The clock was invented by human beings to keep track of time. The atomic clock is one of the most accurate clocks in the world, it will not gain or lose one second in 15 billion years. Therefore, the time will not fly. However, sometimes we do feel that the time pass by quickly when we are having fun. The time seems to crawl when we are having a boring class.
Ytterbium Lattice Atomic Clock took by National Institute of Standards and Technology https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ytterbium_Lattice_Atomic_Clock_(10444764266).jpg
Some people suggest that when we are having fun, we are paying attention to what we are doing. Therefore, we can not notice that the time pass by. However, when we are feeling bored, we will focus on time and notice that the time crawls.
Dr. Michael Shadlen said that “Every thought has various horizons”.Time flies according to these horizons. When we are really focusing on doing something, our mind can see the near horizons and the distant horizons. This makes the time goes by fast. In contrast, when we feel bored then we can only notice the near horizons and the horizons are not link to each other. As a result, time crawls.
It can also be related to the cells in the brain. Neuroscientist Joe Paton found out the neurons in our brain will release neurotransmitter dopamine which is a type of chemical that impacts how the brain feels about the time. When we are having fun, the neurons will release much more chemicals than usual. These chemicals make us feels that less time goes by. On the other hand, if we release lesser this type of chemicals, the time will go slowly in our mind.
In conclusion, time does not fly in reality. However, it does fly in our mind when we are having fun.
Have you discovered that there are all kinds of colors in nature, but only blue is rare?Have you ever seen blue ingredients or tigers,dogs,cats in color of blue?Even we all think that the blue sky and the ocean are not real blue.
Take the example of the ocean, which is not really blue in itself. Because the sun light is roughly composed of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. The light of each color has a different wavelength. When the sun shines into the sea, the light of the red, orange, yellow and green colors is easily absorbed by the water molecules. The blue and purple light is scattered. So the ocean looks like blue.
Animals can display a variety of colors, mainly because they have pigments of various colors on their body. But for many blue animals, there is no blue pigment in it. They pass through the microstructure of their surface and interact with the light, let us think they are blue.
For this blue morpho,we zoomed in on the scales of his wings and saw some ridged surfaces like Christmas trees.It is this ridge branch that allows blue morpho to offset the light of other colors and eventually reflect only the blue light. When the light shines in, some will reflect at the top, some will penetrate inside and reflect at the bottom.But if you look at it from other angles, the butterfly you see will not be blue.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/argonne/8023114584
The animals which are real blue
In nature, animals with true blue pigments may not even be 1%.There are about 12 elusively blue animals in the world.The reason of why animals are more likely to be blue due to its own structures,Some colorists have speculated that birds and butterflies evolved to see blue a long time ago, but they have no way to evolve blue feathers. If they have blue, it means there is more way to communicate and survive between the populations. It’s much easier to change the microscopic structure of their body surface and make themselves look blue than making blue pigment genes.
Many people have been debating about this for a while now. One recent news that came out in November talked about a scientist who genetically edited a pair of twin girls. The scientist, He Jiankui, used CRISPR-Cas9 to edit the babies genome which he claims would allow the babies to have a better resistance to HIV and AIDS.
Human egg cells. Image by Виталий Смолыгин. Retrieved from https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=42719&picture=cell
What the scientist did was that he disabled the gene, CCR5. This disables the HIV virus from entering the cell because the gene forms a protein pathway. With it disabled the virus cannot get in since there wouldn’t be a pathway. The problem with disabling the gene is that people without this gene has a greater chance of being infected by other viruses.
An image of DNA structure. Image by Виталий Смолыгин. Retrieved from https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=31530&picture=structure-of-dna
Many people condemned the scientist for his seemingly unethical way of human experimentation. But gene editing has been happening for a while and have been proven to heal genetic diseases, it is just that it hasn’t been experimented enough to know for sure that it is safe to be used on humans. One example would be a team of researchers that was led by Gerald Schwank. They were able to successfully correct the mutated genes in the liver cells of mice thus healing the mice from the metabolic disorder phenylketonuria. Another example is that gene editing was used to reduce cholesterol levels in mice that were still in their mother’s womb. This is done by targeting the gene that regulates cholesterol. The experiment was successful and the mice born were healthy.
So, would you consider gene editing the future?
This video talks about genome editing using CRISPR-Cas9. Published by McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT.
This video is about the scientist, He Jiankui, and his experiment on the two twin girls. Published by The He Lab.
