Would I agree that "to live is to know"?:
In researching this question a little further, I came across an article that talks about our immune system - and talks about further research done by Varela and Maturana. In part, the article states (in reference to the regulatory function of the immune system):
From the perspective of the Santiago theory, this regulatory function is part of the immune system's process of cognition. When foreign molecules enter the body, the resulting response is not their automatic destruction but regulation of their levels within the system's other cognitive activities. The response will vary and will depend upon the entire context of the network.
What occurs to me after reading this and after our discussion in class of the Santiago theory in general, is whether the idea of cognition in living systems does not in some way suggest the existence of a "soul" - could the driving force behind otherwise biological behavior be something bigger and essentially unknown, and might not we go so far as to name that other a soul?
In this respect, I would have to say that I definitely do agree that to live is to know - that the sum total of our experiences including something energetically unknown to us (Qi?) drives our processes, development, and ultimately our deaths.
Memory and Magic - how might you view things differently now?:
I guess that the most startling thing about this article, to me, was the assertion that in one well known magic trick - where a magician pretends to throw a ball up in the air - there really isn't a ball at all - that the illusion is strictly in our minds. I have to admit that this idea really blew me away....and it also explains a great deal about the world we live in, where people are completely capable of seeing only what it is they are prepared or willing to see, and why so much is out of balance because of this. It really gives pause to the statement of "seeing is believing"...
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Week 12 Assignments - Cell Biology
Connections between cell biology and TCM:
What occurs to me here is how small and subtle shifts and differences create such a diversity of life and organisms and processes; how animal and plant cells have more in common than not, and that for the absence or presence of just a couple of key components a completely different form of life is created, lives, and dies - that but for some mysterious (to me, mostly because I don't quite get the process, no doubt) and slight deviation, cells either simply divide and multiply, or they divide and create male and female, which are in turn capable of continuing to recreate life, and so on and so on. Chinese medicine seeks to understand these subtle and slight shifts and processes - and then uses this understanding to diagnose illness and imbalance and then ultimately to treat those imbalances. Shifting energy through the application of needles and pressure, prescribing herbs which act in a subtle way to alter physiological processes within the body - addressing emotional issues which are stored in the "body memory" of the cells themselves - these components of TCM all address illness that exists in our cellular biology in a very direct way, IMO.
How Cells Divide: Mitosis vs. Meiosis:
This was interesting, and did a pretty good job of showing this division process - but I do feel that for myself, the biology text that I had made all of this a little more clear to me overall. (Can't remember right now the name/version/author of the text...). I guess I am a little fuzzy on why a cell ends up going through either one of these processes - why does a cell perform mitosis vs. meiosis - is a cell specifically coded in advance to go through the reproductive process to begin to create life? And then, I essentially understand all the different steps that this division goes through, but I really hope no one ever asks me to explain it 'cuz I wouldn't be able to do so....
On Cell Biology (links):
The site that does the animated Krebs Cycle was really cool, if I actually understood what was happening it would be even cooler. I get it that this is the process that gives energy to the cells, but the actually exchange of elements and the whole molecular setup is pretty complex and again, I don't understand it very well. However, the link to the site that goes over the cell information was a better one for me than the one up above...the diagrams that are on this site that show the difference between mitosis and meiosis are more like what I had in my biology text at home, and the side by side comparison set up in this way was easier for me to follow than that on the NOVA site. The wikipedia pages are always informative, if not a bit dry.....
What occurs to me here is how small and subtle shifts and differences create such a diversity of life and organisms and processes; how animal and plant cells have more in common than not, and that for the absence or presence of just a couple of key components a completely different form of life is created, lives, and dies - that but for some mysterious (to me, mostly because I don't quite get the process, no doubt) and slight deviation, cells either simply divide and multiply, or they divide and create male and female, which are in turn capable of continuing to recreate life, and so on and so on. Chinese medicine seeks to understand these subtle and slight shifts and processes - and then uses this understanding to diagnose illness and imbalance and then ultimately to treat those imbalances. Shifting energy through the application of needles and pressure, prescribing herbs which act in a subtle way to alter physiological processes within the body - addressing emotional issues which are stored in the "body memory" of the cells themselves - these components of TCM all address illness that exists in our cellular biology in a very direct way, IMO.
