Final Biology blog

I chose to do a presentation on how oil companies are destroying native lands in the Amazon because it is a topic that is close to my heart.  When I was living in the Amazon at age 25 I fell in love with the richeness of the culture there and how connected they are to their environment and their native medicinals.  Being that most Americans are dissconnected from their history, cultural wisdom is something that is lacking.  It is hard thought to admire the beauty in the Amazon without being instantly stung by the destruction.  It is everywhere.  The oil companies have done a really good job hiring natives to destroy their own environment and to take little or no responsibility for the reprocussions.  We all drive cars here in the western world, and love the freedom it gives us, but it is good to be educated about at what cost it comes.

biology week 11

• Should "parents take a more active role in designing their children's immunization schedule"?

It depends how you define "active".  I think that parents should help prepare their child's immune system through healthy food, herbs, and stress management skills, not immunizations.  If the question is geared more toward whether parents should be able to decide the schedule over the school system, the answer is yes.  I think it is ridiculous that any school could or would make immunizations mandatory.  Most schools are too illness phobic.  It is a normal part of being a child to be sick every now and again.    

• Would you support making vaccinations programs "compulsory"?

Definitely not!  I think that vaccinations take away the bodies natural ability to fight off illness.  People are the most equip to deal with illness when they are young and their immune systems are strong.  Getting sick as a kid actually helps to build the immune system by building antibodies and quickening the bodies reaction time to foreign germs.  The danger with vaccinations is that once an adult, a vaccinated person will have a tougher time fighting off the new illnesses that exist and can get hit with an illness that they were originally vaccinated for if it has mutated.    

biophysics week 3

• Would you support the development of a "bionic" person?

I love that the technology exists to help someone who is disabled be able to walk again and lead a normally functional life.  I do fear however, that people will abuse this privilege and that bionic body parts could become as commonplace and elective as plastic surgery.  I also fear that people won't care for the bodies they are given with the same fervor if they can replace parts when they wear them out.  

• What is your opinion of the issues raised in "How EEG Devices Will Read Your Brain Waves And Change Your World?'

Again this is both hopeful and petrifying.  I love that the technology could be used to help someone walk again or control technology if they don't have functioning arms.  I fear though that most of this technology will be used in more gaming devices, ridiculous gadgets, and other forms of brain linked technology.  We are already way too linked to existing technology, we don't need to plug in anymore.  

biophysics week 2

• Acupuncture as effective energy medicine

Acupuncture opens up channels so that energy can flow freely and efficiently.   Free flowing energy creates healthy tissues and bodily functions.  A teacher told me once that blood follows chi.  And blood brings nutrients to our tissues.  Nutrients bring health.  

• What conclusions can you draw from Kirlian photography

I'm not sure I can draw any really.  I find it interesting.  I'm hopeful about the use of it for finding energy blockage and illness.  More than anything, it gives a visual to something that for most people is invisible.  And, as we all know, for most, things do not become real until they can be seen.  The visual proof of blockage that may lead to illness could help stimulate people to do something about it.  

• Human intent as it affects health

I am a firm believer in this.  We are extremely affected by what we focus on.  It paints our reality and attracts more of the same.  If we focus on negativity then we will usually miss the beauty that is around us.  Continued negativity will lead to a decline in health.  This comes from a lack of desire to eat good food, exercise, and take care of ourselves when we are depressed.  Energy in the body also becomes blocked and blockage leads to illness. 

Biology week 10

• How would you prioritize the reintroduction of the American Bison?

Reintroducing Bison is very important for a few reasons.  It plays a part culturally for the Native Americans and is a link for them in their homeland.  In a way, reintroducing the Bison symbolizes an acceptance of Native American culture by wester society and helps to undo some of the horror that was done to them by mindlessly slaughtering their food source and link to the land.  

Western society can hopefully learn from them the importance of Bison as a sustainable food source and will hopefully begin to replace cattle farming.  Cattle farming is doing much harm to the land with overgrazing and methane production.  

• Post your thoughts on "The Truth About Multitasking"

This article was very telling about the unfortunate state of our culture.  Where would we be without multitasking?  Probably much more efficient and less stressed out.  I think the article should be placed on the desk of every CEO.  It would be a benefit to our culture if 'multitasking' was replaced on a job resume by 'the ability to do one task effectively and efficiently'.  It makes sense that our neural channels cannot send multiple signals at the same time.  It seems like trying to get them to do that will eventually make the channels less efficient at sending information.  

Biology week 9

• What do you think about the "eight-point Deep Ecology Platform?

I think it makes perfect logical sense for our well being as a planet and a people.  Unfortunately, getting people to live that way would be idealistic at best.  I wish we could make such drastic changes in the way that people on the planet view life and their responsibilty to help maintain its balance.  Wouldn't it be amazing if it became a new mandate?

• Can you explain whyt "Ecosystems are both strong and fragile"?

Ecosystems inherantly are stong since they are made up of parts that work in harmony with each other to create the whole.  Unfortunately this also means that when one part of the system's balance is upset, the entire ecosystem suffers and undergoes changes, sometimes irreversible ones.

• How would you asess the "end goals" of Social Ecology?

I don't really know what the "end goal" in this case means.  I think that if it is the analization of social institutions and their relationship to nature and its resources then the goal should be do live in a more harmonious way with nature and to create social structures that support practices that are sustainable for humans and the earth.  We are far from this as a culture, but I am somewhat hopeful that we are slowly movng towards this both out of necessicity and curiousity.  

biophysics week 1

• I know I’m a “living system” because……. 

Our bodies are an incredible collaboration of molecular interplay.  All parts are inherent to the functioning of the whole.  It is this interplay that makes us a living system.  Oxygen brings in our life force.  A living system is also one that depends on its environment in order to exist.  Without the earth and its structure that supports life, we would cease to exist.

• Biophysics and Traditional Chinese Medicine

Biophysics seems to correlate to Chinese Medicine more than physics did.  

Living systems rely the relationship between living beings and the environment.  Both need each other in order to exist.  TCM uses this in its approach to health.  We cannot separate ourselves from our environment.  It effects us both internally and externally.  Physics says that, "energy is not created or destroyed, it is transformed".  This also relates to how Chinese Medicine works with healing.  Energy is transformed from different states of disharmony to balance.