Category Archives: Uncategorized

One Ocean that Unites Nations

Posted on April 4, 2019 by Suyoung Ahn | Leave a comment

Photo 1. Infographic of the role of the ocean. Licensed for reuse. Source.

The ocean, which covers 70% of the Earth’s surface, plays an important role in our everyday lives. It provides the oxygen we breathe, feeds us, and regulates our climate (Photo 1). It serves as a mode of transportation across the world and also provides an opportunity for recreational activities. However, it was found that that much of the ocean is now seriously deteriorated due to human impact. This impact is projected to increase as the human population continues to grow every year. Therefore, science-informed policies and strategies need to be implemented to protect the oceans are urgently needed.

Goal 14 and The Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development

In order to address this issue, in 2015, the UN published the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) which included an ocean-specific goal. Goal 14: Life Below Water states “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”. To meet this goal, the UN has announced a Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) in hopes to mitigate the negative impacts on the ocean by gathering ocean stakeholders worldwide to come up with a scientifically supported framework to improve ocean health.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=12&v=YyiuLwhUpH4

The video above discusses the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development
One Planet, One Ocean: Mobilizing Science to #SaveOur Ocean. Source.

At this event, multiple ocean communities from across the world come together to plan for the next ten years in ocean science and technology to make our ocean more sustainable. In May 2019, there will be a first global planning meeting where stakeholders from the world gather to discuss and investigate tangible actions and framework to meet the Decade’s objectives. This serves as a crucial introduction to creating a global dialogue towards sustainable ocean management.

For the keen learners out there, check out the podcast below, where you will further understand how the “blue economy” and “marine social sciences” are promoting sustainable management of oceans around the world.

The audio clip above is an episode of the world-famous podcast “Ask Juanonymously”
SO Project – Group 1. Source.

Canada’s Progress So Far

The statistics show that since the implementation of this policy, there have been positive steps to achieve Goal 14, through the expansion of protected areas for marine biodiversity and an increase in ocean science funding to preserve marine resources. However, an increase in education and awareness will assist in accomplishing Goal 14 at a much faster rate. As Vancouver residents are surrounded by coastal communities, it is crucial that we gain an understanding of the importance of protecting the ocean, through adopting sustainable habits. Take a look at the video below to learn more about how to maintain the one ocean that unites the nations together.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFeXxhnsYq8&fbclid=IwAR0Nemp4PXiTropAD-SqHAj1FEp2eM5_rYbCHW3GYPjgzBjIIeLsVSKQ4d4

The video above outlines the importance of sustainable ocean management, including how YOU can play your part.
SO Project – Group 1. Source.

Written by: Suyoung Ahn, Christina Kim, Juan Gomez

Vaccine Hesitancy: A Morbid Misconception

Posted on March 18, 2019 by Juan G. | Leave a comment

Throughout history, medical innovations and advancements have drastically improved human survival rates and standard of living. A prominent discovery vaccines, which effectively make us immune against widespread deadly diseases of the past. However, the potential effects of vaccines has recently been under scrutiny, giving rise to “vaccine hesitancy”. The question arises, is there sufficient evidence to suggest that vaccines are dangerous?

Vaccines: A Short Overview

A vaccine is a substance that works to give you immunity to a specific disease. In short, they give your body the blueprints of how to fight a disease, without actually contracting the disease. Thus, vaccines are a precautionary measure to reduce the chance that the disease will cause you harm.

This video above gives a great explanation of how vaccines work
Source: Vaccine Knowledge Project
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=86&v=-muIoWofsCE

Pros of Vaccines

Since the introduction of vaccines, the devastating effect of diseases has been reduced to a near null. Although some diseases continue to live on (e.g. measles), many have been completely eradicated (e.g. smallpox). The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that vaccines prevent 2-3 million deaths per year, and describes it as one of the most cost-effective healthcare strategies.

Cons of Vaccines

There are some potential down sides to getting vaccinated. For example, vaccines can cause unwanted side effects, such as mild to high fever, and even death in extremely rare cases. However, these negative aspects are insignificant compared to the massively beneficial impact of vaccines.