Jellyfish Aequorea Victoria, which exhibits a green fluorescence when exposed to light. Source Microbiologics Blog, https://blog.microbiologics.com/green-fluorescent-proteins-shining-new-light-on-food-qc/
Green fluorescent protein (GFP) is a naturally occurring protein found in jellyfish Aequorea Victoria, which exhibits a green fluorescence when exposed to light. This fluorescent protein has transformed biomedical research because cellular biological processes can now be observed in real time. This protein is located in the jellyfish’s umbrella where it interacts with another protein called aequorin. This specific interaction between GFP and aequorin emits blue light when calcium ions are added. Furthermore, this chemical reaction supplies the energy to produce the green fluorescence. GFP consists of 238 amino acids however, the 65thto 67thamino acids form the core structure responsible for emitting the green fluorescence when exposed to light.
This video describes the main components and uses of GFP in biomedical research. Source Alex Dainis, Science Vlogger and Genetics Grad Student.
Why is GFP important?
GFP itself is non-toxic, stable and spontaneously conforms into its functional shape without the need for outside chemicals or enzymes. Also, GFP doesn’t interfere with any of the biological processes within an organism. Therefore, GFP is being used as a visual marker in biomedical research. After, GFP is injected into a cell the green fluorescence glow is observed using a fluorescence microscope. This fluorescence microscope is able to photograph the cellular biological processes without interfering.
For example, in recombinant technology, the GFP gene is combined with a gene of interest, which produces the protein of interest. Then this complex is injected into a cell and if the cell produces the green fluorescent glow it suggests the cell is expressing the gene of interest. Scientists added this harmless fluorescent gene into insulin producing cells in the pancreas of mice. The researchers were able to observe the biological process and reform existing diabetes treatments.
How is GFP relevant to us?
Companies such as Yorktown technologies were the first to start selling fluorescent pet zebrafish called GloFish. Also, the Animal Reproductive Institute of Uruguay produced a glowing green sheep using the GFP gene that was injected into the sheep embryo. Furthermore, a research team in Seoul National University injected beagle dog embryos with a similar fluorescent protein obtained from a sea anemone. As a result four puppies would emit a red fluorescent glow under ultraviolet light. This GFP gene has been injected into other animals too such as cows, pigs, bunnies, monkeys, cats, and rats.
This video describes how GFP can cause animals to be bioluminescent . Source Seeker.
Therefore, GFP has not only transformed biomedical research in the terms of being able to observe how cancer spreads, HIV infections proceed, fetuses grow during development and other various biological processes occur but also, allowed scientists to create glow in the dark pets.
With marijuana making its way into the spotlight across the globe in recent years as well as the recent legalization here in Canada, it seems the stigma & sentiment around the herb is quickly changing. However, now that weed is legal & can be purchased by anyone over the age of 19, does that mean consuming marijuana on regular basis (or at all) is free of risk and repercussions?
Canadian cannabis flag captured by Cannabis Culture at the Global Marijuana March 2013 in Vancouver. Source: Flickr
Differing Opinions
People opposing the newly legal drug, argue that cannabis consumption puts you at greater risk for mental impairment & that it stifles motivation, while those in favor of the substance tout it as a miracle drug capable of curing cancer & reducing pain. So, is it really that bad after all?
Cannabis Use in Teenagers and Young Adults
One demographic that has had red flags raised regarding the consumption of cannabis, is those under the age of 25. The reason being that is the age when the human brain has fully matured & is less susceptible to some of the harmful effects of marijuana. But it seems as though most young adults & teenagers alike, are not waiting until their brains have reached maturation to try the drug, as a recent census bureau report found that 32.7 percent of teenagers had smoked marijuana in the previous 3 months.
Caution, cannabis is not for everyone. Source:Pixabay
Teens Stuck In A Haze
Frequency & potency of cannabis use are the main detrimental drivers of damage to the developing brain. Research has shown that frequent use of marijuana in adolescence has a strong correlation to anxiety & depression with many users also disruptive behaviour & overall general cognitive decline. In addition, many researchers have cited that persistent use of marijuana by teenagers increases one’s risk of schizophrenia & other brain structure abnormalities. The effects of marijuana on the young brain are summarized well in the following video made by Dr. Jodi Goodman, who is the director of neuroscience at the Center for Addiction Medicine.
How come it seems like the number of cannabis users is increasing despite the endless research on the negative cognitive effects it has? One explanation for this is that weed allows many to feel a sense of relaxation & contentment that may not otherwise be achievable. Although this reason itself may commonly be overlooked, it is within the same bounds as Canadians spending twenty-two and a half billion dollars on alcohol last year. Having said this, it seems reasonable that anyone over the age of 19 is legally allowed to choose whether or not they want to use safe intoxicants (like alcohol or marijuana).
