Co-written by computer science professor, Randy Pausch, and reporter for Wall Street Journal, Jeffrey Zaslow, The Last Lecture was published in 2008 by Disney-owned publisher, Hyperion; inspired by Pausch’s final lecture at Carnegie Mellon University on September 18, 2007. The book held many things in it, but the most important thing about it was that it included the professor’s insights of life and what does matter. Pausch never intended to make this speech since he wanted to spend the rest of his life living it to its fullest. He intended on staying by his family’s side, helping them get settled in their new home. In the end, Pausch had decided to make a last lecture upon request by the staff of Carnegie Mellon University.
His reasons were unknown until the very end of the lecture. As he helped write this book, he added his two cents of how life was like for him during his fight against pancreatic cancer. What made this book stand on its own two feet were the strong emotions that could be seen among the lines. Pausch conveys the depth of his love and affections for his family as he strives to make this last lecture even through his difficulties and hardships as he fights his cancer. The cancer eats as his life from the inside out even though it doesn’t show with the bright smile on his face every day.
The name of his speech was “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”. The reason behind this was for it to suffice as Pausch’s beneficiary factor to explaining how he made it through life the way he did. It explained many things, including the purpose of this speech: to encourage whoever listened to his speech to go and make their dreams happen instead of just dreaming them. Reading this book will teach, explain and even show readers many things, but what everyone will learn from it is: how childhood dreams are important, and why happiness is impossible without gratitude.
As Pausch explained everything, from how he was raised to how he was living that current day on September 18, 2007, the reason why he strived to make this last speech, despite the fact that it was on his wife’s birthday, was because it was for his children. Randy Pausch wanted this to be a door for his children to knowing and understanding him later on in life, when he wouldn’t there for them. It was his last dream that he intended on fulfilling despite the obvious fatigue he was experiencing.
The book relates to science concepts as Pausch explains of the time he discovered that he had 10 tumors from pancreatic cancer and of the time his wife, Jai, gave birth while having difficulties with her umbilical cord.
The pancreas is a large organ that is found behind the stomach. It makes and releases enzymes that help the body absorb foods and especially fats. Hormones called insulin and glucagon are also made in the pancreas. They help the body control blood sugar levels.
Pancreatic cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death in the United States. In 2008, an estimate of 37,680 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and 34,290 will die from the disease. Early diagnosis for this particular type of cancer is extremely difficult, and there is no cure.
As Jai gave birth to Dylan, Pausch had said something similar along the lines that there were some misconceptions with the umbilical cord which almost cost the life of his son. According to Dictionary.com, the umbilical cord is “a cord or funicle connecting the embryo or fetus with the placenta of the mother and transporting nourishment from the mother and wastes from the fetus.” Marie Helen Beall, MD, Clinical Professor from the Geffen School of Medicine and University of California at Los Angeles, Vice Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center states that, “Umbilical cord abnormalities are numerous, ranging from false knots, which have no clinical significance, to vasa previa, which often leads to fetal death.”
Because this book is non-fiction, it lives with the requirements of having its author to change something in science or society. For society, both co-authors, Randy Pausch and Jeffrey Zaslow have made an impact about how cancer can make someone or break someone. Randy Pausch is an icon of a man that worked through his obstacle of pancreatic cancer while being happy. This book changed society by its advertisement in helping people with cancer yet for science; there wasn’t much that could be done.
Monday, August 30, 2010
A Brief History of Time
A Brief History of Time is a book written by mathematician and scientist, Stephen Hawking in 1988. The non-fiction novel discusses many topics such as physics and how everything works in the world. Hawking discusses the theories in physics such as gravity, how light moves the universe and much more. Hawking also speaks about cosmology and how people see the universe and how it exists.
In chapter one, Hawking speaks about the history of physics and philosophers such as Aristotle and Ptolemy and their ideas. Aristotle believed that the Earth was round and the sun and stars revolved around the Earth. Ptolemy made a planetary model to describe Aristotle’s ideas. With the technology we have today, we know that the Earth revolves around the sun and not the other way around. In 1609 Ptolemy and Aristotle’s ideas were disproved of by Nicholas Copernicus and Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kepler were there to support him. Isaac Newton wrote a book to help prove Copernicus’s idea.
In chapter two, space and time are the main topic. Hawking describes how gravity works between the planets and the sun. In 1676, Ole Christensen Roemer discovered the speed of light. Scientists created an idea called ether which tired to explain light’s speed. However, Albert Einstein said ether was not needed but rather the idea of absolute time. Light is also mentioned and light cones can describe any event. The top of the cone tells where the light will travel, the center tells the event and the bottom tells where the light has been in the past. The next topic is the theory of relativity.
In chapter three, Hawking speaks about expanding the universe. He believes that the universe is becoming larger over time. He uses the Doppler shift to prove his idea. The Doppler shift happens when something moves toward or away from another object. There are two types of things that happen in Doppler shift - red shifting and blue shifting. Red shifting happens when something is moving away from us. Blue shifting happens when something is moving toward us, the opposite process of red-shift.
In Chapter four, the uncertainty principle is mentioned where the speed and the position of a particle cannot be found at the same time. The behaviors of light acts like particles even though it’s made of rays.
Chapter five talks about elementary particles and that everything is made of matter. Quarks are what make up matter and they also have color. All quarks have what is called a spin which is what shows how a particle looks from different angles.
Chapter six and seven talks black holes. Black holes are starts that have broken down into a small point called singularity. Black holes have a very strong gravitational pull because it sucks things into its center. Black holes can only become bigger and not smaller and chapter eight talks about how the universe began and possibilities on how it may end.
This book relates to many topics in science. It relates to physics, the very important scientists who provided the steppingstone for today’s technologies like Einstein and Galileo and how the universe began. This book sets the foundation for everything about science. The book talks about how the universe began, which is the beginning of everything.
Stephen Hawking’s has affected millions of people with this book. After selling over four million copies and have this book as a New York Times best seller for four years, it’s bound to have impacted many people’s lives. Hawking’s takes the ideas of the brilliant scientists and he adds his opinion to the mix like how the universe will end. He also uses language that everyone can understand. His words are simple yet effective.
To this day, this book has left a mark in the science community; a mark that leaves scientists and the public with no further questions because all have been answered.
In chapter one, Hawking speaks about the history of physics and philosophers such as Aristotle and Ptolemy and their ideas. Aristotle believed that the Earth was round and the sun and stars revolved around the Earth. Ptolemy made a planetary model to describe Aristotle’s ideas. With the technology we have today, we know that the Earth revolves around the sun and not the other way around. In 1609 Ptolemy and Aristotle’s ideas were disproved of by Nicholas Copernicus and Galileo Galilei and Johannes Kepler were there to support him. Isaac Newton wrote a book to help prove Copernicus’s idea.
In chapter two, space and time are the main topic. Hawking describes how gravity works between the planets and the sun. In 1676, Ole Christensen Roemer discovered the speed of light. Scientists created an idea called ether which tired to explain light’s speed. However, Albert Einstein said ether was not needed but rather the idea of absolute time. Light is also mentioned and light cones can describe any event. The top of the cone tells where the light will travel, the center tells the event and the bottom tells where the light has been in the past. The next topic is the theory of relativity.
In chapter three, Hawking speaks about expanding the universe. He believes that the universe is becoming larger over time. He uses the Doppler shift to prove his idea. The Doppler shift happens when something moves toward or away from another object. There are two types of things that happen in Doppler shift - red shifting and blue shifting. Red shifting happens when something is moving away from us. Blue shifting happens when something is moving toward us, the opposite process of red-shift.
In Chapter four, the uncertainty principle is mentioned where the speed and the position of a particle cannot be found at the same time. The behaviors of light acts like particles even though it’s made of rays.
Chapter five talks about elementary particles and that everything is made of matter. Quarks are what make up matter and they also have color. All quarks have what is called a spin which is what shows how a particle looks from different angles.
Chapter six and seven talks black holes. Black holes are starts that have broken down into a small point called singularity. Black holes have a very strong gravitational pull because it sucks things into its center. Black holes can only become bigger and not smaller and chapter eight talks about how the universe began and possibilities on how it may end.
This book relates to many topics in science. It relates to physics, the very important scientists who provided the steppingstone for today’s technologies like Einstein and Galileo and how the universe began. This book sets the foundation for everything about science. The book talks about how the universe began, which is the beginning of everything.
Stephen Hawking’s has affected millions of people with this book. After selling over four million copies and have this book as a New York Times best seller for four years, it’s bound to have impacted many people’s lives. Hawking’s takes the ideas of the brilliant scientists and he adds his opinion to the mix like how the universe will end. He also uses language that everyone can understand. His words are simple yet effective.
To this day, this book has left a mark in the science community; a mark that leaves scientists and the public with no further questions because all have been answered.
Great Feuds in Science: Ten of the liveliest disputes in science by Hall Hellman
In this book, by Hall Hellman, it talks about ten cases in the history of science and how it struggles to become recognized. Hall writes this book talking about liveliest stories of scientist, who fought with ambition, jealousy, politics, faith, and irresistible human urge to explore both science and spirits of the seventeenth centuries. This book is constructed into 10 chapters. Each chapter talks about one feud and in the title it tells you clearly of whom it is against. These are basic ideas of some chapters.
Chapter 1: Urban VIII vs. Galileo- Galileo was forced to detest his beliefs and work in the head quakes of Rome because it went again the church. He was warned that his concept can get him into trouble. Many scientists like Professor Giulo LIbri also tried not to recognize his invention of the telescope. Although he proved thing right, Urban was furious and unforgiving with his works. When Galileo died his remains were not allowed out of the church bell tower for over a century.
