Week 6: The Nature of Life

Patenting DNA- did the Supreme Court get this one right?

Thank God the Supreme Court over-ruled Myriad Genetics Inc. to patent certain bits of human DNA the company had isolated in developing tests for breast and ovarian cancer. In politics- certain 'hallmark' cases can often pave the way for other cases of its kind to follow suit. The Supreme Court ruled that naturally occurring genes of human DNA cannot become private property of a company. If Myriad Genetics Inc. had won the case, who knows what kind of groundwork for patenting other bits of human DNA could have followed suit? Cattle raising companies patenting cattle DNA and suing other cattle farms for copyright infringement?

"There's significant interest in establishing and evidence base for acupuncture and reproductive health." Is this an advancement for TCM?

The interest in establishing an evidence base for acupuncture and reproductive health would definitely be an advancement for TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) as there are many infertile women who turn to Western medicine to figure out how to become pregnant. If TCM can provide a provable and legitimate- all natural means to helping women become fertile- it raises the the reputation of TCM and opens up the doorways to treating a whole population that may then in turn- seek out TCM for other health matters as well.

Week 5: The Complexity of Life

Are Fukushima tuna safe to eat?

It is unsure whether Pacific Bluefin Fukushima tuna pose any significant threat to human health. Regardless, these tuna were discovered to have radioactive Cesium from the Fukushima nuclear melt-down. When researcher Nicholas Fisher is quoted for saying the tuna have an 'essentially negligible' impact on human health," in one breath, and then, "I wouldn't necessarily encourage [people] to eat these fish," it is clear that the exact impact on human health is unknown. The fact remains- if radioactive cesium was discovered in these fish- then if we eat them- we will be consuming this radioactivity. If one cares to eat radioactive fish- it would be wise to buffer the body's defense with a supplement called Liquid Zeolite which removes almost all radioactive particles from the body while providing crucial minerals that buffer's the body's defense against assimilating radioactive particles. If one wants to be one the safe side, then one should "eat something else," as Fisher puts."

Can we control our sugar habit?

I think New York's idea to tax high sugar drinks is actually brilliant, though I do doubt that for people who are really addicted to Coca Cola, for instance, that a tax would keep them back from drinking Coke unless it was a really high tax. I also thought New York's idea to impose a size limit on sugary drinks for sale was a great idea. The problem- of course- is that sugary drinks are very addictive. It does seem though that New York's effort to impose limits around the purchase of sugary drinks was really helpful as there was a 6-7% drop in the amount of people who were drinking one sugary drink a day during the campaign. Maybe co-current with the campaign could be a boost in the advertisement of fruit and all of their healthful qualities/effects.

Do you vote for the chicken or the egg?

I thought the article had a good point about the egg coming before the chicken. The chicken obviously had to come from an egg. It makes sense that this egg was laid when two bird species got together, mated, and laid an egg that had DNA from both species that when mixed- gave birth to a new species- the chicken.

Week 4: The Pattern of Life

How do we view "Animal Intelligence?"

Human beings or rather, scientists, tend to measure animal intelligence in human terms. Reality is a lens through which perspective always plays a part- so animal intelligence cannot really be evaluated on its own terms without the framework of the humans who set up certain tests to measure animal intelligence. However- it seems a little ridiculous that the ape enrichment programs involves letting chimps play games on iPads while reaching their arms through a metal gate to get to the game. This seems like an extreme example and perhaps one that could be replaced by letting the chimps roam open fields. When studying animal intelligence- scientists of course measure animal intelligence to comparable ages of humans in terms of skill level. There does seem to be a kind of cutesy child-like awe humans have in regards to testing animal intelligence- where amusement takes the place of empathy and animals are locked in cages while humans sit back and go, "oh- look at the cute smart monkey."

I had the throw in this interesting tidbit of info since we were asked to look at Fritjof Capra. His nephew, Pablo Capra, is my poetry publisher: lifeasapoet.com…and my favorite book of Fritjof Capra's is the Tao of Physics- where he shows how Eastern philosophy is backed up by Western physics. Amongst these insights were the Buddhist idea of Emptiness, where everything is seen as empty, and that our minds therefore influence matter more than we think. Capra backed this up by showing that more than 99% of an atom, was in fact, space, and so that what we see as concrete and material, was in fact, almost totally empty.