Week 13 - Vaccinations : Cumpulsary or no?

I do not support that. I believe that keeping some of the older diseases alive may help prevent mother earth from making newer more potent diseases to try and rid herself of large numbers of humans, as she has the need and right to do.

I also believe that some parents feel strongly about not vaccinated their children and until we truly know that safety and dangers of vaccines, we can not ethically make them mandatory.

Week 13 - immunization schedules

This could quickly get complicated. Parents already have the freedom to control, not only the schedule, but whether their children get immunized at all. I don't like the word "should". I think this subject is on the fine line of "where is out medicine going". Currently, most americans listen to their doctor and do not question too broadly. If we start to put the power back into the peoples hands, we have to have some helpers for them. Many americans grew up not feeling responsible for their health. We get reminders from our dentist, our GP our ob/gyn, and we don't have a great amount of options when we don need something treated. I hope we are heading the direction of handing the power to the people so that we do start to take more pro-active and preventative action for ourselves.

Week 10 - Child Cancer Risk

I wonder how much the chemical splay in the role of these children getting cancer. I understand that their lack of exposure to germs makes their immune system weaker in the long run, but the chemicals used to clean their homes must be equally damaging. It' easy to understand how poisonous those chemicals are just from getting a whiff of them. In the past, poisonous man made chemicals have been proven to cause caner and that seems a more likely cause than germs that others seem to be able to fend off.

Week 10 - Introduction of American Bison

WE have to be careful not to introduce them so quickly that there are too many of them and not enough land. The Bison are native to America but thrived when America was a much less populated and polluted area. We have to be careful and educate the people about bison and their behavior, how they migrate, reproduce and how much open space they require. We also have to regulate Bison hunting and Bison producing meat farms. It could be a first step toward Americans learning , for the first time, to live in harmony with other animals.

Week 9 -Social Economy

Social ecology strives to bring humans back into balance with the larger ecosystem of our planet. It hopes to make us aware of the unnecessary destruction that comes from production of products that support an unnatural way of living. It wants humans to focus more on our basic human needs, which would undoubtedly bring us to the realization that our survival depends entirely on the healthy existence of our earth.

Week 9 - Strong & Fragile Ecosystems

Ecosystems support generations of many different organisms. They make life possible for everything on earth excluding humans. They are fragile because they can be destroyed easily. in order to support that much life, they require a natural balance within. If a road is built through the middle of a forest or the ground is dug up to extract phosphate, it will destroy the balance and chance for life of the tiniest bug to the tallest trees. It is analogous to pulling one thread and unraveling a sweater but much more severe and once the sweater is unraveled it can't be knit back together.

Week 9 - Deep Ecology

I enjoyed our class discussion on this topic. It appears so simple and idealistic in it's view but the repercussions could be devastating. Social movements, as opposed to "top-down" approach, are much more effective. The peer pressure from friends, family, neighbors would be much more effective than a forceful hand. I, personally, appreciate (sometimes) when my friends hold me accountable for certain beliefs and practices. It is helpful to be given gentle or not-so gentle reminders, to put on a sweater instead of using the heat, to open the fridge only once, to take quick showers, to wash the dishes with less water etc. These things are extremely important to the survival of this planet. I don't think people will understand the true need for Deep Ecology principles if it was forced on them. Most people would probably see it as having things taken from them. If it were a social movement, it might be viewed more as giving something to the earth.

Week 8 - Western Approaches to HIV/AIDS

I believe there is a genuine desire, on the part of the doctor's and scientists to find helpful medications and cures. I can see their frustration from this seemingly unbeatable problem. I don't know a lot about the drugs that are included in the "cocktail" but the immune boosters they take are also drugs. These antibiotics tend to be very cold in nature and damaging to the intestinal flora and fauna. This damage makes it much more difficult to fight of infection because we already have an internal pathogen, cold, and the food and fluids we take are not properly digested, further compromising our immunity. I think it would greatly benefit western treatments to be more conscious of diet and antibiotic "side-effects".

The more social and ethical questions of "who's disease is this?", gays drug users, poor africans is one the west may have created. This appears to be a disease that can infect almost anyone. So many people are infected that it's odd this disease, above cancer or depression or Parkinson's or multiple sclerosis, has become a social, religious, gender, sexual orientation, economic status -stigma. I am not sure what causes people to want to separate "you from me", perhaps fear or greed, but this one is global, more than any other disease in human history. It's time the countries with means made these drugs actually affordable, as in FREE!!!