Chapter 2: Wallis vs. Hobbes- Wallis was into geometry and Hobbes was in to mathematics. They started with disagreements and they wrote books insulting each other. Wallis and his colleague ended up writing a book to resolve the scoundrel of Hobbes. In result Hobbes wrote another book “Six lesson to the professors of mathematics one of geometry, the other of astronomy.” In his book, Hobbes referred to Wallis’s book as mere ignorance and gibberish.
Chapter 3: Newton vs. Leibniz- This feud is known as the clash of the titans. Both of these men are true geniuses. These two men discovered calculus independently, or was it plagiarism? Leibniz sought a method that could be used to unlock the secrets of human behavior. For Newton, the calculus was a way of dealing with human behavior. They had two different perspectives of working and for Newton he rather not publishes is work. As for Leibniz, he published his work before Newton. Because of this Newton discount him.
Chapter 7: Cope vs. Marsh- this feud includes charges of plagiarism, incompetence, and even the smashing of fossils to prevent each other from getting them. They both grew up loving fossils. But one was getting too far for greed.
Chapter 10: Derek Freeman vs. Margaret Mead- this is a feud between the dead and alive. When Margaret Mead passed away, Freeman was insisting that many of Mead’s assertion about Samoa are fundamentally in error and some are even false. Although mead was not there at that time, it would have been a battle that s e would have enjoyed. Freeman based his challenge on his years of studies in Western Samoa.
The book has more to come for the history of science, more of outrageous and intriguing disputes. I really like this book because it talks about scientific history, which I never read about and thing that I never even thought about like the disputes over science. It relates to the scientific concept because it talks about science during the historical time and when things were discovered. All the chapters are science related with fossils, invention, discoveries, and research. Hal manages to make us visit and explore the time and place where each dispute took place. By placing each event in context, Hellman gives us a real understanding of these major disagreements, discussions, and fights involving some of the greatest thinkers in our history. The disputes cover disciplines, biology, geology, mathematics, astronomy, and anthropology.
http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-5032477.html
Sunday, August 29, 2010
The Cobra Event by Richard Preston
The Cobra Event begins with a 17 year old normal teenage girl named Kate Moran living in New York City in the late 1990's. This is just another day for her, however with a slight discomfort considering she wakes up feeling a little sick after having broken into bad dreams the night before. Pretty normal, right? As she sets off to school and makes her way onto art class, Kate begins to feel even worse. Soon enough, Kate is ready to throw up as clear mucus is sliding down her lips. She makes her way in the girl's bathroom where she falls to the ground and begins to have abnormal seizures. Her spine isn't able to hold her any longer, and at the same time, she's screaming, biting and chewing of her lips, bleeding intensely... After experiencing this violent death, Kate Moran wasn't the only case.
The next scenario explains the methods of biological weapons which are described as "strategic weapons that can be used to destroy an army or a city, or a nation." (Page 26) Prior to that, in the island of Johnston Atoll, experiments using monkeys and the agent known as the Utah cocktail were held to see the effects on the monkeys. Mark Littleberry, a major character throughout the novel, saw the effects and realized that those who were infected died, every single one of them, there was absolutely no way for them to survive after they had been infected. This shows how powerful viral diseases are.
Later in the novel, Dr. Alice Austen from the Centers for Disease Control (C.D.C) in Georgia was sent to New York City in order to perform further experiments on the victims of the violent death cases. There she does the autopsy of Kate Moran. Or in other words an examination and dissection of a body after death, in order to find the cause of the death and how it affected the body. During the autopsy, Dr. Austen inspects strange findings on Kate’s body. She notices that her mouth was compact with blood and she had blood blisters on it as well as on her nose, her eyes were inflated and had a blue-gray color with a hint of golden yellow, her kidneys also had an abnormal color of golden-yellow instead of dark reddish-brown, and her brain had turned silver, and was swollen, smooth and flattened. All these attributions, including many more allowed Austen to make a diagnosis where she still begins to notice very strange things throughout the brain, and led her to the conclusion of a virus infection of the brain where something had destroyed her central nervous system. In addition, Dr. Austen’s findings were similar to the pervious case, which helped realize that something was spreading.
As the three hey characters in the book, Dr. Alice Austen, Mark Littleberry, and Will Hopkins are introduced, they sent out to figure out what really is going on. Through a number of events, the resulting virus is known as The Cobra. This deadly viral illness attacks the human brain, after starting out small, much like a common cold, until it begins to severely damage the nervous system. The catch is that a man named Thomas Cope, or Tome Cope was behind it. He was a molecular biologist which was actually hired for research on a particular aspect of the virus. He was making threats to the population of New York City. In an intense search for this man, through the dark subways of New York, he was found. In the end, The Cobra virus had affected 32 cases, including Tom Cope, himself.
Science is what made this book come to life. Beginning with the symptoms, complications, and violent affects of this frightening virus, science is behind all of it. The major characters are doctors researching and experimenting on the cause of this awful disease. There has been many out brakes of different harmful diseases in past time, in real life, and this book shows just how difficult it can be trying to manage it. The unfortunate victims of this novel undergo an abnormal look on scientific and biological reasoning to the human body. They experience uncontrollable science-related virus causing outcomes. The virus in the novel is what the book centers its plot on. It’s what enters and destroys the human body, all built by science. It interferes with the brain and the nervous system, which allow us to completely function in life. It’s all been created by science. The technology used to lead the autopsies, in order to fit events like these, the pathologists and their experiments, the virus attacking the human body, the outbreak n society, and so forth.
This book honestly scared me a little. Even though its fiction, it is very real and highly likely to happen, considering it has happened before. Well, not the exact virus and events, but it has happened. The scenarios, some major ones being Kate Moran’s death, the findings during the autopsy, the autopsy itself, the biological weapons, and the man who was behind it are all reasonable and seem very real. Kate’s death was very abnormal, but it was because of the virus, the findings in the autopsy and the autopsy itself are also very believable and real, the biological weapons seem a little far-fetched and how the United States was planning on army methods like this, but at the same time it’s completely acceptable when talking about the intense ways and plans of army ideas. The fact that one man that was behind it is also likely, even though it’s strange he was able to manage such a deadly virus, but in the end he was killed by it, therefore it makes complete sense. Basically, everything lines up after the other and all the puzzle pieces fit together .Beginning the story with suspense and building it up to results and explanations, ending it with the final conclusion and realization. If this was reality, it would probably happen the way it did in the book. I’m not quite sure if it would happen in one city and have only 32 reported cases, but it’s very understanding and possible. Great book all in all.
The next scenario explains the methods of biological weapons which are described as "strategic weapons that can be used to destroy an army or a city, or a nation." (Page 26) Prior to that, in the island of Johnston Atoll, experiments using monkeys and the agent known as the Utah cocktail were held to see the effects on the monkeys. Mark Littleberry, a major character throughout the novel, saw the effects and realized that those who were infected died, every single one of them, there was absolutely no way for them to survive after they had been infected. This shows how powerful viral diseases are.
Later in the novel, Dr. Alice Austen from the Centers for Disease Control (C.D.C) in Georgia was sent to New York City in order to perform further experiments on the victims of the violent death cases. There she does the autopsy of Kate Moran. Or in other words an examination and dissection of a body after death, in order to find the cause of the death and how it affected the body. During the autopsy, Dr. Austen inspects strange findings on Kate’s body. She notices that her mouth was compact with blood and she had blood blisters on it as well as on her nose, her eyes were inflated and had a blue-gray color with a hint of golden yellow, her kidneys also had an abnormal color of golden-yellow instead of dark reddish-brown, and her brain had turned silver, and was swollen, smooth and flattened. All these attributions, including many more allowed Austen to make a diagnosis where she still begins to notice very strange things throughout the brain, and led her to the conclusion of a virus infection of the brain where something had destroyed her central nervous system. In addition, Dr. Austen’s findings were similar to the pervious case, which helped realize that something was spreading.
As the three hey characters in the book, Dr. Alice Austen, Mark Littleberry, and Will Hopkins are introduced, they sent out to figure out what really is going on. Through a number of events, the resulting virus is known as The Cobra. This deadly viral illness attacks the human brain, after starting out small, much like a common cold, until it begins to severely damage the nervous system. The catch is that a man named Thomas Cope, or Tome Cope was behind it. He was a molecular biologist which was actually hired for research on a particular aspect of the virus. He was making threats to the population of New York City. In an intense search for this man, through the dark subways of New York, he was found. In the end, The Cobra virus had affected 32 cases, including Tom Cope, himself.
Science is what made this book come to life. Beginning with the symptoms, complications, and violent affects of this frightening virus, science is behind all of it. The major characters are doctors researching and experimenting on the cause of this awful disease. There has been many out brakes of different harmful diseases in past time, in real life, and this book shows just how difficult it can be trying to manage it. The unfortunate victims of this novel undergo an abnormal look on scientific and biological reasoning to the human body. They experience uncontrollable science-related virus causing outcomes. The virus in the novel is what the book centers its plot on. It’s what enters and destroys the human body, all built by science. It interferes with the brain and the nervous system, which allow us to completely function in life. It’s all been created by science. The technology used to lead the autopsies, in order to fit events like these, the pathologists and their experiments, the virus attacking the human body, the outbreak n society, and so forth.
