tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85098334946120636592024-03-12T19:24:28.511-07:00Marin Science Seminar4 Teens - marinscienceseminar.comUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger199125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-29705117580222215282023-12-04T21:11:00.000-08:002023-12-09T18:35:32.078-08:00Five Health Challenges that Were Deadly Before Antibiotics<span id="docs-internal-guid-7fdcf88e-7fff-0369-340c-a1007a9cc694"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>Nola Palestrant, Tamalpais High School </i></span></span></p></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-7fdcf88e-7fff-0369-340c-a1007a9cc694"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /><span> </span>In 1928, Sir Alexander Fleming accidentally discovered humanity’s first antibiotic, Penicillin, which would come to revolutionize medicine. Antibiotics are a type of medicine that fight infections caused by bacteria. Bacteria are prokaryotes - single-celled organisms that lack a nucleus or other membrane-bound organelles. They were the first life forms to appear on earth, and have been interacting with humans since the dawn of our existence. Bacteria infect us in a variety of ways, including by penetrating our skin, riding in airborne particles that we inhale, residing in the food we eat, and transmitting through contact with vectors. Once inside our bodies, they rapidly reproduce, invading our cells to survive and grow, and sometimes releasing toxins. Though not all bacteria are harmful, those that are can infect almost every part of our bodies. Antibiotics function by killing bacteria outright or disabling their growth. Before the invention and widespread use of antibiotics, many infections were fatal, especially in vulnerable population groups. We can now cure most of them easily and are even able to prevent certain bacteria from causing harm through the use of vaccines. Antibiotics have been instrumental in allowing us to live longer and healthier lives. Here are some medical problems that were deadly in a pre-antibiotic era, but are now largely treatable with the use of antibiotics. </span></p><p style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-f4ac6aa4-7fff-7698-cc71-0eb804d748ea" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></p><ol style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px; text-align: left;"><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Strep Throat</span></p></li></ol><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>Strep throat, also known as streptococcal pharyngitis, is an infection caused by the bacteria </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Group A Streptococcus</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> (GAS). Strep throat is transmitted through air and saliva, and includes symptoms of a sore throat, fever, and swollen lymph nodes. There are more than three million cases of strep throat in the U.S. each year.</span></span><div><span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>With modern antibiotics, the duration of strep throat is around 7-10 days, and the majority of people experience no complications. The lack of complications is primarily a result of antibiotics. However, without treatments, the situation can be dire.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>Many unwanted medical conditions can result from untreated strep throat. Rheumatic fever can result from untreated strep throat, causing inflammation of the brain, heart, joints, and skin. Rheumatic fever has largely disappeared from industrialized countries due to the use of GAS-inhibiting antibiotics. Without additional medical care, it can lead to rheumatic heart disease (damaged heart valves). Strep throat can also lead to kidney disease, called </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>Without antibiotics, GAS can spread from the throat to other parts of the body, including the sinuses and ears. Ear infections can cause children’s eardrums to burst, and the bacteria can pass into the brain, leading to meningitis. Thankfully, many children who develop ear infections today won’t see serious repercussions, as antibiotics inhibit bacteria before they can cause irrevocable harm.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>Antibiotics, including Penicillin, have been instrumental in minimizing the consequences of strep throat. Today, cases of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Group A Streptococcus</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> infections in the U.S. are only severe in 12,000 people, and fatal in 1,300.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9pNJDzDphCO3KEFz_Ts3MqzCFCpLY0S6h9xHljKSXh8LbD_g7_OwnFPjHCQ_eOT1CX1p0-yiEtjhHlCnDKSr_oTuRiwwEhBDRbYf8dRTpgFCudauQgwAru_GiTWSfPrTLAJps7_stUv8KfIJY0DMsg4DSrf5uRmLSyuqW85LzlpW8UDeuSRdn6yvAMsMW" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="1023" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9pNJDzDphCO3KEFz_Ts3MqzCFCpLY0S6h9xHljKSXh8LbD_g7_OwnFPjHCQ_eOT1CX1p0-yiEtjhHlCnDKSr_oTuRiwwEhBDRbYf8dRTpgFCudauQgwAru_GiTWSfPrTLAJps7_stUv8KfIJY0DMsg4DSrf5uRmLSyuqW85LzlpW8UDeuSRdn6yvAMsMW" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Group A Streptococcus (GAS), </i>the bacteria that typically causes strep throat</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px; text-align: left;"><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Tuberculosis</span></p></li></ol></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>Tuberculosis (TB) is an infection caused by the bacteria </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Mycobacterium tuberculosis</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. It severely affects the lungs and is transmitted through airborne droplets. A TB infection goes through many stages, though Active TB doesn’t typically occur until months or even years after exposure and initial illness. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>At present, there are fewer than 200,000 cases of TB per year in the U.S.; but between 1600 and 1800, TB was responsible for a quarter of all deaths in Europe. If left untreated, two-thirds of those who contract TB in its various forms will die.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>Miliary Tuberculosis is caused when </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">M. tuberculosis </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">enters the bloodstream and spreads throughout the body. It’s so named because of millet-like spots found on organs.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>Tuberculous meningitis occurs when bacteria infect the membranes of the brain and spinal cord to cause inflammation. These layers are necessary for protection, and so infection can be life-threatening. With modern medicine, only 15-30% of patients with TB meningitis will die, while 20% will experience lasting effects such as brain damage, epilepsy, paralysis, and hearing loss.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>Bone and joint tuberculosis impacts the spine, long bones, and joints, and typically isn’t diagnosed until TB is in its late stages. Bone and joint TB can lead to paralysis, neurological complications, limb shortening, and bone deformities. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>Other problems arising from tuberculosis include: urogenital tuberculosis; pleural and pericardial effusions, where fluid builds up between tissues in the lungs and heart; and abdominal TB, which can incite problems with intestinal and reproductive organs.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>TB can be treated with antibiotics, though it is a strenuous process and can take years for the disease to be fully eliminated. Even with this drawback, TB is incredibly infectious and deadly without proper treatment. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span><ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px; text-align: left;"><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Bacterial Meningitis</span></p></li></ol><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>Bacterial Meningitis is a severe infection in the meninges - the three membranes that line the brain and the spinal cord. They protect the central nervous system, and in the case of meningitis, become inflamed. While meningitis can be caused by both viruses and bacteria, bacterial meningitis tends to be more harmful.</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>The bacterium that typically cause bacterial meningitis is </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">streptococcus pneumoniae, neisseria meningitis, listeria monocytogenes, and staphylococcus aureus.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> These bacteria don’t specifically attack your meninges. As they infect other parts of your body, they cause infections there, each with its own unique complications. They result in meningitis by chance, and when they do, these bacteria can have detrimental effects. </span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>Meningitis is frequently accompanied by sepsis, a serious condition that results in multiorgan failure and shock. Sepsis is often fatal.</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>Even when bacterial meningitis is not deadly, it can cause strokes and significant brain damage, leaving victims with issues such as memory problems, learning disabilities, seizures, movement disorders, and paralysis.</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>Even with the assistance of antibiotics, 1 in 10 people who contract bacterial meningitis will die, and 1 in 5 will experience serious complications. However, in the pre-antibiotic era, the mortality rate for bacterial meningitis was nearly 100%. Medical advances have enabled us to treat and prevent such infections through vaccination and cleanliness. </span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><span> </span><span> </span>4. </b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700; text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Childbirth</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>More than three million babies are born every year in the U.S., yet 1,000 mothers will die from childbirth. Five infants in every 1,000 births won’t survive. However, up until the 1930s, mothers and babies routinely perished in childbirth. </span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>In the late 18th century, maternal death rates were estimated to be about 25 per 1,000 women. Because of the high total fertility rate (average number of children a woman bears), the likelihood of childbirth complications was significant. Sepsis, a condition where the body improperly responds to an infection, was the cause of half of these deaths. Accounting for another large portion of deaths were uterine infections that led to Puerperal fever.</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>British doctor Irvine Loudon described puerperal fever; “A woman could be delivered on Monday, happy and well with her newborn baby on Tuesday, feverish and ill by Wednesday evening, delirious and in agony with peritonitis on Thursday, and dead on Friday or Saturday.” </span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>In 1900, one in every six American infants died before their first birthday. Infections were a primary contributor to this number. Death rates for mothers and infants dropped when antibiotics were developed, able to combat the bacteria responsible for so many deaths. A decreased maternal and infant mortality rate played a large role in enabling a spike in population growth. Without the development of antibiotics to lower the fatalities associated with childbirth, bringing new life into the world would be very different.</span></p><p style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></p><ol start="5" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px; text-align: left;"><li aria-level="1" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">General Infections</span></p></li></ol></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>Bacteria are everywhere, and people are always susceptible to infections by them. In a pre-antibiotic era, even the smallest infections were typically incurable.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>Minor surgical procedures often had very high infection risks. Because no other medicine existed, people were forced to clear those infections in ways that increased their susceptibility to additional infections, such as amputation or surgery. Those who contracted severe infections succumbed to them.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) caused by bacteria were often deadly. Syphilis eventually leads to paralysis, blindness, heart disease, and death. It also caused many neurological problems. Gonorrhea and chlamydia had severe consequences as well.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>Staphylococcus aureus</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> is a bacteria that causes a wide variety of infections and symptoms. In the time before antibiotics, 80% of </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">staphylococcus aureus </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">infections were fatal. The bacteria would cause abscesses, cellulitis (inflammation of connective tissue), and bloodstream infections. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>Pneumonia was another prevalent bacterial disease that claimed many lives. It occurs when one or both of the lungs become infected, and the air sacs fill with fluid or pus. Up until the 1940s, medical books recommended harmful practices like bloodletting to cure pneumonia.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>E. coli infections were problematic in the pre-antibiotic era. E. coli bacteria are often found in the intestines, but can reside in a number of locations. They can cause urinary tract infections, intestinal infections, and diarrhea, and may lead to life-threatening cases of kidney failure and other serious issues.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span>Antibiotics have played a critical role in reducing mortality from all of these infections, and they will continue to do so as medical science advances. Along with improvements in sanitation and illness prevention, we have managed to dramatically increase life spans, and can treat a multitude of infections that were deadly before the invention of antibiotics.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVeWk1tVCg1fnVTNfPm4BIPUs7ygxsDZBut-_T0G-cd-GMNVuOyy8MoE0B7qfOaJcQf7KiAHPAEhOZGS4UErOwuChMYvHxJGS3dWhREqIe1w8KCYwJC12y55OgiBERKMYvUS3FK8-1I_D2CmaRB1V8MZePuGtnhpx2Px5fNTavR-1iMee_U1qjEb_qGA5d" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="776" data-original-width="745" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVeWk1tVCg1fnVTNfPm4BIPUs7ygxsDZBut-_T0G-cd-GMNVuOyy8MoE0B7qfOaJcQf7KiAHPAEhOZGS4UErOwuChMYvHxJGS3dWhREqIe1w8KCYwJC12y55OgiBERKMYvUS3FK8-1I_D2CmaRB1V8MZePuGtnhpx2Px5fNTavR-1iMee_U1qjEb_qGA5d" width="230" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Staphylococcus aureus, </i>the bacteria responsible for several infections<br /><br />Works Cited</td></tr></tbody></table></span></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">“\/.” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">YouTube</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">, 16 June 2023, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.uptodate.com/contents/epidemiology-of-community-acquired bacterial-meningitis-in-adults/print. Accessed 23 November 2023.</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">“Bacterial Meningitis: Causes and How It's Spread.” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Healthline</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, 7 June 2016, https://www.healthline.com/health/bacterial-meningitis-causes-and-how-they-re-spread. Accessed 23 November 2023.</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">“Easy to treat now, but not in 1900.” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The Independent</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, 24 November 2000, https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/easy-to-treat-now-but-not-in-1900-622045.html. Accessed 23 November 2023.</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">“Escherichia coli (E. coli) - MN Dept. of Health.” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Minnesota Department of Health</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, 5 October 2022, https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/ecoli/index.html. Accessed 23 November 2023.</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">“Group A Strep Fact Sheet.” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">CDPH</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/CDPH%20Document%20Library/GASFactSheet.pdf. Accessed 23 November 2023.</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Gunawardhana, Nuwan, and Sophia Smith. “Meningitis: Symptoms, Causes, Types, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Treatment, Risks, Vaccine.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Healthline</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, https://www.healthline.com/health/meningitis. Accessed 23 November 2023.</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">“The History of Antibiotics - The History of Antibiotics.” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">HealthyChildren.org</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">,</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">15 November 2019,</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/treatments/Pages/The-History-of-Antibiotics.aspx. Accessed 23 November 2023.</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">“History | World TB Day | TB.” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">CDC</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">, 18 October 2023,</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> https://www.cdc.gov/tb/worldtbday/history.htm. Accessed 23 November 2023.</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Hoyert, Donna L. “Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2021.” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">CDC</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, 16 March 2023, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/maternal-mortality/2021/maternal-mortality-rates-2021.htm. Accessed 23 November 2023.</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Murrell, Daniel. “Bone Tuberculosis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Healthline</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, 27 August 2018, https://www.healthline.com/health/bone-tuberculosis#symptoms. Accessed 23 November 2023.</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Murrell, Daniel. “Bone Tuberculosis: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Healthline</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, 27 August 2018, https://www.healthline.com/health/bone-tuberculosis#symptoms. Accessed 23 November 2023.</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Nardell, Edward A. “Miliary Tuberculosis (TB) - Infections.” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Merck Manuals</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">,</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/infections/tuberculosis-and-related-infections/miliary-tuberculosis-tb. Accessed 23 November 2023.</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Sealey, Toby. “Life before antibiotics (and maybe life after an antibiotic apocalypse).”</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">BBC</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, 19 November 2015, https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-34866829. Accessed 23 November 2023.</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">“Syphilis: The Facts.” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">CDC</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">,</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> https://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/the-facts/syphilis_bro_508.pdf. Accessed 23 November 2023.</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">“TB meningitis | Meningitis Now.” </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Meningitis Now</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, https://www.meningitisnow.org/meningitis-explained/types-of-meningitis/tb-meningitis/. Accessed 23 November 2023.</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“Tuberculosis - Symptoms & causes.” </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Mayo Clinic</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, 22 March 2023</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tuberculosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20351250. Accessed 23 November 2023.</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Images: </span><br /><span style="text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/microbeworld/5957846000</span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: times; text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/nihgov/33894910235</span></div></span></div></div>Nola Palestranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994925790037462611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-53249874682780658932023-11-26T21:38:00.000-08:002023-12-03T16:32:46.476-08:00Photos : Through the Fantastic Eyes of Frogs and Toads<i>By Adriana Sarahi Martinez, Terra Linda High School</i><div><span></span></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Through the Fantastic Eyes of Frogs and Toads : How Scientists Study What Frogs and Toads See with Rayna Bell</div><div><br /></div><div>(Original photography and artwork by Adriana Sarahi Martinez)</div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Rayna Bell explains that some frogs may have nocturnal color vision due to the structure of their eyes. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><img alt="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1urAM_CBOdY63ETcWpx-1nvcbJkcM50pv" src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1urAM_CBOdY63ETcWpx-1nvcbJkcM50pv" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In this image below, Bell illustrates the structure of how a frog's eye may look. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><img alt="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1XqxUDwQ64_aJG7Ewt7SaFf5aJsP_qRN3" src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1XqxUDwQ64_aJG7Ewt7SaFf5aJsP_qRN3" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; font-size: 12pt; height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Image of a small frog found near a bush.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><img alt="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1SDUj9t3TlbhPqrPyvV7Cj-EDGMw-suxe" src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1SDUj9t3TlbhPqrPyvV7Cj-EDGMw-suxe" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; font-size: 12pt; height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" /><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>Drawing of a Tree frog by Adriana Sarahi-Martínez</div><div style="text-align: left;"><img alt="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1udIYkIJMhB3i1Xh4PyzQg4b_LEs5CoTx" src="https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1udIYkIJMhB3i1Xh4PyzQg4b_LEs5CoTx" style="height: auto; max-height: 80%; max-width: 80%; width: auto;" /><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">Learn more at <a href="https://marinscienceseminar.com/through-the-fantastic-eyes-of-frogs-and-toads-how-scientists-study-what-frogs-and-toads-see/">Marin Science Seminar</a></div>Adriana Sarahi Martínezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14668278805382674280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-77661629444397225722023-11-19T19:27:00.000-08:002023-11-19T19:27:38.280-08:005 Uses of Artificial Intelligence in Our Every Day Lives<p style="text-align: left;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-a2013485-7fff-4a27-0cd3-6f61a039b02f" style="font-weight: normal;"><i><span style="font-family: times;">Nola Palestrant, Tamalpais High School</span></i></b></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-781de4dc-7fff-cb95-d6f5-a9a876c7a671" style="font-family: times;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is a branch of computer science that was created in the 1950s. Unlike previous computer programs, A.I. allows machines to think and behave like humans without being explicitly programmed on their courses of action. A.I. strives to mimic humans’ reasoning, intelligence, decision-making, learning, and perception abilities. There are many complex techniques being used in A.I., including Neural Networks, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning. A.I. has been the subject of many controversies for its security with personal information, fairness, and misinformation, and has been vilified in numerous books and films. Regardless, Artificial Intelligence is becoming increasingly common in our modern world. Here are some ways we interact with it in our daily lives. </span></p><br /><ol style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Music Recommendations</span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="text-wrap: nowrap;"> </span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">So many of us listen to music daily, and platforms like Spotify and Apple Music allow us to play the songs of our choosing at any moment. These services are so popular that they generate billions of dollars in revenue every year. The platforms couldn’t be the successful programs that they are without the use of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.). </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Music platforms use A.I. for a variety of functions. A.I. provides personalized recommendations based on content the user frequently listens to. It’ll suggest what it predicts you’ll enjoy and avoid what you’ll dislike. Through reinforcement learning – which involves rewarding or punishing certain behaviors – these services will curate songs that are a good fit for you. Along the same lines, platforms will use A.I. to generate specific playlists based on your taste. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Music platforms use Natural Language Processing (which helps computers to understand text) and Deep Learning (a way of processing data similar to the human brain to link messages that are not explicitly stated) to enhance search capabilities. When you search for a song, you don’t need to write the title entirely correctly for the program to answer with what you want. A.I. will establish connections between the words you write and the content you intend to see. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">As A.I. continues to grow, it will further transform the music industry. Currently, A.I. is revolutionizing production, breaking apart components of songs, and telling musicians which music will most satisfy their fans. As A.I. progresses, songs will be created entirely by A.I., underscoring the need and importance of musicians.</span></p><br /><ol start="2" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Virtual Assistants</span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="text-wrap: nowrap;"> </span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant were some of the first Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) to noticeably make its way into our homes. Released in 2011, 2014, and 2016, respectively, these devices revolutionized our interactions with technology. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The internet is no longer just at the tip of our fingers - it's at the tip of our tongues. With only a few words, users can know the weather next Tuesday, the directions to their favorite restaurant, or the complex workings of organic chemistry. Virtual Assistants allow tasks to be completed or questions to be answered hand-free and with ease. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Virtual Assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant utilize a variety of algorithms to transform our words into data and then respond to its commands. This procedure, known as Natural Language Processing, or NLP, enables computers to understand words or text, thereby allowing conversation between technology and humans. Other programs such as Pattern Matching Algorithm (a sub-part of NLP) and Natural Language Generation (allows the A.I. 's response to be comprehensible and thorough) are examples of Artificial Intelligence techniques in these Virtual Assistants. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In combination with A.I., these technologies can evolve into more efficient and dependable machines, with the potential of further advancement. The algorithms Virtual Assistants run on are constantly advancing, and as the data used to run these programs is trained even further, its capabilities will continue to improve. In addition, recent A.I. like ChatGPT could be integrated with older ones, creating increasingly powerful Virtual Assistants. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="240" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/wF0bcvnIWKiqvclWqFl2sMOyo1H79bm7E0l-gKtx0OzIIk3WwSZTcJLwSRnEwrt7eBQuqhwe3fD0G8JPgjCj7jcntrqKbtsaJQhPpDUygHn31rGtQwVXAeEV32TOk0EMt6QysYIIc0CxfAeOfWLXqx8" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: preserve;" width="300" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Facial Recognition on personal devices</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></div><div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><br /><ol start="3" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Facial Recognition</span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Facial recognition, most commonly known for its use on phones, is an A.I. based technology that allows a person to be recognized despite never being seen in those same clothes, that same hair, or that same lighting. We use facial recognition (also called Face ID) to unlock our phones or purchase apps, but it can be used for anything pertaining to identity verification. Although we don't think much of it, facial recognition is a complex process. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The computer analyzes faces using their visual geometry, which is the relationship between different facial features. A.I. compares the data gathered from the original image to all the faces in the picture, finding the one that is a match. Deep learning processes enable faces to be transformed into numerical expressions. They are then used to look for similarities between the known person and the expressions of every other face. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In addition, A.I. is used in facial recognition to separate the subject from the landscape and objects in the background. Facial recognition can also be used in broader ways, such as in searching for lost people and finding criminals. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Currently, facial recognition is being developed to recognize when a person is lying. It does this by discerning subtle changes in facial expressions. As facial recognition becomes more precise and widely used, it can help prevent hacking personal items, as the only way to access the material is by being physically recognized as the owner. Facial recognition could be used to detect tiredness and other problems that may affect driving abilities, thereby reducing injuries. </span></p><br /><ol start="4" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Navigation</span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="text-wrap: nowrap;"> </span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Navigation apps have become a critical part of modern transportation. Whenever we go to a new place, we no longer pull out a paper map; instead, our phones or cars direct us. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="text-wrap: nowrap;"> </span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Immediately upon setting the destination, we are told of the traffic conditions, when we will arrive, and how long the journey will take us. And if you take a wrong turn - don’t worry! - the map will adjust your route automatically. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="text-wrap: nowrap;"> </span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is instrumental in making these features available. Using data from specific areas in the past few weeks, the map will analyze the likelihood and severity of traffic, giving the user an accurate ETA. In cases when traffic is high, A.I. suggests alternate routes to get you to your destination faster.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="text-wrap: nowrap;"> </span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A.I. also takes into consideration road conditions, speed limits, and stop signs or lights. This allows it to decide the fastest route, not simply the shortest. It can also adjust to changes like road closures, crashes, or adverse weather.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This A.I. works using Graph Neural Networks, a program that can model changing data from the real world by translating it into graphs, and predict what will happen next time. It gathers this data through satellite imagery, crowdsourcing, user location data, and partnering with other companies.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In the future, A.I. could further analyze traffic data for common areas of traffic and accidents. This would enable navigation apps to route the user around such incidents before they occur. A.I. could also merge with satellites, combining data from things such as weather conditions and establishing routes more efficiently. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><br /></p><div><span style="font-family: times;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBrrldtwjBGY1fvK2PJwfRRbSlPfQqS_hxB6-e_r6LrECKcSujZ4V7ISUHwEXq2tiX21fDb6j3hfrKrYKnvBWlPwagiqIiO2cU18tcS26mMcsVQpSaAPCV_wEu_woUF4ybF3fZ4-2bbw6Cj2rAx8ZvoEmLANiZjewmLe1RvvUR0GhevTICQcFc-q1y47Jm/s5973/San_Francisco_(CA,_USA),_Point_Lobos_Avenue,_Autonomes_Auto_--_2022_--_112909%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4480" data-original-width="5973" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBrrldtwjBGY1fvK2PJwfRRbSlPfQqS_hxB6-e_r6LrECKcSujZ4V7ISUHwEXq2tiX21fDb6j3hfrKrYKnvBWlPwagiqIiO2cU18tcS26mMcsVQpSaAPCV_wEu_woUF4ybF3fZ4-2bbw6Cj2rAx8ZvoEmLANiZjewmLe1RvvUR0GhevTICQcFc-q1y47Jm/s320/San_Francisco_(CA,_USA),_Point_Lobos_Avenue,_Autonomes_Auto_--_2022_--_112909%20(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Waymo, </i>a Self-Driving Car Company, drives in San Fransisco</td></tr></tbody></table></div></span></div><br /><ol start="5" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-weight: 700; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-wrap: wrap; vertical-align: baseline;">Self-Driving Cars</span></p></li></ol><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Partially self-driving cars have risen to prominence over the last couple of decades, with the promises of reducing crashes by eliminating human error and expanding the accessibility of transportation. They “sense” their surrounding environment, aiming to adapt to and overcome any challenges, in order to control cars in the same way as humans. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The unpredictable and varying nature of human driving has inspired the development of self-driving cars, which rely on Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) to travel safely. Predictive modeling is the ability of A.I. to analyze patterns and anticipate future events. Predictive Modeling enables the car to anticipate the behavior of other cars and adjust to problems as they may arise. They use A.I. to make decisions in the moment, aiming to react to changes in their environment appropriately.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">With the help of sensors feeding data to the computer, A.I. can recreate the car's surroundings. This allows it to recognize objects like crosswalks and traffic lights, and heed such signs correctly.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Many vehicles on the road today are already partially autonomous. Features including emergency braking and lane assistance are already widespread, with A.I. as an integral part of their success. These features have helped to keep drivers safe, and they will continue to improve. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Although completely self-driving cars are not yet commonly owned, if you live in a big city like San Francisco or Phoenix, you’re likely to see them being tested on the streets. Self-driving cars aren’t popular at the moment, but they could become much more common in the upcoming years, as products currently being tested are brought to market. </span></p></span><div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Works Cited</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 28pt; margin-top: 12pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 1pt; text-indent: -1pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Artificial Intelligence (AI): What it is and why it matters</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. SAS. (n.d.). </span><a href="https://www.sas.com/en_us/insights/analytics/what-is-artificial-intelligence.html#:~:text=Artificial%20intelligence%20(AI)%20makes%20it,learning%20and%20natural%20language%20processing" style="text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -1pt;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.sas.com/en_us/insights/analytics/what-is-artificial-intelligence.html#:~:text=Artificial%20intelligence%20(AI)%20makes%20it,learning%20and%20natural%20language%20processing</span></a><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-indent: -1pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 28pt; margin-top: 12pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 1pt; text-indent: -1pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-indent: -1pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dicker, R. (2021, May 18). </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-indent: -1pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">A smoother ride and a more detailed map thanks to ai</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-indent: -1pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. Google. </span><a href="https://blog.google/products/maps/google-maps-101-ai-power-new-features-io-2021/" style="text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -1pt;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://blog.google/products/maps/google-maps-101-ai-power-new-features-io-2021/</span></a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 28pt; margin-top: 12pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 1pt; text-indent: -1pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Frąckiewicz, M. (2023, March 10). </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The future of satellite navigation with AI and machine learning</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. TS2 SPACE. </span><a href="https://ts2.space/en/the-future-of-satellite-navigation-with-ai-and-machine-learning/" style="text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -1pt;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://ts2.space/en/the-future-of-satellite-navigation-with-ai-and-machine-learning/</span></a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 28pt; margin-top: 12pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 1pt; text-indent: -1pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Kaput, M. (2022, September 19). </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">How Spotify uses artificial intelligence-and what you can learn from it</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. Marketing AI Institute.</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-indent: -1pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span><a href="https://www.marketingaiinstitute.com/blog/spotify-artificial-intelligence" style="text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: -1pt;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.marketingaiinstitute.com/blog/spotify-artificial-intelligence</span></a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 28pt; margin-top: 12pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 1pt; text-indent: -1pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lau, J. (2020, September 3). </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Google maps 101: How ai helps predict traffic and determine routes</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Google. </span><a href="https://blog.google/products/maps/google-maps-101-how-ai-helps-predict-traffic-and-determine-routes/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://blog.google/products/maps/google-maps-101-how-ai-helps-predict-traffic-and-determine-routes/</span></a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 28pt; margin-top: 12pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 1pt; text-indent: -1pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lewis, J. A., & Crumpler, W. (n.d.). </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">How does facial recognition work?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. CSIS. </span><a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/how-does-facial-recognition-work" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.csis.org/analysis/how-does-facial-recognition-work</span></a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 28pt; margin-top: 12pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 1pt; text-indent: -1pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A match made in transportation heaven: Ai and self-driving cars</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Dataconomy. (2023, October 27). </span><a href="https://dataconomy.com/2022/12/28/artificial-intelligence-and-self-driving/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://dataconomy.com/2022/12/28/artificial-intelligence-and-self-driving/</span></a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 28pt; margin-top: 12pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 1pt; text-indent: -1pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Self-driving cars explained</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Union of Concerned Scientists. (n.d.). </span><a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/self-driving-cars-101" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/self-driving-cars-101</span></a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 28pt; margin-top: 12pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 1pt; text-indent: -1pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is natural language processing?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. IBM. (n.d.). </span><a href="https://www.ibm.com/topics/natural-language-processing#:~:text=the%20next%20step-,What%20is%20natural%20language%20processing%3F,same%20way%20human%20beings%20can" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.ibm.com/topics/natural-language-processing#:~:text=the%20next%20step-,What%20is%20natural%20language%20processing%3F,same%20way%20human%20beings%20can</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 28pt; margin-top: 12pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 1pt; text-indent: -1pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Images:</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 28pt; margin-top: 12pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 1pt; text-indent: -1pt;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">File:San Francisco (CA, USA), point Lobos Avenue, autonomes auto ... (n.d.). </span><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:San_Francisco_%28CA%2C_USA%29%2C_Point_Lobos_Avenue%2C_Autonomes_Auto_--_2022_--_112909.