Dried marijuana ready for consumption Source: Pixabay
So What’s The Big Idea?
While the use of cannabis has many unfavorable effects, when used in moderation it can be an effective method for alleviating pain, anxiety, & much more. Therefore, once the risks are known, I think it should be left to one’s own discretion on whether or not to consume cannabis & how often at that.
Disclaimer: Content may be sensitive to some viewers.
There are many controversial debates concerning the moral acceptance of abortions in North America. In 2017, there were a total of 94,030 abortions in Canada alone. Abortion is the premeditated act of discharging a fetus from the womb. Let’s try and dig into what people have to say. Watch Bill Nye express his view of this topic below.
It’s Okay, It’s Not Alive.
Pro-abortionists argue that abortion is morally permissible because the fetus is not a part of the moral community and it does not meet the criteria of personhood. They claim that the fetus is not attentive to its surroundings or even to itself in terms of emotion, communication, and experience of pleasure and pain. In addition, they do not consider the movement of the fetus inside the mother’s womb as a sign of expressing itself.
The concept of proxy consent may arise during the debate.
“It is the legal right to approve a medical procedure on behalf of an individual who is incompetent in giving consent.”
In this context, mothers have legal merit to terminate her pregnancy as the fetus cannot make such decisions.
A researcher named Joel Feinberg proposed an example by means of an acid. He stated that the characteristics of an acid including its solubility in water, sourness, and colour changes of litmus paper from blue to red are not the foundational components relevant to its acidity and cannot be used as an effective test to determine its acidity.
Correspondingly, to say that an individual is ‘living’, is to say that they are able to make choices rooted from logical lines of reasoning. Therefore, the pro-abortionists argue that the fetus cannot be considered a being and aborting the fetus is morally acceptable. Watch this clip below of Dave Rubin interviewing Cara Santa Maria about the ethics of abortion.
Stop! Abortion is Murder.
On the contrary, there are people who believe that abortion is morally unacceptable as they consider the fetus to be alive. They argue that the fetus has complete formation of the brain structure at 12 weeks, the heart pumps roughly 28 litres of blood per day, and it is able to recognize sound as the ears are being developed, showing signs of life.
Also, they indicate that the fetus demonstrates voluntary movements within the womb and react to external stimuli which is one of the criterion for life. Thus, they propose potential consciousness of the fetus.
In response to the acid example, anti-abortionists argue that this claim is unreasonable. For instance, in a laboratory setting, to identify whether an unknown substance is acidic, technicians go through series of tests including acid-base titration and litmus paper testing to determine whether the substance is acidic. Therefore, these characteristics are relevant to verify the acidity of a chemical. Although they may not be the only characteristics to describe the nature of the acid, these observational methods are definitely necessary to determine whether or not a substance is an acidic.
Likewise, to identify the fetus as a human being, observational methods are important to show that it is alive. In other words, observing the brain structure, heart, and hearing can be used in considering the fetus to be a living organism is absolutely necessary. Therefore, anti-abortionists say that it is morally impermissible to attain an abortion.
Where Do You Stand?
This topic will continue to present itself in the debating world.
Evolution has produced a bunch of peculiar and downright freaky organisms (Purple Frog, anyone?). However, as the BBC so delicately puts it, “[h]umans are possibly the weirdest species to have ever lived”. Although this is likely true for quite a few reasons, what really sets us apart are our massive brains.
A big brained freak. Source: Flicker, submitted by Martin Quiroz.
In fact, humans have the largest brain to body weight ratio of any Great Ape. And we can thank these hefty brains for our unique cognitive abilities. For example, unlike other animals, we are able to solve problems by recombining old information in novel ways, we can easily understand symbolic representations and we can even think about our own thoughts objectively. But how did our brains ever get large enough to give us these impressive powers?
Fueled by Fire
Dr. Richard Wrangham poses that the answer lies in his Cooking Hypothesis. Specifically, Wrangham argues that the reason modern humans ended up with big brains is because the Homo sapien line learned how to control fire, and importantly, how to cook with it.
Dr. Richard Wrangham on his Cooking Hypothesis. Source: Youtube, uploaded by TheLeakeyFoundation.
The logic for how cooked food equals bigger brains goes like this: cooking makes a food’s calories and most of its nutrients more bio-available, meaning they are absorbed more readily by our bodies than they would be from raw foods. This happens because heat alters the structure of foods, by unwinding proteins and opening up starches, so that our bodies can expend less energy in the enzymatic breakdown (ie. digestion) of these molecules. This is to say that cooked food packs in more calories than raw food (per gram), thereby allowing the early humans who cooked to take in more energy than their bodies required to function. The Cooking Hypothesis theorizes that this energy surplus was put towards unprecedented brain growth.