This book honestly scared me a little. Even though its fiction, it is very real and highly likely to happen, considering it has happened before. Well, not the exact virus and events, but it has happened. The scenarios, some major ones being Kate Moran’s death, the findings during the autopsy, the autopsy itself, the biological weapons, and the man who was behind it are all reasonable and seem very real. Kate’s death was very abnormal, but it was because of the virus, the findings in the autopsy and the autopsy itself are also very believable and real, the biological weapons seem a little far-fetched and how the United States was planning on army methods like this, but at the same time it’s completely acceptable when talking about the intense ways and plans of army ideas. The fact that one man that was behind it is also likely, even though it’s strange he was able to manage such a deadly virus, but in the end he was killed by it, therefore it makes complete sense. Basically, everything lines up after the other and all the puzzle pieces fit together .Beginning the story with suspense and building it up to results and explanations, ending it with the final conclusion and realization. If this was reality, it would probably happen the way it did in the book. I’m not quite sure if it would happen in one city and have only 32 reported cases, but it’s very understanding and possible. Great book all in all.
In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall
In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall
The book, In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall, tells the story of a scientific adventure in the Gombe Stream Reserve in Africa about the lives of chimpanzees. Goodall narrates the story discussing how over the course of the years she had to gain the chimps trust as they had to gain hers in order to carry out her research. Throughout the story Goodall discussed the lives of the chimps giving them names and making them become true characters of the book. Towards the end you were able to develop your own opinion about each of their personalities becoming more familiar with each of the chimps.
In the first few chapters Goodall speaks about how she got to Africa from England. To get to Gombe Stream Reserve to observe the chimpanzee, Goodall had to look for someone that believed in her enough to give her funds for her stay at the Gombe. She details her first observations which took a lot since the chimps were just beginning to get used to her. She woke up early in the mornings put on her same dull clothing and off she went with her notebook and pen to observe. Every time she got close to the chimps they ran away frightened. After months there at the Gombe for the first time she was able to approach a chimp. The first chimpanzee that allowed Goodall to approach him without running was David Greybeard. There were also many other chimps that we got to meet through the stories that Goodall will share about them. Some were Mike, Goliath, Mr. McGregor, Flo. Faben, Figan, Fifi, Flint and much more.
The relationship that Goodall established with the chimps was seen to be strong when Goodall left Africa for the first time from being there. She had to go back to England to continue studying in Cambridge and to convince her sponsors that it was worth continuing the research. When Goodall returned to the camp in the Gombe she was told by the cook Dominic, and Vanne, another researcher who had accompanied her in the studies, how David Greybeard had paid a visit to the camp. Later on in the book Goodall was joined by Hugo Van Lawick to film and take pictures of the chimps for the National Geographic Society. Also in the book we are told about how Lawick and Goodall fall in love, get married and become parents. Goodall and Lawick created feeding stations near the camp, where they put out bananas in order to attract the chimps.
The second time that Goodall left to Cambridge for another semester and came back a new baby was added the Flo family which were very important throughout Goodall's research. This family was made up of the old female mother named, Flo, who was also very attractive, the eldest son Faben, the second oldest, Figan, the only girl, Fifi and the new addtion to the family Flint, who became a brat when another child was born, little Flame, also a girl. Throughout the years that take place in the story Goodall tells us about how this family grew and how they took care of each other. One of the interesting things about this chimp family was when the mother, Flo, had Flint. Fifi, the only girl and youngest until now, wouldn't separate from her mother and newborn baby brother. She continually tried to touch him and show affection towards him. Flo would move Flint away trying to avoid Fifi but she wouldn't give up and Flo began to tolerate her. Eventually Flo permitted Fifi to touch and play with Flint and even take him with her. When Fifi took Flint she would protect him from everyone and everything just like her mother did. Through this family we see lots of similarities with human families as well as differences. One of these differences is the fact that there isn't model for the male offspring because when the female chimp becomes sexually attractive it mates with a number of chimps. Therefore it is impossible to know who is the father of the offspring.
Another interesting thing that Goodall discussed was the hierarchy between the chimpanzees' community. At first the dominant adult male was Goliath but when Goodall left to Cambrige once more for another semester and came back, she was told of the changes that were made. Flo still remained to be the dominant adult female of the chimps but Mike, who once had been one of the quiet and submissive ones, rose and took Goliath's place becoming the dominant adult male among the chimp community. Goodall was told that he gained this place by the fits it through with some kerosene cans. These tools were what eventually made him threaten the other chimps and gained him the place. Goodall says that these manmade tools showed his intelligence which was threatening g to the others.
Goodall became very attached to all the chimps. She even went through the disease polio which affected the Gombe and infected fifteen chimps. Out all these chimps six died. One of the chimpanzees that suffered the most was Mr. McGregor. Polio paralyzed his legs and for a while he was suffering moving around with his hands. He had to eat from food that he could find on the floor or on bushes. Also he was always covered in flies because he lost the use of the sphincter muscle of his bladder. One day Mr. McGregor was found dead and Goodall together with her husband, Hugo made sure the chimps didn't see his dead body. After a few days some of the chimps noticed his absence.
This book relates to science because it is the study of chimpanzees relation to humans. Throughout Jane Goodall's research she came to many conclusions that related the chimps to humans. It also has been scientifically proven that the brain of a chimpanzee is most closely related to a humans than a gorilla. The studies that Goodall did in the Gombe Stream Reserve got scientists a step closer to how humans may have evolved. Overall In the Shadow of Man is a great story that reveals a lot of information for anyone interested in the lives of chimpanzees and their similarities to humans.
The book, In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall, tells the story of a scientific adventure in the Gombe Stream Reserve in Africa about the lives of chimpanzees. Goodall narrates the story discussing how over the course of the years she had to gain the chimps trust as they had to gain hers in order to carry out her research. Throughout the story Goodall discussed the lives of the chimps giving them names and making them become true characters of the book. Towards the end you were able to develop your own opinion about each of their personalities becoming more familiar with each of the chimps.
In the first few chapters Goodall speaks about how she got to Africa from England. To get to Gombe Stream Reserve to observe the chimpanzee, Goodall had to look for someone that believed in her enough to give her funds for her stay at the Gombe. She details her first observations which took a lot since the chimps were just beginning to get used to her. She woke up early in the mornings put on her same dull clothing and off she went with her notebook and pen to observe. Every time she got close to the chimps they ran away frightened. After months there at the Gombe for the first time she was able to approach a chimp. The first chimpanzee that allowed Goodall to approach him without running was David Greybeard. There were also many other chimps that we got to meet through the stories that Goodall will share about them. Some were Mike, Goliath, Mr. McGregor, Flo. Faben, Figan, Fifi, Flint and much more.
The relationship that Goodall established with the chimps was seen to be strong when Goodall left Africa for the first time from being there. She had to go back to England to continue studying in Cambridge and to convince her sponsors that it was worth continuing the research. When Goodall returned to the camp in the Gombe she was told by the cook Dominic, and Vanne, another researcher who had accompanied her in the studies, how David Greybeard had paid a visit to the camp. Later on in the book Goodall was joined by Hugo Van Lawick to film and take pictures of the chimps for the National Geographic Society. Also in the book we are told about how Lawick and Goodall fall in love, get married and become parents. Goodall and Lawick created feeding stations near the camp, where they put out bananas in order to attract the chimps.
The second time that Goodall left to Cambridge for another semester and came back a new baby was added the Flo family which were very important throughout Goodall's research. This family was made up of the old female mother named, Flo, who was also very attractive, the eldest son Faben, the second oldest, Figan, the only girl, Fifi and the new addtion to the family Flint, who became a brat when another child was born, little Flame, also a girl. Throughout the years that take place in the story Goodall tells us about how this family grew and how they took care of each other. One of the interesting things about this chimp family was when the mother, Flo, had Flint. Fifi, the only girl and youngest until now, wouldn't separate from her mother and newborn baby brother. She continually tried to touch him and show affection towards him. Flo would move Flint away trying to avoid Fifi but she wouldn't give up and Flo began to tolerate her. Eventually Flo permitted Fifi to touch and play with Flint and even take him with her. When Fifi took Flint she would protect him from everyone and everything just like her mother did. Through this family we see lots of similarities with human families as well as differences. One of these differences is the fact that there isn't model for the male offspring because when the female chimp becomes sexually attractive it mates with a number of chimps. Therefore it is impossible to know who is the father of the offspring.
Another interesting thing that Goodall discussed was the hierarchy between the chimpanzees' community. At first the dominant adult male was Goliath but when Goodall left to Cambrige once more for another semester and came back, she was told of the changes that were made. Flo still remained to be the dominant adult female of the chimps but Mike, who once had been one of the quiet and submissive ones, rose and took Goliath's place becoming the dominant adult male among the chimp community. Goodall was told that he gained this place by the fits it through with some kerosene cans. These tools were what eventually made him threaten the other chimps and gained him the place. Goodall says that these manmade tools showed his intelligence which was threatening g to the others.
Goodall became very attached to all the chimps. She even went through the disease polio which affected the Gombe and infected fifteen chimps. Out all these chimps six died. One of the chimpanzees that suffered the most was Mr. McGregor. Polio paralyzed his legs and for a while he was suffering moving around with his hands. He had to eat from food that he could find on the floor or on bushes. Also he was always covered in flies because he lost the use of the sphincter muscle of his bladder. One day Mr. McGregor was found dead and Goodall together with her husband, Hugo made sure the chimps didn't see his dead body. After a few days some of the chimps noticed his absence.
This book relates to science because it is the study of chimpanzees relation to humans. Throughout Jane Goodall's research she came to many conclusions that related the chimps to humans. It also has been scientifically proven that the brain of a chimpanzee is most closely related to a humans than a gorilla. The studies that Goodall did in the Gombe Stream Reserve got scientists a step closer to how humans may have evolved. Overall In the Shadow of Man is a great story that reveals a lot of information for anyone interested in the lives of chimpanzees and their similarities to humans.