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:San_Francisco_%28CA%2C_USA%29%2C_Point_Lobos_Avenue%2C_Autonomes_Auto_--_2022_--_112909.jpg</span></a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-left: 28pt; margin-top: 12pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 0pt 1pt; text-indent: -1pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-934a4a8c-7fff-ded2-0bc3-923848e2b50f"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">MacKenzie, M. (2023, November 20). </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Facial recognition</span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. Flickr. </span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikemacmarketing/30188201497" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikemacmarketing/30188201497</span></a></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8981de02-7fff-a372-88c7-67b7375c0f91"></span></p></div>Nola Palestranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994925790037462611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-37678605233006661322023-11-19T18:47:00.000-08:002023-11-19T18:58:19.611-08:00"Archeology and Ecological Crisis: Lessons in Sustainability from the Past" – An Interview with Elic Weitzel of University of Connecticut <p><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i><span style="font-family: times;">Nola Palestrant, Tamalpais High School</span></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-9ecd3f2b-7fff-9969-df71-368dd1fe11c8"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span> </span></span></span><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Elic Weitzel is a human ecologist and archeologist at the University of Connecticut. He presented at Terra Linda’s Innovation Hub on October 25, 2023, to discuss his research with pre- and post-colonial White-Tailed Deer herds, and what their fluctuating populations can tell us about how the humans living in New England interacted with the environment. Following the arrival of Europeans, White-Tailed Deer populations decreased from 30 million to 300,000. This decline was largely a result of a decreased Native American population - which had previously performed control burns that optimized the environment for deer - and an increase in commodification. Mr. Weitzel’s research can be used as a foundation for us to reconsider our interactions with the natural world, with the ultimate goal of promoting sustainability. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" fetchpriority="high" height="526" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b3be8f_fba625b366a64cbcb175286c0253f0c2~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_309,h_600,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/b3be8f_fba625b366a64cbcb175286c0253f0c2~mv2.jpg" srcset="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b3be8f_fba625b366a64cbcb175286c0253f0c2~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_494,h_960,al_c,lg_1,q_85,enc_auto/b3be8f_fba625b366a64cbcb175286c0253f0c2~mv2.jpg" style="height: 600px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; object-fit: cover; text-align: left; width: 309px;" width="271" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elic Weitzel</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span><b><span style="font-family: times;">1.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>How did you become interested in Archeology? <br /></span></b><span style="font-family: times;">I've wanted to be an archaeologist since at least the age of 13. History and nature were always my two main interests, and I think a lot of that came from watching documentaries on TV as a kid. I loved the exotic locations that Steve Irwin and the Kratt Brothers would explore to find interesting animals, and I also loved History Channel programs about what life was like in ancient Egypt and Greece. So I think that combination of interests led me to archaeology at a young age. I'm not sure how I first learned what archaeology was (perhaps it was Indiana Jones?), but I quickly realized it was a career path where I could learn about history first-hand and also experience the thrill of exploring the natural world. I think the fact that I chose to specialize in the study of animal bones from archaeological sites also reflects these early influences.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: times;"><b>2. What are some things that people can notice about the world around them that provide clues into the past? <br /></b></span><span style="font-family: times;">Most material clues into the past are invisible, as they're often buried in the ground, but we definitely take for granted all the ways in which the past can still be visible to us today, in one form or another. The names of the roads that we drive on are my favorite example of this. These often offer clues into what the landscape used to be like, recorded in names such as Indian Village Road, Old Mine Road, etc. Most people don't think twice about these sorts of things, but these place names are often a clue that there used to be a Native village or historical gold mine in the area. Some other clues require a closer look to interpret. For example, archaeologists have found that the plant species that grow around ancient archaeological sites are often different from the species which grow elsewhere. This is because people long ago modified the landscape around where they lived, either deliberately or inadvertently, and that legacy continues to shape today's ecosystems. Finally, you can sometimes find archaeological artifacts like arrowheads or pottery if you know what you're looking for. They often turn up in many different places since people have lived on the land for so many thousands of years. It's never good to take an artifact if you do find one, as removing artifacts from their context prevents archaeologists from learning anything about the past through them. But they do exist out there and many people accidentally encounter them.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: times;"><b>3. What materials have been commodified by past societies that could increase our sustainability if we lessen their values? <br /></b></span><span style="font-family: times;">Most past societies never commodified anything. The process of taking something and exchanging it in a market economy to make money is a very recent development in human history. One can make an argument that certain societies in the past like the Romans may have engaged in a form of this activity, but the way that commodities are produced and exchanged in our world today only dates back around 500 years to the birth of capitalism in northwestern Europe. As such, most societies throughout time would likely have found such a behavior to be quite strange, and would be especially shocked at how such an economy functions. I certainly think the evidence suggests that commodification of natural resources and people's labor has led to a wide variety of problems in the world today, so I too find such a behavior to be quite strange. But regardless of what is being commodified and when, the key to promoting sustainability is to focus on meeting people's needs, not on making money. That's the trick to reducing the value of a commodity back to a more reasonable level: strip away the extra value it has to those despotic individuals in society engaged in exploitation and profiteering and get back to the basics of helping all people survive and thrive. For example, water has very high value to everyone since it's necessary for survival. But certain individuals and corporations often try to control water, prevent others from accessing it, and then charge high prices for access: essentially selling the water back to the people who live on top of it. Nestle has recently done this in California, sucking up all the groundwater reserves in certain areas to make money from bottled water sales. Archaeologists have found that in the past, many societies had very elaborate systems of managing water at the local community level. A lot of this research even comes from the southwestern United States. These systems of water management ensured that everyone could access water and that it remained sustainably available into the future. So the way to prevent despotic individuals and groups from artificially inflating the value of commodified resources is to prevent them from gaining control in the first place. I think the archaeological evidence suggests that the best way to do that is through strong, local democratic control of resources by relevant stakeholders.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: times;"><b>4. What practices from pre-colonial Native Americans can we replicate today to create a more sustainable society?<br /></b></span><span style="font-family: times;">In general, I wouldn't argue that we need to adopt practices from any past societies to promote sustainability in the present. I think the social, economic, and political contexts in which people used to live are not analogous to those we find ourselves in today, so many specific practices likely wouldn't transfer well. Sometimes something specific could be adopted, such as controlled burning of the landscape to promote ecosystem health. But I think more generally, we can be inspired to develop new sustainable practices by studying old ones. There is abundant evidence, for example, that sustainability in the past often occurred when groups of people managed natural resources and economic systems themselves on a local level. Outcomes were often unsustainable when outside groups of despotic individuals sought to control the resources, labor, and bodies of others for their own benefit. So based on that, I think the biggest thing that we can do today to promote sustainability is to implement stronger democratic control of the economy on a local level. Keeping things local means that people have a vested interest in sustainability since it directly impacts them, and keeping things democratic ensures that those stakeholders can govern their own lives and their own communities and prevent any selfish individuals from exploiting the group for personal gain. I don't think that we need to directly adopt a way of doing this from a thousand years ago, but the general principle remains the same: local democracy by stakeholders leads to far better outcomes for people and nature. As such, if we really want a sustainable society today, I think we need to take that lesson and implement it however we can in our own historical context. So, inspired by my research and that of others, I think worker co-ops, land trusts, and other forms of community governance are our best options to promote a sustainable future. These aren't things that past societies did specifically, but the general principles behind such practices were implemented to great success in the past and would likely be successful in the present as well.</span></p><div><div><p><span style="font-family: times;"><b>5. What other peoples or practices from the past would you like to research that could provide insight to aid our efforts to live more sustainably?</b><br />The big question for me is how sustainability follows from economic governance and control. I want to keep investigating all the different ways that local democracy by the relevant stakeholders contributes to a sustainable economy. I think unsustainability often results from self-interested individuals in society attempting to become despots and control the economy for their own benefit. This then leads to overuse of resources and exploitation of other people. So I'd really like to keep exploring how these processes worked in the past in the hopes that I can learn more about sustainability and implement helpful policies in the present. For example, some societies in the past were remarkably egalitarian for their size and complexity, like the ancient Bronze Age state that existed in present-day India and Pakistan called the Harappan or Indus Valley civilization. It would be fascinating to study such a context to see whether a less hierarchical and potentially more democratic society was indeed more sustainable. I also think that many smaller-scale societies are useful to study, especially tribal societies like the Amazigh of northern Africa or pre-20th century Albanian tribes, as these groups often had sophisticated ways of governing resource use and economics on a local level. While restructuring 21st century America into a tribal society would not be useful or viable, that doesn't mean that tribal groups don't have lessons to teach us in how a community can sustainably exist in their environment for millennia.</span></p><span style="font-family: times;"><b>6. In a few hundred years from now, what do you think Zooarchaeologists and Archeologists will be able to gather from the remains of our society?</b><br />Future archaeologists will be able to learn a lot about our society in 2023 through a variety of means. We leave a huge amount of material remains behind that archaeologists could use to better understand our diets, our jobs, our recreation, our family life, and our public life. Many objects that are made of plastic or metal will not degrade so easily, and can therefore preserve information about our lives for future study. The size of our refrigerators speaks to how large our families are and how much food we consume, the size of our houses speaks to our wealth and position in society, and the layout of our cities speaks to the broader social, economic, and political forces that shape where we choose to live. Interestingly, as more and more of daily life becomes digital instead of material, this presents new challenges for future archaeologists. Digital archaeology must therefore become a major field of study in the future, where one might not excavate through the dirt to uncover someone's home, but might instead excavate through bits of electronic data to uncover similar information. </span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-33018f47-7fff-f341-16c9-92c7ef196a01"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">You can watch Elic Weitzel’s Marin Science Seminar Presentatio</span></span>n here: <a href="https://marinscienceseminar.blogspot.com/2023/10/archaeology-and-ecological-crisis.html">“Archaeology and Ecological Crisis: Lessons in Sustainability from the Past” with Elic Weitzel of University of Connecticut</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;">You can learn more about Elic Weitzel and his work at https://elicweitzel.wixsite.com/weitzel. Photo from website.</span></div>Nola Palestranthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15994925790037462611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-22886991343918867362023-10-29T11:07:00.004-07:002023-12-03T11:52:21.263-08:00Video: “Archaeology and Ecological Crisis: Lessons in Sustainability from the Past” with Elic Weitzel of University of Connecticut<i>Connor Williams, Terra Linda High School</i><div><i><br /></i><div><span> On Wednesday, October 25, 2023, Elic Weitzel of University of Connecticut lectured about the White Tailed Deer and their intriguing past. In the video below you can learn about how European settlers damaged White Tailed Deer's population and how we can learn from it like using it to help us understand human population and the effects humans have on the earth. You can also find this video on the Marin </span>Science Seminar Vimeo and find out more on other presentations at <a href="http://marinscienceseminar.com">marinscienceseminar.com</a>.</div><div> </div></div>
<div style="padding: 56.25% 0px 0px; position: relative;"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" frameborder="0" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/879080797?badge=0&autopause=0&quality_selector=1&player_id=0&app_id=58479" style="height: 100%; left: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; width: 100%;" title="Archaeology and Ecological Crisis"></iframe></div><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script>
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Connor Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11291391761545913070noreply@blogger.com0320 Nova Albion Way, San Rafael, CA 94903, USA38.0005048 -122.5546998-13.0903039400757 167.13280020000002 89.0913135400757 -52.242199799999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-33676850373922410212023-10-29T10:49:00.001-07:002023-12-03T11:53:10.830-08:00Teaser Vid: “We Need New Antibiotics – Why Do We Have So Few?” with Julia Schaletzky of UC Berkeley Teaser<i>Connor Williams, Terra Linda High School</i><div><i><br /></i><div><span> </span>Come see Julia Schaletzky present an exciting presentation about antibiotics and why we have so few on Wednesday November 1st, 2023 at the Terra Linda High School Innovation Hub. Below is a little teaser on what the presentation is about and what to look for. You can also find the teaser on the Marin Science Seminar Vimeo and find out more on other presentations at <a href="http://marinscienceseminar.com">marinscienceseminar.com</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>
<div style="padding: 56.25% 0px 0px; position: relative;"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" frameborder="0" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/879169580?badge=0&autopause=0&quality_selector=1&player_id=0&app_id=58479" style="height: 100%; left: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; width: 100%;" title="Antibiotics Teaser"></iframe></div><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script></div>Connor Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11291391761545913070noreply@blogger.com0320 Nova Albion Way, San Rafael, CA 94903, USA38.0005048 -122.55469989.6902709638211562 -157.71094979999998 66.310738636178854 -87.3984498tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-79753003153218400212023-10-28T20:03:00.001-07:002023-11-26T21:07:30.368-08:00Photos: Archeology and Ecological Crisis <div><i><br /></i></div><i>By : Adriana Sarahi Martinez </i><div><i><br /></i><div><span><a name='more'></a></span><i><br /></i></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Photos: Archeology and Ecological Crisis : Lessons in Sustainability from the Past - Elic Weitzel </span></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. Weitzel explains the meaning of sustainability.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-7f53cd91-7fff-ff6a-1e4d-3b6e21ea5672"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: medium; display: inline-block; height: 832px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="463" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/FqJX1pzAT03lHmEio-IuvmwGJQ-SCHcc-SOyhFlU5zyZuFD8aCqdeTjpKD1vfOY1qJZyyywNmM8YraIeECE_1A82SJ6CjHaFHF8sUcYhp9-TTmJdVmICOOPDLxbdgErLoQggz6RG4UfC-0i7h1OVOlo=w347-h463" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="347" /></span></span></span></div><div>The difference between an adult deer's bones and a young deer's bones. This allows better a better understanding of the history of an animal. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-7a7f6810-7fff-a22a-4dd4-5287b5cdd778"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: medium; display: inline-block; height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="300" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/__um7d0I18CNuOHQnw7mzpSEHkj7kV9nZkwfHxi_UuDpw0kJYx3l1p_Bcbf8ZUvqhfgaoQuwWTt08O0hi5tY1gZoP5BXhHvUifrC7Km4f7rEC31otvXV0TVsAQ1wNdWNBXCLjBXgCE5IkKb6ulOikRs=w400-h300" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="400" /></span></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div><div>Elic Weitzel also illustrates that white-tailed deer are sustainable animals. When researchers found out deer were hunted and populations declined, a law was passed to prohibit deer hunting. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="border: medium; display: inline-block; height: 832px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="522" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/wX-NIaBBkTMRR0p_pIcPH7V5Mhze7OXEt_W5nLtNiGMavV9eyqu9asobWm0M935kuxFdvGqNMXWN-7cAt7Q8v4DBKufq9Sh4tB__xOz5sjGA5fzRD4VAdE1W3flLJfdkUGTiXMlEidMH62GxGnNUC2s=w392-h522" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="392" /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="border: medium; display: inline-block; height: 832px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;">This is from the talk "<a href="https://marinscienceseminar.com/archaeology-and-ecological-crisis-lessons-in-sustainability-from-the-past/" target="_blank">Archaeology and Ecological Crisis: Lessons in Sustainability from the Past</a>" at Terra Linda High School on October 25, 2023. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Adriana Sarahi Martínezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14668278805382674280noreply@blogger.com0320 Nova Albion Way, San Rafael, CA 94903, USA38.0005048 -122.55469989.6902709638211562 -157.71094979999998 66.310738636178854 -87.3984498tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-63385820134803460952023-10-20T20:54:00.004-07:002023-11-26T21:08:28.870-08:00Photos : What an AI Can Teach Us About the Human Mind<p><i>By: Adriana Sarahi Martinez</i></p><p><span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: large;">What Can AI Teach Us About the Human Mind... and vise versa with </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Irina Rabkina </span></p><p>Irina does a psychological test with children to explain how the human mind works </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-af4c6f86-7fff-b859-72e2-3f3e4c3fb9bb"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: medium; display: inline-block; height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="300" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/zR9XAmVxrFDMjVFxv82p4VTJ8UjEVNvhdHxTWOf7FiGAm33-KMV-sn1Uad2u1QXQEceJk_9wLUyZGWdRRrp8JsrE10k027nt9DIZsiOGoKWydBcQqnJv_6D7WyuvV0gE0E4_PZzQjveddM6aGpUepmY=w400-h300" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="400" /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: medium; display: inline-block; overflow: hidden;"><span style="text-align: left;">Results of the psychology test show the increase of pre to post results in both high similarity and low similarity. </span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-22f134d6-7fff-2042-b885-8e0ee82f2418"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: medium; display: inline-block; height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;">