The picture above depicts a child receiving a vaccine after a typhoon in the Philippines URL: https://fr.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichier:Providing_vaccinations_to_protect_against_disease_after_Typhoon_Haiyan_(11352296333).jpg

Vaccine hesitancy: Rooted in Pseudo-science

Despite the resoundingly positive effect of vaccines, there is widespread ideology known as “vaccine hesitancy”. This term depicts the tendency for people to delay or refuse receiving vaccinations due to safety concerns. According to the WHO, vaccine hesitancy movement is in the top ten global health threats of 2019. The main root of safety concern stems from a collection of small studies carried out in the 1990s. One study in particular claimed that there was a causation between the measles vaccine and the development of autism, however no future studies have found these results. This lone study continues to be referenced today to claim that vaccines will lead to autism.

The Real Effects of Fake Science

The result is simple, less people, specifically children, are getting vaccinated, which leads to some serious issues. For example, there is currently a measles outbreak in Vancouver due to insufficient immunization. This is not surprising. Since measles still exists in other places of the world, it can easily be brought here via plane-ride and latch on to someone who is not immune to it, leading to an outbreak.

This photo shows a vaccine being injected to a patient’s shoulder URL: https://www.laughlin.af.mil/News/Art/igphoto/2001819271/

Vaccinate you and your kids!

Although vaccinations are ultimately a choice made by each individual, it is important to consider the potential consequences of not getting vaccinated, to yourself, and to your fellow community.

Written by: Juan Gomez

Homeopathic Magic or Placebo Effect?

Posted on March 18, 2019 by hayley carolan | 1 comment

Curious Claims

A mysterious concoction. Source: Flicker, uploaded by Marcho Verch

A recent investigation by the CBC found that some B.C. homeopaths are advertising “an unapproved treatment called homeoprophylaxis” as an alternative to vaccinations for smallpox, polio and other diseases. These homeopaths contend that through homeoprophylaxis, a treatment in which a solution is ingested that contains the “energetic memory” of some disease-causing germ, immunity for that disease can be developed.

Regrettably, the claim has no scientific merit and as a whole, homeopathy is dismissed by the scientific community as quackery. This is unsurprising, given that a basic tenant of homeopathy is that lowering the dose of a substance increases its effectiveness for treating illness. This principle results in most homeopathic products being so dilute that the only thing they can accurately be described as is water.

An explanation of homeopathic principles. Source: Youtube, uploaded by Kurzesagt – In a Nutshell

However, homeopathy is still a popular alternative to scientifically informed medicine, with a reported six million Americans having used homeopathic treatments in 2011.

Naturally Nothing

So why are people paying extraordinary prices for tiny bottles filled with over-hyped water? Researchers pose that the placebo effect is to blame.

A women examines homeopathic offerings. Source: Flicker, uploaded by caseywest

The placebo effect is a phenomenon in which symptom improvement occurs due to factors other than biologically active medications. Specifically, the placebo effect is the impact of any part of a therapeutic encounter, whether that be speaking with someone in a white doctor’s coat or (unknowingly) taking sugar pills, on symptom improvement. The placebo effect has been shown to induce neurological changes that result in subjective symptom reductions in a manner similar to pharmacological medications. Experiencing a placebo effect following the use of a homeopathic treatment could be the reason why some people insist on homeopathy.

Spilled sugar pills. Source: Flicker, uploaded by Marco Verch

Dangerous Delusions

However, not matter what symptom relief homeopathy offers via the placebo effect, it should be noted that no study suggests that the placebo effect can cure or prevent diseases, and for this reason homeopathic claims should be considered with caution. Moreover, when considering a homeopathic treatment it must be remembered that while some costs, like the consumption of over-priced water, are benign, others including missed vaccinations, are certainly not.

Contributor: Hayley Carolan

1 Comment

Posted in Issues in Science, Science in the News, Uncategorized

Tagged alternative medicine, homeopathy, placebo, Public Engagement, public safety

Do We Have to Sleep This Much?

