Well, this isn't your parents Science Museum! Starting at the lobby, complete with a full open bar, the Academy of Arts & Sciences was transformed into a nightclub atmosphere. Including rockin', eclectic trance-dance music, a wide-selection of yummy home-made ethnic foods, salsa dancers later performance later in the evening, throngs of young people out on one of the hottest dates in the city. A friend who we talked to said it was good that we were there on the 'off-season' because the "Nightlife" events were so popular in the summer that you could barely move since there were usually wall-to-wall people in attendance. Who knew it was the most happenin' hot spots for the younger generation!?
It seemed somewhat surreal since this all took place against the back drop of the Tropical Rain forest exhibit, the Planetarium (it was sold out - darn!), the extensive Aquarium exhibit, a terrific exhibit about global warming (apparently these scientist actually believe that it's happening) and a Darwin exhibit commemorating the 200 year anniversary of the publishing of the infamous"Origin of Species".
That being said, the lecture we were there to attend, "Evidence of Evolution" was impressive on one level, since it highlighted the Museum's extensive collection, and the photography was stunningly beautiful (even if the subject matter were all deceased); yet it was also slightly ghoulish on another, since all the 'evidence' was of various previously alive species, now on display in formaldehyde-filled jars. Kind of creepy...especially the last one... a still-born baby chimp in a jar. It just made me wonder how we would feel if visitors from another planet came down and decided to study us in the same manner. We might not see it as a valuable, scientific endeavor if the shoe were on the other proverbial foot. I guess I'm just partial to live video footage of different species in their wild habitats (think: "Marmot Mansion" on National Geographic), where they continue to live, relatively undisturbed by our prying eyes.
Similarly, while the exhibits that I was able to take in (Darwin, Global Warming and the Aquarium) were all executed in top-notch, professional fashion, I still have a hard time looking at other beings in small cages behind glass, no matter how nicely decorated they are. It seems so cruel, heartless and detached on some level. Whenever I looked at the various life forms in the exhibits, they seemed to be relentlessly trying to find the 'way out' of whatever space they were in. It reminded me of the Twilight Zone episode where the people are 'trapped' in a ghost town; and it's only in the end, that you as the audience see that (unbeknownst to them) they are actually some gigantic child's playthings in a cardboard cutout version of a western town, with no way out...perhaps that was Rod Serling's way of commenting on this same topic.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Week 13: Laughter is the Best Medicine
We know anecdotally that laughing and crying are basically the same release, and given the choice between the two, who wouldn’t choose laughter- it feels better to the body/mind complex and is more uplifting for the spirit, too! And we’ve all heard the stories of people who have cured themselves from various diseases (such as cancer) by watching a diet of only humorous videos that make the patients laugh, causing the disease to go into spontaneous remission.
And, now we have clinical proof of how that actually works. “Laughter diminishes the secretion of the body’s stress hormones, cortisol and epinephrine, while enhancing the immune response; similarly, mirthful laughter boosts the secretion of growth hormone, enhancing key immune responses”. Well, that’s reason enough to put ourselves on a diet that includes large servings of humor on a regular basis! Comedy channel, anyone?
And, now we have clinical proof of how that actually works. “Laughter diminishes the secretion of the body’s stress hormones, cortisol and epinephrine, while enhancing the immune response; similarly, mirthful laughter boosts the secretion of growth hormone, enhancing key immune responses”. Well, that’s reason enough to put ourselves on a diet that includes large servings of humor on a regular basis! Comedy channel, anyone?
Week 13: Tailor-made stem cells for disease
I had a really hard time reading this article because the of the arrogance and pomposity of Mr. Manohar. His interview is like a giant advertisement for funding and support on behalf of the Stempeutics company. As if they have any idea of what they are doing! Stem cells can naturally develop into any kind of other cell…how do they know what genetic cues actually accomplish this?
This reminds me of what the pharmaceutical companies do when they find a particular constituent in a plant or other organism that they then create a chemical version of in the lab -only- so they can patent it and make a profit. Well, guess what? The naturally occurring substance and the laboratory created ones are not the same. And your body knows the difference. Companies make these chemical drugs, release them on the public and then only after years of beta-testing them on the unsuspecting humans, pull them off the market because of the harmful side effects, once the damage has been done (think: birth control pills, Viagra, prozac, etc.). Mr Manohar really has no idea how these new ‘regenerative medicines’ will play out. If the body was supposed to be able to regenerate itself (as in the case of the liver and skin cells), then I think God/dess would have thought about that an included it in our original design.
Don’t get me wrong, if stem cell research is truly helpful to healing and curing previously incurable diseases, I’m all for it -and- the research required to develop such medicines. But, let’s do it in a way that is responsible and ethical. It’s just that the this interviewee is so smug and know-it-all in his tone that it rubs me the wrong way…this field is just at it’s infancy, there is much promise to this new approach -but- truly they have no idea of how this regenerative medicine will play out -or- what the trade-offs and down-side might be.
