view?
I think this statement implies humans (or more specifically, Americans) have thought about the affects of a materialist lifestyle. I don't think humans live as if we have another planet, I think we live as if we have no concept that there are consequences to our actions. Scientists have been warning us for decades but only now that it may be too late are people beginning to adjust to more sustainable lifestyles. Unfortunately, many industries have not yet got on board. Mining and logging companies, tech manufacturers, etc aren't going to give up the bottom line.
If you want to get real depressed, here is a collection of photos of the devastation of pollution, global warming, and overpopulation that I came across the other day. Definitely ignore the link if you don't want to see sad images.
http://www.boredpanda.com/environmental-pollution-overdevelopment-overpopulation-overshoot-global-population-speakout/
or just google pictures of pollution. The magnitude of humanities' destruction of the only planet we have is mind boggling.
What is your own view?
I think this statement implies humans (or more specifically, Americans) have thought about the affects of a materialist lifestyle. I don't think humans live as if we have another planet, I think we live as if we have no concept that there are consequences to our actions. Scientists have been warning us for decades but only now that it may be too late are people beginning to adjust to more sustainable lifestyles. Unfortunately, many industries have not yet got on board. Mining and logging companies, tech manufacturers, etc aren't going to give up the bottom line.
If you want to get real depressed, here is a collection of photos of the devastation of pollution, global warming, and overpopulation that I came across the other day. Definitely ignore the link if you don't want to see sad images.
http://www.boredpanda.com/environmental-pollution-overdevelopment-overpopulation-overshoot-global-population-speakout/
or just google pictures of pollution. The magnitude of humanities' destruction of the only planet we have is mind boggling.
Friday, July 31, 2015
Bioology Week Twelve: Free Radicals and Antioxidants
"People should still eat healthy food" - do we rely too heavily on supplements to provide antioxidants?
Modern life makes it very difficult to maintain a healthy diet purely through eating well. Maybe we are too busy to cook or maybe we can't afford to eat as we would like. Either way supplements seem like a way to access nutrients we can't get through our diet. Unfortunately, supplements do not actually give us the nutrition we think and in some cases may hurt us. As hard as it can be to make happen, nothing is as effective as eating a diversity of nutrient dense food.
“Aspirin a day could dramatically cut cancer risk” What are your own thoughts on this?
I need more information to form an opinion. It is well known that aspirin can have negative side effects and the article does not address this. If aspirin has some benefits but harms our bodies in other ways, are we really better off?
Modern life makes it very difficult to maintain a healthy diet purely through eating well. Maybe we are too busy to cook or maybe we can't afford to eat as we would like. Either way supplements seem like a way to access nutrients we can't get through our diet. Unfortunately, supplements do not actually give us the nutrition we think and in some cases may hurt us. As hard as it can be to make happen, nothing is as effective as eating a diversity of nutrient dense food.
“Aspirin a day could dramatically cut cancer risk” What are your own thoughts on this?
I need more information to form an opinion. It is well known that aspirin can have negative side effects and the article does not address this. If aspirin has some benefits but harms our bodies in other ways, are we really better off?
Biochemistry Week Thirteen: Cell Biology and Radioactivity and Avogadro's Number
"An act that would create uniform GMO labeling throughout the United States passed the House..."
Are you encouraged?
Its unfortunate that this bill is so sneaky. Sounds like a good thing until you realize this is a means to pacify consumers by giving the appearance of GMO labeling. I hope it does not pass and stronger measures to label GMOs are put into place.
Are you encouraged?
Its unfortunate that this bill is so sneaky. Sounds like a good thing until you realize this is a means to pacify consumers by giving the appearance of GMO labeling. I hope it does not pass and stronger measures to label GMOs are put into place.
Biophysics Week Three: Bionics
Would you support the development of a “bionic” person?
No. I think its great that technology exists to give amputees or people born without limbs replacement limbs, but ultimately I do not trust where this technology my lead.
Would your opinion be any different if this were for a military purpose?
Nope nope nope. The article on military robotics sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. I realize there is nothing that can be done to stop a future with bionic super soldiers and that to me is bizarre. A few years ago such a statement would have sounded like a looney conspiracy theory and today national military leaders and strategists are in talks to make it happen. Yikes.
No. I think its great that technology exists to give amputees or people born without limbs replacement limbs, but ultimately I do not trust where this technology my lead.
Would your opinion be any different if this were for a military purpose?
Nope nope nope. The article on military robotics sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. I realize there is nothing that can be done to stop a future with bionic super soldiers and that to me is bizarre. A few years ago such a statement would have sounded like a looney conspiracy theory and today national military leaders and strategists are in talks to make it happen. Yikes.
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Biology Week Eleven: Vaccination and Public Health
Should “parents take a more active role in designing their children’s immunization schedule”?