<img height="300" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/FIguXG7sNLgLzgz0fdPzj1I5muiZRCCOr27F03xhZ6Nug9vqyqTi1Z6Y-7FfoiYB0R2N6yKKYWbqJAYali2hiXaCduUq9B1zyS5VEP-zRku1emWwMnSt5_cGk_SUCm_ivnNFLvqIpxQ-ImjA4nn0no8=w400-h300" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="400" />
<span style="text-align: left;">AToM allows AI agents to reason about other AI agents the same way people do. </span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-1b5b4793-7fff-8f55-8f26-fb22314239c0"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: medium; display: inline-block; height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="300" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/LsEklLdYqfSLWt_dZGV4Q8LGoK2VmkgqQtqrQZuheCCCjaOOP4w53KpMENBNMfL28gmI1lmOEwCxUQQhWPGqO84Pl9eE2cFXfY5-9fzowkpgTZEjZUkwg8k11qiQSo1jQPS1BLDDj7voB3E6M3n1o0I=w400-h300" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="400" /></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;">This is from the talk <a href="https://marinscienceseminar.com/what-can-ai-teach-us-about-the-human-mind-and-vice-versa/" target="_blank">What Can AI Teach us About the Human Mind… and vice versa?</a> at Tera Linda High School on October 11, 2023. </p>Adriana Sarahi Martínezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14668278805382674280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-22771291747635971182023-09-29T19:07:00.001-07:002023-10-29T20:03:09.856-07:00Unveiling the Secrets of Volcanoes <p><i> By : Adriana Sarahi Martinez </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Unveiling the Secrets of Volcanoes : Marissa Mnich </span></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p><br /></p><p><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Drawing of Volcano located in Peru </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 533px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="342" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/Z3OeX3idFBMw2Z0HM4_PgKlvajDlgDDDO9VTpaif4BOm1DumDjdv7qilqhYl5wr0vAKBiaUAEeqxgf-rNB22zz_ClAXO-E9jYPBogTSbNhXyY7Fs4uzqF8kdisB5RiXkkVWvarR7Da0FH6C3NBv6ndQ=w400-h342" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="400" /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 533px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><span style="text-align: left;">Volcanic rock sample Marissa Mnich brought at the presentation </span><img height="400" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/U68Vn6jfWNu-qMMMpRZB4pHnGG03p3s5vz0aAVlAHZbBc-dY9C0fnAcD6ZAwTEO7Xun89INCjijNTnVm0cd96OHgIgoeMC59SCoWJBh_bIS6AChFqQWteJn2HgRHz-tebkQPWZZN1vLtCH7fR3gRDT8=w300-h400" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;" width="300" /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Ms. Mnich teaching us about FTIR</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 533px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-e5c3b632-7fff-34b4-0a49-14df80d42908"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="border: none; display: inline-block; height: 468px; overflow: hidden; width: 624px;"><img height="300" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/TJUI-9Yu-BLDxWeM9yYAdVE5pOetd4kClledveuvUKeO0Qs0eiK4IRXpoaCl3E6EX15nIHWw11SmlNyXm9NfW0KKqqTH_-2tmTwodVPpdFikqdi8utJpIAi_jRwjorPKOMyXew84BhAgm0HybVgRYiw=w400-h300" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="400" /></span></span></span></span></div>Adriana Sarahi Martínezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14668278805382674280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-71782168091364871142023-08-10T15:12:00.001-07:002023-08-10T15:14:34.417-07:00A DeepDive into BioAstronautics and Space with Ben Foehr<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i>By Disha Divakar, San Marin High School</i></span></span></span></h4><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="color: #222222;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1VbQHXIXilfAHcnqnxW0XPBgVNjU5VNC9sSnT38N6GQYEcsxBZxx_ZJZKhxYowjY3fJzv0Lpxu396d6Pmg858ofnWO7rZ719oR0S_oTZH3A_CR3BubS5cJ4GdU0R0UDlaqN9QB58uTLK29KQ3gjyfEgJKTWcI5dQWBcctHGvgQUwuPxEDsZR34yj1ig/s1024/Screen-Shot-2023-02-13-at-8.58.24-PM-1024x490.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="1024" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv1VbQHXIXilfAHcnqnxW0XPBgVNjU5VNC9sSnT38N6GQYEcsxBZxx_ZJZKhxYowjY3fJzv0Lpxu396d6Pmg858ofnWO7rZ719oR0S_oTZH3A_CR3BubS5cJ4GdU0R0UDlaqN9QB58uTLK29KQ3gjyfEgJKTWcI5dQWBcctHGvgQUwuPxEDsZR34yj1ig/w387-h185/Screen-Shot-2023-02-13-at-8.58.24-PM-1024x490.png" width="387" /></a></div><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></span></h3>Whether it was as kids pretending cardboard boxes were space shuttles or being fascinated by Star Wars, spaceflight has been a dream for many! In reality, we often forget the factors that have to be thought through when sending a human to space and a lot of times we don't always know of the infinite mysteries and possibilities the galaxy holds! In this interview, Ben Foehr (</span></span><span style="color: #333333; font-weight: normal;">BS in Aerospace Engineering and Grad Student studying Human Spaceflight at CU Boulder)</span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> dives more into his work and emphasis on </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bioastronautics</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> and Aerospace engineering and addresses some questions as we enter a new age of space exploration! Ben presented <a href="https://marinscienceseminar.com/environmental-science-aerospace-double-feature/" target="_blank">Path to the Stars: Exploring </a></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://marinscienceseminar.com/environmental-science-aerospace-double-feature/" target="_blank">Bioastronautics</a></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"> for the Marin Science Seminar on February 15th.</span></span></span></span></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i>Fun Fact: </i></span></span><em style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-family: trebuchet; font-weight: normal;">He has worked on Cubesats, Sounding Rockets, and proprioceptive function research for astronauts</em></h3><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet;"><b><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6iqYIX2DP6PvMPyiMkBg7baeeq13m_yoZ0mP4ofL20t-Brpw-noKupLdlVjGGsIN006okcrPxgTWnw8NTVdwlbI6aXE0Eer2ZtFWTVY4Mrhs80Uxvxg5_zvn-MvA0atukJlocMc77kN0g6PW2qvZHvjf0JphPXxPHh996UK2-9LDHXsSjfv3iPmmUMlQ/s1024/ben-foehr1-1024x768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6iqYIX2DP6PvMPyiMkBg7baeeq13m_yoZ0mP4ofL20t-Brpw-noKupLdlVjGGsIN006okcrPxgTWnw8NTVdwlbI6aXE0Eer2ZtFWTVY4Mrhs80Uxvxg5_zvn-MvA0atukJlocMc77kN0g6PW2qvZHvjf0JphPXxPHh996UK2-9LDHXsSjfv3iPmmUMlQ/s320/ben-foehr1-1024x768.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben Foehr</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b><br /></b></span></div>Right </b></span><b style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet;">now, what is the most important question/problem that you are trying to answer and solve?</b></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet;">In my opinion, the biggest issues in Bioastronautics are the issues faced by Astronauts on long duration space flights. Space is an incredibly hostile environment even for short visits, but the longer we stay in outer space, the more our bodies are negatively affected. Extended microgravity leads to things like bone loss, muscle atrophy, and vision problems, while the constant noise and high stress environment found aboard spacecraft and space stations lead to most astronauts having really messed up sleep schedules for months on end, and having to fight through a bunch of different types of fatigue to get any work done. And that's just for Earth orbit: the further out we go towards places like the Moon or Mars, the more of an issue things like isolation from support and deadly radiation becomes, which is its own set of huge issues! So, overall, a lot of my field's focus is on figuring out how the heck we'll be able to keep all our astronauts happy, healthy, and productive when we start living in space for more than just a few weeks or months.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: left;"><b style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: trebuchet; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What particular factors do you consider when sending a human through space flight? How do you develop the right conditions for a human to travel in space for long periods of time?</b><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: trebuchet; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: preserve;">For spaceflight, we start by considering all of the parts of our environment here on Earth we have to bring with us into space for our crew to survive: an atmosphere we can breathe, food we can eat, water we can drink (then recycle and drink again). We also have to think about less obvious parts of our everyday environment, like what tools and skills a crew will need to conduct their mission successfully, or what unexpected factors might make things more complex, like how we'd deal with a surprise medical emergency, or sudden tensions between the crew. Luckily, the best way to prepare for these missions is to look at previous missions: we've sent around 628 people to space so far, and while that a very small number of data points for most scientific studies, all of these previous explorers can tell us a lot about what worked on their mission and what didn't, so we can prepare for how we want to do things different next time. The ISS has been especially helpful, as crews staying abroad for 6 months or more will give a LOT of feedback about how they felt in terms of physical and mental health, their ability to get their job done, and what they would have liked to have during their stay to make things better.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: trebuchet; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: trebuchet; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b>What was the most influential project you have worked on?</b></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet;">So far, the most influential project I've ever worked on was a week-long design workshop hosted by the ESA and the University of Stuttgart out in Germany. There, I was one of only two Americans invited to work with a group of 40 other college students from all across the world who were interested in space exploration to design a realistic and workable concept for a space station that could be built some day in the near future. Obviously, designing a space station like this was incredibly cool and exciting, but in my opinion, working with an international group like this really opened my eyes to the different ways people all over the planet engage with space exploration, and I was able to make some lifelong friends in the process! It was a ton of work, and I didn't sleep much that week, but I came out of it more excited about my field than ever before.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: trebuchet; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b>Do you think it is going to be necessary for humans to relocate to a new planet soon? When do you think Earth’s conditions will become inhabitable/unsuitable for us?</b></span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet;">This is a question I hear often, and I totally understand why a lot of people think leaving the Earth might be our only option. As climate change worsens and our planet begins to suffer from the effects of pollution, it often feels like fleeing to the stars and finding somewhere safe where we can survive might be our only chance to survive. But space is an incredibly inhospitable place, and keeping just two or three humans alive on places like the Moon or Mars even for a few days is a really, really difficult task, so with current technology it's basically impossible to strike out in search of a new home. But this doesn't mean we should give up hope: humans are incredibly resilient, and just the fact that we're even able to send people off-world for long periods of time is proof that we can adapt to harsh environments and overcome incredible problems! I think one day we will see humans living on another world, but, in my opinion, I think something like that will only ever be possible once we figure out how to fix our problems on Earth. But I believe in us, and think we will be able to pull it off! And after that, as they say, I think the sky's the limit!</span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: trebuchet; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: trebuchet; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b>Will space exploration start affecting everybody’s life and become a normality/reality for people other than astronauts?</b></span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet;">I think space exploration already does affect everyone's life down on Earth, it's just hard to see sometimes. A lot of technology we use everyday like GPS, compact computers, Solar Panels, and even velcro was developed for space exploration, and current missions are helping innovate and create new and exciting technology. In terms of traveling to space, I also think that's something we'll see more and more of: right now it's fairly exclusively either rich tourists or highly selected scientists, which is generally out of reach for regular people. But as more nations and organizations travel out into space, more people will go too, and it would not surprise me that, within the next 100 years, we see space exploration more as people saw sailors on old exploring and trading ships: a rough lifestyle and still a fairly exclusive group, but something regular people could, with the commitment, become a part of. And beyond that, I one day hope that everyone can go to space as easily as going on any other trip, or moving to any other place on Earth!</span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span id="m_-4050723764794179406gmail-docs-internal-guid-fcff136a-7fff-ae1a-5786-38a66d710836"><b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: trebuchet; text-align: center; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What are your hopes for the future of space exploration? What do you want to see? </span><br /></b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: trebuchet;">There is a lot I hope to one day see in regards to space exploration, but my number one dream would be to see us explore space and live on new worlds in a way that shows improvement for humanity beyond what we've done before. Back during the Cold War, for example, even though tensions were extremely high between the US and the Soviet Union, the joint Apollo/Soyuz mission in 1975 saw the two "opposing" crews quickly become fast friends, bonding over their shared humanity and love of exploration! In the future, I hope to see more events like this, where different people from different nations, creeds, and backgrounds can still explore space under common goals. I'd love to see, for example, international collaboration on Moon and Mars missions not just with NASA and ESA, but other space agencies like the Chinese National Space Administration, or the Indian Space Administration, or any other nation that wants to be a part of this journey. If we want to go to the Moon, Mars, or beyond, we need to go together, and I hope to one day see that become reality.</span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-20130975176129058732023-04-21T21:03:00.006-07:002023-07-25T22:03:53.870-07:00"Don’t Whack that Whale!: Evaluating Risk of Ship Strike to Humpback Whales" -- an interview with Bekah Lane<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-weight: normal;"><i> <span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Sabine Fuchs, Katherine Branson School</span></i></span></h3><span id="docs-internal-guid-0f70f2de-7fff-7e78-1890-c25940a6291b"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><i>Vessel strike is a leading cause of death for large whales, and San Fransisco Bay is no exception. Beneath the complex and intricate surface traffic of the bay, from recreational boats to shipping tankers, these majestic creatures weave their way through the water. Due to the fatal nature of this boat traffic, it’s imperative to study the overlap between vessels and whales in San Francisco Bay. Bekah Lane, a Cetacean Field Research Specialist at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, used vessel data from 2016 to 2019 in the Bay and compared it against whale sightings from that same period, forming a ship strike risk analysis for humpback whales to better inform boaters. Before this, Lane also created a theodolite tracking program for humpback and gray whales in San Francisco Bay, coordinating more than 40 volunteers. Lane received her B.S. in Zoology from Emporia State University and an M.S. in Marine and Estuary Sciences from San Francisco State University. This April, Lane presented <a href="https://marinscienceseminar.com/dont-whack-that-whale-evaluating-risk-of-ship-strike-to-humpback-whales-in-san-francisco-bay/">Don’t Whack that Whale!: Evaluating Risk of Ship Strike to Humpback Whales in San Francisco Bay</a> at Marin Science Seminar. </i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1EVUfJFWEmc2I2yit-XI0KGUp0rZmntcyd6wSCHWmyHC8p5gZ_3MzCcwO86qc0m36IbTagqtpQ9bYroQHgL31IukjCcpU0dzN0lcPnng8yYBek1xIwz1mqL3s_bv65GF1DlqYxbSHm79zvqaZJ3Oxz5ZJ2XIajmNkFZyZBVxoyDEHRyCxrhBBtMWizOF/s992/bekah-lane.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="992" data-original-width="820" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA1EVUfJFWEmc2I2yit-XI0KGUp0rZmntcyd6wSCHWmyHC8p5gZ_3MzCcwO86qc0m36IbTagqtpQ9bYroQHgL31IukjCcpU0dzN0lcPnng8yYBek1xIwz1mqL3s_bv65GF1DlqYxbSHm79zvqaZJ3Oxz5ZJ2XIajmNkFZyZBVxoyDEHRyCxrhBBtMWizOF/s320/bekah-lane.png" width="265" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bekah Lane of the Marine Mammal Center</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /><i><br /></i></span></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><i><br /></i></span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>1. As someone raised in Wichita, Kansas, away from the ocean, what inspired you to work with whales? Was there a defining moment, or was it a lifelong dream?</b> </span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;">I have wanted to be a whale biologist for as long as I can remember, even before I ever saw the ocean. I remember watching documentaries on National Geographic and thinking: THAT'S the job I want! To a little girl from Kansas, whales and dolphins seemed like mythical creatures to me. Even though I see them almost daily in my work, I am still so amazed and inspired by them!</span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /><br /><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>2. Have you faced any challenges in your career as a woman in STEM? </b></span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;">I have absolutely faced challenges in my career as a woman in STEM. While there are currently a lot of women interested in marine science, it hasn't always been that way, and my female supervisors were among the only women in their programs when they were getting their advanced degrees. For me, the biggest struggle has been gaining technical skills such as small boat operations, and there are still aspects of the field, like tagging, that seem to be dominated by men. In the early parts of my career, I really struggled to get my male supervisors to teach me how to do things like trailer and drive boats, even though my male coworkers were given ample opportunities to practice these skills. I still get funny looks when myself and my all-female field crew pull up to the fuel dock!</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKnQ66d0qTRTS6AE8jh3HCgWvfouju9lggz5EM3Fj8-AdAV2yh8yWJB9cMNotPoaYh8hdXDJqsnryJpcjlRgKGCmF4987b8aPpygMl3gK-HwTdoQHDAuDwJnOiy0rYEdK6zE_O3V5KEuVQVphunjGvSNwOL3cXBOkrjv7K9VwNKMoCMEMcmGmRP4BPpgR/s1854/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-10%20at%209.07.39%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1226" data-original-width="1854" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQKnQ66d0qTRTS6AE8jh3HCgWvfouju9lggz5EM3Fj8-AdAV2yh8yWJB9cMNotPoaYh8hdXDJqsnryJpcjlRgKGCmF4987b8aPpygMl3gK-HwTdoQHDAuDwJnOiy0rYEdK6zE_O3V5KEuVQVphunjGvSNwOL3cXBOkrjv7K9VwNKMoCMEMcmGmRP4BPpgR/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-10%20at%209.07.39%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Humpback Whale, image by Todd Cravens</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span><p></p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /><br /><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>3. Collisions between boating vessels and whales seem preventable if only the whale could move away quickly. Are whales simply unable to hear the oncoming boat? If so, what is the biological explanation? </b></span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;">This is a common question, and there are a variety of factors that make it difficult for whales to evade ships in the water. For one, these whales evolved over a very long period of time in the absence of ships this size, and thus are not adapted to respond to a "predator" of this kind - additionally, there isn't an opportunity for learning between generations, since strikes from large ships are almost always lethal. Another factor is that some of these vessels are so large that the part of the boat that makes the noise that could signal the whale should leave the area to avoid being struck can be up to THREE FOOTBALL FIELDS away from the part of the boat that strikes and kills the whale. Lastly, the ocean, and especially San Francisco Bay, is exceptionally loud due to the sheer amount of vessel traffic. Think about when you're in a huge, crowded room where everyone is talking... you may be able to hear people talking, but it can be hard to make out the specifics of a conversation unless you are very focused. When whales are in the Bay, they are focused on the challenging task of feeding themselves about 2 tons of fish and anchovy per day, so I imagine it must be hard to make out sounds from specific ships and evade them in a timely fashion. Unfortunately, it's not as simple as the whales hearing the vessel and getting out of the way quickly.