Reason For Hope: A Spiritual Journey By Jane Goodall
"It is easy to be overwhelmed by feelings of hopelessness as we look around the world. We are losing species at a terrible rate, the balance of nature is disturbed, and we are destroying our beautiful planet. We have fear about water supplies, where future energy will come from – and most recently the developed world has been mired in an economic crisis. But in spite of all this I do have hope " The novel that I read this summer was called Reason For Hope: A Spiritual Journey by Jane Goodall. In the first couple of chapters from the book, Jane speaks about her childhood and how it was then that she first knew that she loved animals and wanted to explore their world. From the moment that her father gave her a stuffed monkey teddy bear, Jane knew she was a fan. Back in Jane's days, there weren't any televisions so Jane spent her times outside exploring the forest with her sister, Judy.
In the novel Jane also talked about the people in her life that really helped and inspired her to do what she loved.She grew up in Europe Jane said many times that she was so lucky to have the family she did. From her mother, who did not stop her from exploring the backyards and her sister who always went with her on her forest adventures. Jane wasn't necessarily hooked on chimpanzees at that young age yet. She did however found joy and happiness in all creatures that she came across from the smallest ant to the birds flying up above her.
But Jane's 'life' did not really start until she got a letter in the mail from her friend. That friend sent a letter all the way from Africa , and in the letter she asked Jane if she'd like to come to Africa and meet her. After working hard for the money, Jane arrived in Nairobi , Africa. There Jane met with a man named Louis. Jane worked as Louis' secretary at a museum and he taught her all about the animals and the tribes . Finally Jane got the break she wanted and was asked by Louis and his wife to go camping and exploring in Olduvai. There Jane saw all the animals she ever dreamed of and more.
Later on Jane got another opportunity to travel to Gombe. Not only did she get to see the chimps but Jane's mother had come along with her !But it wasn't what Jane expected. She spent a very long time in Gombe without seeing any of the chimps she thought she would see but while wandering she came across some very noisy ones she was in awe. It was not until later that Jane got a first hand look at chimps and their interactions and just how similar they might be to man. It was one day when Jane was walking and she spotted a chimp that she called David.
One thing Jane always thought, was that the chimps were vegetarians but on this day she saw David using a stick to get termites from a hill. But when David realized that he couldn't get it, he went off to find a bigger chimp. Jane watched, amazed, as the two chimps pulled branches of a tree and pulled the leaves off. Almost as if they were making a tools to catch their dinner. Jane couldn't believe that these chimps had the knowledge to make tools like that.
Reason For Hope is related to biology especially because Jane gives her audience an insight on her journey through Africa. What Jane studies would be called Ethology; the study of animal behavior. She talks about all the animals that she comes across, the battle between belief and science, the landscapes, "greening" operations and even her belief that chimps have their own personalities and emotions just like us. Even the evolution and future of people was discussed in this novel. Jane speaks about how humans have to love mother nature for the planet to be healthy and how we as people are too self-centered. " Everywhere, it seemed, there were people suffering...And over and above all that, the very air and earth and water of our precious planet were being poisoned, the natural world-our only world- was being destroyed. Was there hope for the future?It seemed that our selfish greed ...was winning out over our longing for peace." (pg186)
Since this is a non-fiction novel, all the events in it are real experiences for Jane. Years later Jane founded the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI). It is anon-profit organization that seeks to expand on Jane's humanitarian views and her brilliant work with animals. I feel like Jane has given others a clear cut view of just how similar we are to other animals, especially chimpanzees. Jane made alot of people realize that animals can be treated just like humans. Also Jane Goodall's work have also helped zoos and museums and aquariums. The treatment of animals.
Jane Goodall's life and experiences are both inspiring and remarkable. She has been so determined to do what she loves no matter what others may think or say. Anyone can tell that Jane loves what she does and many people can learn from her. Whether from her spiritual connection to God or her grandmother or simply her fascination, Jane has been through so many obstacles, and i can honestly say that this book was amazing. I hardly felt like i was reading a plain ole science novel but i felt as if i was watching a movie, where its informative but you don't really know it till its over. Overall I learned alot from this book.
SOURCES: http://www.janegoodall.org/
Timeline by Michael Crichton
The novel Timeline by Michael Crichton is begins with a team which is fund by the ITC to use their new invention which is the time machine to go back to the past. Researchers Chris Huges, Kate Erickson, Andre Marek, and David Stern fly to ITC and meet Rober Doniger, the founder of ITC. Then the researchers learned that Johnston traveled back in time to the year 1357, but Johnston never return. So Doniger insists them to travel back to 1357 to find Johnston and bring him back, but the only problem is they need to bring Johnston back within 37 hours or else they will stay in the Middle Age forever. These researchers are persuaded to do so and transfer themselves back to 1357 with marine and experienced individual which is Gomez that works with ITC. When they arrive in the past, the team is attacked by a team of horseman who were chasing a boy suspected as being a thief, then killed the ITC member Gomez and the marine.
Separated from the others, Kate and Andre see Johnston was being taken away by the men of Lord Oliver of Castelgard. And Chris follows the boy who was suspected of being a thief and accidentally declares himself as a noble. Then Chris and Andre find themselves challenged to a joust by Sir Guy and Chris won under Andre’s instruction. After, the survival the joust and Andre defeats both Sir Guy and his second. When Sir Oliver knows, he orders the death of Andre and Chris for dishonoring Sir Guy. Kate try to help them escape, but they then being chased by the forces of Oliver.
Johnston was being caught by Lord Oliver is because Lord Oliver believes that Johnston knows a secret passageway that leads into the castle of La Roque. Johnston knows that even he tell Lord Oliver the secret passageway to the castle, so he told Lord Oliver, and loses the siege. The researchers Chris, Andre, and Kate use Johnston’s clues to find the secret passageway themselves in order to save Johnston, then they later uncovered in 1999.
The researchers know that someone else from 1999 is also from the past who has been spying them on their transmissions. But then the ITC went insane from an accumulation of transcription errors went back to 1357 more than a year ago and never returned. The researchers then captured by Arnaut’s men but they then save by Lady Claire to escape which is the lady that they help escape before. Finally, the ITC repair the landing area just in time for the researchers to return, and Andre had fell in love with Lady Claire in the Middle Age decide to stay in the past and stay with Lady Claire.
The scenarios portrayed in this book by creating a story about that there is a company named ITC that have created the time machine and have researchers to find members who already travel back to the past in a transmission that were being lost. In this time the researchers had met with many different people and different events that they will never had in the 20th century. And one of the researchers had fallen in love with a woman in the Middle Age and chooses to stay in the past and not going back to the present.
If this book became reality, this would affect our society by change all the historical events. Such as if Columbus knows that the India that he found is North America, instead of India, and then we wouldn’t call the Native Americans – Indians, because that will mix with the real Indian. If the book became reality, there is a real time machine in this world, and then people can choose to go back to the past that they think that is their happiest time in their life and stay there might be very good.
This book is definitely related to science because this book has talked about time machine and discussed about how people travel to past and survive at last with their knowledge of the past.
The Omnivore's Dilemma
By: Michael Pollan
Food is a big part of our lives, not only is it a necessity but its a luxury as well. For some people its a career. Regardless of what food means to us the thing is not that many people know how the food got to their plate. In this book by Michael Pollan he explains in explicit detail from first hand experience, the processes our food goes through before we eventually eat it.
This book is divided into three sections which are corn, grass and forest and in each of these sections Pollan describes how each of these things play a part in the food web. In the first part Micheal explains how corn is considered the industrial plant. Corn which starts off from growing on a farm ends up in about 90 percent of all the things we eat. In everything Pollan ate he traced its origin, and he came to find that almost everything he ate contained corn. For example, chicken nuggets which Pollan says he eats often, contained 38 ingredients and of those 38, 13 of them were derived from corn. Soda, which contains high fructose corn syrup, french fries, which are fried in corn oil, and chips such as Doritos all contain ingredients that come from corn.
In the second section of the book called grass Pollan explains another way of farming called grass farming. Grass farming was imported from New Zealand by Allan Nation. Grass farming grows animals for meat, eggs, wool and milk. Pollan experienced this first hand by visiting Joel Salatin's farm and visually seeing how the animals get their energy from the grass and then he later sees how that energy is than transferred to us. So basically we make the animals capture the energy for us and then we as omnivores eat the animal. While on the farm Pollan explains how certain foods like eggs, and the chicken we eat get to our plate. The hens eat the cattle's manure which fattens them up because of the high protein and that is what helps make the eggs we eat taste so good. In this section Pollan describes how animals use other animals to their benefit. he also breaks down the food chain; energy from the sun gets transfered to the grass which the cattle eat, the chickens then eats the cattle's manure and then we eat the chicken.
In the third section Pollan gathers his own food through hunting and gathering in an effort to prepare a meal made from the food he planted and got himself. At the end of the book he prepared mushrooms, an a pig that he hunted himself. He also made salad using greens that came from his own garden, he made bread using wild yeast and desert with cherries he got from his neighborhood. "We eat by the grace of nature , not industry, and what we're eating is never anything more or less than the body of the world."(pg 411)
This book relates to science concepts because it has to do with the food-chain and energy transfer. The grass that the cows eat gets its energy through photosynthesis and that relates to biology. Photosynthesis includes all the chemical reactions that allow the plant to make food for itself and to pass it on. Grass farming revolves entirely on photosynthesis, that is where the energy transfer starts. with all these different organisms transfering energy biomagnification can easily happen as well. That's another reason it is important we know where our food comes from. " The simplest way to capture the sun's energy in a form food animals can use is by growing grass: these blades are our photovoltaic panels, Joel says. And the most efficient -if not the simplest-way to grow vast quantities of solar panels is by management-intensive grazing,"(pg 189) Pollan.