Not to mention, if someone has Type 2 diabetes or heart disease there may be factors in their current lifestyles and diets that have actually allowed these diseases to develop during their lifetimes. I don’t hear any mention in their protocol of taking that into consideration and addressing it with counseling, etc. when we are handing out quick fixes such as is promised with stem cell medicines. Without addressing other factors such as these that may have contributed to the health challenges, we just are cuing people up to continue with their status quo behavior versus any real healing on a deeper level…at the source of the imbalance.
This reminds me of what the pharmaceutical companies do when they find a particular constituent in a plant or other organism that they then create a chemical version of in the lab -only- so they can patent it and make a profit. Well, guess what? The naturally occurring substance and the laboratory created ones are not the same. And your body knows the difference. Companies make these chemical drugs, release them on the public and then only after years of beta-testing them on the unsuspecting humans, pull them off the market because of the harmful side effects, once the damage has been done (think: birth control pills, Viagra, prozac, etc.). Mr Manohar really has no idea how these new ‘regenerative medicines’ will play out. If the body was supposed to be able to regenerate itself (as in the case of the liver and skin cells), then I think God/dess would have thought about that an included it in our original design.
Don’t get me wrong, if stem cell research is truly helpful to healing and curing previously incurable diseases, I’m all for it -and- the research required to develop such medicines. But, let’s do it in a way that is responsible and ethical. It’s just that the this interviewee is so smug and know-it-all in his tone that it rubs me the wrong way…this field is just at it’s infancy, there is much promise to this new approach -but- truly they have no idea of how this regenerative medicine will play out -or- what the trade-offs and down-side might be.
Not to mention, if someone has Type 2 diabetes or heart disease there may be factors in their current lifestyles and diets that have actually allowed these diseases to develop during their lifetimes. I don’t hear any mention in their protocol of taking that into consideration and addressing it with counseling, etc. when we are handing out quick fixes such as is promised with stem cell medicines. Without addressing other factors such as these that may have contributed to the health challenges, we just are cuing people up to continue with their status quo behavior versus any real healing on a deeper level…at the source of the imbalance.
Week 13: Open-Season on Wolves in Idaho & Montana
There is a certain amount of arrogance that we as humans have regarding our idea that we actually know how to ‘manage’ ecosystems -or- the life forms that live within them. And what really aggravates the situation is, that the government officials who make these arm chair decisions, based on changing and conflicting ‘science’ from the comfort of their offices, are far away from the reality of the system they are attempting to oversee.
Such is the problem with the wolves. First we re-introduce them to a region, then when they get a foot hold and start to thrive, we ‘cull’ the packs…21 entire packs to be exact! What are we thinking? Who determines how “fully recovered” is defined? And how is it that a species can be endangered in one area of the world, yet their populations can be considered excessive in others? We create these situations through our own doing and then other beings suffer due to our short-sightedness and mismanagement.
The human species doesn’t have a terrific track record for properly managing and overseeing other beings on this planet to date. Not to mention the fact that our own excessive population explosion and unchecked development has created these very problems, that we now need to manage, by encroaching on the territories of other plants and animals to begin with. The concern the conservationists have for enough genetic diversity to continue the wolf species in the future is an important one, that is being overlooked. Otherwise, we might ‘manage’ the wolves to extinction, only to realize it too late.
Such is the problem with the wolves. First we re-introduce them to a region, then when they get a foot hold and start to thrive, we ‘cull’ the packs…21 entire packs to be exact! What are we thinking? Who determines how “fully recovered” is defined? And how is it that a species can be endangered in one area of the world, yet their populations can be considered excessive in others? We create these situations through our own doing and then other beings suffer due to our short-sightedness and mismanagement.
The human species doesn’t have a terrific track record for properly managing and overseeing other beings on this planet to date. Not to mention the fact that our own excessive population explosion and unchecked development has created these very problems, that we now need to manage, by encroaching on the territories of other plants and animals to begin with. The concern the conservationists have for enough genetic diversity to continue the wolf species in the future is an important one, that is being overlooked. Otherwise, we might ‘manage’ the wolves to extinction, only to realize it too late.
Week 12: Thoughts on Child Cancer Risk Higher in Richer Rural Families
While there may be some truth to the idea that children of higher income families in rural areas are more vulnerable to infection due to their isolation and to “early months in hygienic surroundings with little exposure to bacteria” which in turn impacts their developing immune systems…I take exception to this article presupposing that this is the main and primary reason for higher cancer rates in such populations.