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>4. What role does boater education play in preventing whale collisions? </b></span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;">Boater education and outreach are crucial when it comes to preventing collisions between recreational vessels and whales. Most people who go boating in San Francisco Bay aren't aware that there are gray whales and humpback whales using the Bay during different times of the year or of any of the laws around observing marine mammals from vessels. At The Marine Mammal Center, we are also working with shipping companies and other maritime stakeholders to find ways to lower the risk of ship strikes to whales in the Bay.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>5. In what ways can we lower the risk of whales getting hit? </b></span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;">Boat operators and captains can reduce the risk of vessel collisions with whales by slowing down and staying the mandatory 100 yards away from whales and other marine mammals while on the water. As consumers, we can also shop locally to reduce the amount of distance our goods have to travel to reach us, and thus reduce the amount of interaction between ships and wildlife.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-7651139325224787752023-04-20T17:47:00.002-07:002023-07-31T17:57:31.648-07:00Humpback Whales: an Illustration by Sabine Fuchs<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyR_ufQfp2v33gDYs7Uah_q8p8h9MEfLr2A4VFMb0a-jo-8LJqefB5q-YhyxrT7QS6w0dyie71bjHPX_sjdaYdqFY__clvtX0eD3yvwvuolGGFkfyiVaZBqd4zsCqsDg1FW1Z1sn-qD_m4362gaNZ7GmaymUYwMijgjg2fgh3C6vHZoUOPH0RMEq2hQlfm/s4032/EB077F84-2786-4397-AB70-944E38EDB7E2_1_201_a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyR_ufQfp2v33gDYs7Uah_q8p8h9MEfLr2A4VFMb0a-jo-8LJqefB5q-YhyxrT7QS6w0dyie71bjHPX_sjdaYdqFY__clvtX0eD3yvwvuolGGFkfyiVaZBqd4zsCqsDg1FW1Z1sn-qD_m4362gaNZ7GmaymUYwMijgjg2fgh3C6vHZoUOPH0RMEq2hQlfm/w480-h640/EB077F84-2786-4397-AB70-944E38EDB7E2_1_201_a.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ink Drawing by Sabine Fuchs</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />Sabine Fuchs is an intern for Marin Science Seminar who took inspiration from <a href="https://marinscienceseminar.com/dont-whack-that-whale-evaluating-risk-of-ship-strike-to-humpback-whales-in-san-francisco-bay/">Bekah Lane's presentation</a> at MSS to create an illustration of the majestic creatures Lane studies. To learn more about Humpback whales in San Fransisco Bay and why they are at risk, take a look at <a href="https://marinscienceseminar.blogspot.com/2023/04/sabine-fuchs-katherine-branson-school.html">Sabine Fuchs's interview with Bekah Lane</a>. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-36449215918920551052023-03-02T17:48:00.007-08:002023-07-31T17:34:49.195-07:00"The HiggsBoson: 10 Years On" -- An Interview with Miha Muškinja Ph.D. of Lawrence Berkeley Labs<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><i style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">By Sabine Fuchs, </span><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Katherine Branson School</span></i></span></h3><p><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>One of the most complex discoveries in particle physics, the Higgs boson, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary last July. Miha Muškinja, who is originally from Slovenia, is a postdoctoral researcher in physics at Lawrence Berkeley Lab. Muškinja worked on the ATLAS experiment, which announced the discovery of the Higgs boson, at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN near Geneva, Switzerland. Recently, he moved to Berkeley, California, where he specializes in analyzing the properties of the Higgs boson, in addition to working on algorithms and infrastructure to process data by the LHC. In March of 2023, Muškinja presented <a href="https://vimeo.com/804153258">The HiggsBoson: 10 Years On</a> at Marin Science Seminar and explained what the Higgs boson is, its significance, and its discovery in 2012. </i></span></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-89db6d2f-7fff-b3f7-ae30-8081ab20eb5c"><span style="font-family: times;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>Q1: How did you become interested in particle physics?</b></span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;">During elementary and high school, I had a strong fascination with mathematics, physics, and chemistry. It became evident early on that I would pursue studies in one of these fields. On July 4th, 2012, I watched the live stream of CERN's announcement regarding the discovery of the Higgs boson, which was delivered by Fabiola Gianotti, the spokesperson of the ATLAS experiment at that time and now the Director General of CERN. This event sparked my interest in particle physics and solidified my decision to study physics with the goal of becoming a scientist at CERN. Although it seemed like an impossible task at the time, my dream came true six years later when I began my Ph.D. in particle physics with the ATLAS experiment at CERN.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>Q2: What advice would you give someone interested in pursuing a career in particle physics?</b></span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;">The theoretical framework of particle physics, known as the Standard Model, is built upon a complex mathematical framework called Relativistic Quantum Field Theory (QFT). This theory is among the most difficult you will encounter at any university, so it is crucial to study diligently. You will need to acquire a high level of understanding in both physics and mathematics to be comfortable with the Standard Model. Additionally, programming skills are highly important in particle physics, as in many other research fields today. I would recommend learning programming languages such as Python and C++. Lastly, seek out a university or college that has a particle physics group. During your undergraduate studies, try to engage in research projects related to particle physics. This will provide you with a glimpse into the life of a particle physicist and assist in determining if this career path is the right fit for you. Lastly, keep in mind that the field of particle physics is highly competitive. Only a tiny fraction of particle physics students will ultimately become professors at a university of research scientists at a laboratory such as CERN or LBNL. However, there are many other career paths that you can pursue with a degree in particle physics. The skills you acquire through particle physics research are highly transferable and sought after by employers.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>Q3: How would you explain the Higgs Boson to someone with no prior knowledge?</b></span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;">Let's begin with the Higgs Field, which is responsible for imparting mass to certain elementary particles. The Higgs Boson is a particle associated with this field. At CERN's Large Hadron Collider, we create Higgs Bosons by colliding protons at very high energies, causing localized excitation of the Higgs Field. This excitation manifests as a particle, the Higgs Boson, which we can measure and study.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;">In the immediate aftermath of the Big Bang, when the Universe came into existence, there was no Higgs field (although technically it was present, its value was zero on average). All particles moved at the speed of light. As the Universe expanded and cooled down, the Higgs field suddenly acquired a non-zero value everywhere in the Universe in a process called Electroweak Symmetry Breaking. Some particles began interacting with this Higgs field, which slowed them down (e.g., electrons). The more they interacted, the slower they moved. This interaction is what we refer to as mass. Particles that do not interact with the Higgs field, like photons, continue to travel at the speed of light and have zero mass.</span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>Q4: Are there any controversies surrounding the Higgs Boson? If so, what is your perspective on them?</b></span></span></p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;">One of the major mysteries surrounding the Higgs Boson is its mass. Despite being the second heaviest known elementary particle, it remains relatively light. Naively calculating the Higgs Boson's mass using the Standard Model would yield a value 16 orders of magnitude larger than the measured value. This conundrum is referred to as the Hierarchy Problem. Additionally, the small mass of the Higgs Boson leads to other particles being very light as well. Consequently, gravity appears incredibly weak compared to other fundamental forces. The electromagnetic force between a magnet and a paperclip is stronger than the gravitational force between the entire Earth and the paperclip. This significant disparity remains unexplained. However, it serves as a driving force that keeps us motivated and excited to continue studying the Higgs Boson. We are certain that there must be something beyond the Standard Model, which we can explore through experiments like the Large Hadron Collider at CERN.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFXvPqWyAnuih50EQsqqH6KiO9okgtFMCFJP7pMhz16dTKa_QWhPt0IuKWxHguUT6rTW_JSI8sB7wDkCegOpdBYP4C2nEKjGy9QcCIK85mZNNiy_Zh7tHDau0QGT-i4BiH9pNtJGSLOdkIdeQhcBvvZOQjhctUQMIc3E_KEXlbGT3SMZOJxH6-zMUQM2x/s1042/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-10%20at%205.49.46%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="940" data-original-width="1042" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFXvPqWyAnuih50EQsqqH6KiO9okgtFMCFJP7pMhz16dTKa_QWhPt0IuKWxHguUT6rTW_JSI8sB7wDkCegOpdBYP4C2nEKjGy9QcCIK85mZNNiy_Zh7tHDau0QGT-i4BiH9pNtJGSLOdkIdeQhcBvvZOQjhctUQMIc3E_KEXlbGT3SMZOJxH6-zMUQM2x/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-10%20at%205.49.46%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Libre Franklin", "Helvetica Neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-style: italic; text-align: left;">The ATLAS experiment at CERN</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span><p></p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b>Q5: What impact does expanding our knowledge of particle physics have on the scientific community and our daily lives?</b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">Expanding our knowledge of particle physics has profound implications for both the scientific community and our daily lives. Here are some of the impacts.</p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Fundamental understanding of the universe: Particle physics seeks to comprehend the fundamental building blocks of the universe and their interactions. This knowledge enhances our understanding of the origins and evolution of the universe, as well as the laws that govern it.</li></ul><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Technological advancements: Particle physics research often leads to breakthroughs in technology. The development of new particle detectors, accelerators, and computational techniques for data analysis frequently have applications beyond particle physics. For example, medical imaging technologies like positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) have their roots in particle physics research. Notably, the World Wide Web was invented at CERN to facilitate communication among particle physicists, showcasing the transformative impact of particle physics on technology.</li></ul><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Computational and data science: Particle physics experiments generate vast amounts of data that necessitate sophisticated computational techniques for analysis. Addressing these challenges has propelled advancements in data science, machine learning, and high-performance computing, benefiting various fields.</li></ul><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Inspiration and education for future generations: The pursuit of fundamental knowledge and the discovery of new particles or phenomena inspire interest in science and motivate young minds to pursue careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. Many students involved in particle physics experiments ultimately venture into diverse fields such as medicine, finance, or data science. The skills acquired through particle physics research are highly transferable and sought after by employers.</li></ul><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-2259953003665926322023-02-09T17:14:00.005-08:002023-07-31T17:32:54.137-07:00Exploring the Mystery of Scorpion Fluorescence <p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><i>By Sabine Fuchs, the Branson School</i></span></h3><p>The natural world is full of unsolved mysteries. Jacob Gorneu and Kate Montana, arachnid researchers at the California Academy of Sciences, disclosed one of the more perplexing enigmas of their studies when <a href="https://marinscienceseminar.com/arachnophilia-using-museums-to-understand-and-conserve-arachnids/">speaking at Marin Science Seminar</a>: the fluorescence of scorpions. Fluorescence is when something glows or radiates visible light under black light, which is a type of light that emits ultraviolet (UV) radiation; in the case of these scaly creatures, they turn a bright glowing blue. Yet, there is no conclusive explanation for this phenomenon, merely a myriad of theories exploring the causation, chemical background, and possible uses for this fluorescence.</p><p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5MyjHjnElWn5nG520vg2inC0HuQedTEBBrsFTUBPG9W-YWj2aTdHeTjcsxvv9a2BBvdpBSClTqzDY92BfwvxrooNUJJ7j4ILj4-lpcKRDXda3cv2-JEbT_iUN4fNQmBc2EqQJyoqaPk3uIwhf0zh0hXowBnICQxS4o3RJQqgRvJgKxtbR_xjs7X6kws2/s660/scorpian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="660" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy5MyjHjnElWn5nG520vg2inC0HuQedTEBBrsFTUBPG9W-YWj2aTdHeTjcsxvv9a2BBvdpBSClTqzDY92BfwvxrooNUJJ7j4ILj4-lpcKRDXda3cv2-JEbT_iUN4fNQmBc2EqQJyoqaPk3uIwhf0zh0hXowBnICQxS4o3RJQqgRvJgKxtbR_xjs7X6kws2/s320/scorpian.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Image from Discover Magazine</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Attracting Prey </h2><p>Many scientists have wondered why scorpions fluoresce instead of camouflaging themselves. An earlier hypothesis for scorpions' fluorescence was that it is used to attract prey. A study by Dumas Gálvez, Carolina Nieto, and Paola Samaniego in Neotropical Biodiversity, Vol. 6, explored this idea. They compared the activity of crickets near fluorescent scorpions and non-fluorescent scorpions that were painted black. However, no differences between the florescent and non-florescent scorpions were observed, and this theory was eventually discarded. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Warding Off Parasites </h2><p>Further, in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Natural Products, a group of researchers reported having found evidence that scorpions’ fluorescence might ward off parasites. β-carboline and 7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarin were the only previously identified components of fluorescence in scorpions’ exoskeletons. Masahiro Miyashita and his colleagues decided to conduct further research, wondering what other chemical components contributed to the fluorescence of the hard outer shell. Using chemical conditions unlike to previous experiments, they took molted shells from the scorpion Liocheles Australasia and isolated compounds. After purifying one that showed strong fluorescence, they discovered its structure was a phthalate ester that has anti-parasitic properties. While this same molecule has been found in other species of scorpions, it likely contributes weakly to the exoskeleton’s fluorescence. </p><p>In a <a href="https://marinscienceseminar.blogspot.com/2023/02/arachnophilia-using-museums-to.html">Marin Science Seminar interview</a> conducted by Sabine Fuchs, Jacob Gorneau, a research assistant in the Entomology department at the Academy of Sciences in San Fransisco, was asked about his opinion on the myriad of theories for scorpion fluorescence. </p><p><i>“I think the fluorescence might more likely be a tool for simply detecting light,” </i>says Gorneau.<i> “There have been a few studies showing this, and this idea makes sense to me because it seems like a good way for a scorpion to detect the time of day by the amount of sunlight present, as well as being able to detect when it has found shelter, such as in a burrow.”</i></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Detecting Light </h2><p>Currently, this is one of the most compelling explanations for scorpions' fluorescence. Scorpions are nocturnal creatures, and the light predators use to find them is that of the moon and stars, a component of which is ultraviolet light. UV light is also the same light that illuminates their mysteriously fluorescent bodies. Douglas Gaffin, a Biologist at the University of Oklahoma, proposed the hypothesis that scorpions’ exoskeletons function as an “alarm system” that alerts them when they are exposed to predators. “You eventually wonder, ‘How do they find that one blade of grass and stay under it?’” said Gaffin in an interview with WIRED. Gaffin noticed while collecting scorpions that Paruroctonus utahensis, a grassland species of scorpions, was able to find shelter even in complete darkness. In a study published in Animal Behavior, titled “Scorpion Fluorescence and Reaction to Light,” Gaffin and his colleagues attempted to see if the exoskeleton alone could detect light. Previous studies have shown that scorpions' medial and lateral eyes are most sensitive to green light and less so to UV. Further, it is known that scorpions are negatively phototactic, meaning they move away from light. From this information, Gaffin and his colleagues predicted that the Paruroctonus utahensis would respond maximally to green light and minimally to UV light. However, in this study, they observed that the scorpions responded with abrupt bouts of locomotory activity to both green light and UV light. Next, the researchers covered the scorpion’s eyes with foil and again exposed them to UV and green light. The scorpions with blocked eyes still moved away from UV light but moved much less under green light than those without covered eyes. Gaffin and his team proposed that the exoskeleton functions as a photon collector that transforms UV light into cyan-green light before relaying it to the nervous system. Another study conducted by Carl T. Kloock, Abraham Kubli, and Ricco Reynolds, titled Ultraviolet light detection: a function of scorpion fluorescence, that was published in the Journal of Arachnology, explored this same idea. By exposing scorpions to prolonged UV light, researchers reduced their fluorescence. Next, they created an arena half in shade and half not. Three different light settings were tested: infrared (IR) light only, IR ultraviolet light, and IR white light. Then, the activity of fluorescent and non-fluorescent scorpions was compared. Under the IR ultraviolet light, fluorescent scorpions stayed more often in the shaded region, whereas the reduced-fluorescent scorpions had increased activity in both regions. However, in the IR only and IR white light, activity between both types of scorpions was the same. The researchers interpreted this as possible evidence that fluorescence aids in scorpions' detection of light. </p><p><br /></p><p>Even with all of this research, the reason for scorpion fluorescence remains unclear. In this day and age, it is easy to think we have discovered all there is to know about the natural world. After all, we have bombs that can blow up cities, methods to reach other planets, and the capability to genetically engineer. Yet, the phenomenon of scorpion fluorescence makes it clear that there is still so much we have yet to know. </p><p><br /></p><h4 style="text-align: center;">Works Cited </h4><p>Author links open overlay panelDouglas D. Gaffin et al. “Scorpion Fluorescence and Reaction to Light.” Animal Behaviour, 19 Dec. 2011, <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0003347211005069?via%3Dihub">www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0003347211005069?via%3Dihub</a>.</p><p>Dailymail.com, Stacy Liberatore For. “Brown Scorpion and Its Babies Glow Stunning Shades of Blue and Purple under UV after Light.” Daily Mail Online, 21 July 2021, <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9811411/Brown-scorpion-babies-glow-stunning-shades-blue-purple-UV-light.html">www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9811411/Brown-scorpion-babies-glow-stunning-shades-blue-purple-UV-light.html</a>.</p><p>Full Article: Test of the Prey-Attraction Hypothesis for the Scorpion ..., <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23766808.2020.1844991">www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23766808.2020.1844991</a>. Accessed 1 Aug. 2023.</p><p>Kloock, Carl T., et al. “Ultraviolet Light Detection: A Function of Scorpion Fluorescence.” BioOne Complete, <a href="http://bioone.org/journals/the-journal-of-arachnology/volume-38/issue-3/B09-111.1/Ultraviolet-light-detection-a-function-of-scorpion-fluorescence/10.1636/B09-111.1.short">bioone.org/journals/the-journal-of-arachnology/volume-38/issue-3/B09-111.1/Ultraviolet-light-detection-a-function-of-scorpion-fluorescence/10.1636/B09-111.1.short</a>. Accessed 31 July 2023.