Week 8 - Can TCM Strengthen our Immune System

Yes. Yes. Yes. I don't know that I can elaborate on this anymore than YES!!!

this is kind of the whole point. So much of TCM is preventative and therefore could be incredibly beneficial to Americans who tend to treat there bodies as annoyance or objects to be maintained.

Week 8 - The Deal that Saved the Whale

I personally wish there was more concern and regulation on commercial development across international borders. Many of the countries in latin america are rapidly building along their coastline. Many of the builders are foreign and have little concern for the environment and lifestyle of the native people. The deal that saved the whale is great if it can hold the test of time. Over the past 10 years, Mexico has become an increasingly popular beach vacation spot for tourists. This had led to enormous increase in development along the coastline, especially the Pacific. The land between Rosarito and Cabo San Lucas is extremely deserted. This land is practically uninhabitable dessert. Now that the country is in turmoil, these building projects have been stopped and there is a mess of unfinished construction lining this coast.

In the United States we currently have over 10% of our commercial real estate vacant in every major city and this number is steadily increasing. in order to avoid this for developing countries, it would be beneficial for all, environment included, if more thought went into true need and layout of construction. Hopefully, we can manage this before we build over every piece of coastline only to abandon these buildings come recession.

Week 7 - Genes still Changing

Sure, why not. If they weren't then we would either be in an evolutionary freeze or we would be devolving. Maybe we are devolving. Maybe we have become such an unhealthy parasite that nature is causing us to be less fertile. I don't know, it difficult to say because we have so much medicine and other ways to keep us alive. Also, the way we live is so far from nature that it's difficult to say. Are we evolving to be better at working long hours and living in city air? I don't know. I hope not.

Week 7 - TCM & Cancer

TCM views cancer as a pathogenic symptom that affects many different parts of the body and therefore must be treated comprehensively. TCM doesn't cut things out of the body or view things as separate from the body. Once the pathogen has invaded us internally, it is now part of us. Tumors are thought of as Phlegm invading the body. This Phlegm can be dispersed and dissolved. TCM will also look to see how the Phlegm was created and attempt to protect the body from future invasion.

TCM views all pathogens as things to treat while healing and supporting the body. Western Medicine views most things as separate from the body and detrimental to our survival. Therefore the thing must be removed at all cost of the health of the patient. TCM understands that through eating healthy, sleeping well, not over-working or over-stressing, we can live with pathogens in our bodies. We can live a balanced healthful life with dignity. Western Medicines view of "life" is simply as the opposite of death. TCM views life as being present and healthful, with a calm mind and open heart.

Week 7 - Sophisticated Understanding of Cancer

I think Western Medicine has a very sophisticated understanding of Cancer cells. In general, I don't think our understanding of Cancer is complete enough to be considered sophisticated. We still, apparently, don't know really why cancer happens. We don't understand all the objectives in causing cancer to appear in ones body. We seem to really understand on a micro level what cancer does in our body and even how it starts but we don't know the why.

Sophistication is a cultural, relative term. For example, the chimps using the stick to dig for termites, we view this as sophisticated for chimps, but primitve for us. We may think a high paid female professional wearing designer clothes is sophisticated but if she were to move to Tokyo, she may be considered, overly confident and showy, not sophisticated. I believe that westerns really dislike not having a solid answer. As a result, we delve deep into what we do know, hoping this may make-up for some of what we don't know. We can know every molecule of a cancer cell and how it lives and reacts in the body. This will not change the fact that we don't know why cancer happens.

Week 7 - Bibliography from GMO presentation

Here is the Bibliography from my GMO presentation. 

www.wikipedia.com

www.saynotogmos.org

www.athenews.com

www.monsanto.com

www.cargill.com

www.sanofi-aventis.us

www.conagrafoods.com

www.unilever.com

www.deruiterseeds.com

www.syngenta.com

www.seedsofdeception.com

www.kraft.com

www.percyschmeiser.com

www.globalpublicmedia.com

www.truefoodnow.org

biotechnologyonline.org

www.politicalfriendster.com

www.seedsaversexchange.com

www.thecampaign.org

www.safe-food.org

www.fda.gov

Week 6 - Language and Tools in Chimps

I think it shows that other animals are much more sophisticated than we give them credit for. The have highly developed ways of communication and survival. We seem to forget that they have survived, often times, much longer than we have. They have been able to adapt even as we push them to the brink of extinction. Why do we believe that having the ability to wipe out the planet makes us the most evolved? I would argue the opposite.