This book is definitely affecting society and is also helping people realize the real truth behind their food. Many of us don't think twice about the things we eat but after reading about Pollan's experiences and adventures we can see that everything we eat can be traced back to some farm or another plant and that's usually where it all started. The way some people eat will no longer be the same after reading this. the question that Pollan tries to find the answer to which is, "what should we eat for dinner" finally has a response.
Overall this book was very informative and interesting. Its amazing to see where all our favorite foods come from, and how they are made. its a long and complicated process that every now and then we should take time to look at, and this book was the way to do it.
Food is a big part of our lives, not only is it a necessity but its a luxury as well. For some people its a career. Regardless of what food means to us the thing is not that many people know how the food got to their plate. In this book by Michael Pollan he explains in explicit detail from first hand experience, the processes our food goes through before we eventually eat it.
This book is divided into three sections which are corn, grass and forest and in each of these sections Pollan describes how each of these things play a part in the food web. In the first part Micheal explains how corn is considered the industrial plant. Corn which starts off from growing on a farm ends up in about 90 percent of all the things we eat. In everything Pollan ate he traced its origin, and he came to find that almost everything he ate contained corn. For example, chicken nuggets which Pollan says he eats often, contained 38 ingredients and of those 38, 13 of them were derived from corn. Soda, which contains high fructose corn syrup, french fries, which are fried in corn oil, and chips such as Doritos all contain ingredients that come from corn.
In the second section of the book called grass Pollan explains another way of farming called grass farming. Grass farming was imported from New Zealand by Allan Nation. Grass farming grows animals for meat, eggs, wool and milk. Pollan experienced this first hand by visiting Joel Salatin's farm and visually seeing how the animals get their energy from the grass and then he later sees how that energy is than transferred to us. So basically we make the animals capture the energy for us and then we as omnivores eat the animal. While on the farm Pollan explains how certain foods like eggs, and the chicken we eat get to our plate. The hens eat the cattle's manure which fattens them up because of the high protein and that is what helps make the eggs we eat taste so good. In this section Pollan describes how animals use other animals to their benefit. he also breaks down the food chain; energy from the sun gets transfered to the grass which the cattle eat, the chickens then eats the cattle's manure and then we eat the chicken.
In the third section Pollan gathers his own food through hunting and gathering in an effort to prepare a meal made from the food he planted and got himself. At the end of the book he prepared mushrooms, an a pig that he hunted himself. He also made salad using greens that came from his own garden, he made bread using wild yeast and desert with cherries he got from his neighborhood. "We eat by the grace of nature , not industry, and what we're eating is never anything more or less than the body of the world."(pg 411)
This book relates to science concepts because it has to do with the food-chain and energy transfer. The grass that the cows eat gets its energy through photosynthesis and that relates to biology. Photosynthesis includes all the chemical reactions that allow the plant to make food for itself and to pass it on. Grass farming revolves entirely on photosynthesis, that is where the energy transfer starts. with all these different organisms transfering energy biomagnification can easily happen as well. That's another reason it is important we know where our food comes from. " The simplest way to capture the sun's energy in a form food animals can use is by growing grass: these blades are our photovoltaic panels, Joel says. And the most efficient -if not the simplest-way to grow vast quantities of solar panels is by management-intensive grazing,"(pg 189) Pollan.
This book is definitely affecting society and is also helping people realize the real truth behind their food. Many of us don't think twice about the things we eat but after reading about Pollan's experiences and adventures we can see that everything we eat can be traced back to some farm or another plant and that's usually where it all started. The way some people eat will no longer be the same after reading this. the question that Pollan tries to find the answer to which is, "what should we eat for dinner" finally has a response.
Overall this book was very informative and interesting. Its amazing to see where all our favorite foods come from, and how they are made. its a long and complicated process that every now and then we should take time to look at, and this book was the way to do it.
A Pain killer is a killer?
Morphine the savior of pain for most terminal patients and recovering cancer surgery patients. However, "clinical use of morphine could potentially be harmful" as said in "Morphine and Other Pain Relief Drugs Used in Cancer Surgery May Spur Return of Malignancy" by by Adam Marcus. In this article it is explained that some pain relieving drugs given to patients can be harmful to cancer patients. Reason being that cancer loves environments with opioids, such as morphine. But also opiods can cause leaky blood vessels which are a paradise for a cancer cell waiting for nourishment and conducting angiogenesis. Also regional anesthesia weaken the body's immune system after a cancer surgery but cancer cells are still left inside the body and the immune system is needed to get rid of those few cells. unfortunately because of the drugs the immune system is suppressed and the body is unable to react and chances of the cancer is possible. Although, there is some evidence supporting the study there is definitive answer to if some pain killers can increase the chances of reoccurring.
Oncology is the study of cancer and it needs a lot of research to even consider a cure, cause, or understanding. Oncology helps us overcome the disease of cancer and helps find new and safer ways of fighting it. Not only does it help find a cure but it also helos find causes and aids us in not contracting the disease ourselves.
This a greatly important because cancer has been around for many years and morphine and other drugs have been used with it and this ais a form of awakening to the medical field and to us the general public. For so long these drugs have been used and to find out that we have been giving patients a higher chance of suffering from the disease is shocking but teaches us there is ALWAYS more to learnMhmmm nothing like a morning joe.
"A perk for coffee lovers: Java may lower oral cancer risk" by Katherine Harmon, is a rather perplexing article that states that coffee may reduce the chance of oral cancer. The research was done by researchers in Tohoku University in Japan and conducted on individuals between the ages 40 and 64 that have no record of cancer. Researcher suggests caffeine has the ability to suppress tumors from progressing. But hold those ice coffees, just because research has led to lessening the possibility of oral cancer don’t go around to every dunkin' donuts and order and extra large iced coffee because too much caffeine is still shown to cause medical problems such as insomnia, anxiety, and in women miscarriages. Also just coffee isn’t enough to make you impervious a proper diet of fruits and vegetables are recommended as well.
This article is an example of dentistry the science of the prevention of oral diseases in gums, teeth, and oral cavity. Research was done on the subject and the article displays sourcing and extensive sitting on the matter. The article lastly represents a never ending hunger of knowledge which all science is a exploration for knowledge and understanding.
, this article is important because it is meticulous yet interesting. Also the article benefits the average person and doesn't base its facts on purely not from one source. The article is also important because it doesn't tell of one side of the story but also explains the dangers of drinking too much caffeine.
FINALLY clean energy... well at least one step to it.
Oil rigs, Coal mines, nuclear power, and other harmful forms of energy are costly and as the new keeps brining up diminishing but solar, thermal, wind, and water power is all reusable. So why don't we sue those you ask? Well, as we see now in "World's first solar power plant that can work at night" by David Biello, we are! The solar plant uses solar energy to heat up molten salt and utilize the thermal energy stored to produce energy during the night. The plant is located in Sicily and erected on July 14, 2010 and named Archimede after the great scientist. Also, molten salt is clean it needs to be heated to a temperature of around five hundred- fifty degree Celsius meaning that it can be used to store even more thermal energy and as a secondary form of power steams which is used for turbines also. Although a clean energy source the salts solidify at 220 degrees Celsius, so the plant must use some natural gases to heat up the salts.
Green energy is a new advancement in the scientific field and someone a controversial subject but to better serve ourselves and the planet it is a necessity to research. The article displays the impact of new energy and the thought and plans put into it. The idea of science is to benefit this is exactly that the benefit of clean energy contrast to the harmful energy we utilize now.
This article is important because it adds to the green movement which could give some momentum and raise awareness. The article also influence others to get involve and put pressure on the government to put more research into green energy especially now after the BP disaster. Lastly, the article is a in detail description of the plant and is non bias to whether or not to use green energy.
How old are plants and fungi really?
Fungi and plants are known to be one of the oldest inhabitants of the earth how old are they? Although short the article "Gene Study Suggests Early Evolution of Land Plants and Fungi Changed Earth's Climate" by Harald Franzen explains how old they really are and how scientist came to that finding. Scientist were able to conclude this finding by using a form of molecular clock found in species. These accumulated genes are at a certain rate and can be used to find the time in which the organism originated. Due to the early presents of plants and fungi carbon dioxide level were lowered and oxygen levels were elevated giving the optimal condition for other species to evolution thus giving more evidence to the theory of evolution.
This a article of genetics the study of heredity and here we see its scientific advances to benefit other sciences such as evolutionary science. Evolutionary science will help us trace ourselves and all other organisms to our origins. plus, help us predict our evolutionary future on this Earth assuming we don't become extinct. Lastly, this article is backed by many experiments and experts who are renown in their fields of science such as Blair Hedges.
This article is important because it not only provides evidences to evolution but also corrects previous remarks on the age of fungi and plants. This article is also explained in a fairly easily understandable fashion so it is able to reach the general public without misconceptions and confusion. "Gene Study Suggests Early Evolution of Land Plants and Fungi Changed Earth's Climate" also gives us an idea of how far science has gone and how much more we truly have yet to discover and unveilPatrick is growing!!!
We all know the star fish of the popular series SpongeBob square pants but do u ever wonder what is happening to real star fish, well Rising stars of the sea: Will global warming benefit starfish? by Lynne Peeples explains the human impact of increasing carbon dioxide and climate change. The article states while other invertebrates are suffering the humble star fish starting to rise. Hard shelled invertebrates are suffering because of waters because the growing production of carbon dioxide is making a sea more acidic which in turn is starting to erode and dissolve the shell of most invertebrates in the ocean. The star fish, however, has shown in studies to benefit from the increasing carbon dioxide and climate change. The article points out a very important problem also because the star fish populous will most likely grow, more of their prey must grow as well problem being that some of the organisms that star fish gain sustenance from are negatively affected by the very variables that make the star fish thrive.