</p><p>Mosher, Dave. “Glowing Scorpion Exoskeletons May Be Giant Eyes.” Wired, 30 Dec. 2011, <a href="http://www.wired.com/2011/12/scorpion-fluorescence/">www.wired.com/2011/12/scorpion-fluorescence/</a>.</p><p>Scorpion Fluorescence and Reaction to Light | Request PDF - Researchgate, <a href="http://www.researchgate.net/publication/256654998_Scorpion_fluorescence_and_reaction_to_light">www.researchgate.net/publication/256654998_Scorpion_fluorescence_and_reaction_to_light</a>. Accessed 1 Aug. 2023.</p><p>“Scorpions Glow in the Dark to Detect Moonlight.” New Scientist, 8 Dec. 2010, <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20827903-700-scorpions-glow-in-the-dark-to-detect-moonlight/">www.newscientist.com/article/mg20827903-700-scorpions-glow-in-the-dark-to-detect-moonlight/</a>.</p><p>“Scorpions Make a Fluorescent Compound That Could Help Protect Them from Parasites.” American Chemical Society, <a href="http://www.acs.org/pressroom/presspacs/2020/acs-presspac-march-4-2020/scorpions-make-a-fluorescent-compound-that-could-help-protect-them-from-parasites.html">www.acs.org/pressroom/presspacs/2020/acs-presspac-march-4-2020/scorpions-make-a-fluorescent-compound-that-could-help-protect-them-from-parasites.html</a>. Accessed 31 July 2023. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-19923418390638863592023-02-08T19:46:00.035-08:002023-07-25T22:08:08.785-07:00"Arachnophilia! Using Museums to Understand and Conserve Arachnids" - An Interview with Jacob Gorneau and Kate Montana<p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>By Sabine Fuchs, Katherine Branson School</i></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0911f200-7fff-8a12-e97c-3f4fe6a1c1c7"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-e499b74d-7fff-bbfd-fea8-eb20aea3e839"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Spiders and scorpions and arachnids, oh my! The study of these “creepy crawlies,” their evolution, habitat, and, for some, their mysterious bioluminescence, is explored by Jacob Gorneau and Kate Montana at the California Academy of Sciences. Gorneau, who received his bachelor’s in entomology from Cornell University and his master’s in Biology at San Fransisco State University, is a research assistant in the Entomology department at the Academy of Sciences. Montana, who received her undergraduate degree in biology and anthropology, is currently a graduate student researcher in the arachnology lab at the California Academy of Sciences. Gorneau and Montana have worked together using morphological and molecular data to revise the evolutionary history of the marronoid clade of spiders. Jacob and Kate presented</span><a href="https://marinscienceseminar.com/arachnophilia-using-museums-to-understand-and-conserve-arachnids/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> Arachnophilia! Using Museums to Understand and Conserve Arachnids</span></a><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> at Marin Science Seminar on February 8, 2023. Kate and Jacob were kind enough to answer some questions about their fascinating work surrounding arachnids.</span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-c0e6656f-7fff-9dbd-4c39-10a7a3e8019d" style="font-family: arial; font-size: x-small;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtaH4yX3BDIT-pi2TdD3Gg-s5888PUJ6Lv7_KXJwwLFBrre49JHEaTGNYqZwSrv-dNhCTM75H2hxlK4SY4pWPqdlQ1DgVREPIL41JdV-hDZUl7jWXHpJZqVNbw32jE4n7I7pfrk4rFK7lTASMEoA65Qnr_MbhhYHA9lEo8TJgyr_MIwJ6mnIr18sFjA/s1332/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-15%20at%208.09.55%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1332" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwtaH4yX3BDIT-pi2TdD3Gg-s5888PUJ6Lv7_KXJwwLFBrre49JHEaTGNYqZwSrv-dNhCTM75H2hxlK4SY4pWPqdlQ1DgVREPIL41JdV-hDZUl7jWXHpJZqVNbw32jE4n7I7pfrk4rFK7lTASMEoA65Qnr_MbhhYHA9lEo8TJgyr_MIwJ6mnIr18sFjA/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-15%20at%208.09.55%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kate Montana in the field.<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b id="docs-internal-guid-d674a8ae-7fff-ead0-990b-9ec05ac30524" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>1. Jacob: You discussed how scorpions are found in a wide variety of climates. What traits do scorpions possess that make them so adaptable? Are there large differences between scorpions that live in a forest compared to those that live in the desert? </b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">Physically, scorpions are quite similar even though they are found in a wide range of habitats and climates — fossils of scorpions from nearly 400 million years ago look exactly as scorpions look today! The main exception is some cave-dwelling scorpions no longer have eyes, which is a common phenomenon in animals that exclusively live in caves. Scorpions do, however, have specific habitat preferences that we call microhabitats, and these are generally pretty consistent regardless of the climate and often involve darker spaces like burrows that are, in the case of deserts, generally slightly more humid than the surrounding landscape. This also helps them escape the extreme weather conditions that they can experience in deserts. Scorpions also have a strong exoskeleton that prevents them from losing too much water, and they are so efficient at this that they usually get enough water from their food and never need to drink water.</span></p><div><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b><br /></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>2. Kate: Since your work centers around fieldwork, what practices do you implement to ensure that the environment is not negatively affected by your studies? </b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><br /></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">We take care to be as minimally invasive as possible. We do often collect spiders and scorpions that will be sacrificed for DNA extraction, but we only sample populations that are not in danger of being depleted. We try our best to only take the focal species that we need, though some bycatch does occur. When we do catch something that we did not intend to catch, we reach out to colleagues to find out if it might be useful for their research so as not to waste the specimen. We spread out our sampling geographically, which helps get a wide range of geographic representation as well as keep our sampling to a minimum at any particular site. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b><br /><br /><br /></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>3. Jacob: There is a lot of uncertainty and debate over why scorpions fluoresce under ultraviolet black light. As scientists and researchers, what explanation(s) are you most drawn to? </b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><br /></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-04684513-7fff-4bf1-79c3-ec074b694d64"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-04684513-7fff-4bf1-79c3-ec074b694d64"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thoughts about why scorpions fluoresce range from allowing scorpions to navigate using the sky, to recognize members of the same species, or to detect light. While I personally find the idea that scorpions can use fluorescence under ultraviolet light to somehow navigate using the stars or moon really exciting, I think the fluorescence might more likely be a tool for simply detecting light. There have been a few studies showing this, and this idea makes sense to me because it seems like a good way for a scorpion to detect the time of day by the amount of sunlight present, as well as being able to detect when it has found shelter, such as in a burrow.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG74uPrq69XiX_EUZomBcOUPITDykUsXnjSRN8XgRM9x5n-KMcTMmR84nFHy4epp-swGu8uA9mXMtew0N3Bhveg2qeUDHn_cN841Squ1u40Zo8rhS1u-Qyr-a09aJZ9IXFJxRShwGI0i3lQC4dtg3PtJ81fsZxMzdlDWIipx2YnC5Qk7gcxvNKRBTsCg/s1544/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-15%20at%208.11.43%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1020" data-original-width="1544" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG74uPrq69XiX_EUZomBcOUPITDykUsXnjSRN8XgRM9x5n-KMcTMmR84nFHy4epp-swGu8uA9mXMtew0N3Bhveg2qeUDHn_cN841Squ1u40Zo8rhS1u-Qyr-a09aJZ9IXFJxRShwGI0i3lQC4dtg3PtJ81fsZxMzdlDWIipx2YnC5Qk7gcxvNKRBTsCg/s320/Screen%20Shot%202023-06-15%20at%208.11.43%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob Gorneau in the field.<br /><br /><span id="docs-internal-guid-58c72373-7fff-0a11-0d28-f43a45906331"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b>4. Kate: What does the process of revision of the evolutionary history of a species look like, and how does this revision impact the scientific world?</b></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">We start with a thorough search of the scientific literature to find out all we can about what is already understood about a particular species, genus, family, or other designation of a group of organisms. We use tools like Google Scholar or the library to find papers that contain this information. Then we can decide which samples we need in order to answer our question about how one particular species or genus is related to others in the spider tree of life. In addition to the samples that we are directly interested in, we need outgroups—taxa whose relationship we already know to our focal species in order to root the tree. Then we can collect both molecular data through DNA sequencing and morphological data through careful observation of the physical characteristics of the organisms. We take these data and run various computational analyses in order to produce a phylogeny that will visualize the evolutionary relationships between species. The scientific community can then use this tree of life to inform questions about behaviors, range of species, species interactions, and morphological characteristics. Since evolution is the process by which all organisms come to be the way they are, we need a solid understanding of the intricate evolutionary relationships between organisms in order to fully understand how they came to be.</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b>5. Jacob: You explained that cattle grazing has impacted scorpion habitats since it compacts the earth, which prohibits scorpions from burrowing. In what other ways are humans negatively impacting scorpions or their habitats?</b> </span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In California, there are two other main threats to scorpions and their habitats: wildfires and land development. Firstly, while wildfires are an important and natural part of California’s ecosystem, the way that humans manage land today has resulted in wildfires larger in scale and intensity than they have ever been before. We don’t know if scorpions can survive these wildfires. Since scorpions are slow dispersers, meaning they move through the environment quite slowly and can’t run away from a fire, populations that exist where major wildfires have occurred might go extinct. Similar to how wildfires might block out groups of scorpions, developing land, either because of agriculture or building construction, can also remove important scorpion habitats. One way to combat this issue is contributing to wildlife corridors or making sure that as land is developed, there is enough connected natural land for organisms to move freely. People often think of wildlife corridors in terms of larger animals, but this connectivity of habitats is also useful for scorpions.</span></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Marin County, CA, USA38.083403 -122.7633036-37.766737972250276 96.611696400000028 90 17.8616964tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-21309866887448730422023-01-27T11:30:00.008-08:002023-08-01T02:06:17.929-07:00Designer Babies: Where Do We Draw the Line? Featuring Liya Rabkina<p> <i style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Disha Divakar, San Marin High School</i></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-96898f94-7fff-feb4-a98b-ae86efc5fbc8"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Dog breeding is a well-known process in which certain favorable traits and characteristics of dogs are chosen over others. Over time, people have realized that all dogs are valuable and just as amazing as others even if they come in different shapes and sizes. People have even acknowledged that this type of selective breeding results in unhealthy generations and leads to non-purebred dogs being looked down upon. Similar to this situation exists the developing process of preimplantation genetic testing, PGT for short, and the creation of what we call “Designer Babies”. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">PGT testing is a developing platform that advances pregnancy opinions and tests for many different conditions. There are three types of PGT-testing: PGT-A to test for aneuploidies, PGT-M to test for monogenetic conditions, and PGT-P for polygenic conditions. It does, however, come with a fair share of ethical concerns.<br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQSoBDsqWsTXujHl-fRaZhIwz-PfQQ1DYvg4nQaSXqQuiv_mofO70do-GmKr2rm76YIIAAeKEHrbARqai3sB5aRQ7EzmqQV6nYhLUQr4Rue2YLnZQiyYLRZnzgc1CTnDd_QunJZSwR7gHZqAW5V5J_osPAO4vuTeiuq1mq6DhBl7V-d_CFiOJJq-126ik" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="174" data-original-width="290" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQSoBDsqWsTXujHl-fRaZhIwz-PfQQ1DYvg4nQaSXqQuiv_mofO70do-GmKr2rm76YIIAAeKEHrbARqai3sB5aRQ7EzmqQV6nYhLUQr4Rue2YLnZQiyYLRZnzgc1CTnDd_QunJZSwR7gHZqAW5V5J_osPAO4vuTeiuq1mq6DhBl7V-d_CFiOJJq-126ik" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Featured in this essay is the perspective of a genetic counselor, Liya Rabkina. Rabkina is a licensed and board-certified genetic counselor who is currently working at Igenomix USA in SFO. She holds a B.A. in Biochemistry from Scripps College and M.S. in Genetic Counseling from Northwestern. Through an interview and presentation, she provided insightful information regarding the science of designer babies and the ethics surrounding them.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6qHrPtDLPsBH8n4bOtxZuJ8GitXM6lU99KcmTmYq7wa7ZoiLAGZx2APX7k6HZeTKclLuA_jCTp4UZBkkNH-rqU9-woTX1hKo_ZnQlVxhYGd_7Gsxu-jMDMzXPQl0-Bv96xKeqvEAtJUmm9zOllYdtijC8HM69OegV8W3jI2FjzXoE-13ECiHwNVxICDI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="186" data-original-width="271" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6qHrPtDLPsBH8n4bOtxZuJ8GitXM6lU99KcmTmYq7wa7ZoiLAGZx2APX7k6HZeTKclLuA_jCTp4UZBkkNH-rqU9-woTX1hKo_ZnQlVxhYGd_7Gsxu-jMDMzXPQl0-Bv96xKeqvEAtJUmm9zOllYdtijC8HM69OegV8W3jI2FjzXoE-13ECiHwNVxICDI" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">PGT testing is a novel way to help struggling parents get a better look at their pregnancy. Sometimes families have an increased chance of passing on inherited diseases and conditions to their offspring that may threaten the baby’s life and the pregnancy itself. These can include Down Syndrome, Turner Syndrome, and Klinefelter syndrome. PGT testing helps to test for such conditions. PGT is used in conjunction with in vitro fertilization (IVF) to keep the embryos with the highest chance of survival and the ones with the lowest risks of certain genetic diseases. PGT testing can also be used for the testing of risks of polygenic conditions such as diabetes. One might ask how ethical it is to simply discard embryos that only have a possibility of an inherited illness and may not even be life-threatening.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="text-wrap: nowrap;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">PGT-A is the more typically used form of PGT testing. PacGenomics, a clinical genetics laboratory, says,” </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">PGT-A, preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies, is a genetic test performed on embryos created through IVF to screen for chromosomal abnormalities.” PGT-A is specifically to screen for aneuploidies which are generally related to either an excess or loss of a chromosome. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">According to Igenomix, PGT-A testing helps decrease the chances of miscarriage, increase pregnancy rates, and provides a greater chance of successful implantation. The detection of these abnormalities helps parents exclude embryos with aneuploidy and keep those with the highest success rate. It is understandable how patients would desire an option like this after they struggle with pregnancy. While PGT-A testing may open doors for some, according to the Pacific Fertility Center of Los Angeles, “PGS/PGT-A testing is typically performed during the IVF procedure, which can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 without a third-party surrogate or egg donor.” Thinking about this, it is clear that the process is no piece of cake. IVF treatment itself is known to be quite long and expensive due to the number of cycles needed to have a successful embryo. So adding a new test, PGT-A, on top of this already complicated process, can add a lot more tension and stress to a family. Liya Rabkina also wishes that people understood the practicality of this process and success as “there are often far fewer embryos than couples are hoping to have available for transfer.”. Another idea to keep in mind is that PGT-A testing can also be used for sex selection which can present ethical and social problems discussed later. Nonetheless, PGT testing can provide IVF patients with a better shot at a viable pregnancy while some families may be left with a lack of resources and embryos!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="text-wrap: nowrap;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Another common form of PGT testing is PGT-M which tests for monogenetic, single-gene diseases. This is generally done when families are aware of a specific genetic condition that spreads in the family and want to test for that specific gene in the embryos. Examples of single-gene diseases include cystic fibrosis, breast cancer, sickle cell anemia, and Huntington’s. These diseases are rare and potentially devastating so it is crucial for families to know how they can prepare themselves and possibly prevent these types of inherited conditions.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="text-wrap: nowrap;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Both PGT-A and PGT-M show to test for life-threatening and drastic conditions and both are likely to be on the more immediate and life-long side. On the other hand, a more newly emerging technology known as the PGT-P test for polygenic conditions. This testing shows a possible risk that may develop over time. PGT-P tests for conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and asthma. Generally, as mentioned before, these are more of a risk and develop rather than immediately devastating or threatening the life of the child. While these conditions may still be harmful in the long run, it may be unethical to discard these embryos based off of a non-life-threatening risk. More importantly, these eggs are still viable as well which provides another consideration when it comes to discarding them due to the discovery of a future common risk. Aside from health conditions, it can also test for polygenic traits which include height! This can be considered unnecessary when considering the viability and health of an embryo.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="text-wrap: nowrap;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Focusing on ethics, many perspectives can be looked at. Even genetic counselors take the role to place checkpoints and make ethical considerations when offering these tests to ensure that they are truly needed. Rabkina stated, “My team screens all referrals and discusses ethical concerns with the ordering clinician. We may even reject a case if our ethics committee believes we should not move forward with testing. That being said, I also use my clinical judgment when I speak with patients, even for cases that pass our ethics evaluation and are approved by the ordering clinician. I provide patients with information that can help them make the decision that is best for their family.” This is because it is understood that discarding eggs simply based on possibly viable chromosomal conditions and perhaps sex has a chance of leading to unnecessary division and an imbalance in society. PGT-A and PGT-M both test for life-threatening conditions which a family may not be able to support and which could potentially risk the life of the offspring. Testing for these conditions truly helps IVF patients have a more successful pregnancy and outcome. But, the cost and time may outweigh these probabilities as IVF itself as discussed before is an extraneous process topped off with the costly PGT tool. On top of that, PGT-A testing opens doors for sex selection which in an extreme case, could cause society to regress in terms of sexism. Unlike the testing mentioned above, PGT-P testing shows several serious ethical concerns. Not only do these polygenic risks have a much lower effect on the embryo's viability, most of the conditions and traits it tests for are not life-threatening or immediate. They tend to be risks far into the future in cases like diabetes and heart disease and they can even be a trait that is irrelevant to the health of the child like height. Eliminating embryos that don’t pose the same drastic risks as aneuploidies and monogenic conditions, opens up the doors to marginalizing those with these common conditions. Rabkina speaks on where she draws the line on ethical considerations saying,” I, personally, struggle when families use information that does not impact the health of their future baby for decision-making. