I DO ALWAYS eat my broccoli!!

i love it. it is so delicious like little trees packed with goodness. broccoli cleanses my body and regenerates my health with each bite. it like is lightly steamed with tahini dressing, or in an egg sramble, on top of pasta, or when i'm feeling in the mood for a real decadent treat: with a sharp cheddar cheese sauce made with milk, butter, salt and pepper. yu-uuuuuuuum. (i wasn't raised eating the stem of the broccoli plant and now i know it is NOT to go to waste-- so tasty.)

WK 5: Which came first the chicken or the egg?

This article convinced me: it was the egg. the chicken born from the egg was certainly created by two chicken-like birds, but not fully (genetically speaking) what we call chickens. The riddle is solved as far as i'm concerned.

WK 5: Can diversification save species?

yes, i think that it can. when there is more diversification, be it plant or animal, there is less riding on the proliferation of one sub-species. you can think of this in terms of birds searching for a habitat: if different sub-species breed and live in different and specific habitats than if one of those was wiped out, by natural disaster or urban sprawl, you're not talking about an entire species being wiped out, but one sub-species. in terms of capitalism, putting all of your eggs in one basket, or having all of your investment to ride one sub-species, or strand, can cause a huge problem, when that "money-crop" gives up on you for some reason. i think that diversification creates a stronger web of life.

WK 4: How do I think that chimps and humans diverged as species?

I really don't know. it's seems very technical, being based on genes over 6 and 7 millions years old. it makes sense to me that some geneticists are considering that what was once considered to emphatically be the earliest start to the hominid line could now be from "a kind of dead-end tribe combining both pre-human and pre-chimp genes," being that interbreeding continued while the two species "began separating from their common ancestors."

WK 4: Can we raise our dopamine levels ourselves?

Hmmm... i haven't thought of my happiness in terms of dopamine very often, but i am very interested in hormones and how they play a major part in the ups and downs of our daily lives-- actually, i don't think we can separate them from our emotional (or many other) experiences, as they are the triggers for most of the reactions in our body. definitely, definitely we can raise our levels of dopamine ourselves by really enjoying life-- soaking things in and allowing our spirits to be lifted by a beautiful sight or connection or activity. Wikipedia talks about dopamine being a neurohormone that is responsible for many other chemical reactions in the body that help induce congniton, motivation, attention, and pleasure. it makes me wonder how many other processes in a person's body could be strengthened if they were happier more often.

WK 4: Is there a drug around for everything?

it sure is beginning to appear that way. talk about only treating the stem of the problem and not the root: many pharmaceutical advertisements (should drugs have advertisements in the first place? on TV, much less-- not just medical magazines, or something) ask questions like "do you ever feel down? like people don't understand you? unhappy? or anxious?" all of these are real problems that many of us deal with-- and certainly i think people should be able to seek out help when they feel like they are in a rut or feeling bad about life. but, how many times are these pills being prescribed to people without encouraging them to 1)change some important patterns in their lives that might be making them unhappy 2) to talk to friends and/or therapists about their problems 3) to take up an exercise regime like qi gong or yoga that can teach them to calm their minds or find peace in a moment? that's just it, for the MOST part, not all of the time (as some prescriptions can be used in a way that works along with a process of self-discovery and disipline), taking pharmaceuticals to "fix" the problem doesn't TEACH anyone anything about the root of their anxiety or depression. It is unfortunate that some people are moving farther aways from truly knowing themselves by grabbing on the hip and trendy drugs that they first saw on some advertisement during their favorite prime time TV sidcom.

Everyone should read this book. it's awesome and offers a fantastical and futuristic look into what could happen if the perfect human with the perfect traits was sought out. Easy to read with some beautiful imagery and a female "superhuman" protagonist.

WK3: 1b: Proaktyotes, Eukaryotes & Viruses Tutorial

"THE BIOLOGY PROJECT" looks like a great site to get the low-down on various biology topics that may come to mind. The "If you were a bacteria" piece that we read in class was well done. Sometimes it's easier to see facts laid out in a 1st or 2nd person kind of way, to flip your perspective-- in this case, imagining that we are taking on the traits of a bacteria and, essentially, ruling the world.

P.S. check out: loxosceles.org on how to knit your own bacteria!

WK3: 1a: 99.4% of the most critical DNA sites are identical in human and chimp genes

This is incredible. I love thinking that we have so much in common, genetically, with a species that many people put us so far away from-- being that they are "primates" and we are "civilized." There are obviously differences between us, but why not bring us together under the same umbrella genus? We are related, no doubt about it now. Do we really need to be able to put ourselves on a pedestal above our ancestors?
I am curious, though: is this how all umbrella geniuses are determined-- through genetics? or is it a combination of observed traits, as well? does the same go for plants and all animals? what did they do before they were able to observe genetic makeups?

WK2: How does Darwanism matter to me?

Well, when I first heard of evolution (i wish i could remember exactly when that was!) i imagine that Darwin was referred to in the same breath. It seems that he is esteemed as the grandfather of evolutionary thought. Being that i went to Catholic school most of my life, i doubt that i learned much more about darwin than this. So, it is not until later in my life that i have begun to learn more about this man. Although, I'm sure that the concept of evolution was pondered much before this one man and by people of various cultures, his theories have stuck around and given birth to the amazing discoveries of our evolution/devolution. I like reading about darwin. I'd like to know more about him. he obviously had a passion for the life that he was observing, and while he put humans at the top of the evolutionary scale (the "fittest" of the bunch), i appreciate his recognition of the overall "grandeur" of it all.