How Cells Divide: Mitosis vs. Meiosis:
This was interesting, and did a pretty good job of showing this division process - but I do feel that for myself, the biology text that I had made all of this a little more clear to me overall. (Can't remember right now the name/version/author of the text...). I guess I am a little fuzzy on why a cell ends up going through either one of these processes - why does a cell perform mitosis vs. meiosis - is a cell specifically coded in advance to go through the reproductive process to begin to create life? And then, I essentially understand all the different steps that this division goes through, but I really hope no one ever asks me to explain it 'cuz I wouldn't be able to do so....
On Cell Biology (links):
The site that does the animated Krebs Cycle was really cool, if I actually understood what was happening it would be even cooler. I get it that this is the process that gives energy to the cells, but the actually exchange of elements and the whole molecular setup is pretty complex and again, I don't understand it very well. However, the link to the site that goes over the cell information was a better one for me than the one up above...the diagrams that are on this site that show the difference between mitosis and meiosis are more like what I had in my biology text at home, and the side by side comparison set up in this way was easier for me to follow than that on the NOVA site. The wikipedia pages are always informative, if not a bit dry.....
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Week 11 Assignments - Living Diversity
Diversity of Species in my little corner of the universe:
Of course I am surrounded by humans, but there are also dogs, cats, birds (egrets, crows, hummingbirds, and I saw a banded kingfisher once*, other small birds I don't know the species of), spiders, flies, dragon flies, ants (not too many of them that I see anyway); daffodils, roses, tulips, juniper bushes, grass, geraniums, rocks (are those considered "living"???), tiger lilies (my mom really likes flowers)....*these guys are really kind of funny looking, with a crest on the top of the head, short and stocky - small quirky birds that live near water (there is a canal near the park I live in...) - I guess there are all kinds of microscopic life in the canal area, or even in the park's manmade pools - no fish, that I am aware of at any rate.
Cell Biology:
I liked this website, they do a good job of showing all the different types of cells....I think maybe my least favorite was the "virtual cell", only because there wasn't much going on in that particular graphic although it looked good....I was struck by how similar plant and animal cells are - there are integral parts that are the same (mitochondria, ribosomes, golgi apparatus, etc). I was also struck by the mechanical appearance of a virus - it really looked like a space station or something....
Spike's Gallery:
These images were really beautiful. I liked particularly the "fossil diatoms from Oamaru" - again, these seemed to have an almost mechanical look to them - they reminded me of the inner workings of a clock....and I thought the "opercularia articulata" looked like a bouquet of flowers - maybe cala lilies; conversely, the "water flea" was really kind of ooky...
Of course I am surrounded by humans, but there are also dogs, cats, birds (egrets, crows, hummingbirds, and I saw a banded kingfisher once*, other small birds I don't know the species of), spiders, flies, dragon flies, ants (not too many of them that I see anyway); daffodils, roses, tulips, juniper bushes, grass, geraniums, rocks (are those considered "living"???), tiger lilies (my mom really likes flowers)....*these guys are really kind of funny looking, with a crest on the top of the head, short and stocky - small quirky birds that live near water (there is a canal near the park I live in...) - I guess there are all kinds of microscopic life in the canal area, or even in the park's manmade pools - no fish, that I am aware of at any rate.
Cell Biology:
I liked this website, they do a good job of showing all the different types of cells....I think maybe my least favorite was the "virtual cell", only because there wasn't much going on in that particular graphic although it looked good....I was struck by how similar plant and animal cells are - there are integral parts that are the same (mitochondria, ribosomes, golgi apparatus, etc). I was also struck by the mechanical appearance of a virus - it really looked like a space station or something....
Spike's Gallery:
These images were really beautiful. I liked particularly the "fossil diatoms from Oamaru" - again, these seemed to have an almost mechanical look to them - they reminded me of the inner workings of a clock....and I thought the "opercularia articulata" looked like a bouquet of flowers - maybe cala lilies; conversely, the "water flea" was really kind of ooky...
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Week 10 Assignments - The Chemistry of Life
Re: Gene Therapy -
I definitely have mixed feelings about this question and topic. I am again awed by the technologies that we have developed and the possible applications for those technologies which can be so useful to quality of life for so many people. I suppose that what I feel most strongly is that we should continue to explore these technologies and their applications, and in particular clinical trials should continue in the study of gene therapy.