Zoology teaches us about our various neighbors and how they are react to our various innovations such as industry and cities. This article also holds ecology for the ecosystem in which the starfish and other star fish are inhabiting and is changing. The article shows an understanding that it takes both hard facts and countless experiments to confirm a hypothesis and knows that there are two sides to every event in science.
This article was published because it raises awareness to the ecological damage the human species does. Plus, the article bring into view of how marine life is affected and how it reacts to changes that are affecting land organisms as well. The article is a good example of the ramifications of carbon dioxide but also its advantages to only a few species but leads to the inevitability that it harms the environment and changes it over time.bread and apples for everyone!
World hunger is an ever growing problem in our world, but there is hope. The article is "Wheat and apple DNA sequenced, providing clues that may help eliminate famine." by David Biello, it is providing information on the front lines of the bio technology industry. Experts hope that in 2050 all of Earth's growing nine billion inhabitants will be able to be fed; this is hypothesized because crops such as wheat and the infamous apple are on the list to have their genetic code read. Although this gives hope for the ending of famine the journey will be very long, for the genome of wheat is fives time longer than that of the human genome. The step forward is a large leap for agriculture because before agriculturist had to cross breed plants to make desirable traits but this simply took to long and was much too laborious but now they can simply concentrate on specific location on genome and genetically engineer that can withstand harsh climate variables such as droughts. The apple's genetic code is also being read also. The gift in genetic engineering is that we are able to manipulate the crop into one with desirable traits such a disease resistant, the ability to live through droughts, and other desirable traits.
This is biotechnology the study and use of organic substances to produce drugs, products and other helpful products. DNA is a vast mysterious entity a small change can cause such large differences although sometimes not desirable we can mold the crop into what we need and in that we have to do countless experiments and studying to find trait locations and find which genetic code does what.
This article is very important because with this we can move on to making better crops for mass production and end world hunger. This article informs the people what science is up too and doesn’t only show that its prospering the haves but also the have nots. The article states the idea of ending famine and also this research could lead to other scientific research as modifying human genomes for X linked diseases.
A Brief History of Time
Trae Pina
A Brief History of Time
Stephen Hawking
The name of this book is A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking. This book explains many different concepts about space, time, laws of physics, and even many laws by Einstein including his general theory of relativity. In the first chapter, Hawking starts by telling the story of a professor who gave a lecture, in which he said that the earth orbits the sun. A woman said he was lying and that the earth is a flat plate supported on the backs of giant turtles. Now we all now this to be false, and that the earth truly a sphere and does orbit the sun. He then ends the chapter by saying that what we are trying to prove true today may seem as obvious as the earth orbiting the sun or as ridiculous as a tower of turtles. He finishes by saying that only time, whatever that may be, will tell.
In the second chapter: Our Evolving Picture of the Universe, Hawking talks about the past ideas of the world and space. One example from the book is how the Greeks that that the earth was flat and when a boat sailed closer, you would first see it as a small dot, then as it got closer you would be able to make out more detail. This is not the case though. You first see the sails, then the hull. This is proof that the earth is a sphere. He then goes on to talk about the orbit of the planets and how they are elliptical, not a perfect circle.
In the third chapter: The Nature of a Scientific Theory, Hawking explains a scientific theory and the abandoning or modifying of this theory. He then goes on to explain the general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. He then says that these theories contradict each other and that they can’t both be true. In chapter 4: Newton’s Universe, Hawking explains how gravity has to do with mass. He says that an object with twice the weight will have twice the gravitational force pulling down on it, but that it will also have twice the mass, which means it will have half the acceleration. These two effects cancel each other out though, and that is why two objects, no matter what the size, will always have the same acceleration. Another idea introduced is space and time. One example is if a ping pong ball is bounce on a train it will have looked as if the ball had bounced up and down, but to someone on the side of the tracks, it will have looked as if the ball had bounced forty meters, because that’s how far the train would have traveled in-between bounces.
In chapter 5: Relativity, The fact that light travels at a finite speed and not infinite speed is explained. Danish astronomer Christensen Roemer observed that eclipses of Jupiter’s moons were not evenly spaced. This is due to the earth moving further away from Jupiter as the earth orbits the sun. Since light then has a farther distance to travel we would see it later than we normally would if we were closer. He goes on to talk about an ether which is a substance present every where even in “empty” space. It was believed that this is what light waves went through. He then goes on to say that time is not separate from space, but that we must think of them as one, space-time.
In chapter six: Curved Space, a geodesic is explained as the shortest or longest distance between two places. The shortest distance between two places on a globe is called a great circle, one of the biggest circles you can draw on a globe. Another topic in this chapter is the prediction of general relativity. This theory states that gravitational fields should bend light. This means that light passing the sun from a distant star could be bent to make it look like the star is in a different position than it truly is. This law also states that a clock should appear to run slower near a massive body such as the earth. An experiment was done with two clocks, one on a water tower and the other on the ground, and the experiment found the belief true. This all disapproved of absolute time.
In chapter 7: The Expanding Universe, it is said that the universe is the same in every direction. It also introduces the parallax using a change in relative position to plot a location. This method was helpful to Edwin Hubble because the distances he was trying to measure were to far away and appeared fixed. He instead kept the brightness of each star. The same types of stars had the same luminosity. After his plotting and mapping, he was surprised to find out that all other galaxies are moving away from us, and that the universe is expanding. In chapter eight: The Big Bang, Black Holes, and the Evolution of Physics, the big bang is explained ling how one second after the big bang it would have been ten billion degrees Celsius. A black whole is also explained as a collapsed star whose gravity is so strong that not even light can escape it. If an astronaut were on the surface of a collapsing star, the gravitational difference from his head to his toes would be so great he would be torn apart. It also talks about how supernovas are when stars blow away material.
In chapter 9: Quantum Gravity, quantum mechanics are used to describe the unavoidable element of unpredictability or randomness into science. A nice way of thinking about this is instead of a particle moving in one single path; it is supposed to go from point A to point B by every possible path. Quantum theory has been a great success, and underlies almost all of modern science and technology. Chapter ten: Wormhole and time travel, talks about how traveling to the future is possible if one reaches the speed of light. Travel to the past is also possible but there is a problem. The theory of relativity says that the rocket power needed to accelerate a spaceship gets greater and greater the nearer it gets to the speed of light. We have been able to get single particles to 99.9% the speed of light but no faster. One alternative though is a wormhole which connects two regions.
In chapter eleven: The Forces of Nature and the Unification of Physics, force carrying particles are grouped into four groups. The first being gravitational force this force is felt by every particle and is universal. The second is electromagnetic force which only interacts with electrically charged particles and is much stronger than gravitational force. The third is the weak nuclear force. We don’t come in direct contact with this force, but it is responsible for radioactivity. The forth power is the strongest of all the forces, and is called the strong nuclear force. We don’t come in direct contact with this force, but it holds most of the world together. Without this force, every atomic nucleus would be blown apart except for hydrogen. This chapter also briefly talks about the string theory.
One theory that is brought up throughout the whole book is Einstein’s general theory of relativity, which plays a major role in the development of other laws and theories. One other concept is space time and how they are not two separate things, but one thing known as space-time. Another is the string theory which is mentioned later in the book. In the string theory a basic object is something with length but no other dimensions. They also either have no ends or meet up with themselves.
I believe this book changed science by gathering up most if not all of what we believe or did believe about the universe in one book. It explains past beliefs, disapproves of them, and talks about our current beliefs. It also talks about how many theories contradict each other. It further explains why modern theories must be true, gives descriptive examples that mostly anyone could understand. This book sums up what is modern in physic, astronomy, and the worlds current beliefs. It also shows you how some theories are unbelievably accurate. This book also shows how far our understanding of the universe has come and gone in the past few centuries, and how we continue to think into the future.
A Brief History of Time
Stephen Hawking
The name of this book is A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking. This book explains many different concepts about space, time, laws of physics, and even many laws by Einstein including his general theory of relativity. In the first chapter, Hawking starts by telling the story of a professor who gave a lecture, in which he said that the earth orbits the sun. A woman said he was lying and that the earth is a flat plate supported on the backs of giant turtles. Now we all now this to be false, and that the earth truly a sphere and does orbit the sun. He then ends the chapter by saying that what we are trying to prove true today may seem as obvious as the earth orbiting the sun or as ridiculous as a tower of turtles. He finishes by saying that only time, whatever that may be, will tell.
In the second chapter: Our Evolving Picture of the Universe, Hawking talks about the past ideas of the world and space. One example from the book is how the Greeks that that the earth was flat and when a boat sailed closer, you would first see it as a small dot, then as it got closer you would be able to make out more detail. This is not the case though. You first see the sails, then the hull. This is proof that the earth is a sphere. He then goes on to talk about the orbit of the planets and how they are elliptical, not a perfect circle.
In the third chapter: The Nature of a Scientific Theory, Hawking explains a scientific theory and the abandoning or modifying of this theory. He then goes on to explain the general theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. He then says that these theories contradict each other and that they can’t both be true. In chapter 4: Newton’s Universe, Hawking explains how gravity has to do with mass. He says that an object with twice the weight will have twice the gravitational force pulling down on it, but that it will also have twice the mass, which means it will have half the acceleration. These two effects cancel each other out though, and that is why two objects, no matter what the size, will always have the same acceleration. Another idea introduced is space and time. One example is if a ping pong ball is bounce on a train it will have looked as if the ball had bounced up and down, but to someone on the side of the tracks, it will have looked as if the ball had bounced forty meters, because that’s how far the train would have traveled in-between bounces.