Fitting Facts
While the hypothesis can’t be tested outright, Wrangham offers several pieces of evidence in its support. Perhaps the most convincing is archaeological evidence of controlled fires in sub-Saharan Africa. The fires date back to approximately 1.8 million years ago, coinciding with fossil records showing increases in early human cranial capacity (ie. brain space).
Modern day human skull. Source: Flickr, submitted by Internet Archive.
This convergence of events supports the idea that cooking lead to the big brains we think with today. So the next time someone tells you not to play with fire, you might want to think twice.
Birth-control pills containing the primary female sex hormone, estrogen, have been highly successful in preventing unwanted pregnancies since the 1960s. As these hormone-containing pills started to become both more readily available and socially accepted in recent years, male fish have suffered the consequences of abnormal levels of estrogen in marine environments, turning them into so-called transgender fish. Exposure to increased levels of estrogen in sexually reproducing male fish can cause them to acquire female traits. The loss of male individuals can have detrimental effects on the marine ecosystem as a whole. As a society, we are impacted by these changes due to the fact that over 3 billion people worldwide rely on seafood, including fish, as their primary source of protein. If species of fish are unable to properly reproduce due to the lack of sexually reproducing males, the entire food-web will be disrupted, directly impacting humans, who lie at the top of the web. Not only will society lose a vital food source, but the third-hand intake of estrogen through the consumption of infected fish will undoubtedly have repercussions on the human body.
Estrogen-containing birth control pills. Source: Flickr Credit: Brianna Laugher
Where Does the Estrogen Come From?
When females take birth-control pills, the synthetic estrogen that is consumed will not stay in the human body forever; it will eventually be excreted through the process of urination. Approximately 68 percent of the original dose of birth control is excreted from the human body every time a pill is consumed. In addition, the disposal of unused, unwanted birth-control down sinks and toilets will contaminate waste-water with abnormal levels of estrogen. When this waste-water gets dumped into marine environments, the female sex hormones will also be washed away into lakes and oceans in relatively high doses, inflicting many unwanted consequences on marine organisms.
Feminizing Male Fish
Many male fish are severely impacted by estrogen-contaminated waters. Source: Wikimedia Commons Credit: Firos ak
When male fish are exposed to increased levels of estrogen in their marine habitats, studies have found that they begin to show many feminine traits, rendering them transgender fish. This includes egg production, a decrease in sperm count, and signs of less aggressive behaviour. Certain studies have found that some male fish have even begun to develop ovaries in place of testes when exposed to estrogen. The entire ecosystem can be impacted by this, as a decrease in sexually reproductive male fish can eventually drive an entire species into extinction. A drop in species diversity can lead to serious ramifications, including an increased susceptibility to disease outbreak.
What Can Be Done?
Waste-water treatment plants can remove estrogen from waste-water early on. Source: Flickr Credit: eutrophication&hypoxia
As the primary and most influential contributor of estrogen to waterways is caused by the disposal of hormone-containing waste-water, better waste-water treatment methods can easily be established to prevent this from continuing to occur. Although this simple fix can make a big difference in the reproductive abilities of male fish, the impacts that estrogen has already had on many organisms can nonetheless be passed on to future generations.
It’s a commonly accepted truth that if your face is glowing red after a glass of beer, it’s because you are drunk – but this is a myth. According to research, approximately 36% of East Asians, notably Japanese, Chinese and Koreans experience a physiological phenomenon where their face and upper body start to glow red when they drink alcohol, hence, the name ‘Asian Glow’. Other symptoms can include nausea and swelling. Although the term is associated with low alcohol tolerance, it is actually a dangerous sign of accumulation of toxins in your body. Around 70% of Americans don’t realize that it can lead to DNA damage and puts those who experience it at a higher risk of esophageal cancer, one of the deadliest cancers worldwide.
Facial flushing in 22-year-old suffering from the Alcohol Flushing Response. Image via source.
What causes the glow?
The scientific term for what is more commonly known as Asian Glow is Alcohol Flush Reaction. There are two enzymes, catalysts that help with chemical reactions, involved in breaking down alcohol in our body: first, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), which converts alcohol into a toxic molecule called acetaldehyde and second, acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2,) which metabolizes acetaldehyde into acetate, an easier molecule for our body to eliminate. Those who experience Asian Glow have a mutation that makes the second enzyme inactive, causing the toxic acetaldehyde to accumulate in the body. Therefore, the red glow is our body’s immune system response to high levels of this toxin.