Chimps have shown that they learn techniques from each other and not just from other chimp tribes but from humans too. In this sense they are more evolved than we are, learning from other species how best to secure their own survival. I have heard that in a nuclear holocaust only cockroaches would survive. Why don't we start studying how to be more like cockroaches? 

Week 6 - Chinese Medicine Gaining Respectability in the West

It's an interesting paradigm that in order to gain respectability, Acupuncture must be given the stamp of approval by Western Medicine, or so some people think. Will it be that the very thing that is failing to help so many Americans is the same thing that will grant approval for their path to whole health.

The Doctor's language in this article was tellingly defensive. If these Doctor's went into the field of medicine to help people get healthy, then why would they so quickly discredit Acupuncture with it's thousands of years of researched study? 

The reason I see, is they might feel threatened. One can only have so many patients seek alternative healing methods before they must realize that their way is not the only way.

I think that Jill said it best..."Western Medicine is excellent at Traumatology."

Week 6 - Living and Non-living

I consider all things in our natural world to be part of a living system. All these systems can be broken down in definitely into smaller and smaller living systems. All these beings, plants, dirt, rock, animals, air, clouds, water have movement, breath, energy, light, pressure, food that they use and need to continue to exist. I consider most manmade object to be part of a non-living system. The desks, carpet and light that help make up a classroom don't need to exist in order for the classroom to exist and the classroom doesn't exist in order for those objects to exist. There is a purpose but no mutual regenerating relationship between the two. Also consider an oil field. The oil does not need the machine in order to continue being oil and the oil doesn't exist to give the machines purpose. These man made things are inserted into the world with no reciprocal purpose. They do not create or contribute to the process of life and in many cases they destroy it.

Week 5 - Diversification

Absolutely. The more mono-crops the easier it is for insects and fungii to form. Diversification in species, especially our food is the only way to guarantee a steady food supply. Have we forgotten the potato famine that devastated Ireland? Mono-crops hurt the soil from lack of rotation and therefore variety in nutrients. They hurt animals and insects that feed on variety and strengthen very specific predators while potentially killing these predators competitors. Diversification not only saves one species but many. If mother nature wanted acres and acres of mono-crops she would grow things that way.

Week 5 - Broccoli

I am neutral on broccoli, I prefer cauliflower and cabbage to broccoli. It is so classically western that these scientists need to understand how these things work on a molecular level before they are able to confirm that we may be able to help prevent cancer with the things we eat. This focus on the small parts of the whole often lead to "side-effects" and improperly prescribed medications. Instead of telling people to eat more vegetables, we can now take a pill that isolates the DNA repair genes. Who is to say that these pills will have the same effect as eating the food itself? As Heather suggested, I too would like to see the studies comparing organic to non-organic broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower.

Week 5 - Chicken or the Egg

I vote for the eggs, plural. This logic makes sense to me, an egg that hatches a chicken is a chicken egg whether it came from an actual chicken or not. This is the scary thing about implanting a Wooly mammoth egg into an elephant. Nature probably had hundreds if not thousands of years of trials to get that chicken egg to continually be a chicken. What are the implications of messing with mother natures time line?

I researched a bit about egg laying and the wide end comes first, the thin end gets "pinched off".

Week 4 - Chimps and Humans

It makes more sense to me that we diverged from chimps much more slowly and in a less linear manner than previously thought. Humans are complex and very specialized beings, as are chimps. It seems more likely that nature took it's time in separating us into two different beings with different skills and forms. I wonder, what was the need to separate us? Perhaps mother earth took her time in making us because she had the foresight to understand the potential outcome of our existence.

Week 4 - Dopamine

Research shows that we possess the ability to raise our own levels of dopamine, whether we are aware of the ability is the greater question. Western society teaches dependence on doctor's and drugs for verification that "something is wrong". My goal with Acupuncture is to help people realize their own self-healing powers. Many people need permission to feel empowered. There are many reasons that people are unhappy today but many of those can fall under the category of poor habits. 