In chapter 5: Relativity, The fact that light travels at a finite speed and not infinite speed is explained. Danish astronomer Christensen Roemer observed that eclipses of Jupiter’s moons were not evenly spaced. This is due to the earth moving further away from Jupiter as the earth orbits the sun. Since light then has a farther distance to travel we would see it later than we normally would if we were closer. He goes on to talk about an ether which is a substance present every where even in “empty” space. It was believed that this is what light waves went through. He then goes on to say that time is not separate from space, but that we must think of them as one, space-time.
In chapter six: Curved Space, a geodesic is explained as the shortest or longest distance between two places. The shortest distance between two places on a globe is called a great circle, one of the biggest circles you can draw on a globe. Another topic in this chapter is the prediction of general relativity. This theory states that gravitational fields should bend light. This means that light passing the sun from a distant star could be bent to make it look like the star is in a different position than it truly is. This law also states that a clock should appear to run slower near a massive body such as the earth. An experiment was done with two clocks, one on a water tower and the other on the ground, and the experiment found the belief true. This all disapproved of absolute time.
In chapter 7: The Expanding Universe, it is said that the universe is the same in every direction. It also introduces the parallax using a change in relative position to plot a location. This method was helpful to Edwin Hubble because the distances he was trying to measure were to far away and appeared fixed. He instead kept the brightness of each star. The same types of stars had the same luminosity. After his plotting and mapping, he was surprised to find out that all other galaxies are moving away from us, and that the universe is expanding. In chapter eight: The Big Bang, Black Holes, and the Evolution of Physics, the big bang is explained ling how one second after the big bang it would have been ten billion degrees Celsius. A black whole is also explained as a collapsed star whose gravity is so strong that not even light can escape it. If an astronaut were on the surface of a collapsing star, the gravitational difference from his head to his toes would be so great he would be torn apart. It also talks about how supernovas are when stars blow away material.
In chapter 9: Quantum Gravity, quantum mechanics are used to describe the unavoidable element of unpredictability or randomness into science. A nice way of thinking about this is instead of a particle moving in one single path; it is supposed to go from point A to point B by every possible path. Quantum theory has been a great success, and underlies almost all of modern science and technology. Chapter ten: Wormhole and time travel, talks about how traveling to the future is possible if one reaches the speed of light. Travel to the past is also possible but there is a problem. The theory of relativity says that the rocket power needed to accelerate a spaceship gets greater and greater the nearer it gets to the speed of light. We have been able to get single particles to 99.9% the speed of light but no faster. One alternative though is a wormhole which connects two regions.
In chapter eleven: The Forces of Nature and the Unification of Physics, force carrying particles are grouped into four groups. The first being gravitational force this force is felt by every particle and is universal. The second is electromagnetic force which only interacts with electrically charged particles and is much stronger than gravitational force. The third is the weak nuclear force. We don’t come in direct contact with this force, but it is responsible for radioactivity. The forth power is the strongest of all the forces, and is called the strong nuclear force. We don’t come in direct contact with this force, but it holds most of the world together. Without this force, every atomic nucleus would be blown apart except for hydrogen. This chapter also briefly talks about the string theory.
One theory that is brought up throughout the whole book is Einstein’s general theory of relativity, which plays a major role in the development of other laws and theories. One other concept is space time and how they are not two separate things, but one thing known as space-time. Another is the string theory which is mentioned later in the book. In the string theory a basic object is something with length but no other dimensions. They also either have no ends or meet up with themselves.
I believe this book changed science by gathering up most if not all of what we believe or did believe about the universe in one book. It explains past beliefs, disapproves of them, and talks about our current beliefs. It also talks about how many theories contradict each other. It further explains why modern theories must be true, gives descriptive examples that mostly anyone could understand. This book sums up what is modern in physic, astronomy, and the worlds current beliefs. It also shows you how some theories are unbelievably accurate. This book also shows how far our understanding of the universe has come and gone in the past few centuries, and how we continue to think into the future.
Calcium Supplements
Researchers reported that consumers of calcium supplements to ward off osteoporosis are at 30 percent increase risk of heart attack and therefore advised that people take more calcium-rich foods, including exercise and keep a healthy weight to prevent osteoporosis. it is true because the calcium from food absorb slower than the pills, so the blood calcium level hardly changes. when you take calcium supplements the blood calcium level increases within four to six hours.
According to Ian Reid and his colleagues, Calcium supplements are not as natural as people regard them to be. Reid and his colleagues conducted a meta-analysis encompassing 11 studies that tracked nearly 12, 000 elderly people. half of them were given calcium supplements and the other half placebo or dummy pills. they found out that 30 percent increase in heart attacks in the people who were randomized to take calcium.
Calcium is metallic chemical element which is found abundantly on the Earth's crust. calcium is one of the most abundant minerals on earth, it is also a vital component of many living organism. the symbol Ca identifies calcium on the periodic table. the element has an atomic number of 20.
This article is important in that it advises us on living a healthy life, by eating calcium rich foods, take plenty of exercise and keep a healthy weight. Taking the pills will work faster, but with that speed comes consequences that many of us would not want to face.
According to Ian Reid and his colleagues, Calcium supplements are not as natural as people regard them to be. Reid and his colleagues conducted a meta-analysis encompassing 11 studies that tracked nearly 12, 000 elderly people. half of them were given calcium supplements and the other half placebo or dummy pills. they found out that 30 percent increase in heart attacks in the people who were randomized to take calcium.
Calcium is metallic chemical element which is found abundantly on the Earth's crust. calcium is one of the most abundant minerals on earth, it is also a vital component of many living organism. the symbol Ca identifies calcium on the periodic table. the element has an atomic number of 20.
This article is important in that it advises us on living a healthy life, by eating calcium rich foods, take plenty of exercise and keep a healthy weight. Taking the pills will work faster, but with that speed comes consequences that many of us would not want to face.
OWWWWW that @#$! hurt
We all know the pain of a finger getting stuck in a drawer, a heavy object land on our toe, etc. What comes after the pain usually, profanity. But shy do we swear during and after we get hurt? Well believe it or not it helps ease that pain. The article is "Why the #$%! Do We Swear? For Pain Relief” by Frederik Joelving. The article takes a look into why people swear when in pain. The article states that swearing is actually for a practical reason it actually dulls and relieves pain. Researchers speculate that the physical benefits come from deep in the right hemisphere of the brain a primal instinct that can trigger a response that raises the heart rate and pain is able to be dulled. But there is not only a neurological reason why this ever so normal part of pain is help full but a few psychological reasons also. Experts say that swearing is a form of defensive reflex when the person is harmed. Also they say that swearing is a form of emotional release that is helpful to the well-being of the person. There is also a down side to this the more the one swear the less affect the words repeated are at blunting the pain.
This article not only shows neurology but psychology also. Neurology is the study of the the nerves and nervous system it teaches us how our body reacts and why it reacts the way it does. Psychology is the study of the mind and mental processes. This article relates to scientific concepts because it perplexes the mind and need research and experiments to understand and even now its still barely understood.
This article was published because it is truly interesting how something that happens eeryday can actually be useful. It isn’t the word itself that does this but the emotional content behind it. Also the article helps use trace the roots of emotion and instinct..
The affects of the BP oil spill on society
The article is "Gulf Spillover: Will BP's Deepwater Disaster Change the Oil Industry?" by Larry Greenemeier. The BP oil spill was a devastating ecological disaster we all know that but what are the effects on it on our society?, how does it affect the people on the coast this article takes a human look into the spill and its perspective of how it will affect the community government and the industry of fossil fuels. The spill not only destroyed the coast's ecosystem bur also has arisen new problems in the community in the gulf and the government's laws and regulation over the spill. The article also explains the probable affect on the oiling industry and green movement. The Oil industry will have to in a way compensate for the disaster and will need to succumb to the inevitable industry and oil drilling regulation reforms. As for the green movement experts say it is a "harsh gift", reason being is because the spill will and has influences environmental groups such as "National Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club" and others. But also the article compares and contrasts this disaster with that of the Santa Barbara Channel oil spill in 1969. It explains of the economic dependence on the oil industry of the gulf compared to that of Santa Barbara.
This article displays scientific concepts because it gives a prime example of sociology. Sociology is the study of society, and here we see a great example of how a ecological disaster can shape, turn and mold into a sociological reform of the civilization's laws, it's governments infrastructure, and the populous' deviance. It is an ever changing field of science for we as humans are an ever changing species and sociology will help us reform in better ways and excel where in the past we have failed.
This article is article is important to the scientific community because it explains the hardships of the community of the spill and explains in detail how this BP is affecting the country as a whole. The article is a magnificent piece that explains the spill and sociological ramifications of the spill.
The Hot Zone
Title: The Hot Zone
Author: Richard Preston
The Hot Zone by Richard Preston is a non- fiction novel about the movement of many unknown deadly viruses that originated from Africa to America. Preston does an exceptional job by making his readers “relive” the events that led up to the many discoveries of different viruses, such as Marburg, Ebola Zaire, and Ebola Sudan. The book explains thoroughly about each virus, what it does, and it even gives stories about people that have been affected by these viruses. There were many scientists mentioned in this book, and each scientist plays a major role in the discovery of many unknown “agents.” The author does a splendid job of explaining each person mentioned in the novel. There has never been a time when I wasn’t aware of a person mentioned or what they did. The Hot Zone is a book that will keep you interested and begging for more. From the descriptive facts about viruses to the humorous smart remarks scientists made, this novel is definitely a great non- fiction piece that attracts all age groups.