Can’t you build up your tolerance?
People can develop a tolerance to Asian Glow by drinking on a regular basis, which in turn allows them to drink heavily. This can be a problem as not only do studies show that heavy drinking increases the risk of esophageal cancer for everyone (the blue curve in figure 1) but for people with Asian Glow, the likelihood increases significantly more (red curve in figure 1). An experiment conducted on mice with inactive ALDH2 showed an increase in DNA damage, causing bone marrow failure. Thus, DNA damage in the blood stem cells can lead to esophageal cancer.
Figure 1. Odds Ratios for Esophageal Cancer at Different Amounts of Alcohol Consumption in Relation to the Flushing Response. Modified graph by Philip Brooks et al. via the US National Library of Medicine.
Is there a cure for the Asian Glow?
Antihistamine medications, such as Pepcid AC, have been unfortunately misused to relieve Asian Glow. As these medications are used to alleviate skin redness and restricted breathing from the immune system response to the toxin, they do not get rid of the toxins itself. Therefore, taking antihistamines as an Asian Glow solution is not recommended.
Luckily, our body has a DNA repair system that can fix the damage caused by alcohol. This system is in place in order to relieve any normally produce alcohol from partially digested food in your stomach. However, this system can be overworked once large amounts of alcohol have been ingested.
In order to overcome this, you can pace your drinks and have a glass of water between each drink if you are in a situation where alcohol is unavoidable. However, knowing the health risks, it is best to avoid alcohol entirely if you suffer from Asian Glow.
Visual contrast between a traditional cigarette and an e-cigarette. Source: Flickr Commons. This image is part of the public domain. https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/402/18561386162_0235f4e545_b.jpg
Do you think you’ve seen an increase in the amount of e-cigarette smoke emanating from people as they walk along Main Mall? If you have, you’re definitely not alone. According to a study conducted by the University of Waterloo in 2015, researchers found that 3.9 million Canadians have reported trying an e-cigarette and around three hundred thousand Canadians reported daily use. But are these statistics actually worrying? In short, it depends who you ask. A recent poll revealed that the public was evenly split between those that thought traditional cigarettes were worse than e-cigarettes and that e-cigarettes were as bad or worse than conventional cigarettes. Due to the relative adolescence of e-cigarettes, there are no long-term safety studies or research about the effects of e-cigarettes. However, from the research that has been conducted, it seems to suggest that e-cigarettes aren’t all that great.
Schematic of an e-cigarette. Source: Wikimedia Commons. This image is part of the public domain. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/E-cig-schematic.png
Background
First off, let me take you through the science behind the e-cigarette or electronic cigarette. An e-cigarette is a battery-powered device that converts liquid nicotine into a mist, or vapor, that the user inhales without any of the harmful chemicals found in a traditional cigarette. Most e-cigarettes contain a mouthpiece or cartridge, a heating element, and battery. As a user sucks on the mouthpiece, a sensor activates a heating element that vaporizes a flavored, liquid solution, which is then “inhaled” or “vaped”.
Argument for E-cigarettes
The saving grace for e-cigarettes has always been their safety in comparison to conventional cigarettes. The traditional cigarette is the leading cause of premature death in Canada and is related to more than forty-five thousand deaths annually, which amounts to twenty percent of all deaths in the country. Smoking increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, COPD, asthma, diabetes, and a variety of cancers. Most of the carcinogenic effects arising from traditional cigarettes comes from the tar, which, incidentally, is not found in e-cigarettes.
Argument Against E-cigarettes
Instead, e-cigarettes contain a cartridge of liquid that includes flavourings dissolved in propylene glycol and glycerol. The propylene glycol and glycerol may not be dangerous on their own, however, they can decompose when heated and be transformed into toxic compounds like formaldehyde. In addition, some e-cigarettes also contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and also increases your risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and increased heart rate. Furthermore, since nicotine is so addictive, it is also believed that it will lead smokers of e-cigarettes to try traditional cigarettes. As for e-cigarettes without nicotine, the liquid found in e-cigarettes, also known as e-liquid, poses a threat because it contains diacetyl, a chemical compound associated with a rare lung disease that results in damaged airways in the lungs.
Takeaways
In conclusion, whether you believe it or not, e-cigarettes provide a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, but are still dangerous on their own. If you don’t already smoke cigarettes, it is highly recommended that you avoid e-cigarettes.