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="text-wrap: nowrap;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Overall, PGT-A and PGT-M testing help</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: line-through; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">s</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> provide parents the chance at a successful pregnancy as it provides more viable eggs and a better chance at a healthier offspring. While this is important, it is also important to keep in mind the effects this may have on society. Testing like PGT-P on the other hand may eliminate healthy and perfectly viable embryos and lead to extreme unbalance in society especially when embryos are discarded based on traits such as height or sex, that do not affect the child’s health. It is important to understand the process and ethical considerations of this new biotechnology.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><b>Works Cited</b></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><div></div><p></p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;">“Genetic Testing and Screening Services for Family Planning by Pacgenomics.” <i>PacGenomics</i>, 9 June 2023, pacgenomics.com/pgt/. </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span></p><div></div><p></p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;">“PGT-A: Selecting Chromosomally Normal Embryos: Igenomix Me.” <i>Middle East</i>, www.igenomix.net/our-services/pgt-a-patients/. Accessed 1 Aug. 2023. </p><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"></p><div></div><p></p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"><i>PGT-M & PGT-A: Loma Linda University Center for Fertility & IVF: Ca</i>. Loma Linda University Center for Fertility & IVF. (2020, May 20). https://lomalindafertility.com/treatments/ivf/genetic-testing/pgt-m-pgt-a/ </p><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;"></p><div></div><p></p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 1cm; text-indent: -1cm;">“Testing for Polygenic Disorders (PGT-P).” <i>Virginia Center for Reproductive Medicine</i>, 30 Nov. 2020, www.vcrmed.com/genetic-screening/testing-for-polygenic-disorders-pgt-p/. </p><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-79827406694403950782023-01-26T17:00:00.044-08:002023-07-04T16:21:26.243-07:00The Science of Designer Babies: A Genetic Counselor’s Perspective<h3 style="text-align: left;">An Interview with Liya Rabkina M.S. of Igenomix USA</h3><p><i>by Disha Divakar, San Marin High School</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 700;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnqb7HpD-Z0NixxnWb76nQOFVhf4RXkN4yfmDb0tCwDG4KznfH1ocVwmuKfDck2hTmVG9QIUbNkVbsuVoz7_ibyKOq0ZBNAhEx6YbcUoj3Lu4sJzEkU2uloOPvb-1b_Ial2kXTn4Ni3JMvNnwOaRG9W7x_RSwgb6vernZcxOarGsbrL7mVrB0HLI7/s634/Liya%20Rabkina%20Interview.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Image of Liya Rabkina" border="0" data-original-height="634" data-original-width="618" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnqb7HpD-Z0NixxnWb76nQOFVhf4RXkN4yfmDb0tCwDG4KznfH1ocVwmuKfDck2hTmVG9QIUbNkVbsuVoz7_ibyKOq0ZBNAhEx6YbcUoj3Lu4sJzEkU2uloOPvb-1b_Ial2kXTn4Ni3JMvNnwOaRG9W7x_RSwgb6vernZcxOarGsbrL7mVrB0HLI7/w195-h200/Liya%20Rabkina%20Interview.png" width="195" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Liya Rabkina</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Having a baby is a serious responsibility and can be a difficult process. When a family is faced with a high chance of passing on an inherited, genetic condition, it can be very difficult and force them to consider their options. Preimplantation genetic testing (PGT for short) allows families to choose embryos with lower risks for these inherited conditions by checking for aneuploidies (abnormal chromosomes) during pregnancy. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">With these "Designer Babies" comes the question of what the future holds for embryo genetic testing, as well as the ethical considerations of this process. Liya Rabkina is a licensed and board-certified genetic counselor at Igenomix in San Francisco with an M.S. in genetic counseling. She presented <a href="https://marinscienceseminar.com/the-science-of-designer-babies-a-genetic-counselors-perspective-with-liya-rabkina-m-s-of-igenomix-usa/" target="_blank">The Science of Designer Babies: A Genetic Counselor’s Perspective</a> at the Marin Science Seminar on January 25,2023, teaching us about her perspective on genetic testing on embryos. In this interview, she dives into what PGT testing looks like, when it should be used, ethical concerns with PGT-P testing, and future considerations.</span></div></div><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 700;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium; font-weight: 700; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What does the PGT testing process look like for your clients? (length, cost, worth, results)</span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d828dbfb-7fff-a63d-29c8-f77c56018bba"><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I encourage you to look through our website:</span><a href="https://www.igenomix.com/genetic-solutions/pgt-m/" style="text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">https://www.igenomix.com/genetic-solutions/pgt-m/</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">. The timeline can vary from patient to patient but typically takes multiple months. The cost also varies depending on the specific testing ordered for the patient/couple and insurance coverage; it is in the thousands just to test embryos (not to mention the cost of IVF itself).</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Which abnormal chromosomes (aneuploidies) are more manageable?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">That depends on who you ask and how you define "manageable"! Most aneuploidies do not result in live birth (embryos with these may not implant or may miscarry). There are only a handful of aneuploidies that can result in live birth when present in all or most cells. These are trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome), trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome), and sex chromosome aneuploidies (extra or missing sex chromosomes). The spectrum of symptoms associated with Down syndrome is vast; some adults can live independently while others will need lifelong support. Babies with trisomy 13 and 18 typically don't survive past infancy. Sex chromosome aneuploidies can also vary in terms of clinical symptoms, but are considered milder (when compared to other aneuploidy syndromes). </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">When giving your client options, can you explain ethical concerns and your input, or is it all up to the client’s wishes?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">My team screens all referrals and discusses ethical concerns with the ordering clinician. We may even reject a case if our ethics committee believes we should not move forward with testing. That being said, I also use my clinical judgment when I speak with patients, even for cases that pass our ethics evaluation and are approved by the ordering clinician. I provide patients with information that can help them make the decision that is best for their families.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What is something you wish people understood better/knew about the moral concerns of this type of genetic testing?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">I wish more people understood how challenging this process is for families and had a realistic understanding of the likelihood of success. After testing is complete, there are often far fewer embryos than couples are hoping to have available for transfer. I also wish more families had the resources available to them to understand the breadth of options available to them for family planning. Luckily, there are many checkpoints families go through before they receive a referral for us. So, most requests that the average person would consider to be unethical don't make it to the point of initiating this process.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Where do you draw the line regarding “Designer Babies” and PGT testing? Is there some situations you think are more moral than other?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Life-limiting conditions I strongly feel families should have the option to test for and select against. From speaking with families I know how difficult this can be for the parents and the child. I, personally, struggle when families use information that does not impact the health of their future baby for decision-making. For example, there is a new emerging technology we briefly reviewed during the talk called "PGT-P" which tests for "polygenic" (multi-gene) common conditions/risks. There are lots of societies and professional groups that work to guide the testing of embryos and ensure laboratories are ethical. </span></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What are some alternative approaches for your clients and how can they avoid the ethical concerns of PGT testing? Are there other ways for them to find out about the health of their embryos?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Unfortunately, there is no other way to test embryos (and if there were, the same ethical concerns would apply). If families forgo PGT, they can have diagnostic testing for their pregnancy or at birth. If testing is done during pregnancy, the options are to continue the pregnancy or terminate it. There are, of course, other moral/ethical considerations with terminating a pregnancy. With the current political climate, clinical termination is not always available (or may require a flight and stay in a different state - or could even have legal implications). The families that seek PGT typically want to avoid having to make the decision of whether or not to terminate a wanted pregnancy.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">What is your take on the future of this kind of genetic testing and how it may advance?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: medium; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">PGT-P is a hot topic in my industry right now. There are also scientists working on finding ways to "fix" disease-causing genetic variations at the molecular level (rather than test for the condition and select against it). However, this seems to be pretty far off in the future. Ideally, there would be highly effective treatments available for all genetic conditions!</span></p><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-24252083587354323782022-12-01T17:30:00.008-08:002022-12-14T17:46:58.372-08:00"COVID 19 and Long Covid: Rapidly Developing Therapies For a New Disease" - An Interview With Art Wallace M.D. Ph.D. of the VA Medical Center San Francisco and UCSF<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">by Samantha Dvorin, Archie Williams High School </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-dbd94dd2-7fff-2993-e2bd-ed0b96c42746"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Art Wallace is </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a cardiac anesthesiologist and biomedical engineer who works as a professor emeritus of anesthesiology and perioperative care at UCSF and the Chief of Anesthesia at VAMC SF.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> He researches drug and device development to reduce perioperative risk. He has a B.S. in engineering and applied science from Yale. He also has an M.D. and Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins Medical School in Biomedical Engineering. On Wednesday, November 30, 2022, Dr. Wallace presented "</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://marinscienceseminar.com/covid-19-and-long-covid-rapidly-developing-therapies-for-a-new-disease/">COVID 19 and Long Covid: Rapidly Developing Therapies For a New Disease</a>" at the Marin Science Seminar. We asked him some questions about his work.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. How has the world of drug development and research changed since the emergence of COVID-19?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Science has had to speed up dramatically. Normal drug development takes one to two decades. In COVID we had to do it in 1-2 years. Prior to COVID, the fastest any vaccine had ever been developed was 4 years. With COVID, it was done in 1 year! AIDS has been around 40 years and we still don't have a vaccine.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. Who is most at risk for Long COVID and is it preventable?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Older people, people with co-existing disease, and unvaccinated people. But, young, healthy, vaccinated people, who didn't get very ill with covid can still get Long COVID. Prevention is very simple, don't get COVID and get vaccinated and boosted.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. What are some common misconceptions people have about COVID, especially Long COVID?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are several diseases such as myofascial syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome which we don't understand. We don't know the cause or have any treatment or know if they are really diseases. When a disease is of unclear origin with no therapy there is a tendency to say it is psychosomatic (in your head) or is just depression. When Long COVID came along some people thought it was just depression. Some thought it was psychosomatic. The NIH invested more than 1 billion dollars with the sole question of “is this a real disease?” and gave the grantees four years to figure it out. These grants were not allowed to search for cures for long covid, just ask, does it exist. A month after the request for proposals, an epidemiologist in the VA Al-Aly did epidemiology to show exactly what the symptoms were, how many people got them, and how long they last, essentially making the NIH studies, which hadn't yet even started, useless. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. Why does every patient experience Long COVID differently and does it have anything to do with previous health issues or the severity of their initial COVID diagnosis?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Long COVID seems to be a multitude of problems. Microvascular damage, autonomic damage, neuroinflammatory processes, cardiac and renal damage, and psychiatric problems. People who get severe COVID have more problems with long covid, but people who get mild COVID can still develop long covid. The exact cause is unclear. It is likely multiple factors including immune response, the severity of illness, microvascular damage with small thrombi causing stroke, neuroinflammation, and maybe some residual virus. The causes are unknown.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. Does having the COVID vaccine and the subsequent boosters have any effect on the likelihood of getting Long COVID or on the severity of the disease? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yes. Vaccination reduces the risk of long covid by about 15%.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6. What does a typical day as a cardiac anesthesiologist and biomedical engineer look like?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Get up at 5 am to go to work. Three days a week I work in the OR providing anesthesia care to patients. Two days a week I do administrative work (hire people, get them paid, etc, etc, etc). I then use the rest of the time to do science (figure out how to pay for it, fill out paperwork to get it approved, write grants, develop software, publish papers). Then go home around 7 pm. Oh, then I am on call at night and on weekends when people have a disaster.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwnWkbwEJQ8paubsq117MhQ8IhYVfQSpTilgWoAXCbmCXFAh1NE3GddaGT8_9beMdfjiEif9fxvCNK4uy4SX_tC8KT-avVGD_RnWrmp5cYw-IiV-AzisXTZiyoVeLd2NHQHVRpG8-IpMYUCcdbgJR9cVt-hE7AMv4E9FBBGm_CGHxehD2tH9IDHKX6" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="691" data-original-width="768" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwnWkbwEJQ8paubsq117MhQ8IhYVfQSpTilgWoAXCbmCXFAh1NE3GddaGT8_9beMdfjiEif9fxvCNK4uy4SX_tC8KT-avVGD_RnWrmp5cYw-IiV-AzisXTZiyoVeLd2NHQHVRpG8-IpMYUCcdbgJR9cVt-hE7AMv4E9FBBGm_CGHxehD2tH9IDHKX6" width="267" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Wallace in the operating room</td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7. What advice would you give a young person interested in medicine or medical research? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Study hard, take science, math, etc classes. Do well in class. Apply to the best college you can get into. Get perfect grades. Then take a year of English, a year of calculus or higher math, a year of chemistry with a lab, a year of organic chemistry with a lab, a year of physics with a lab, biochemistry, psychology, statistics, and then major in something. I was an electrical engineer. Volunteer in hospitals so you can decide if and why you want to be a doctor. Volunteer in a lab doing research to learn how to do research. Then apply to medical school and or an MD/Ph.D.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8. What is your team working on now to advance the drug development process for Covid and Long COVID? </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We are looking at publishing continuously a daily update on vaccine efficacy and boosters. We are trying to get funding for the long covid drug development project. Paying for research is the hardest part.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Learn More:</span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><a href="https://marinscienceseminar.com/covid-19-and-long-covid-rapidly-developing-therapies-for-a-new-disease/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://marinscienceseminar.com/covid-19-and-long-covid-rapidly-developing-therapies-for-a-new-disease/</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2022/two-years-covid-vaccines-prevented-millions-deaths-hospitalizations" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2022/two-years-covid-vaccines-prevented-millions-deaths-hospitalizations</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/14/health/long-covid-deaths.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/14/health/long-covid-deaths.html</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p></li></ul><br /><br /></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-78862531479801103002022-11-30T16:36:00.022-08:002022-12-12T17:27:18.564-08:00Covid-19 and Long COVID: Rapidly Developing Therapies for a New Disease<p> On November 30, 2022 Art Wallace presented studies and statistics on a new disease, Long COVID.<br /><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQ__Frk8KUabIX2Xrm4GNRth6MYdDAfixAGXQj6WoIMK03YNLrXaAbqXC95ZoE9u4sfAJKPUA2ABtvx4AD8SIqhqDkJ5WkujWgsXKtz8nEpQ5OEnuR65bsEasOV8xIzSj4FrGHpBbUF604GIIHGgJrkwr7GxCaE9vkwQ5hEjp_uI6R0EG6JcEl2cj/s483/art1.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Art Wallace, MD PHD" border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="354" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQ__Frk8KUabIX2Xrm4GNRth6MYdDAfixAGXQj6WoIMK03YNLrXaAbqXC95ZoE9u4sfAJKPUA2ABtvx4AD8SIqhqDkJ5WkujWgsXKtz8nEpQ5OEnuR65bsEasOV8xIzSj4FrGHpBbUF604GIIHGgJrkwr7GxCaE9vkwQ5hEjp_uI6R0EG6JcEl2cj/w294-h400/art1.png" title="Art Wallace, MD PHD" width="294" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art Wallace, MD PHD</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1R16WVj-6hRs0nJi7EempC2-Kx-K0bJUY5Pcmz52BY-bmsdxVT8jWZcNhX3VtPy9tZdewiZNW0uloE6n-hxC7Cvhh83juD5CtR1mc3F6v4QG3kTCaadLfZQnFLSdImqdqq8ztFSQ9BubmUCnQMNX84H38poeq3EMZRl700dnOmrDE9DtkY7vKDtqS/s659/art2.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Art Wallace introducing himself!" border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="659" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1R16WVj-6hRs0nJi7EempC2-Kx-K0bJUY5Pcmz52BY-bmsdxVT8jWZcNhX3VtPy9tZdewiZNW0uloE6n-hxC7Cvhh83juD5CtR1mc3F6v4QG3kTCaadLfZQnFLSdImqdqq8ztFSQ9BubmUCnQMNX84H38poeq3EMZRl700dnOmrDE9DtkY7vKDtqS/w400-h315/art2.png" title="Art Wallace introducing himself!" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art Wallace introducing himself!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>He explained the problems with Covid variants and why Long COVID presents negative long term effects.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QqPK25GlFIa2rxSG-butZfV41A8tAoPE049jkW_nLHThCCBV6vg3PgoJlmqAAOmA018SKEpvrqhBmeHxdTa1ehOEnXahXjf-dCSE6eUzt0O0FghSsXNAcq81u-LtLMSMSjpLswNqbc_IZHkT43PXTNtnuLUcFKpOF1yBD5IcE8w9d5od3_5FwwSx/s876/art3.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Explaining their research objectives!" border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="876" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QqPK25GlFIa2rxSG-butZfV41A8tAoPE049jkW_nLHThCCBV6vg3PgoJlmqAAOmA018SKEpvrqhBmeHxdTa1ehOEnXahXjf-dCSE6eUzt0O0FghSsXNAcq81u-LtLMSMSjpLswNqbc_IZHkT43PXTNtnuLUcFKpOF1yBD5IcE8w9d5od3_5FwwSx/w400-h300/art3.png" title="Explaining their research objectives!" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Explaining their research objectives!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjQJy6EIF-Ku6j7TuG_BheHp3aUeP95MYA_JDoh6jbpLJ8x2KShtLPx8wKUWG8HNzwUocfr2JUfvNsRxIUNa3KeqvjrJx9DRhSxHyQJl5t8brwp_nvaUXs55P-91aEX9r88azy8OVa4lUqL-BYI5iw8uODrT1taI26EfCaensmxb4L76LFqK0NnkNO" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="524" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjQJy6EIF-Ku6j7TuG_BheHp3aUeP95MYA_JDoh6jbpLJ8x2KShtLPx8wKUWG8HNzwUocfr2JUfvNsRxIUNa3KeqvjrJx9DRhSxHyQJl5t8brwp_nvaUXs55P-91aEX9r88azy8OVa4lUqL-BYI5iw8uODrT1taI26EfCaensmxb4L76LFqK0NnkNO" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br />Learn more about Covid-19 and Long COVID at <a href="https://marinscienceseminar.com/covid-19-and-long-covid-rapidly-developing-therapies-for-a-new-disease/">Marin Science Seminar!