Preston starts the novel off by introducing a man named Monet, who was a Frenchman that lived in Western Kenya. He lived in a bungalow by himself. He worked at a sugar factory near Mount Elgon taking care of the water- pumping machinery. Monet was a man who mainly kept to himself, except when it came to his animals. Monet spent most of his free time around birds and animals. He would just sit and bring food to them. It was apparent to others that Monet was an affectionate person, especially towards monkeys. Now, these weren’t just your average type of monkeys, they were monkeys from the wild. When I first read that they were “wild monkeys,” I knew that they could possibly carry a disease that Monet could catch. One reason for this is because Preston stated in the beginning of the book that Monet came to Africa during the time that HIV, human immunodeficiency virus, was becoming a major issue in the human race.
The climax, in my opinion, was in the first few chapters of this novel. After Preston introduced Monet, he started to describe the events that led up to Monet getting infected with a deadly disease known as Marburg. The first event that happened was that Monet started developing a severe headache and backache. At first, he decided not to go to the doctor and just stay home for a few days. Then when his coworkers came to visit him, they noticed that he looked really sick. So they encouraged Monet to go to Nairobi Hospital. While at the hospital, Preston describes that Monet was in his “last phase.” The author wrote, “Suddenly he goes into the last phase- the human virus bomb explodes… they say that the victim has ‘crashed and bled out,’ or more politely they say that the victim has ‘gone down,’” (page 23). Clearly, this fatal disease does more than a simple “headache or backache” to one’s body. It extremely takes over and controls the “host.” A “host” is basically an organism/ living thing that the virus controls. Once Monet was admitted to the hospital, a young experienced doctor named, Dr. Musoke, treated him. One interesting scene that Preston described was when Dr. Musoke was soon in risk of catching Marburg because of Monet. Specifically, page 26 included, “The black vomit blew up around the scope and out of Monet’s mouth. Black- and- red fluid spewed into the air, showering down over Dr. Musoke.” The author did an exceptional job foreshadowing a problem that will happen later on in the book. In other words, since Monet’s vomit splashed over Dr. Musoke, then Dr. Musoke was now in risk of catching this deadly virus. Later, Dr. Musoke soon developed the same symptoms as Monet, and realized that now he was a victim of Marburg. Unfortunately, Monet died, but Dr. Musoke lived and survived. These two cases have challenged scientists to develop cures for the virus and try to stop it from spreading to other countries, such as the United States. The Hot Zone is centered on many cases of people affected with Marburg and Ebola and how scientists dealt with it.
This book definitely relates to science concepts, for it includes definitions and explanations of words such as, virus, host, agent, HIV, AIDS, cells, diamond knife, electron microscope, etc. One specific example of how the author mentioned a science term was stated on page 198 and Preston said, “As the virus grows inside a cell, crystalloids, or bricks, appear at the center…The viruses are shaped like threads. The threads push through the cell wall and grow out of the cell, like grass rising from seeded loam.” Evidently, every time Preston introduced a new science term, he would explain it in great detail. The main science topic focused in the book is biology. A LOT of biology is included, well for the apparent reason that viruses affect the inner system of your body.
I believe that this book has changed society’s awareness on the dangers of many viruses that live in our human world. Personally, I already knew about HIV/ AIDS before I read The Hot Zone, but I didn’t however know about Marburg or Ebola. This novel is not only entertaining, but the readers actually learn a lot about medical terminology and viruses/ diseases. I didn’t think that Americans were aware about the hard work that scientists and researchers go through to develop cures and vaccines for many viruses. This novel definitely showed the daily life of a researcher that deals with many hazardous chemicals. Preston, in my opinion, did an excellent job of praising the scientists and I think that their worked definitely paid off.
Overall, The Hot Zone by Richard Preston was a well- written non- fiction classic that had millions speechless on the existence of many harmful viruses. From the style and creativity of his writing to the informational facts, Preston did a wonderful job. This book taught me a lot. For example, it made me want to research more about deadly viruses in Africa, and what solutions scientists are coming up with. I also learn a few things, such as that military people deal a lot with unknown viruses. I mean, I knew that there had to be people working in the military that deal with medicine and sick patients. But as far as researching viruses and coming up with vaccines, this was new to me. In the future, I would love to read more of Preston’s novels to see what else is going on in the world around me. In conclusion, The Hot Zone was one of the best non- fiction science books I have read by far.
Author: Richard Preston
The Hot Zone by Richard Preston is a non- fiction novel about the movement of many unknown deadly viruses that originated from Africa to America. Preston does an exceptional job by making his readers “relive” the events that led up to the many discoveries of different viruses, such as Marburg, Ebola Zaire, and Ebola Sudan. The book explains thoroughly about each virus, what it does, and it even gives stories about people that have been affected by these viruses. There were many scientists mentioned in this book, and each scientist plays a major role in the discovery of many unknown “agents.” The author does a splendid job of explaining each person mentioned in the novel. There has never been a time when I wasn’t aware of a person mentioned or what they did. The Hot Zone is a book that will keep you interested and begging for more. From the descriptive facts about viruses to the humorous smart remarks scientists made, this novel is definitely a great non- fiction piece that attracts all age groups.
Preston starts the novel off by introducing a man named Monet, who was a Frenchman that lived in Western Kenya. He lived in a bungalow by himself. He worked at a sugar factory near Mount Elgon taking care of the water- pumping machinery. Monet was a man who mainly kept to himself, except when it came to his animals. Monet spent most of his free time around birds and animals. He would just sit and bring food to them. It was apparent to others that Monet was an affectionate person, especially towards monkeys. Now, these weren’t just your average type of monkeys, they were monkeys from the wild. When I first read that they were “wild monkeys,” I knew that they could possibly carry a disease that Monet could catch. One reason for this is because Preston stated in the beginning of the book that Monet came to Africa during the time that HIV, human immunodeficiency virus, was becoming a major issue in the human race.
The climax, in my opinion, was in the first few chapters of this novel. After Preston introduced Monet, he started to describe the events that led up to Monet getting infected with a deadly disease known as Marburg. The first event that happened was that Monet started developing a severe headache and backache. At first, he decided not to go to the doctor and just stay home for a few days. Then when his coworkers came to visit him, they noticed that he looked really sick. So they encouraged Monet to go to Nairobi Hospital. While at the hospital, Preston describes that Monet was in his “last phase.” The author wrote, “Suddenly he goes into the last phase- the human virus bomb explodes… they say that the victim has ‘crashed and bled out,’ or more politely they say that the victim has ‘gone down,’” (page 23). Clearly, this fatal disease does more than a simple “headache or backache” to one’s body. It extremely takes over and controls the “host.” A “host” is basically an organism/ living thing that the virus controls. Once Monet was admitted to the hospital, a young experienced doctor named, Dr. Musoke, treated him. One interesting scene that Preston described was when Dr. Musoke was soon in risk of catching Marburg because of Monet. Specifically, page 26 included, “The black vomit blew up around the scope and out of Monet’s mouth. Black- and- red fluid spewed into the air, showering down over Dr. Musoke.” The author did an exceptional job foreshadowing a problem that will happen later on in the book. In other words, since Monet’s vomit splashed over Dr. Musoke, then Dr. Musoke was now in risk of catching this deadly virus. Later, Dr. Musoke soon developed the same symptoms as Monet, and realized that now he was a victim of Marburg. Unfortunately, Monet died, but Dr. Musoke lived and survived. These two cases have challenged scientists to develop cures for the virus and try to stop it from spreading to other countries, such as the United States. The Hot Zone is centered on many cases of people affected with Marburg and Ebola and how scientists dealt with it.
This book definitely relates to science concepts, for it includes definitions and explanations of words such as, virus, host, agent, HIV, AIDS, cells, diamond knife, electron microscope, etc. One specific example of how the author mentioned a science term was stated on page 198 and Preston said, “As the virus grows inside a cell, crystalloids, or bricks, appear at the center…The viruses are shaped like threads. The threads push through the cell wall and grow out of the cell, like grass rising from seeded loam.” Evidently, every time Preston introduced a new science term, he would explain it in great detail. The main science topic focused in the book is biology. A LOT of biology is included, well for the apparent reason that viruses affect the inner system of your body.
I believe that this book has changed society’s awareness on the dangers of many viruses that live in our human world. Personally, I already knew about HIV/ AIDS before I read The Hot Zone, but I didn’t however know about Marburg or Ebola. This novel is not only entertaining, but the readers actually learn a lot about medical terminology and viruses/ diseases. I didn’t think that Americans were aware about the hard work that scientists and researchers go through to develop cures and vaccines for many viruses. This novel definitely showed the daily life of a researcher that deals with many hazardous chemicals. Preston, in my opinion, did an excellent job of praising the scientists and I think that their worked definitely paid off.
Overall, The Hot Zone by Richard Preston was a well- written non- fiction classic that had millions speechless on the existence of many harmful viruses. From the style and creativity of his writing to the informational facts, Preston did a wonderful job. This book taught me a lot. For example, it made me want to research more about deadly viruses in Africa, and what solutions scientists are coming up with. I also learn a few things, such as that military people deal a lot with unknown viruses. I mean, I knew that there had to be people working in the military that deal with medicine and sick patients. But as far as researching viruses and coming up with vaccines, this was new to me. In the future, I would love to read more of Preston’s novels to see what else is going on in the world around me. In conclusion, The Hot Zone was one of the best non- fiction science books I have read by far.
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