That being said, I also have serious concerns about the ethical use of the information that comes out of those trials. Given where we are as a species at this point in time, and given how much farther we have to go in learning how to humanely treat each other and the responsibility that we all carry to respect life and this planet in general - well, lets just say that I am less than optimistic at the moment that we are actually capable of doing so, and therefore I am not at all sure that we can use these technologies responsibly - at least at this time.
I also have some questions about treating conditions that are considered disabilities. Let me first say that I have a sister who is severely disabled, so I don't want to be construed as being heartless or clueless when I say this - but my question is around whether or not the existence of disabilities or anomalies in living systems aren't necessary in a normal cycle of life and death....if the attempt to eradicate those anomalies isn't harmful to that cycle in some way, that this might create an imbalance which is harmful in nature, more so than a cure would be helpful. I don't actually have an answer or even an opinion on this question, it is, just, a question...
Definitions of the Chemistry of Life links:
Not very helpful, to me anyway. Most of the links either took me to general pages at schools offering coursework on this topic, or were ads for journals, or sometimes didn't work at all...the few that I found actually had a definition on them were really long and wordy - I think the wikipedia article we were already provided with was more succinct and interesting, frankly.
Re: Animations links:
I was able to get these animations to work, and they were way cool, IMO. Of course, the only thing is that it would be helpful to have text or explanations to go along with the various models - but for instance I looked at the orbitals animations, and having a fuzzy understanding of that concept, I was able to have a slightly less fuzzy experience viewing that animation...tee hee.
I definitely have mixed feelings about this question and topic. I am again awed by the technologies that we have developed and the possible applications for those technologies which can be so useful to quality of life for so many people. I suppose that what I feel most strongly is that we should continue to explore these technologies and their applications, and in particular clinical trials should continue in the study of gene therapy.
That being said, I also have serious concerns about the ethical use of the information that comes out of those trials. Given where we are as a species at this point in time, and given how much farther we have to go in learning how to humanely treat each other and the responsibility that we all carry to respect life and this planet in general - well, lets just say that I am less than optimistic at the moment that we are actually capable of doing so, and therefore I am not at all sure that we can use these technologies responsibly - at least at this time.
I also have some questions about treating conditions that are considered disabilities. Let me first say that I have a sister who is severely disabled, so I don't want to be construed as being heartless or clueless when I say this - but my question is around whether or not the existence of disabilities or anomalies in living systems aren't necessary in a normal cycle of life and death....if the attempt to eradicate those anomalies isn't harmful to that cycle in some way, that this might create an imbalance which is harmful in nature, more so than a cure would be helpful. I don't actually have an answer or even an opinion on this question, it is, just, a question...
Definitions of the Chemistry of Life links:
Not very helpful, to me anyway. Most of the links either took me to general pages at schools offering coursework on this topic, or were ads for journals, or sometimes didn't work at all...the few that I found actually had a definition on them were really long and wordy - I think the wikipedia article we were already provided with was more succinct and interesting, frankly.
Re: Animations links:
I was able to get these animations to work, and they were way cool, IMO. Of course, the only thing is that it would be helpful to have text or explanations to go along with the various models - but for instance I looked at the orbitals animations, and having a fuzzy understanding of that concept, I was able to have a slightly less fuzzy experience viewing that animation...tee hee.
Monday, March 16, 2009
King Corn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiCRwMMh9k8
...and, another great documentary about corn and the high fructose corn syrup industry here in America. These two guys (I think they are from MIT??) decide to buy an acre of land in a corn field and plant corn and then follow it through the growing season, market it commercially, and see just where that corn ends up. Blew me away.
...and, another great documentary about corn and the high fructose corn syrup industry here in America. These two guys (I think they are from MIT??) decide to buy an acre of land in a corn field and plant corn and then follow it through the growing season, market it commercially, and see just where that corn ends up. Blew me away.
Manufactured Landscapes - Edward Burtynsky
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZiKBKnesnU
http://www.zeitgeistfilms.com/film.php?directoryname=manufacturedlandscapes
Ok, for some reason blogger.com won't actually publish these as links - I have tried ever since this afternoon....so sorry. I guess you can cut and paste the link, or just Google the title of the film/book like I did. The youtube video gives a good description of the film by the photographer, and shows some of the footage. The other link is a short review....