In particular, I disagree totally with the idea that there was “no link found…between the cluster of leukemia cases, in both Sellafield and Dounreay“…both of which are located around nuclear and reprocessing plants. I mean come on! It’s only common sense…though, in all fairness, it may be a factor of time as well. This article was published in 2006. Well, it’s now 2009 and just this week the media is reporting that studies show that there are connections between radiation (therapy, etc.) being linked to cancer. Dah!
However, other factors that spring to mind include:
In particular, I disagree totally with the idea that there was “no link found…between the cluster of leukemia cases, in both Sellafield and Dounreay“…both of which are located around nuclear and reprocessing plants. I mean come on! It’s only common sense…though, in all fairness, it may be a factor of time as well. This article was published in 2006. Well, it’s now 2009 and just this week the media is reporting that studies show that there are connections between radiation (therapy, etc.) being linked to cancer. Dah!
However, other factors that spring to mind include:
- If the children in question were not breast fed sufficiently (or at all), there can be a detrimental impact to their liver development as well as immune system functionality overall, making them more susceptible to illness of all kinds.
- Exposure to xeno-estrogenic substances in the environment (from plastics, leaded gasoline, chemicals and pollutants in the food and water supplies) that create the right climate and predispose one to cancerous conditions developing.
- Similarly, exposure to chemicals in cleaning products, perfumes, anti-bacterial soaps and personal hygiene products that can detriment health.
- The entire question of diet has been completely overlooked. Rich people tend to eat rich foods, in the form of red meat and dairy -both- of which can create an internal environment (in TCM terms: dampness) that would allow cysts and tumors to develop (especially if the above are not from organic sources).
Week 12: Reintroduction of the American Bison
To the Native American people of the prairie, the Buffalo has always represented their very spirit and cultural heritage -while- embodying their freedom, and their lifestyle of living in harmony with nature as Great Spirit taught them. Because of this, the systematic annihilation of the Buffalo by the American government, was a deliberate, purposeful and unfortunately successful attempt to conquer and suppress the Indian people, their beliefs and cultures. This was done as a means to the end of stealing their land and resources for our own selfish purposes.
For all of these reasons, and especially because the reintroduction of the Buffalo population will “heal the spirit of both the Indian people, and the Buffalo” it is of vital importance that this effort is successful. The renewed hope that the resurrection of the sacred relationship between the Indian people and the Buffalo will provide to both, is a much needed healing balm to the national wound we all share. When the Indian people become whole again, so too, will we as a
nation.
For all of these reasons, and especially because the reintroduction of the Buffalo population will “heal the spirit of both the Indian people, and the Buffalo” it is of vital importance that this effort is successful. The renewed hope that the resurrection of the sacred relationship between the Indian people and the Buffalo will provide to both, is a much needed healing balm to the national wound we all share. When the Indian people become whole again, so too, will we as a
nation.
Week 11: Assess the end-goals of “Social Ecology”
Social Ecology analyzes “the various political and social institutions that people use in relationship to nature and its resources”. These institutions include: “systems of economic production, cultural systems of reproduction, laws & politics as well as ideas and ideologies“.
Radical Ecology is social ecology that pushes the envelope by encouraging “new patterns of production, reproduction and consciousness” while seeking to transform the current paradigm. It does this by challenging the political and economic status quo, while offering alternative answers to these age-old questions.
True learning and subsequent change follow a predictable arch be they personal or global. First one has to realize that there is a problem with the present methodologies, which sparks the desire for change. Next, viable alternatives and solutions must be identified. Then, a plan for transforming the current paradigm into the alternate reality must be developed. And finally, the plan must be put into action. Ultimately, it takes time, energy and serious commitment to change in order to bring such broad personal and social transformations about. Change can be challenging on the individual level, and seemingly improbable on the global level, considering all the various political and economic agendas of the countries and peoples involved…but, it is not impossible…if we all have the same goal: to save our planet. When all is said an done, it’s the only home we have. Hopefully, that will be motivation enough.
Radical Ecology is social ecology that pushes the envelope by encouraging “new patterns of production, reproduction and consciousness” while seeking to transform the current paradigm. It does this by challenging the political and economic status quo, while offering alternative answers to these age-old questions.
True learning and subsequent change follow a predictable arch be they personal or global. First one has to realize that there is a problem with the present methodologies, which sparks the desire for change. Next, viable alternatives and solutions must be identified. Then, a plan for transforming the current paradigm into the alternate reality must be developed. And finally, the plan must be put into action. Ultimately, it takes time, energy and serious commitment to change in order to bring such broad personal and social transformations about. Change can be challenging on the individual level, and seemingly improbable on the global level, considering all the various political and economic agendas of the countries and peoples involved…but, it is not impossible…if we all have the same goal: to save our planet. When all is said an done, it’s the only home we have. Hopefully, that will be motivation enough.
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