Parents should definitely take a role in understanding and designing their children't immunization schedule, but with fully informed information on the vaccines. I believe there are some very real concerns regarding vaccinations, but that the pros generally outweigh the cons. So perhaps parents should use discretion regarding a flu shot or a vaccine that is new on the market, particularly one that was rushed to the market such as Gardisil. But the tried and true vaccines that have nearly eradicated some very dangerous diseases should only be questioned if their child is immunocompromised.
Would you support making vaccination programs “compulsory”?
This is a hard question. On the one hand, it is unfair for parents to spare their children the risk of vaccination and rely on other vaccinated children for herd immunity. On the other hand, my first thought with this question was to think of Roe v. Wade. Roe v. Wade does not protect our right to choose to end a pregnancy, it protects our right to privacy. It protects our right to make decisions about our health without the interference of the community or the state. While I want people to take an active role in community health and I believe many public health interventions are important and necessary, I have a pretty intense distaste of the government forcing anyone how they may live their life or what they should do with their bodies. Where do we draw the line in regards to state intervention?
Parents should definitely take a role in understanding and designing their children't immunization schedule, but with fully informed information on the vaccines. I believe there are some very real concerns regarding vaccinations, but that the pros generally outweigh the cons. So perhaps parents should use discretion regarding a flu shot or a vaccine that is new on the market, particularly one that was rushed to the market such as Gardisil. But the tried and true vaccines that have nearly eradicated some very dangerous diseases should only be questioned if their child is immunocompromised.
Would you support making vaccination programs “compulsory”?
This is a hard question. On the one hand, it is unfair for parents to spare their children the risk of vaccination and rely on other vaccinated children for herd immunity. On the other hand, my first thought with this question was to think of Roe v. Wade. Roe v. Wade does not protect our right to choose to end a pregnancy, it protects our right to privacy. It protects our right to make decisions about our health without the interference of the community or the state. While I want people to take an active role in community health and I believe many public health interventions are important and necessary, I have a pretty intense distaste of the government forcing anyone how they may live their life or what they should do with their bodies. Where do we draw the line in regards to state intervention?
Chemistry Week Eleven: Cell Biology and Radioactivity
I looked a little into the group that wanted to build a power plant in Fresno, which I spoke about last week. It looks like the Fresno Nuclear Energy Group had planned on building an European Pressurized Reactor (EPR) but have since switched their efforts to other energy projects. Despite claims of safety and nuclear as the "greenest" energy source, it seems that the EPR had some design-safety issues that were cause for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and nuclear safety officials in various European countries to challenge the makers of EPR.
Its strange to me that proponents of nuclear energy continue to claim that nuclear energy is safe and green despite what we know about the incredible amounts of water wasted/polluted to cool down the reactors. Additionally, perhaps they could convince me nuclear is safe as long as the reactors are in 100% prime working condition and no errors are made, but proponents of nuclear energy clearly have more faith in humanity than I do. What makes them believe that human error is out of the question?
I would like more information. I want to understand why they believe in nuclear energy. Is it really safe as long as there is not human error? Is my opposition to nuclear some knee-jerk reaction of a person who doesn't know any better?
Honestly, theres a part of me that thinks "if nuclear energy is good enough for the Star Trek universe, shouldn't it be good enough for me?" But I can't imagine we are anywhere near the technology necessary to actually make nuclear safe.
Below are two links with some information about the proposed plant and the switch the Fresno Nuclear Energy Group made after they realized their power plant plan was never going to work out. If you want more information about how we challenged and disrupted this proposal, feel free to ask. That action was a lot of fun ;)
http://fresnoalliance.com/wordpress/?p=2836
http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/news/energy-and-environment/11349-fresno
Its strange to me that proponents of nuclear energy continue to claim that nuclear energy is safe and green despite what we know about the incredible amounts of water wasted/polluted to cool down the reactors. Additionally, perhaps they could convince me nuclear is safe as long as the reactors are in 100% prime working condition and no errors are made, but proponents of nuclear energy clearly have more faith in humanity than I do. What makes them believe that human error is out of the question?
I would like more information. I want to understand why they believe in nuclear energy. Is it really safe as long as there is not human error? Is my opposition to nuclear some knee-jerk reaction of a person who doesn't know any better?
Honestly, theres a part of me that thinks "if nuclear energy is good enough for the Star Trek universe, shouldn't it be good enough for me?" But I can't imagine we are anywhere near the technology necessary to actually make nuclear safe.
Below are two links with some information about the proposed plant and the switch the Fresno Nuclear Energy Group made after they realized their power plant plan was never going to work out. If you want more information about how we challenged and disrupted this proposal, feel free to ask. That action was a lot of fun ;)
http://fresnoalliance.com/wordpress/?p=2836
http://www.thebusinessjournal.com/news/energy-and-environment/11349-fresno
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