</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-13896389557575789392022-11-30T16:34:00.003-08:002022-11-30T16:34:40.318-08:00Covid-19 and Long Covid Seminar Teaser<h2 style="text-align: center;"> COVID-19 AND LONG COVID: RAPIDLY DEVELOPING THERAPIES FOR A NEW DISEASE</h2><h3 style="text-align: center;">By Art Wallace, MD, PhD</h3><h3 style="text-align: center;">November 30th, 2022 </h3><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/776813925?h=410a416684" title="vimeo-player" width="640"></iframe> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-45698561499372532642022-11-17T17:30:00.026-08:002023-01-01T10:42:05.717-08:00“Blinded by the Lack of Light: Genetics of Pigmentation and Eye Loss in Cave-dwelling Crustacean” - An Interview With Meredith Protas Ph.D. of Dominican University of California<p> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; white-space: pre-wrap;">by Samantha Dvorin, Archie Williams High School </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-7380d659-7fff-5c96-b8ae-bee791e131c2"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Meredith Protas is </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">an associate professor and MS Biological Sciences Director at Dominican University. Her lab investigates the evolution and genetics of cave-dwelling creatures like crustaceans. Previously, she did research at UC Berkeley on cave-dwelling crustaceans and studied the genetic basis of human eye disease at UCSF. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">She has a B.A. in biology from Pomona College and a Ph.D. in Genetics from Harvard. On Wednesday, November 16, 2022, Dr. Protas presented</span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/2/blog/post/edit/8509833494612063659/7191697826696457905?hl=en#" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://marinscienceseminar.com/blinded-by-the-lack-of-light/">The Genetics Behind Eye Degeneration in Cave-dwelling Crustaceans</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://marinscienceseminar.com/blinded-by-the-lack-of-light/">”</a> at the Marin Science Seminar. We asked her some questions about what she does.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. What made you interested in studying cave crustaceans and evolutionary biology in general?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I felt like there were a lot of interesting questions in cave biology and I wanted to understand how the same things (like eye loss and loss of pigment) happened in very different organisms.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 2. How are the cave-dwelling and surface-dwelling forms of the isopod crustacean different?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There are lots of things, but some examples include loss of eyes, loss of pigment, and longer antennae.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. What is your favorite crustacean or cave-dwelling creature in general?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I like Proteus anguinus, which is a cave-dwelling salamander. It’s known for having an unusually long lifespan.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtBUHNMfForINwVyy7iSSCX7q4BqL98hM-7lMPnDi3fScXqhl_WZiiqrfpQKr8r6erVZeswpor_Fdsg1qGrheFsCgJsvp2BXsbKj09GnYxwnPIyMjCE7RFac-odeeTfV_sN1LEN0HyBRsJS0IrFQZ4XThpCrwX9M4zjOYCP1ijqZbFmwK4a8CsMegh" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="147" data-original-width="220" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtBUHNMfForINwVyy7iSSCX7q4BqL98hM-7lMPnDi3fScXqhl_WZiiqrfpQKr8r6erVZeswpor_Fdsg1qGrheFsCgJsvp2BXsbKj09GnYxwnPIyMjCE7RFac-odeeTfV_sN1LEN0HyBRsJS0IrFQZ4XThpCrwX9M4zjOYCP1ijqZbFmwK4a8CsMegh" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Proteus anguinus, also known as Olm</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: 700;">4. Since many animals lose traits they no longer need (like how many cave animals lose their eyes and pigment), are there any traits you think humans will lose as we continue to evolve?</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That’s a good question- it’ll depend if losing something doesn’t cause some extra negative things from happening but also if there is an advantage to that loss. Also, it’ll depend if the loss gives humans a reproductive advantage.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. What is hands-on field work like (ie. exploring caves and collecting samples)?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We don’t do much of this currently, but I have gone to caves to collect animals. Then we bring them to the lab and work with them there.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> 6. What does a day in the lab with your Dominican University students look like?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We tend to do a lot of molecular work- PCR, DNA extraction, and gel electrophoresis.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhq6Z3Ojuw9s4rGkNER7hKjENhv9TUQFQAql6SQ4-vJ839am58cr8lHtm3pioF72nhiD0C8rMq5YaUhEwqEYUGP4rG0txVuCMFwIs_hsLSKW1MlzMcIhrAaLljhIZ58Rs6Z23wuEaTuJmqmN6HMK2yYuwjbWtpeLabvD2qMtWrGa2zhKtCEeSyADkCe" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="960" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhq6Z3Ojuw9s4rGkNER7hKjENhv9TUQFQAql6SQ4-vJ839am58cr8lHtm3pioF72nhiD0C8rMq5YaUhEwqEYUGP4rG0txVuCMFwIs_hsLSKW1MlzMcIhrAaLljhIZ58Rs6Z23wuEaTuJmqmN6HMK2yYuwjbWtpeLabvD2qMtWrGa2zhKtCEeSyADkCe" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dr. Protas in the lab with a student</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7. What advice would you give to young people interested in genetics and scientific research?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Find some interesting questions and see how you can be a part of answering them.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8. Are there any projects you are working on right now?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Yes, using some genomic techniques and also looking at variation present in the surface form.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzSMYVkyI2VXlb4LRlnFGKjZs0l3iIuRAnUKeUQJR3cF9rtbs5IfMYz3g6Pt-kwVtJkHvVwIZzea-FfMc_c6U_JH2AIIYPzU9U5HzdaGetIL-IKdPnrrkDHigOHGEUbUX1_5Wpb2fLC0bjryYv6pkoOScGjYlqKGx_Nk_-tAwQTrzGNKVssnh-uF3k" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="246" data-original-width="399" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzSMYVkyI2VXlb4LRlnFGKjZs0l3iIuRAnUKeUQJR3cF9rtbs5IfMYz3g6Pt-kwVtJkHvVwIZzea-FfMc_c6U_JH2AIIYPzU9U5HzdaGetIL-IKdPnrrkDHigOHGEUbUX1_5Wpb2fLC0bjryYv6pkoOScGjYlqKGx_Nk_-tAwQTrzGNKVssnh-uF3k" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dr. Protas' Zoom Seminar</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Learn More:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- </span><a href="https://works.bepress.com/meredith-protas/" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://works.bepress.com/meredith-protas/</a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">-<a href=" https://marinscienceseminar.com/blinded-by-the-lack-of-light/ "> https://marinscienceseminar.com/blinded-by-the-lack-of-light/ </a></span></span></p></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-77971561038734368112022-11-16T18:26:00.000-08:002022-12-12T18:57:24.016-08:00The Genetics Behind Eye Degeneration in Cave-dwelling Crustaceans<p> On November 16, 2022. Dr. Meredith Protas gave a presentation on zoom to share how genes and mutations are responsible for cave-specific characteristics in organisms!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOcumdPu1NicBnnb4j35pHu96LmpoX7ym3HK3YDQZjMhV6RQrbjal84CW_0W4M0ClvhOEXoIZKPe8BUuwRQEDPD7gBUqRJGiDzdNFxG7H28nqql3tQ55B9L5fL-MfArKDeMybr8YeYjlQvVKYMzG97PWRquirYDffJytoIYqpn67-GP7qytUfVpLj/s1318/pic1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Introduction to presentation." border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="1318" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOcumdPu1NicBnnb4j35pHu96LmpoX7ym3HK3YDQZjMhV6RQrbjal84CW_0W4M0ClvhOEXoIZKPe8BUuwRQEDPD7gBUqRJGiDzdNFxG7H28nqql3tQ55B9L5fL-MfArKDeMybr8YeYjlQvVKYMzG97PWRquirYDffJytoIYqpn67-GP7qytUfVpLj/w400-h194/pic1.PNG" title="Introduction to presentation." width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Introduction to presentation.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>Dr. Protas gave everyone opportunities to showcase their knowledge asking them driving questions!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlVhEVrUP68PV6gf8v_AJzH-B0F3MaILsPh_aPkwwjiTaLLRmkHHeNGbxSGhcNHGobzho-S7YZ9NZxAY4QX_CGBm0HGWPBqmlVzGdF_exQ5D9E5F2-frBfVy34T9ybGb0WqIOw30N1BrbPL7zjSu0vHFM6CCB3T3XGldaajzknbgFGwR25DzPXP7m/s1164/pic2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Question- "How do unique characters evolve?"" border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="1164" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlVhEVrUP68PV6gf8v_AJzH-B0F3MaILsPh_aPkwwjiTaLLRmkHHeNGbxSGhcNHGobzho-S7YZ9NZxAY4QX_CGBm0HGWPBqmlVzGdF_exQ5D9E5F2-frBfVy34T9ybGb0WqIOw30N1BrbPL7zjSu0vHFM6CCB3T3XGldaajzknbgFGwR25DzPXP7m/w400-h245/pic2.PNG" title="Question- "How do unique characters evolve?"" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Question- "How do unique characters evolve?"</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>We all learned a lot about cave animals and the traits that make them unique!</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPD1Dd-Ec5Xw25buHXcFfAzq4Zy4K66X0SxhVH95AQxq6_ADI_FaBm0KWZveM6C7SY2-MkT2iELQb7vG0IRddnxmOC12Xc0CrrHXjmtU0vRxDkrqEfSmzev1338uICkzq6CKC1CyRMPwTBzi2zBdnC6fDoBMsQigVeNNreqeWRqA0HwO6Hs3tT6ooy/s1164/protas1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Cave Animals and their characteristics!" border="0" data-original-height="718" data-original-width="1164" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPD1Dd-Ec5Xw25buHXcFfAzq4Zy4K66X0SxhVH95AQxq6_ADI_FaBm0KWZveM6C7SY2-MkT2iELQb7vG0IRddnxmOC12Xc0CrrHXjmtU0vRxDkrqEfSmzev1338uICkzq6CKC1CyRMPwTBzi2zBdnC6fDoBMsQigVeNNreqeWRqA0HwO6Hs3tT6ooy/w400-h246/protas1.PNG" title="Cave Animals and their characteristics!" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cave Animals and their characteristics!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Dr. Protas explained how cave animals have no eyesight and are different colors compared to their terrestrial cousins.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWSZasluBcPbWvXGMWfAf7YDUXtHfxy3lyNKaEWWDedkMOWre34C3qocGlG3HEAZA4zHA5G21DG-WLVysxjnottVXg-WYZETHGCjXxcDxuc20WEIFtEuhEyiBeyLr4FxFBsKtgqGEU064yHR_CjwLzCy5O5hG7bkjHGOUnBg-f98wo1KGA_ui9IyH/s1336/pic24.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="What makes cave animals different?" border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="1336" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNWSZasluBcPbWvXGMWfAf7YDUXtHfxy3lyNKaEWWDedkMOWre34C3qocGlG3HEAZA4zHA5G21DG-WLVysxjnottVXg-WYZETHGCjXxcDxuc20WEIFtEuhEyiBeyLr4FxFBsKtgqGEU064yHR_CjwLzCy5O5hG7bkjHGOUnBg-f98wo1KGA_ui9IyH/w400-h191/pic24.PNG" title="What makes cave animals different?" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What makes cave animals different?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>Learn more about Cave-dwelling Crustaceans at <a href="https://marinscienceseminar.com/blinded-by-the-lack-of-light/">Marin Science Seminar!</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-63258806232357202022022-11-09T19:02:00.001-08:002022-12-12T19:47:48.399-08:00I'm a Botanist (and unfortunately I don't know why your succulent isn't flowering!)<p> On November 9, 2022, Dr. Sarah Jacobs came to Terra Linda to share the field work and responsibilities of a Botanist.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHD-dQ8Eeq6tPtWHyRQjMkUom8_tKdLAIjr5ZZ8sz43aXw9Hv5hgv8S8JvRfW7qKlHjz1TEq1YVMDS3wgSZeRvnG6A70u7jkaUaf7akzIXQRKwhAKjEWwdLpQ0wwGLquR4KkIV9Z0vKR61PJlphboAwgIphGBFA_NgXlbCIoPZETRSwRDrHSR3JcZt" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Texas Indian Paintbrush" data-original-height="956" data-original-width="622" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHD-dQ8Eeq6tPtWHyRQjMkUom8_tKdLAIjr5ZZ8sz43aXw9Hv5hgv8S8JvRfW7qKlHjz1TEq1YVMDS3wgSZeRvnG6A70u7jkaUaf7akzIXQRKwhAKjEWwdLpQ0wwGLquR4KkIV9Z0vKR61PJlphboAwgIphGBFA_NgXlbCIoPZETRSwRDrHSR3JcZt=w260-h400" title="Texas Indian Paintbrush" width="260" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Texas Indian Paintbrush</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>Dr. Jacobs starts the presentation with a story of how she became a botanist.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJmHRMu9SGSIuLR2_R67YFxc0AAIQyeqltQy2STuRzLZA96bMS5pVRB6_2Q53CLCjAsEqzcWzA5Dn4veIy6_a4EYjnjqT_OIbWSQ4JttQ7QVuc2l20tGdyTO4uzbMpRC65TLtUWnnz0lIcX5QdvB8SCfhxHt4__JGADD7rGu2VS4GtH-EEsnN6D7p/s876/jacobs1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Steps to becoming a botanist" border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="876" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJmHRMu9SGSIuLR2_R67YFxc0AAIQyeqltQy2STuRzLZA96bMS5pVRB6_2Q53CLCjAsEqzcWzA5Dn4veIy6_a4EYjnjqT_OIbWSQ4JttQ7QVuc2l20tGdyTO4uzbMpRC65TLtUWnnz0lIcX5QdvB8SCfhxHt4__JGADD7rGu2VS4GtH-EEsnN6D7p/w320-h240/jacobs1.PNG" title="Steps to becoming a botanist" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steps to becoming a botanist</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>Dr. Jacobs explains the role of a systematic botanist and museum scientist and how they collect data from the field to classify plants.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWT8F9OyINkmwoL6XqadIHzXRybgLQv7LUmx-vA_yQ2fk85M1-64FcFiIpm8QeqRgAHzQxrd8UXyLYaF7dZQYqERM_axIGA6eU2qcvYDJp5GCNQHrj9mgndiMQK_e-_Kl30lbO-Ri4YZy-QHtlbzQCkz8h7TA19O_7TY5L3z16NQQFt8ZunOOGIpg/s876/jacobs2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Systematic botany" border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="876" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGWT8F9OyINkmwoL6XqadIHzXRybgLQv7LUmx-vA_yQ2fk85M1-64FcFiIpm8QeqRgAHzQxrd8UXyLYaF7dZQYqERM_axIGA6eU2qcvYDJp5GCNQHrj9mgndiMQK_e-_Kl30lbO-Ri4YZy-QHtlbzQCkz8h7TA19O_7TY5L3z16NQQFt8ZunOOGIpg/w400-h300/jacobs2.PNG" title="Systematic botany" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Systematic botany</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>To learn more about Botany and the best parts of it visit <a href="https://marinscienceseminar.com/im-a-botanist-and-unfortunately-i-dont-know-why-your-succulent-isnt-flowering/">Marin Science Seminar!</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-25854094666466473702022-11-07T22:14:00.003-08:002022-11-07T22:16:10.369-08:00Teaser: "I'm a Botanist, (and unfortunately I don’t know why your succulent isn’t flowering!)" <h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"> "I'm a Botanist" </span></h1><div style="text-align: center;">Presented by Sarah Jacobs</div><div style="text-align: center;">Talk Date: 11/9/2022</div><div style="text-align: center;">Teaser edited by Eliza Gould</div>
<div style="padding: 56.25% 0px 0px; position: relative;"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/768408250?h=d301145c08&badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&app_id=58479" style="height: 100%; left: 0; position: absolute; top: 0; width: 100%;" title="&quot;I&#039;m a Botanist&quot; Seminar Teaser"></iframe></div><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509833494612063659.post-57656689476256318132022-10-30T12:38:00.002-07:002023-01-10T12:45:32.402-08:00"Understanding Air Quality Data in the Bay Area" - An Interview With Michael Flagg of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District<p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">by Samantha Dvorin, Archie Williams High School </span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-064f3c08-7fff-1716-5104-f55e0f07afa9"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 12pt; margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Michael Flagg is </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a principal air quality specialist at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) in the Ambient Air Quality Analysis Office Section. Prior to working at BAAQMD, Flagg worked at the EPA’s Region 9 Air Quality Analysis for 10 years where he was a national expert on air monitoring, quality assurance and control, and data analysis regarding federal policy decisions. He has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. On Wednesday, October 12, 2022, Flagg presented <a href="https://marinscienceseminar.com/understanding-air-quality-data-in-the-bay-area/">“</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://marinscienceseminar.com/understanding-air-quality-data-in-the-bay-area/">Understanding Air Quality Data in the Bay Area"</a> at the Marin Science Seminar. We asked him some questions about what he does.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. How does air quality monitoring using professional high-tech equipment differ from monitoring with air sensors that any person can purchase?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The main difference is the purpose of the monitoring. The high-tech equipment the Air District uses in its air monitoring sites is used to track air quality over time, ensure compliance with health-based air quality standards, and provide accurate information to the public. Air sensors are typically used for collecting air quality data in lots of different places. Community groups use these networks to determine where air quality may be higher and use that information to advocate for a reduction in emissions. Also, the high-tech equipment is very expensive and takes full-time employees to run every day, while sensors are relatively cheaper and easier to operate.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">2. What does a day at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District look like for you?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A typical day starts with checking my email for any new incoming requests for data analysis, input on different projects, or answering questions about air quality and air monitoring. Generally, I try to look a the most recent air quality data every day to stay informed about what is happening in the Bay Area. Most of my time is working on specific projects, like data analysis, working with community groups on air monitoring, or reviewing documents.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipiHw9ofGkLUjladNPYIAE-TRiJ1huXUdw3tGnkgiUpelzQB9CZWN86daJ5471RBVJhZb0nEaq91xBdw2xCGG47pXfxpn6zem6N3qsLaDCRoQAg6aBvOjoefrFGFPwFPexWPoIMthUIMztlV06Dk0qdmdLgQHZ504FSftt5CDJLkA2Bog8A6EpmADe" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="768" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipiHw9ofGkLUjladNPYIAE-TRiJ1huXUdw3tGnkgiUpelzQB9CZWN86daJ5471RBVJhZb0nEaq91xBdw2xCGG47pXfxpn6zem6N3qsLaDCRoQAg6aBvOjoefrFGFPwFPexWPoIMthUIMztlV06Dk0qdmdLgQHZ504FSftt5CDJLkA2Bog8A6EpmADe=w393-h301" width="393" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from Flagg's San Francisco Chronicle Article</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">3. Why do you think air quality and pollution management are so important?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Breathing clean air is a basic human right and the Air District's mission is to reduce air pollution for all Bay Area residents. This is especially important in communities of color that have experienced decades of environmental racism and are exposed to higher levels of pollution than other groups.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">4. How has the world of air quality management changed since the emergence of new air monitoring technology?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It really has made collecting air quality data easier, which empowers people to understand the air quality in their neighborhoods and advocate for changes.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5. How is air pollution not only an environmental problem but also a social/equality issue?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Through policies like redlining, communities of color live in close proximity to more sources of air pollution than other groups. These communities experience disproportionate levels of exposure to poor air quality and as an agency need to work toward reducing air quality in the Bay Area in an equitable way - meaning we should be working to reduce air pollution in the worst areas first.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">6. How can people get involved with improving air pollution and advocating for a cleaner world?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Engaging with all levels of government and advocating for clean air or working with community-based organizations to raise awareness about air quality and how to get local improvements are a few examples.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">7. What advice would you give to a young person interested in environmental protection and air quality work?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Learn about air quality in your area and connect with like-minded people that are passionate about environmental protection, whether that be a group of friends or a local organization.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">8. Are there any projects you are working on right now?</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am working on quite a few different projects, but right now I am working on a program called the Bay Air Center that provides technical support on air monitoring and air quality to local community groups that are interested in collecting data with air sensors or advocating for cleaner air in their community.</span></p><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Learn More:</b></span></p><ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0; padding-inline-start: 48px;"><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.baaqmd.gov/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.baaqmd.gov/</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://marinscienceseminar.com/understanding-air-quality-data-in-the-bay-area/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://marinscienceseminar.com/understanding-air-quality-data-in-the-bay-area/</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p></li><li aria-level="1" dir="ltr" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><p dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2022/outer-sunset-air-quality/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://www.sfchronicle.com/projects/2022/outer-sunset-air-quality/</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0