Week 4 - Drugs for Everything

It might seem like we have a drug for everything but I don't think that really explains what's going on. Doctor's maybe prescribe a drug for just about any symptom but that doesn't mean that specific drug is the best for those symptoms. All these "side effects", as Larry says, are really direct effects. This tells me that we have a lot of drugs but they don't necessarily do what we would like them to do. Each person and each symptom is so specific that mass producing, for example a migraine drug or a depression drug, doesn't solve the specific problem that person may be having. So, yes we have a lot of drugs and you will be given a drug for what ever you complain about, but no they aren't properly prescribed. I mean if we had a drug for everything then there would be no cancer, no aids, no multiple sclerosis.

Week 3 - Quiz

For some reason, biology has always been too abstract for me. Abstract may be the wrong, regardless, I did not do very well on the quiz.

Week 3 - Humans and Chimps

I think it's only natural that we would have similar genes to other animals. I bet if we keep looking, there are many animals that are more similar to each other or to us than we first thought. All beings are unique in their own right, but how unique is the new question.

Week 2 - Evo Devo

Evolutionary and developmental biology is some of the most fascinating stuff happening on our planet. I do not have the true love of this subject required to be involved at the research level. I can therefore only critique and marvel at what I read. I have true respect for those scientist who are so devoted to this research. I find myself often taking a moral high ground when it comes to research involving other species. I fully understand the unending curiosity about where humans came from. My concern lies with the method to finding these answers. I have reservations about manipulating genes, stem cell research and recreating exticnt animals. I also have enormous moral and ethical beliefs that make it difficult for me to understand any benefit that comes from caging and manipulating other animals. 

I want to continue to evolve and adapt to our environment. The possibility to grow our own replacement organs is fascinating and has extreme benefits to our survival, but at what cost. When do we start putting equal emphasis on effect that we put on cause?

Week 2 - What does Darwinism mean to me?

When I think of Darwinism, I first picture a man, centuries ago, traveling half around the world in search of answers and new questions. I have enormous respect for someone, not only so adventurous and daring, but so inquisitive and creative. It is difficult, for me, to think of a time when the general belief was that we all came from God. The "idea" of inherited traits did not even exist. Darwin took this small, but significant piece of insight and launched a new field of thought; a new path to dicovering where we as species come from. 

There is an interesting parallel to the wide range of study that has come from Darwinism and the recent understanding that evolution is not linear. Darwin had great discoveries and ideas but he did not discover the "explanation" of evolution. Evolution itself evolves. I am very interested in evolutionary theory and I am curious about what we are evolving toward. I believe that it is extremely important to remain curious and continuously seek new knowledge. With this new found knowledge and ability comes great ethical responsibility. I think it is disastrous to use the argument that Darwinism is a theory and is taught in our schools, therefore creationism should also be taught in our schools. I think it is far more important to teach our children to be curious, responsible and adaptable. Any religion whether it be Darwinism, creationism or christianity falls short of evolving. No idea or theory is true above all else, and no idea or theory is true forever. We have to be willing to change with the earth and learn to listen to the environment. If we remain stubborn and stagnant, the earth will rid itself of us. 

Week 1 Discussion

What about the development of "Artificial brains"?

Jill brought up a really interesting point in that, as humans we are studying animals in relation to ourselves. We force these animals to use their appendages as if they were human arms and hands. Attempting to recreate a rat brain, more specifically the parts for reason and self-awareness allows for enormous assumptions. What makes a rat self-aware? How could humans possibly know what self-aware is for anything other than our own selves? I believe the recent advances in technology are extraordinary, but what are they good for? Do some humans truly believe they are so evolved that besides eternal life, we have no where to go and must therefore exploit and manipulate other beings? I do not view advancements in science, due to the exploitation of another species, as advancements. It's like the cat playing with it's prey before it eats it. This is action is truly selfish. I believe this type of science is truly selfish but sold under the mask of "advancing our species".

Week 1 Bio

My name is Heid Engel Kalejs. I am recently married and new to the bay area. I enjoy all activities in the outdoors. I have become less extreme with these in the last few years, no more bunjgee jumping or skydiving!! I am the youngest of tow, I have and older sister who has one kid Thomas. He is the cutest being I have ever known, it is very different when kids are related to you (I have found). I am excited to be at AIMC and meet all the other students. This journey, so far, looks quite promising.