Posted on March 10, 2019 by ZoeZhou | 2 comments

Sleep is a universal behavior for many species on earth. Almost all mammals spend a fair amount of time sleeping every day. Adult humans, specifically, normally spend eight hours per day sleeping, and most of us will sleep over 175,000 hours in our lifetimes. Imagine how much more we could have achieved if we don’t have to sleep. Therefore, it is pretty intuitive to ask the question, do we need this much sleep? This famous study of sleep reduction may give the answer.

Average Daily Sleep Totals of Different Animals (credit: @HowStuffWorks)

In 1977, Freidman et al. conducted a long experiment based on a gradual sleep reduction. During the study, participants were asked to gradually reduce their nightly sleep until they reached 6.5 hours per night. Then, the participants were asked to reduce their nightly sleep further until they no longer desired to reduce their sleep. The shortest duration of sleep was maintained by the participants for one month, and for the following two months, a sleep duration of 30 more minutes was allowed for each participant. The health of participants were recorded throughout the experiment.

Sleep Reduction/Deprivation (credit: smallbusiness.uk)

After sleep reduction for such a long period of time, we would expect to see a reduction in participants’ physical and psychological health. However, contradict to our common sense, although all of the participants display an increase in daytime sleepiness after they have reduced their sleep below 6 hours per night, there was actually no change in their mood, physical healthy or performance on tasks of vigilance or memory. Overall, their daytime activities were not influenced by the long-term sleep reduction.

The most interesting part of this study is probably that multiple participants reported daytime discomforts and reduced performances at work or school, although their performance was not actually influenced based on objective/physical measures. For example, some participants felt more distracted, depressed and sick (symptoms like having a cold) during sleep reduction, but when they were asked to perform tasks that require attention and efficiency, there was no noticeable change.

https://www.123rf.com/photo_82257239_stock-vector-sick-woman-sitting-at-home-and-big-set-of-cold-influenza-treatment-elements-flat-vector-illustration.html

Feeling Sick (credit: Aleksandra Sabelskaia)

Return to our original doubt, do we have to sleep as much as we do now? Based on this famous example, if subjective feelings were set aside, the answer is probably no. Sleep reduction only has a minimal impact on one’s performance during daytime, probably because that sleep deprivation increases the efficiency of sleep as recent researches have shown. However, more profound influences of sleep reduction and the physiological basis behind may need more studies for us to safely reduce the amount of sleep.

2 Comments

Posted in Biological Sciences, Science Communication, Science in the News, Uncategorized

Tagged Biology, circadian rhythm, sleep, sleep deprivation

Adderall: Performance Enhancing… at a Cost

Posted on January 28, 2019 by Juan G. | 3 comments

In almost all facets of competition, new technologies and supplements have raised the ceiling on human potential. In sports, this is seen through Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED’s) such as anabolic steroids. However, a new PED has burst into the scene and has become a daily habit of many adults, namely university students. Many universities, including UBC, have begun to implement guidelines on its use. This drug is most commonly known as Adderall™, or, to the avid science nerd, d-amphetamine. But how does it compare to other cognitive enhancers, like coffee?

Adderall: A Quick Rundown

Adderall is an amphetamine used to treat people with attention disorders (e.g. ADHD). As a stimulant, it raises nervous activity in your body and allows you to remain alert for longer. While the exact “nitty gritty” of how it works is unclear, it is known that it increases dopamine and norepinephrine in your brain.

Photo of Adderall Pills Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:30xAdderall10mg.jpg

Caffeine: A Stimulant Sans Stigma

There is another stimulant drug which is commonly used without stigma and is sold on the corner of almost every block in Vancouver… CAFFEINE. By increasing the amount of ATP hydrolysis in your brain, caffeine causes you to feel more energized.

Photo of a cappuccino coffee Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cappuccino_at_Sightglass_Coffee.jpg

Caffeine vs. Adderall: What’s the Difference?