We saw this film at the Red Vic in SF, so it is probably not playing anywhere in the area, but this is out on DVD, so check it out!
http://www.zeitgeistfilms.com/film.php?directoryname=manufacturedlandscapes
Ok, for some reason blogger.com won't actually publish these as links - I have tried ever since this afternoon....so sorry. I guess you can cut and paste the link, or just Google the title of the film/book like I did. The youtube video gives a good description of the film by the photographer, and shows some of the footage. The other link is a short review....
We saw this film at the Red Vic in SF, so it is probably not playing anywhere in the area, but this is out on DVD, so check it out!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Week 9 Assignments - A Question of Balance
Semiconductor of the Week:
Germanium, chemical symbol Ge, atomic weight 32 - primarily used in the semiconductor industry. As of 2007, worldwide applications include use in transistors, fiber-optic systems (35%), and infrared optics (30%).
Germanium is relatively abundant in the Earth's crust, mined primarily from spalerite (mineral composed chiefly of zinc sulfide), but is an end product of silver, lead, and copper ore processes. It is silver-white in appearance, brittle, and semi-metallic. In 1886 Clemens Winkler verified its existence in the periodic table (hypothesized by Mendeleev two decades earlier) and he named the element after his home country of Germany.
Per Wikipedia and of historical note, "The first metallic material becoming a semiconductor in the presence of an extremely strong electromagnetic field was an alloy of germanium with uranium and rhodium" - ca. 2005.
Some compounds of germanium can irritate the eyes, skin, lungs, and throat; due to its proven activity against certain bacteria, germanium is being studied for use in chemotherapy.
"Welcome to Chembalancer":
I was able to get all of the equations except the last one....it looked balanced to me, but there was obviously something catastrophic that would have happened if I had actually made that compound, 'cause the computer told me I was wrong...
I liked the game, it gave me some practice in the whole balancing concept and it was fun - I had trouble with one of the other combinations, I didn't have it reduced to the lowest number, and it was like a puzzle to figure it out, which I eventually was able to do.
General Chemistry:Balancing Equations:Tutorial -
I didn't really like this site as much as the other one. I guess it is a good site for someone still getting the grasp of the idea of balancing the equation - it is very thorough and goes through the whole process step by step which is useful; I just feel pretty comfortable with the whole thing and so it seemed a little slow and drawn out, compared to the other site. Both, however, are really helpful overall and good resources for an interactive learning experience.
Germanium, chemical symbol Ge, atomic weight 32 - primarily used in the semiconductor industry. As of 2007, worldwide applications include use in transistors, fiber-optic systems (35%), and infrared optics (30%).
Germanium is relatively abundant in the Earth's crust, mined primarily from spalerite (mineral composed chiefly of zinc sulfide), but is an end product of silver, lead, and copper ore processes. It is silver-white in appearance, brittle, and semi-metallic. In 1886 Clemens Winkler verified its existence in the periodic table (hypothesized by Mendeleev two decades earlier) and he named the element after his home country of Germany.
Per Wikipedia and of historical note, "The first metallic material becoming a semiconductor in the presence of an extremely strong electromagnetic field was an alloy of germanium with uranium and rhodium" - ca. 2005.
Some compounds of germanium can irritate the eyes, skin, lungs, and throat; due to its proven activity against certain bacteria, germanium is being studied for use in chemotherapy.
"Welcome to Chembalancer":
I was able to get all of the equations except the last one....it looked balanced to me, but there was obviously something catastrophic that would have happened if I had actually made that compound, 'cause the computer told me I was wrong...
I liked the game, it gave me some practice in the whole balancing concept and it was fun - I had trouble with one of the other combinations, I didn't have it reduced to the lowest number, and it was like a puzzle to figure it out, which I eventually was able to do.
General Chemistry:Balancing Equations:Tutorial -
I didn't really like this site as much as the other one. I guess it is a good site for someone still getting the grasp of the idea of balancing the equation - it is very thorough and goes through the whole process step by step which is useful; I just feel pretty comfortable with the whole thing and so it seemed a little slow and drawn out, compared to the other site. Both, however, are really helpful overall and good resources for an interactive learning experience.
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