Caffeine and Adderall are both stimulants that serve a similar purpose: increasing daily productivity. How come there is stigma surrounding one and not the other? Well, while a cup of coffee a day does not have serious long-term side effects, taking Adderall regularly, especially in unprescribed doses, has been shown to cause negative side effects. These may include:

Increased heart rate/blood pressure
Anxiety
Insomnia
Addiction
Physical dependence
Risk of heart attack
Risk of cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat)

Video that outlines the side effects of Adderall
Source: https://www.youtube.codrugsm/watch?v=ifutqKQ6KQE&t=1s

Breaking Bad Habits

Since it is an amphetamine, it is very similar in structure and effect as the infamous drug methamphetamine, also known as “crystal meth”. Although methamphetamine is rarely used medically due to higher toxicity, the similarities should not be ignored. The increase of dopamine in the brain causes users to feel bliss and euphoria, which can lead to psychological addiction. Furthermore, many users become physically dependent on the drug and report that their ability to concentrate is WORSE than it was originally when they are not taking the drug.

Do you Really Need It?

The lines are blurry between someone who “needs” Adderall and someone who is taking it when not necessary. It has become increasingly popular as a study aid and various ethical issues have arose due to its performance enhancing effect.

Friendly Pointers

Although I am not a physician, nor am I here to guilt-trip you, I would advise you to look into alternatives to enhancing your efficiency when studying. Here are a few that may be of interest to you:

Caffeine
Exercise (I am a keen advocate for this one)
Good study habits (e.g. planning your days, taking breaks, balancing social life)

By: Juan Gomez

3 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged adderall, drugs, performance enhancement, pharmacology

Will AI Rule Human in the Future?

Posted on January 14, 2019 by xiaojie dong | Leave a comment

AI, short of Artificial Intelligence, is a super hot topic recently. On the one hand, people want AI to be developed to make life easier; on the other hand, people are worried about AI might rule human some day. Therefore, the development of AI will depends to some extend on whether AI will get the abilities to rule human in the future.

To answer this question, at first, let’s consider what is AI. In computer science, AI is sometimes called machine intelligence. That means, AI is totally unlike human intelligence or animal intelligence. It is created by human, with no life or brain, even no nerve. The intelligence of AI is from some pretty complex programs written by programmers, providing some abilities like human abilities, such as “learning” and “problem solving”. By this way, AI develops a programing “neural network”, which allows AI to collect information – by vision, touch, hearing, or understanding languages – and to make up a solution then turn it into motion or languages or something else.

We’ve already seen how brilliant AI is in learning something existed and calculating the best solution (if available). We use calculator and online translator, which are not too complexly programed, and we never worried about them. However, there was an AI robot showed its amazing intelligence, even better than human. That is AlphaGo developed by a team led by Google’s DeepMind company, Demisham Hasabis. Go, a strategic two-player board game popular in East Asian countries, is considered to be the most complicated board game in the world. From March 2016 to May 2017, AlphaGo competed with dozens of elite professional Go players in China, Japan and Korea, and was no defeat in 60 consecutive games. It also defeated the World Go Championships in 2016 and 2017 with 3:1 and 3:0 respectively, surpassing the top level of human professional Go.

People got shocked by AlphaGo, and worried again. However, AlphaGo is still far from programmer’s satisfaction with a perfect AI. They want an AI which is brilliant enough to pass the Turing Test (TT). TT is when the tester (a person) is separated from the testee (a machine), the tester is free to ask the testee questions through some devices (such as a keyboard). After multiple tests, if more than 30% of the testers are unable to determine whether the testee is a human or a machine, then the machine passes the test and is considered to have human intelligence. Till now, there were few AI passing TT, and those passed TT were by cheating but not human intelligence.

In conclusion, there’s no need to worry about being ruled by AI. Although AI is pretty good at learning, it can’t creating. Before we totally understand how our brain works, we can’t make AI get real intelligence. When that day comes, we can still keep a “key word” in the programming of AI, to destroy it any time if it’s out of control.

Category Archives: Uncategorized

One Ocean that Unites Nations

Vaccine Hesitancy: A Morbid Misconception